Does jennifer aniston use vital proteins collagen peptides

We looked at the science surrounding the potential health benefits and risks of the star's morning ritual.

Jennifer Aniston is one of those celebrities who can spark a health and wellness trend with even the smallest comment about her fitness routine and daily diet in an interview or social media post. While she's previously gone viral for her intermittent fasting practices and delicious smoothie recipes, no trend was as big as the now-iconic lunch salad she ate on the set of Friends everyday for 10 years. Now, Aniston's latest peek into her wellness regimen has us inspired once again.

Jennifer Aniston on designed background

Credit: Getty Images / Steve Granitz

The actress and entrepreneur recently shared a video on Instagram as part of her partnership with Vital Proteins highlighting the daily rituals that help Aniston achieve her idea of true wellness. Some of those practices include: playing with her dogs outdoors, hitting the gym, enjoying quality time with her girlfriends and putting on her favorite records to unwind at night. However, we were most interested in how she starts her morning: with a steaming-hot cup of coffee mixed with collagen powder.

Collagen supplements, particularly powders, have become all the rage in the last few years, touting their potential to achieve youthful skin, build strong bones and boost the health of our hair and nails. Collagen itself is a powerhouse protein that can be found in bones, tissue and cartilage (plant-based eaters should know that these powders and other supplements are derived from animal sources). But are collagen supplements healthy? And should you be mixing them with coffee? We took a look at the science.

Are Collagen Powders Healthy?

Thankfully, the collagen powder trend is one that's actually rooted in some scientific research, compared to several other trending supplements. Some RDs love it as a substitute for whey or pea protein powders, but not all collagen powders are created equal. Look for "collagen peptides" or "hydrolyzed collagen" for the most health benefits.

Jen's beloved Vital Proteins is a great pick for a collagen supplement, offering an excellent source of protein, vitamin C and hyaluronic acid for a triple threat of healthy-aging power. However, these supplements can be pretty pricy, and they're not necessarily any more beneficial than simply consuming collagen-containing foods like bone broth and sardines, plus vitamin C-rich foods like citrus, berries and broccoli.

"You definitely don't need an expensive collagen supplement to achieve strong bones and healthy skin, hair and nails," says Victoria Seaver, M.S., RD, EatingWell's associate editorial director. "Eating collagen-containing foods, like bone broth and chicken skin, can help up your intake but the most effective way to boost your collagen count is to focus on eating more of the foods that help support healthy collagen production in your body, particularly foods high in the amino acids proline and glycine and vitamin C-rich foods. Think meat, fish, dairy products, nuts, beans, eggs, wheat germ and fruit, especially citrus fruit."

Should You Be Drinking Collagen Powder in Your Coffee?

While adding some collagen to your daily cup of coffee may seem like a natural way to supplement the powder in your diet, you may be better off using it in your morning smoothie or stirring it into a glass of water. An article by Texas A&M researcher Brooke Russell, Ph.D., says that collagen won't hold up in temperatures higher than body temperature, and the desired health benefits will either be diminished or completely negated—not exactly what we're looking for when a 20-ounce tub costs $35. This information is especially interesting considering that Vital Proteins also sells Collagen Creamers designed to bring some richness to your morning cuppa.

The Bottom Line

Jen's love of collagen powder definitely doesn't hurt her efforts to keep her skin vibrant, her bones strong and her overall glow. But we're not so sure about mixing it with a cup of piping-hot coffee. However, iced coffee aficionados may have no problem reaping the health benefits while enjoying their morning beverage.

Jennifer Aniston

Glowing skin and gorgeous hair have been Jennifer Aniston’s signatures since her Friends days. Lucky for us, she’s spilling exactly how she gets so radiant: Collagen. She’s been incorporating the skin and hair savior into her daily routine for years, so it’s only fitting that one of her newest roles is as Chief Creative Officer for Vital Proteins, a collagen supplement brand. Collagen is a protein that’s a crucial building block for your bones, skin, hair, muscles, ligaments and tendons. It keeps skin looking young and firm, which Aniston is living proof of. The star of The Morning Show (which is returning September 17, by the way) tells us all about how she works in collagen, her wellness journey and her nutritional rebellion phase.

Why did you decide to partner with Vital Proteins? It was organic and authentic to me and my lifestyle. I've been using it for seven years now. My doctor told me to incorporate this into my diet and I did and in a few months, I could not believe how it changed my workouts, my endurance, my mood, my hair, my joints. When [Vital Proteins] approached me about a year ago, it felt like anything else that I team up with—I was sold.

What does your role as Chief Creative Officer at Vital Proteins entail? I just like to say that fancy title. We collaborate, we share ideas. It's creative consulting and coming up with the campaign and ingredients that we could add to make it even more nutritious. The taste, packaging—all sorts. Everything's on the table.

Vital Proteins Original Collagen Peptides

How do you incorporate collagen into your daily routine? I have it in my coffee every morning, the Vital Proteins Original Collagen Peptides. I just had a shake with the new Vital Proteins Chocolate Collagen Peptides, which I'm obsessed with. And I have it in my water; the Vital Proteins Collagen Water in Strawberry Lemon usually go with me in my car. The collagen creamer I love. There are many ways now to incorporate this into your body. It doesn't just have to be in your coffee. I have a lot of friends who are coffee purists who think that they're going to add this into their coffee and their whole bow down to their coffee ritual is going to change and it doesn't. But there's the gummies—if you want to have your Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies, it tastes like candy. They're delicious.

Tell me about your journey of finding wellness from within. Well, it was sort of an accident—not really an accident, but [because of] my mom I was born into it. My mom was a real health fanatic. I just thought she was nuts. It was no fun to be at my house for dinner because I'd had no Cap’n Crunch or even a Cheerio. Not even Raisin Bran. It was like wheat germ and oatmeal with brown sugar and honey, spelt bread. Everything was sprouted. And she put nuts into my sandwich. It was weird. So, it was something that was just a part of my life. And then when I got older, my big rebellion was to eat Fruity Pebbles, Wonder Bread and all sorts of things that ended up making me feel like shit. Then I put it all together. Oh, my mom is actually being healthy. This was a really good thing that she was doing. So, I started figuring out my own version of what that looked like. And I was always physical, because I lived in New York and was at performing arts so we had dance and movement and we walked all over the place. Then I moved to California and discovered aerobics. It's just always been a part of my life. And then as you get older, you start to understand what we took for granted in our 20s and 30s, and that everything just doesn't come as easily. But as little light switches start to shut off in our bodies, we actually have the ability to turn them back on. I was really interested in that.

Jennifer Aniston with Vital Proteins Collagen Water in Strawberry Lemon

How do you believe wellness is linked to beauty? My approach is holistic. It's not just nutritional—it's emotional, spiritual, everything. What you watch and what you take in, whether it's through the news, what you read or what you do on social media, you have to be really diligent on being good about what you take in because it's really toxic and we're emotional creatures. It's all part of the whole; the sum of the wellness to me is all of it.

How do you practice self-care? That's just a daily thing. My self-care is my morning routine. I don't pick up my phone till I'm finished walking my dogs, feeding the dogs, meditating, journaling, making my coffee. You know, just having a nice clear head, and then I'll go into the world, so to speak.

Vital Proteins Chocolate Collagen Peptides in a coffee, smoothie and overnight oats

What are your wellness goals for the rest of 2021 and beyond? To stay on it. My goal is to continue to be committed to myself and to my body because this is the only one we get. But, also fully allow your indulgences. The 80-20 I think is a good rule. Allow yourself some fun, allow yourself things that you love, and take away any kind of negative thoughts around it. Enjoy it. Remove shame from your vocabulary or feelings if you are capable.

What advice do you have for those who want to start a wellness routine but don’t know where to start? Start with 10 minutes—10 minutes walking, 10 minutes meditating. Two pages of journaling—give yourself three minutes to journal, set a timer. Give yourself little goals. And then once you start to love it, you'll realize oh, I just went for four minutes. I have a girlfriend who got a Peloton bike and she said okay, I can only get to five minutes. Now she's up to 45 minutes. It's just about giving yourself that allowance to take baby steps.

Does Jennifer Aniston endorse Vital Proteins collagen peptides?

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