Welcome to my Bulletproof Collagen Protein review.
Collagen supplements are exploding in popularity these days. And if you point out pretty much any nutritional supplement brand, the chances are they’re going to have a collagen supplement.
Many people are taking collagen for various issues, such as aging skin, hair, and nails; painful joints; and poor recovery.
And in this article, I’ll go over a collagen supplement called Bulletproof Collagen to see how effective it is.
Continue reading this Bulletproof Collagen Protein review to learn if it truly is one of the better collagen supplements out there and whether or not it’s worth buying.
About Collagen Protein
Protein has become an American obsession over the past decade. Everyone from bodybuilders to children are being encouraged to increase their intake of protein.
When it comes to proteins, there are quite a few different types we hear a lot about. Soy protein is one popular type of protein. Then there’s whey protein, such as Body Fortress Super Advanced Whey Protein. There are also various plant-based protein powder supplements, such as Tru Protein. These proteins have completely taken over the supplement community and have become a go-to for anyone struggling with protein consumption.
Unfortunately, whey protein is far from the only protein supplement we need to know about. In fact, there’s one type of protein in particular that often gets left out of the mix — collagen protein. That’s why Bulletproof has added their own collagen protein to the market called Bulletproof Collagen Protein.
There are some options for collagen protein out there, like BUBS Naturals Collagen Protein and Vitauthority Multi Collagen Protein, so how do you know if Bulletproof Collagen Protein is worth buying?
We’re going to break down everything you need to know about collagen protein, why you need to add it to your daily diet, and whether or not Bulletproof Collagen Protein is the right supplement for you in this review.
What Is Bulletproof Collagen Protein?
Collagen Protein is a powdered supplement offered by the popular supplement company, Bulletproof. This company is well-known in the industry for their Bulletproof Coffee and have since gone on to create a variety of other supplements, including Brain Octane Oil, Greens, Innerfuel Prebiotic, Collagen Protein Bars, and (of course) Collagen Protein.
Bulletproof designed their Collagen Protein powder to keep your body healthy from the inside out. As the name suggests, it utilizes hydrolyzed collagen peptides from the hide of the cattle (as opposed to whey protein, which comes from milk).
Taking one serving of Bulletproof’s Collagen Protein is supposed to promote a more sturdy bone structure, improved joint function, and healthier skin. With its unique amino acid profile, you’ll be providing your body with nutrients that are often non-existent in today’s diet.
With Bulletproof, you can easily add collagen protein to your daily diet by adding it to your favorite smoothies or beverages. Much like you’ll find with other types of protein, Bulletproof also offers collagen protein bars. They can easily substitute some of the whey protein supplements we all consume daily.
In order to fully understand the science behind Collagen Protein, you have to understand what protein is, how collagen differs from whey, why we need to supplement with collagen, and how Bulletproof intends to help.
Let’s get started!
Bulletproof Collagen Protein Benefits
Like most other collagen supplements, Bulletproof Collagen Protein is advertised to deliver the following benefits:
- Smoother, More Hydrated Skin
- Stronger Joints
- Faster Recovery
Smoother, More Hydrated Skin
One of the advertised benefits of Bulletproof Collagen Protein is enhanced skin health. Specifically, Collagen Protein is designed to decrease the effects of aging and make your skin smoother, softer, and more hydrated, while also improving skin elasticity and reducing wrinkles.
That sounds like quite the anti-aging combo for skin!
Stronger Joints
Many people struggle with joint pain, soreness, and lack of flexibility. But Bulletproof Collagen Protein is designed to minimize those symptoms by upregulating cartilage production and enhancing the connective tissues around the joints. Users are supposed to get stronger, healthier, and more flexible joints.
Faster Recovery
Intense exercise can take a toll on the body and many athletes and fitness enthusiasts suffer from everyday aches and pains. Fortunately, Bulletproof Collagen Protein claims to be able to improve your recovery time by enhancing tendon and joint health, just to name a few.
And this may mean you can be more consistent and get after it more often, without all of the pain holding you pack.
These benefits surely sound fantastic. But does Bulletproof Collagen Protein actually work? Read on to find out!
Bulletproof Collagen Protein Ingredients
Bulletproof Collagen Protein contains only one ingredient: Hydrolyzed Collagen (20g). The nutrition facts are as follows:
- Calories: 90
- Protein: 22g
- Sodium: 75mg
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Hydrolyzed collagen goes through a hydrolyzation process to break it down and make it more bioavailable, and research shows that hydrolyzation is the best process for collagen production.
What is Collagen?
Basically, it’s a protein found in connective tissues in the body, such as the joints, skin, tendons, hair, and nails. In fact, collagen is the most abundant protein in the body, so the logic is that supplementing with it would increase total collagen and thus benefit whatever areas are rich in it.
Benefits of Collagen Supplements
And in fact, collagen supplementation appears to not only increase total collagen count but also stimulate the natural production of collagen. So it’s a win-win.
Collagen supplementation has the most research behind it for enhancing skin health, such as decreasing wrinkles, improving hydration, firmness, and elasticity, and overall decreasing skin aging.
But collagen supplementation also has been shown to improve joint flexibility and mobility, while also decreasing joint pain and stiffness.
And some research shows that collagen supplementation may have specific benefits for athletes, such as improving body composition, strength, and recovery.
The recommended dose is 2.5 to 20g (10 to 15g is most common for general purposes).
Why Is Protein Important In The Body?
Protein plays a multitude of roles in the human body, but they will all boil down to the amino acids that make them up. Amino acids are the building blocks of all proteins, and there are 20 of them that are important to the human body.
As we all know, there are various different types of protein. Their differences will boil down to the amino acid profile of that particular protein. When most people look for supplements, they are concerned about whether or not that protein is a complete protein — which means it contains all nine essential amino acids.
The essential amino acids — histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine — aren’t produced in the body naturally and must be consumed through our diet. An incomplete protein is one that simply doesn’t have all nine essential amino acids — even if it contains all the other ones.
While essential amino acids get most of the love in supplements, there are a variety of nonessential amino acids that could decrease as we age. For this reason, you should consider finding a supplement that helps you find a healthy balance of essential and nonessential amino acids.
In other words, not all protein is made equal, but all protein is equally as important to the overall function of the human body — you need them all one way or another.
Is There A Difference Between Collagen And Whey Protein?
Many of you are probably wondering why Bulletproof has an entire formula dedicated to collagen protein, especially when whey protein is so popular right now. Like we mentioned above, the difference between these two proteins will boil down to their amino acid profile.
Where whey protein is largely centered around the essential amino acids and other proteins target BCAAs, collagen protein will contain high amounts of nonessential amino acids. For the right person, collagen protein could help restore depleted levels of nonessential amino acids.
In particular, collagen protein is known for containing high amounts of hydroxyproline, glycine, and proline. They are essential to the structure and strength of the connective tissue found in our bodies — including the skin, bones, cartilage, and blood vessels.
Due to the amino acid profile, collagen protein will lead to stronger and healthier bones, skin, hair, nails, joints, and overall structure of the body.
Don’t We Naturally Produce Collagen?
Some of you might’ve heard about collagen because we naturally produce it in our body. In fact, it makes up nearly 35% of all the protein found in the body. Furthermore, roughly 57% of all collagen will consist of the three amino acids detailed above: hydroxyproline, glycine, and proline.
The body will naturally synthesize glycine from threonine, serine, choline. Additionally, it’ll produce proline from arginine and hydroxyproline from proline. This is why most people won’t think about supplementing with collagen protein, since the body is already producing it from the dietary protein we consume.
While we do produce collagen naturally, our bodies also naturally produce less of it the older we get. In fact, scientists have discovered that this decrease in collagen production can start as early as 20 years old in some individuals.
Without proper levels of collagen in the body, you’ll likely experience a loss of elasticity in the skin, wrinkles, slower healing of wounds, worn-out cartilage, loss of flexibility, a decrease of muscle mass, and thinning of the intestinal lining.
What Type Of Collagen Products Does Bulletproof Offer?
When it comes to Bulletproof, they have plenty of different products to offer, including Bulletproof Brain Octane Oil as well as other collagen products such as collagen protein bars. Their most popular collagen protein will come in powder form and can be added to any beverage you’d like to add it to. Their powder comes in an unflavored, vanilla, and chocolate flavor. It can also be found in individual packets.
If you’re not into collagen protein powder, they also offer collagen protein bars that come in a variety of unique, creative, and seasonal flavors — including cafe latte, vanilla shortbread, lemon cookie, chocolate chip cookie, apple pie, fudge brownie, and mint chocolate chip.
Furthermore, Bulletproof offers several different collagen formulas with a boost. Their Joint Boost, Beauty Boost, and Gut Boost provide extra ingredients to increase the benefits you receive from just collagen protein.
Does Bulletproof Make Any Claims Or Guarantees With Collagen Protein?
When you look at a product’s packaging, social media, website, or whatever marketing channel that brand is utilizing, you likely don’t think much about the various claims and guarantees being thrown at you.
Even though we understand a majority of these claims are only designed to capture our attention, they will oftentimes be the driving force behind our decision to purchase a product. Unfortunately, misleading claims and guarantees will cause misinformed decisions.
This is why it’s essential to compare the claims or guarantees to the reality of what you’ll actually get when you purchase it. Believe it or not, most people won’t consider that second part and will only let the claims guide their choice.
In terms of Bulletproof’s Collagen Protein, there are various claims that you’ll want to understand before we break down the ingredients. Luckily, they keep it rather simple — healthy skin, bones, and joints. It’s designed to be easy-to-use and can be used in either a hot or cold beverage.
Bulletproof Collagen Protein Dosage, Packaging, And Pricing
At first glance, you would think Bulletproof Collagen Protein is some kind of powdered Gatorade supplement — at least by looking at the packaging. It’ll come in your typical protein powder tub with a white, bright orange, and lime green label.
Right on the front, you’ll see the protein content (22g), the claims (healthy skin, bones, and joints), and the flavor (in this case, unflavored). On the back, you’ll see the ingredient label, nutrition facts, and amino acid profile — we’ve listed them all above.
It comes in three different size containers as well as in packet form.
The three container options are 12 servings, 25 servings, and 60 servings. And you can also choose the Stock Up and Save option, which is three 25-serving containers.
Also, with all options, you can either choose the regular price or choose the Subscribe & Save option, which lowers the price by 20%.
I know that’s a lot of options, so listed below is the pricing breakdown:
Size | Regular Price | Subscribe and Save Price |
12 Servings | $23.99 ($2/serving) | $19.19 ($1.60/serving) |
25 Servings | $43.95 ($1.76/serving) | $35.16 ($1.41/serving) |
60 Servings | $76.99 ($1.28/serving) | $61.59 ($1.03/serving) |
Stock Up and Save (3, 25-serving containers) | $118.67 ($1.58/serving) | $94.94 ($1.27/serving) |
So, you’ll pay pretty much anywhere from one to two bucks per serving. Now, that’s sort of on the expensive side, but keep in mind you’re getting 20g of collagen, so you could always start with just one scoop, which halves all of these prices.
Lastly, you can buy 15 packets at a time, which costs $23.95 ($1.60/serving) for a one-time purchase and $19.16 ($1.27/serving) for the Subscribe & Save option.
Also, all Subscribe & Save purchases can be delivered every 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, or 12 weeks.
Shipping and Returns
You also get free shipping on orders in the U.S. over $35. They also ship to Canada and other parts of the world, although they don’t ship to some countries. Most orders will be delivered within two to 12 days.
They also offer a 30 Day Return Policy. You must have an authorized return and return it within 30 days of receipt.
Bulletproof Collagen Pros and Cons
We now understand the science, the claims, and the ingredient behind all the magic. If you’re still wondering whether or not Bulletproof Collagen Protein is right for you, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
There’s nothing that can capture the overall value of a product better than a pros vs. cons list. While there is plenty to love about Bulletproof Collagen Protein, you have to wonder whether there are better alternatives out there. More importantly, you have to know that it won’t do more harm than good.
Let’s take a look at the pros and cons associated with Bulletproof Collagen Protein!
Pros
- Collagen protein contains high amounts of hydroxyproline, glycine, and proline
- Hydroxyproline is generally non-existent in other proteins
- Can be combined with the whey protein already in your daily diet
- Comes in chocolate and vanilla flavors, or unflavored (more versatility)
- If you’re not a protein shake lover, Bulletproof offers a variety of collagen bars you can eat
- Has several different “Boost” products with added ingredients (Gut, Joint, and Beauty)
- Can lead to healthier skin, bones, joints, hair, nails, tendons, and ligaments
Cons
- Only fully necessary if you’ve started experiencing a loss of collagen
- Doesn’t have a capsule-version, only comes in powder form
- Having chocolate and vanilla are enough, but supplement users are starting to like unique flavors a lot more
- Can become expensive if you’re taking this with a whey supplement
- They have recalled a batch of the product before due to undeclared milk (2018)
- Consumers could experience an upset stomach or heartburn
Claims vs. Reality
All in all, Bulletproof can stand by its claims.
Collagen supplementation has been shown to enhance skin hydration and smoothness, benefit the joints and improve recovery, just as they claim.
And given that they use a high enough dosage, it is likely that Bulletproof Collagen Protein will be effective.
Of course, this doesn’t mean it’s a cure-all, so don’t expect it to completely erase joint pain or turn back 20 years on your skin. But it definitely should improve all of these areas at least a little bit.
Lastly, you likely need to take Collagen Protein on a consistent basis for a while to see results; probably in the neighborhood of at least two months (but you really should just take it daily indefinitely because it’s very simple to implement).
Is Bulletproof Collagen Protein Safe?
Possible side effects of Bulletproof Collagen Protein include bloating, upset stomach, and other gastrointestinal symptoms.
Also, make sure that you consume other protein sources (especially ones containing tryptophan) besides collagen to get the full spectrum of amino acids.
Bulletproof Collagen Protein is keto-friendly, soy-free, gluten-free, free from added sugar, non-GMO, and dye-free.
It is made in an FDA-approved and GMP-certified facility.
Who is it Best For?
Bulletproof Collagen Protein is best for anyone who wants a high-dose collagen supplement for their skin, joints, and/or athletic recovery.
Final Verdict: Bulletproof Collagen Protein Review
Well, that’s the end of this Bulletproof Collagen Protein review.
Many people simply aren’t getting enough collagen in their diets and this increases the risk of a number of potential problems.
But Bulletproof Collagen Protein seems to be a high-quality collagen supplement that just may be your next best weapon for enhancing skin health, strengthening your joints, and improving recovery.
I recommend this collagen supplement as a solid option for anyone looking for an easy and safe way to get more collagen into their diet.