Collagen seems to be everywhere these days. It’s being added to water, grab and go bars, smoothies. You can even get collagen creamer in your coffee. If you believe the hype, collagen is touted as a miracle cure, able to do everything from get rid of wrinkles to keep your heart healthy. But does it really work?
I recently started taking collagen as a way to deal with my joint pain. Not only do I have a family history of osteoarthritis, but one of the side effects of my current chemotherapy treatment seems to be pretty serious pain in my elbow joints. As a writer, I bend and straighten my elbows constantly so I hurt all the time. Desperate for a solution, I thought I would give collagen powder a try.
What is Collagen?
Collagen is like the support beams in a house.
It holds everything up. Stronger than steel, this fibrous protein can be found in your:
- skin
- nails
- hair
- bones
- joints
- tendons
- cartilage
- organs
- muscles
- teeth
- blood vessels
- digestive tract
In my other job writing for plastic surgeons, I often refer to collagen as the “fountain of youth” for its ability to keep your skin looking plump, smooth and lifted. It also does the same thing for your bones, tendons and joints.
Collagen Promotes Joint Health
Unfortunately, the body naturally starts slowing down its production of collagen at around 35. And by 60, over half of your body’s collagen supply is gone. Furthermore, this decline may speed up depending on certain lifestyle choices such as smoking, sun exposure and whether or not you live in a city with a lot of pollution. I never smoked, but I certainly get a loud ding on the other two.
When it comes to the joints, collagen acts like a lubricant. It helps everything to slide more smoothly. Without it, things get stiff, swollen and painful. It’s like the Tin Man in the “Wizard of Oz”. Without that can of oil, the poor guy was literally unable to function.
I have been taking my collagen powder everyday for the last couple of weeks and I have to say — the stuff works. I am definitely in less pain.
I can’t comment yet on whether or not it will help my skin, nails and hair (all of which took a beating during my first round of chemo and have yet to fully recover), but there has been one fabulously unexpected benefit from my new collagen regime …
Collagen Improves Sleep
I am sleeping better. I fall asleep faster and sleep deeper. At first, I thought it was just a fluke. But once I started doing the research for this post, I discovered that I am not hallucinating. Collagen does seem to improve sleep. The reason is glycine, an amino acid that is abundant in collagen. Glycine does many fabulous things, but in terms of sleep, it helps you saw more logs by:
- lowering your core body temperature, a crucial component in your body’s natural transition into sleep
- ramps up your serotonin levels which helps restore healthy sleep patterns
All of this sleep has the added benefit of improving both your memory and your ability to concentrate.
Collagen – Hero or Hoax?
All in all, I’d have to say that collagen is proving to be more hero than hoax. Having said that, there are some downsides. If you want to continue to see the benefits from collagen, you need to take it everyday. This is not a situation where you can just build up your levels and then stop. It’s a commitment of both time and money. Because here’s the other thing, you want to make sure that your collagen is coming from a good source.
With all of the hype around collagen, there’s a lot of crap out there. Personally, I am a fan of the collagen powders from Vital Proteins. Sourced from pasture-raised cows (and wild caught fish if you are cow adverse), their collagen powders come in a wide range of flavors and formulas. The Unflavored Collagen Peptides is the best bang for your buck. However, since I don’t drink smoothies, I’ve been drinking this on its own and it does leave a bone like flavor in my mouth that is a little disconcerting. This is why I’ve been playing around, mixing it with the Beauty Collagen in Watermelon Mint.
The latter has slightly less collagen peptides, but it adds hyaluronic acid to the mix which is a proven skin plumper. So far, so good. They also have both a beef and chicken Bone Broth powder that is great as a snack, but it’s almost twice as expensive. Bottom line, there are choices to fit both your budget and your palette. So, if you are feeling a little creaky these days, give collagen a try. It really is a bit like the fountain of youth….