WHAT
Collagen is a protein your body naturally produces and is found in your skin (dermis), joints, and bones. As we age we produce less collagen, which shows in our skin and aching joints.
We mostly see Hydrolyzed Collagen aka Collagen Peptides. This collagen has gone through a process to create a light powder that is easy for your body to absorb the necessary amino acids. It's the amino acids and peptides that actually help your body produce more collagen once it makes its way into your small intestine.
WHY YOU SHOULD CARE
After our mid-twenties our bodies slowly start to break down more collagen than we can create on our own, so if we want to keep our skin, joints, and bones in tip top shape, we have to supplement.
A clinical study showed that taking collagen as an oral supplement daily made improvements to skin elasticity, moisture, and softness. Who doesn’t want supple glowing skin?
Another study showed that taking Hydrolyzed Collagen (10g daily) can improve osteoarthritis and inflammation in our joints, which lead patients to take less NSAIDs that can have adverse affects.
Even more, taking collagen daily can increase bone mineral density in postmenopausal women. There is hope!
Not a postmenopausal woman? Keep reading… another study in college aged athletes showed much improvement in joint pain, and utilizing collagen can also reduce joint deterioration.
Collagen can also help to repair the lining of your gut. So. Many. Health. Benefits.
Healthy skin, bones, joints, and gut all in one supplement! I'm in!
HOW TO IMPLEMENT
Two ways to easily consume collagen: hydrolyzed collagen powder and bone broth
For collagen powders:
Make sure it is Hydrolyzed Collagen, look for organic grass fed if you are using a non-vegan product.
For bone broth:
You can make bone broth on your own. Here is a recipe I like from The Defined Dish
You can also purchase bone broth pre-made or in powder form. Again, make sure its from organic, grassfed animals.
I WANT MORE
My favorite is the Vanilla Coconut. I add half a scope to my coffee every morning and it's great in shakes too! It has clean ingredients with no added nonsense. Easy to order on Amazon.
This is my daily go-to. In my humble opinion, this is very similar to Vital Proteins (the most popular brand), but I can get this one in bulk on Amazon for little less money. I use this in my coffee every morning. It does not have a strong flavor and when I mix it with the coconut vanilla collagen I cant taste it at all.
This is a great unflavored collagen. Its quite popular and sometimes you can even find it in bulk at Costco. Its also comes in a variety of sizes and the lid secures nicely if you are traveling with it, which is when I use it.
They also have many other collagen products including marine collagen for any vegetarian/vegans, collagen coffee creamer, and beauty products.
This is the most flavorful bone broth I have found. I can easily sip on it by itself for a yummy, warm snack or add it as a base for soups. You can find this brand at most grocery stores, online, and definitely at Whole Foods.
This is my other go to for bone broth. Its a little less expensive and equally yummy. They have beef, chicken, and veggie broth. This brand is also pretty easy to find at most grocery stores in the frozen section. I get it from Whole Foods.
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