Last year, in the midst of an unprecedented global pandemic, my health (understandably) took a hit. I was overweight, and as a result, my knees—which always tend to give me trouble for no reason at all—ached more than ever before. What’s more, my skin was dull and saggy, with more wrinkles than I wanted to see in my early 40s. I knew it was time to make a healthy overhaul in my diet and lifestyle.
I came across Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides—a popular, powdered supplement designed to support healthy bones and joints, among other benefits—at a local health food store, and loved the idea of helping both my overall appearance and my painful joints. I figured it was a total win-win, and a great place to start in my fitness and health journey.
Here, I outline my personal experience after using Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides for the past year. Remember that my experience may not be representative of your personal situation or the
results you receive.
Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides at a Glance
Summary
What I liked
What I didn’t like
About Vital Proteins
The idea for Vital Proteins began when founder Kurt Seidensticker’s’ joint pain prevented him from running, according to the company’s website. After much research, Seidensticker felt that the key to supporting joint health was to add a collagen supplement to his diet, as he believed that diet alone wasn’t giving his body enough amino acids to produce collagen on its own.
Since 2013, Vital Proteins has been manufacturing an ever-growing line of collagen supplements in the form of powders, gummies, creamers and even water. Its products contain ingredients designed to support healthy bones, joints, hair, skin and nails, such as collagen, hyaluronic acid and vitamin C. In 2020, Nestle Health Science acquired a majority stake in Vital Proteins.
Cost
When I first started using a collagen supplement, I wasn’t too excited about shelling out nearly $40 for 24 ounces of flavorless powder. But after doing some research, I found that most of the top selling collagen brands sell for around the same price per ounce, which means the Vital Proteins brand is reasonably priced (albeit a bit more expensive than other best selling brands on Amazon). Below is a price chart to help you compare prices for collagen peptides (note that this is just a snapshot of prices at a certain point in time).
Collagen Peptide Price Comparison
(all prices courtesy of Amazon and are accurate as of publication)
Ingredients
Vital Proteins includes a blend of 19 different amino acids. That list includes heavy hitters like alanine, lysine and glycine (a deficiency of which may lead to joint pain and osteoarthritis due to its role in collagen synthesis[1]de Paz-Lugo P, Lupiáñez JA, Meléndez-Hevia E. High glycine concentration increases collagen synthesis by articular chondrocytes in vitro: acute glycine deficiency could be an important cause of osteoarthritis. Amino Acids. 2018;50(10):1357-1365. ) in addition to an average of 80 milligrams of hyaluronic acid (which research shows can be beneficial for skin[2]Narurkar VA, Fabi SG, Bucay VW, et al. Rejuvenating Hydrator: Restoring Epidermal Hyaluronic Acid Homeostasis With Instant Benefits. Journal of drugs in dermatology. 2016;15(1 Suppl 2):s24-37. ) in every serving, which is equivalent to two scoops.
Vital Proteins’ collagen is a hydrolyzed collagen—a broken down form of collagen that is more easily absorbed into the bloodstream, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. It’s sourced from pasture-raised cattle and contains type I collagen (the type most prevalent in the body and found in connective tissues), type II (the main component of cartilage) and type III (the type found in bone marrow).
Taste
I chose to stir my collagen powder into my coffee. Since that morning cup of joe is easily the most consistent part of my daily life, I knew this would ensure I took the collagen peptides every day with less forgetting and less hassle. So for me, it was convenient that the powder was both flavorless and able to be incorporated into both hot and cold drinks without any issue.
And I definitely found this to be the case; even after stirring a heaping scoop (I opted to use only one scoop instead of the recommended two-scoop serving size) into an 8-ounce mug of coffee, I couldn’t tell at all. There was no change in taste or consistency, which in my opinion, truly is one of the biggest benefits of Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides.
My Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides Experience
Collagen is an important protein that makes up the majority of our skin, and it starts to decline as we age, explains Reda Elmardi, a registered dietitian, certified strength and conditioning specialist and author of the blog The Gym Goat. “Collagen is produced throughout life, but its rate of production slows down after 30 years of age,” he says. “This is due to the fact that we are no longer producing new cells at a high rate. As we get older, our bodies start to lose their ability to produce new collagen.”
In my personal experience, after a year of taking Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides, I can easily say that I believe I have benefited from the product. I’ve noticed a vast change in the condition of my skin, for one. When I started taking Vital Proteins my skin was dull and dry, I was struggling with hormonal acne on my chin and I was dealing with intermittent eczema around my nose. Today, I believe my skin looks clear and bright, my eczema is in complete remission and I no longer have cyclical acne (though an errant pimple here and there certainly occurs). While I can’t say these changes were a direct result of using the collagen peptides, these are the physical differences I noticed after a year of use.
In addition, the knee pain I was experiencing has definitely improved. It used to be nearly constant, making it difficult to stand after sitting for long periods of time. While I do experience flare-ups after running, overall I would say I’ve noticed improvements in my joint health after taking collagen for a year.
There has been research to support collagen’s benefits on skin as well, with one study finding a “noticeable reduction in skin dryness, wrinkles and nasolabial fold depth[3]Sibilla S, Borumand M. Daily consumption of the collagen supplement Pure Gold Collagen® reduces visible signs of aging. Clinical Interventions in Aging. 2014:1747. .” Whether the improvements I’ve seen are solely due to collagen peptides or an overall healthier lifestyle can’t be determined. But any improvement in the skin on your face is a major mood booster.
If there’s a minor drawback of using collagen peptides, it’s that it can take quite a while to notice results. While some studies show that improvements to skin could occur in as little as four weeks, other research finds that it can take longer to notice changes in joint health[4]Asserin J, Lati E, Shioya T, Prawitt J. The effect of oral collagen peptide supplementation on skin moisture and the dermal collagen network: evidence from an ex vivo model and randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials. J Cosmet Dermatol, 2015;14:291-301. [5]Clark KL, Sebastianelli W, Flechsenhar KR, et al. 24-Week study on the use of collagen hydrolysate as a dietary supplement in athletes with activity-related joint pain. Curr Med Res Opin. 2008;24(5):1485-1496. . I would say my experience was in line with that timeframe, so some patience is required in order to notice the benefits of collagen peptides.
And, of course, everybody is different, and there are other factors to consider when you start a collagen supplement, like how much protein you’re already consuming. But I can readily
say that this is one change I do plan to continue through the years.
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