If you spend a few minutes on social media these days then chances are you will come across collagen. It’s quite the craze from fitness enthusiasts to celebrities, and for good reason!
The truth is collagen is a great supplement for just about anyone. If you are an avid exerciser, it’s even more beneficial. But there remains the question of the best time to take collagen, is it before a workout? After a workout? Or is it the best time to take it in the morning? And what type is best? Are collagen peptides or hydrolyzed collagen the way to go?
In this article, we are going to tackle everything you need to know about college. We’ll discuss what collagen is, its benefits and effectiveness, the research behind collagen, and when exactly the best time to take collagen is.
Let’s get started!
What Is Collagen?
Collagen is a protein that binds and strengthens different parts of your body such as your skin, bones, ligaments, and even your muscles.
Our body naturally produces collagen to provide support for these different body parts. However, as we age, our collagen production increases. In fact, for many of us, collagen decline will begin as early as 25 years old! This is why getting collagen is important, be it through diet or supplementation.
Collagen comes in many different forms whether that be from food, in capsule form, or even in collagen powder form. You can take collagen in whichever way you prefer, with adding them to your morning coffee, or smoothie being a popular option.
Best Time To Take Collagen
Some people say that taking collagen in the morning is the best time to take it. Others believe you should take it before you go to bed. Then, some believe that getting collagen on-the-go is the best time to take it. So, when is the best time to take collagen? Is there a specific morning dose you should take? Or should you take it at night?
The simple answer is: collagen timing is whenever works for you! So far, there is no conclusive evidence that suggests that collagen is best taken at a certain time of the day, so take it whenever you like it. Just be sure to consistently take it based on your routine to get the effectiveness of the supplement.
We suggest trying to add collagen to your morning coffee, lunchtime bone broth, or even a night-time tea. You can also add it to things like oatmeal or even homemade protein bars. Either way, adding collagen peptides to your day-to-day is bound to yield benefits, no matter when you decide is the best time of day.
How Long Does It Take For Collagen To Work?
Similar to determining the best time of day to take collagen, the jury is still out on how long it takes the supplement to work. According to Valori Treloar, MD, dermatologist, and nutritionist, it can take up to twelve weeks for consumers to see a difference from adding collagen to their day-to-day.
“Consumers need to have the attitude of ‘just prove to me that it’s clean and I’ll try it,’” he said, noting that it can take up to 12 weeks for results to show. “It might help, and it probably won’t harm, unless you are not being diligent about quality control.”
On the other side, other studies show that it only takes four weeks for it to work. Like many things in the health and wellness field, it appears that this all depends on your unique body and how it reacts. We recommend people take collagen for around four weeks to see how their body reacts.
5 Health Benefits Of Collagen
There are many different types of collagen on the market, and there is a range of benefits as well. All collagen contains 19 different amino acids, making it a great source of protein. Collagen powder is popular amongst fitness enthusiasts, but peptides are as well.
For the purpose of this article, we will share the top researched benefits of taking collagen.
1) Great For Your Skin
Collagen is good for your skin simply because it is a major component of it – making up 75-80%! It is good for your skin because it is a major component of your skin, to begin with – it makes up as high as 75-80% of your skin.
Collagen plays a role in strengthening our skin by binding its tissues together. It’s for this reason that it is considered the “glue, promoting hydration and skin elasticity as well.
Aside from strengthening and providing elasticity for your skin, it can also help in making you look young since it provides overall support. However, collagen supplements aren’t necessarily used for anti-aging purposes; if anything, getting a younger look is a little “side effect” of it.
2) May Boost Muscle Mass
Collagen is also present in your muscles, making up 1-10% in our muscles. Still, it is needed to keep our muscles strong. Aside from making up a very tiny portion of your muscle tissues, some studies show that collagen can boost muscle mass. This is especially beneficial for people with sarcopenia, a condition characterized by loss of muscle mass due to aging.
3) Supports Bones And Joints
Aside from our skin and muscles, collagen also supports our bones and joints. Since it supports our bones, once the collagen in our body declines, it can negatively affect our bone health. Research shows that getting collagen supplements may help in slowing down or preventing bone loss.
Collagen is also good for the joints because it keeps the integrity of your cartilage, a soft tissue that prevents your joints from grinding each other. Once your cartilage weakens, your joints will begin to grind each other, causing joint-related pains.
Overall, getting collagen through diet and supplements is good for your bones and joints. Of course, don’t forget other essential nutrients for your bones like calcium and vitamin D!
4) Promotes Heart Health
Finally, collagen may benefit the heart as well. Collagen can benefit the heart in mainly two ways. Collagen supports your heart by providing structure to your arteries. When we have little collagen inside our body, this can weaken our arteries, too. As a result, this can interrupt blood flow, which is bad for our heart.
Interestingly, it is also shown to increase our HDL or “good” cholesterol. HDL is good for our heart because it removes other types of cholesterol, which would otherwise slow or interrupt your blood flow in your blood vessels.
5) Replenishes Naturally-Decreasing Collagens
Finally, the importance of collagen – or rather, getting collagen from outside such as through our diet and dietary supplements – is simply that it adds and replaces the collagens that we lose once our body decreases in collagen production.
Since it plays a vital role in different areas of our health, it makes sense to get some the moment we begin to lose them.
Recommended Collagen Brands
If you are shopping for a collagen supplement and you don’t know which brand to choose, we’ve got you covered! Below are some of the big names in the collagen supplements market.
1) Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides
When it comes to collagen supplement brands, you simply can’t miss the name Vital Proteins!
Vital Proteins is made from pasture-raised and grass-fed cows, so it’s free of any substances or added hormones that could mess your body up. But there’s more to Vital Proteins than just that!
If you like to mix your supplement to your beverage without altering its taste, Vital Proteins is the way to go. You can mix it in a beverage of your choice without making you doubt if you drink the beverage you know you’re drinking!
But perhaps, the most notable benefit of Vital Proteins is giving its user maximum performance! Aside from giving your skin, bones, and muscles support, it also supports maximum performance – which is why it is known to bodybuilders, weekend athletes, and anyone who simply lives an active lifestyle!
GET THE BEST PRICE ON VITAL PROTEINS COLLAGEN PEPTIDES2) Physician’s Choice Collagen Peptides
Physician’s Choice is a health and wellness company that focuses on excellence by using clean manufacturing and ethically sourced products. Physician’s Choice Collagen Peptides is a hydrolyzed collagen and digestive enzyme blend that combines to improve overall skin health, nail health, and digestive tract health.
Collagen Peptides’ formula includes 7g hydolyzed collagen as well as 50mg of their DigeSEB Digestive Enzyme Blend. The blend is made up of porteases, amylase, cellulase, lactase, lipase, and l. acidophilus.
SAVE UP TO 34% ON PHYSICIAN’S CHOICE COLLAGEN PEPTIDES3) Ancient Nutrition Multi Collagen
Ancient Nutrition adheres to a diet and nutrition based on what our ancestors ate to keep them healthy and strong – if you follow the same diet, then Ancient Nutrition may appeal more to you.
Ancient Nutrition’s collagen is made from beef, fish, chicken, and eggshell membrane. This whole-food based collagen supplement is a good source of different types of collagen: Type I, II, III, V, and X collagens.
Best of all, aside from being tasteless, Ancient Nutrition is also easy-to-use!
GET THE BEST PRICE ON ANCIENT NUTRITION MULTI COLLAGEN4) Health Revolution Multi Collagen Peptides
Health Revolution’s collagen supplement is mostly known for its beauty benefits – in skin, nails, and hair. This collagen supplement is designed for women.
It is also helpful in maintaining a healthy weight and in supporting both our immune and digestive systems. What’s more, the Health Revolution has a 99% absorption rate, so you know that you are getting most of the collagens that you are taking in!
Health Revolution contains Type I, II, III, IV, and X collagens.
GET THE BEST PRICE ON HEALTH REVOLUTION MULTI COLLAGEN PEPTIDES5) Wholesome Wellness Multi Collagen Protein
Wholesome Wellness collagen is sourced from grass-fed beef, certified wild fish, chicken, and eggshell membrane. Thus, this supplement provides Type I, II, III, V, and X collagens.
Just like other collagen supplements, Wholesome Wellness’s collagen supplement provides support for your hair, nails, and more. It also provides support for our bones and joints.
Most notably, Wholesome Wellness can help in our hormonal balance, sleep and may even aid in cellulite reduction.
GET THE BEST PRICE ON WHOLESOME WELLNESS MULTI COLLAGEN PROTEIN6) Orgain Collagen Peptides
Finally, we have Orgain – their collagen supplement is noted for being made and sourced from grass-fed and pasture-raised beef. Orgain contains Type I and III collagens as well as amino acids.
Orgain promotes muscle recovery, supports joint health, can make your hair stronger, and can make you appear more radiant.
Finally, Orgain works both for men and women, and it is friendly to the ketogenic and Paleo diet.
GET THE BEST PRICE ON ORGAIN COLLAGEN PEPTIDESIs Collagen Safe?
One of the great things about collagen is that there are not many side effects to taking and supplementing with it. While there are no serious side effects there are a few to be aware of including, things like a bad taste in the mouth, heartburn, and excessive fullness. If you prefer to take collagen on an empty stomach, you might experience stomach acid-related problems.
Should You Take Collagen?
If you are on the fence about taking collagen, we suggest buying a smaller amount and testing it out for two weeks. This is a sufficient amount of time to see if there are improvements from the collagen protein. Try adding the collagen peptides to your morning coffee and watch and see if things like facial elasticity, joint pain, or connective tissue issues resolve.
This protein delivers a powerful punch of amino acids that help support a variety of bodily functions. Make sure to check with your doctor if you find yourself having an adverse reaction to collagen peptides, collagen powder, or taking collagen in general. Take your collagen or dose of collagen every day and see how your health improves.
