Wellness 13th June 2024 by Adele Miner

I Started Incorporating Collagen Into My Daily Routine And Here’s What Happened

"My nails and hair were stronger and longer than they’ve ever been"

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A post shared by Jennifer Aniston (@jenniferaniston)

The ‘inside-out’ approach to beauty isn’t a new idea. The principles of it are simple, to reap the benefits of a healthy outside, you must feed the inside with goodness. A holistic approach to wellness can be up for debate among many, but I’m sure we can all find common ground by acknowledging the importance of taking care of our general health through diet and lifestyle. One crucial in our diets, many experts say, is collagen, a protein found naturally in the body. It’s important in the body for multiple reasons, and explaining it simply is Vital Proteins Educational Co-ordinator Olivia Palaez, “Collagen is the “glue” that holds everything together in terms of the body’s structural framework,” she begins.

Sharing just how important that ‘glue’ is for our bodies, Olivia continues: “Collagen is the body’s most abundant protein and helps to support hair, skin, nail, bone, and joint health.” As collagen protein is so important within our bodies, many people have begun supplementing with it, as although collagen occurs naturally in the body, our production supply rapidly begins declining as early as the age of 25. “As we grow older, the body’s natural collagen production begins to decline. It is estimated that our endogenous (the body’s own) production of collagen declines at a rate of 1% per year and may begin as early as young adulthood.”

When you think of protein supplements, your mind immediately conjures up images of a ‘gym bro’, whose main goal is focused on knocking back dairy-laden protein shakes all in the name of getting hench. But actually, the more collagen peptides have entered the consumer market, the more diverse fans they’ve gained. The rhetoric around supplementation seems to be changing for the better, as we become more informed it’s hard to ignore a remedy that can potentially enrich our wellbeing. With supporters like Jennifer Aniston and Khloe Kardashian, collagen supplements look set to become a cupboard staple.

A small body of evidence suggests that topping up our body’s supply of collagen as we age can not only have positive effects on our skin and appearance, but also potentially aid in wound healing, slow down muscle wasting, and ease symptoms of arthritis too. Explaining how collagen peptides work, Olivia said: “Since our skin is made up of 70% collagen, incorporating collagen peptides as a regular part of your wellness routine means you’re providing your body with the key building blocks, or amino acids, required to renew tissues, like skin. Collagen peptides act like messengers to the skin to help support healthy skin.”

Swayed by the celebrity endorsements for different supplement brands, I decided around a year ago to dip my toe into the pool of collagen supplementation – if it’s good enough for the aforementioned Jen An, it’s certainly good enough for me! And over the course of that time, my results were surprising, to say the least. I should probably preface this by saying I suffer with mild skin concerns on and off, mostly being hormonal acne, and so was never supplementing under the guise that it would fix my skin problems, but rather I focused my attention on its other possible benefits instead – nails, hair, and joints. Which is exactly where I saw the most change.

Of course, the changes weren’t immediate, it takes around 3-6 months for things to really kick in, but by month 4/5 of taking daily supplements both my nails and hair were stronger and longer than they’ve ever been. I noticed a big difference in my recovery time between workouts, where I would usually feel the after-effects of a workout for 2-3 days, my sore muscles were gone within a day or so, my joints felt flexible and I was able to quickly make progress in activities like yoga, where I would have struggled beforehand. It wasn’t a bad result from just throwing some powder into my morning oats. That’s the main appeal of supplementing collagen for me, the ease with which you can incorporate it into your diet and wellness routine.

Available in different forms like liquid, powder, and tablet, Olivia says it’s up to each person to find what works best for you, but if you’re someone who forgets easily or may lose track of taking daily supplements, she recommends trying out powdered peptides as incorporating it is as simple as slipping it into your morning coffee. “The most important thing is to make sure you are consuming collagen daily at the suggested dosage in order to reap the benefits. Since they’re a flavourless and odourless powder, they’re incredibly versatile and easy to use. I would recommend finding an existing habit you already have, like drinking coffee, tea or a smoothie in the morning, and try adding collagen daily until it becomes part of your daily routine.” It’s clear to see that collagen is one of very few wellness tonics that doesn’t just look at what it can do to the outside, but rather looks after the inside first, and when it’s as simple as scoop, mix, and sip – how could you say no?!

Check out some of our faves on the market:

Collagen Peptides Powder - Unflavoured 567g