The collagen supplement that really works
Are you looking for a collagen supplement to reduce the signs of aging, improve your skin, hair or nails? Here’s the lowdown on what you need to know, buy, and avoid!
Collagen supplements are increasing in popularity
Taking collagen supplements has become wildly popular in recent years and for very good reason. It works. Taking collagen (we’ll tell you more about which is best further down) can have a dramatic impact on your appearance, genuinely improve your health and also boost your metabolism and aid weight loss. It can also be of huge benefit to anyone suffering from arthritis, even reversing it for some. There’s nothing not to like.
What is collagen?
In case you didn’t know, collagen is one of the most abundant structural proteins found in our bodies and makes up over 80% of our skin, however over time, our bodies are no longer able to produce as much collagen and it also becomes more difficult to replace it.
The body starts to lose collagen as early as our 20s - as much as 1% a year, and by the time we hit our 50s, we are set to lose a third of it. Cheery stuff. The result of losing collagen means things like drier skin, more wrinkles and problems that relate to our heart, bones, joints and tendons. So it really is worth considering how to
Does collagen work?
There are lots of scientific studies out there that talk about the benefits of taking a high quality collagen supplement as a great way to boost collagen production in the body. Whilst our bodies produce collagen naturally, supplements are normally made with collagen peptides which are made out of amino acids, usually derived from animal protein. What’s good about this is that it makes them much more easily absorbed into the bloodstream. So yes, it does work.
Which type of collagen is best?
There really is a clear winner, and if you’re considering taking collagen supplements, this is the bit you really need to pay attention to. Hydrolyzed marine collagen (often referred to as type 1 collagen) has been proven to effectively promote healthy skin, hair, nails, boost weight management and reduce inflammation, amongst many more benefits.
Marine collagen is made of something called peptides which come from fish and their scales and the hydrolyzed bit basically means it is broken down so that it is easier to absorb into the bloodstream. However, it doesn’t end there as there is more you need to know before choosing your collagen supplement.
Scroll down to find out which one we rate as our top product!
Supplements with hyaluronic acid
There are many collagen supplements on the market which also include hyaluronic acid which is a natural substance found in the body primarily in the fluid in the eyes and joints. Studies have shown that when you take hyaluronic acid regularly, you can prevent new wrinkles forming and decrease the appearance of fine lines. Taking collagen with hyaluronic acid is a powerful combination that is likely to give you better results than taking either collagen or hyaluronic acid alone.
Our chosen supplement has hyaluronic acid included. Keep reading to find out what the top pick supplement is.
Choosing the right supplement
It may be tempting to go for one of the cheaper options to begin with on your collagen journey, however we’ve found that quality beats quantity. Higher quality products will inevitably cost more and cheaper products may have less potency or be mixed with other ingredients to bulk them out. It is really important to look at the strength of what you are buying and per ml (if buying liquid collagen) as this is what will make a difference.
Other things to look out for
Whether your chosen product is recommended by professionals - some supplements will be approved by clinicians or contain trusted ingredients.
Good quality ingredients - do read the labels carefully as some collagen tablets are bulked out with sugar which is unlikely to be high on your 'add to the diet' list.
High potency - this is a sign of a product that will do what you want it to and it can easily be missed if you’re not specifically looking for it.
Positive user reviews - if other buyers have popped back to write a review, this probably tells you what you need to know.
Our top product revealed
Having tried and tested lots of different brands on the market and collagen in different forms - tablet/capsule, effervescent drink, pure liquid and powder, we have a clear winner. This is based on meeting our criteria for a liquid marine collagen supplement with hyaluronic acid, that was potent and had great reviews (ours included).
We recommend Advanced Marine Collagen by Nutrabytes which is available on Amazon. It has great independent reviews and has been lab tested, so you know you’re in safe hands.
For every 25ml serving, you’ll get 10,000mg of pure hydrolysed collagen and it's good to know that they use sustainable methods to source the products included.
The links contained in this article are affiliate links. This review has not been influenced by the use of an affiliate link. This just means we may earn a small commission if you choose to buy the products we have recommended, at no additional cost to you. What we earn goes back into running our website.
