Collagen, a protein that holds tissues and famous among women for the youth maintenance. I have been hearing about it since then and been seeing products way back 2010 but I was only able to try it once or twice in a form of drink so I couldn’t see if anything has really changed. Some beauty products claim to have collagen and it helps make the skin youthful and glowing but I was still young back then so I do not really know if the claim is true but I must say that most collagen creams make the texture of the skin smoother as soon as you put it on and spread. I mean, the silky finish makes the skin feel smoother and softer. According to doctors, collagen molecule is huge to be absorbed by the skin so most likely your skin will not benefit from it though. It might feel smooth but it is merely superficial.
The reason I used collagen these days is because I feel knee pain from time to time. When I get heavier than my supposed-to-be weight, my knees start to crackle and hurt. I was thinking that it might be because my cartilage is no longer in good shape so my knees get painful when there is pressure. I do not advice anyone to self medicate though. I did it because I do not want taking pain meds. I am a nurse and I have an idea of what is causing my knee pain so the rationale of taking collagen is for tissue repair, so that my knees will not hurt again. It actually worked for me but let me tell you, not all collagen are created equal. I have tried different brands already like the ones below:
1. Abtei Gelatin Pulver- This one has 4 pouches of gelatine powder in a box that also contains vitamin C for better collagen production (making it is a plus for me). It is flavorless and can be mixed with any beverage that you want or even with smoothie. It doesn’t affect the taste just make sure to stir it well. I bought this at DM Drogerie and it costs € 10.95 which is pretty affordable. 1 pouch lasts for 7-10 days depending on your consumption amount. There is a scoop included inside the box so you can measure how much you should prepare for every consumption (1-2x a day). For every 10g powder you get 9.97g of gelatine (I am just not sure if it is a gelatine from beef or pork). The good thing is that you can find it in most DM drugstores. According to its packaging it is for healthy bones, cartilage and muscles. I’ve decided to give it a try to see if it is the same as the other collagen that I’ve taken for my knee pain. Well, I must say that it somehow helped reduce the knee pain when I take it together with the other collagen supplement in capsule but it should be consistent for you to see the results. The effect for hair is also gradual so you have to incorporate it to your daily diet. I have not observed much difference on my skin when I took this for few weeks.
2. Doppelherz Aktiv Glucosamin 1500 with Collagen, Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin C- Together with Abtei gelatine powder I used to take this for my knee pain as it contains ingredients that are good for knee support and repair. If you take 2 capsules a day you will get a total of 1500mg Glucosamine (from shrimp), 200mg collagen (from beef) and 15mg hyaluronic acid, 80mg chondroitin sulfate, 80mg vitamin C dosage. The other vitamin information can also be found at the packaging. I must say that this is good for maintenance like if you do not have knee pain but if you have one, it doesn’t help that much unless you take it with other collagen products which is the exact thing I did. The collagen dosage is way too low and does not make a difference (atleast to me). I like that it also contains vitamin D as it is important for building strong bones, muscles and immune system. Did it reduce my knee pain if I take it without the powdered collagen? It helped reduce the pain a bit but still the pain is there, so I prefer to take it with the collagen powder for better results. It cost only € 6.95 per 40 capsules package at DM Drogerie which is totally affordable and available in almost all branches.
3. Ostrovit Food Supplement– This was the first collagen supplement that I have tried wayback last year when my knees started to hurt so bad, that I couldn’t walk well. Before I bought this I first read info about which collagen works better for cartilage and bone support. Marine collagen is much better but it is also kinda pricy so I have decided to try a high dose bovine collagen supplement. Each tablet has 1000 mg dosage and the recommended daily intake is 3000 mg morning and night, all in all 6000 mg (with meals). I honestly find it high enough though it is still in the safe range so I tried to reduce my daily intake to 2000 mg morning and night making it 4000 mg all in all. Given this reduced dosage I have noticed a change on my knee pain. In just 3 to 4 days the pain is gone but of course I continued to take it for 2 weeks to 1 month so my knees will get better. It really helped my knees recover. Along with weight reduction, this helped me improve my knee condition. The only thing is that I can only order it online from Poland since it is not available here in Germany. One bottle costs only €4 so it is a good find! When my knees hurt from time to time, I take 2 tablets a day just to maintain that it will not get worse and still it works. My hair also became shinier and I get fewer hairfall. With my skin, I noticed that it became smoother having fewer breakouts and my nails looked better and grow stronger. One bottle has 90 tablets good for 1 month if you follow the recommended 6000mg dosage but if you try to lessen, it may last longer. It doesn’t have additional vitamins so you have to take it separately.
So far these are the collagen supplements that I’ve tested and proven to have worked for me. My personal recommendation among these would be the Ostrovit collagen because it is affordable and works faster especially when my knees are truly painful (yes, that is my main concern) and helps my hair to have less breakage.
Do you consider taking collagen too? How did it work on your health?
Richerzel 