Should I be drinking Collagen?
My Answer is Yes.
Collagen has taken off in the mainstream market and I field a lot of questions about it. People want to know if they should be drinking Collagen. After all, it's expensive, so is it worth it?
Firstly, I'm no novice to the benefits of Collagen supplementation. Naturopaths and Nutritionists have been prescribing Collagen for decades to help reduce joint inflammation, strengthen tendons and ligaments, and even to increase muscle mass. Recently, however, Collagen has a new spin on beauty and skin health. It's being marketed as a cure-all for plumping skin, reducing wrinkles, increasing skin hydration, and as an all-around anti-aging miracle.
What we DO know about Collagen is that the body produces less between the ages of 25 - 30, which is a normal consequence of aging. That means that adding some back into the body, via diet or supplements, can make a big difference, since it is used to producing and having more.
What you should know is that you don’t need a supplement to get collagen into your diet; some naturally occurring sources of Collagen are organ meats (pastured or at least organic) and bone broth; both are not always accessible, everyday items.
It took me a while to jump on the collagen band wagon. I was leery of its presumed health benefits and how quickly it gained credibility as a superfood must-have. So I decided to do my own experiment...
I took Collagen every day for three months, and here's what happened.
I didn't notice anything in the first three weeks. I've taken Collagen before but never in the higher doses available in the powdered form. The store-bought Collagen comes in a hydrolyzed form, so it's already broken down into a very absorbable and easy to digest form.
The good news is that It doesn't taste like anything. It literally has no flavor in this form. Given that I am a coffee purist (meaning that I don't add sweeteners, just a touch of heavy cream), and since collagen has no flavor, it was easy to try adding it to my morning coffee routine.
2 Scoops of Collagen contain 20 grams of protein. If you are like me, and struggle with getting enough protein every day, 20 grams of protein in the morning with no additional culinary effort - no eggs or sausage, power bars or ground chia seeds -- feels like a miracle opportunity. Just add two scoops of flavorless collagen into your coffee or tea and you are getting a solid dose of protein, similar to 3 whole eggs or about 4 ounces of beef.
The first difference that I noticed was my hair. I had been drinking Collagen for eight weeks, and a patient of mine mentioned how long my hair had gotten, which is easy to miss when I'm not paying much attention to it! I went to the bathroom and looked at my roots; indeed, my hair had grown more than two inches in two months.
Next was my elbow. After a long day of seeing patients and working on my computer, I reached for the hot spot on my elbow and noticed I couldn't elicit the same pain I used to by pressing firmly. My elbow pain had decreased significantly. After three months on Collagen, I had less low-back pain, my thirst increased, my sleep improved, and my entire body felt moved a little more effortlessly.
It's essential to remember that Collagen is extracted from animal hides or bones, or fish scales, so be sure to choose well-sourced (clean) Collagen with few added ingredients. Try to avoid additives and sugars, and make sure it's third-party certified, as Collagen is not regulated through the FDA. Give it a shot, over a couple of months and see if you notice a difference, or let’s set up a time to talk about whether or not its a good fit for your life and how you can make that work!