From powders to broths to coffees to pills, you’ve probably noticed the wide breadth of products available for one of the newest health trends — collagen.
Collagen is a naturally occurring chain of amino acids — i.e. a protein — in animals, most often found in skin, organ tissue and ligaments.
Collagen has long appeared in women’s multivitamins, and naturally occurring collagen has actually been quite popular in other countries, like China, for many years. But mass-produced collagen is now making its debut solo appearance throughout the United States.
Medical research on the latest trend is actually quite new, and since it is considered a dietary supplement, collagen products are often not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration.
However, while collagen certainly isn’t a “fountain of youth” cure-all product and is not intended to treat or prevent any diseases, Healthline lays out a number of other potential benefits of incorporating collagen into your routine.
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It can improve skin health.
Your body does produce collagen naturally on its own, but collagen production slows as you age, which can lead to drier, wrinklier skin. While the scientific research is relatively new, there have been some case studies that have reported more hydrated and elastic skin after taking collagen supplements over a period of time.
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It helps relieve joint pain.
Collagen is an important part of your body’s cartilage, which in turn protects your joints. Taking collagen supplements may stimulate your body to make more collagen, which can lead to decreased inflammation and less pain in your joints.
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It could prevent bone loss and boost muscle mass.
Collagen is, after all, a protein. Much of your bones and a small portion of your muscles are made of collagen. A combination of collagen and calcium has proved effective in a few case studies for reducing the amount of bodily chemicals that break down bone over time. Also, according to Healthline, supplemental collagen may “promote the synthesis of muscle proteins like creatine, as well as stimulate muscle growth after exercise.”
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It may promote hair, nail and gut health
The key word here (and with all these factors) is “may.” The truth is, there is just not enough medical research on collagen to firmly support any particular health claim. That being said, researchers are pleased with the promising results they’ve seen so far.
In addition, ABC News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton — an OBGYN with a masters’ degree in nutrition — says that though not much is known about new collagen products, there are also very few risks.
You may experience “some kind of interaction with some other ingredient that may be in the collagen that you may be taking, but in general collagen is incredibly safe,” she says.
HCLUC is part of Vital Proteins’ Influencer program, so I had the opportunity to try their Madagascar Vanilla Collagen Latte Supplement (this product was gifted to me by Vital Proteins through the program). I love how easily it dissolved into my hot coffee and added a boost of vanilla flavor. All I needed to add was a splash of milk to get the creaminess I like, and boom — I had a great cup of coffee, with a little extra protein, to boot.
I can’t speak much to the potential health benefits since I’ve only used it a few times. However, flavor and texture both get high marks from this coffee-loving CC!