Sometimes, I think our ancestors knew more about nutrition than modern day health professionals. Okay, I sort of think this constantly, especially health professionals that promote low-fat, processed foods over nourishing, traditional foods humans have been eating for thousands upon thousands of years.
Like bone broth.
Our ancestors ate every part of the animal. They made use of the hide, made tools from the teeth, made broth from the bones and feet. This broth left them with a mineral-rich, gelatinous substance rich in collagen – which is the most abundant protein in the body.
While I love me some bone broth, the reality is that I don’t always drink it. Whether that’s because I live in DC and these swampy summers leave me wanting to bathe in ice more than drinking a cup of hot broth or because I just don’t have any on hand. Supplementing with collagen is one of the easiest additions to any healthy lifestyle. It doesn’t involve swallowing pills, it’s tasteless and it takes all of three seconds to add a scoop of it to a cup of tea (or whatever you may be drinking). And it’s really, really good for you.
Here are five reasons you should take some every day.
#1: IT HEALS THE GUT.
Because we no longer eat every part of the animal, because we don’t utilize the bones, the feet, or anything aside from the muscle meat, modern diets are severely lacking in collagen. Which is really unfortunate, because not only is bone broth delicious, it is incredibly healing. Collagen has been shown to strengthen mucosal lining and improve low stomach acid.
It contains proline, glycine, and glutamine as well as mineral like calcium, magnesium and phosphorous. These are all incredibly healing to the digestive tract and have been shown to soothe symptoms of IBS, Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis. It heals and seals gut lining. Leaky gut is becoming more and more common, along with people suffering from digestive issues in general. Adding bone broth is a great idea, and supplementing with collagen daily will definitely boost gut healing.
#2: IT STRENGTHENS BONES, JOINTS, AND CARTILAGE.
Joints, cartilage, and bone are all in part made up of collagen. In fact, bones are one-third collagen while cartilage is two-thirds collagen. This is another reason bones become brittle, our cartilage wears and our joints ache as we age. In this study, 52% of patients significantly improved their joint pain with daily use of collagen hydrosylate.
#3: IT REDUCES WRINKLES, CELLULITE AND STRETCH MARKS.
Around the age of 25, our bodies produce less and less collagen (this is especially true for women). We lose is by roughly 1% per year. By the time we’re 50, we’re not producing much at all. Loss of collagen leads to wrinkles, sagging skin, and sallow skin. You may have seen creams and topical products that contain collagen – which using is basically like setting your money on fire. Your skin cannot absorb collagen, it needs to be taken internally.
One reason for both cellulite and stretch marks is a breakdown of connective tissue. Collagen helps our skin remain firm and elastic. Collagen helps the skin retain structural integrity. Remember that collagen is a protein, a protein that helps form the connective tissue of the skin. If it’s lacking or damaged, this will result in cellulite and/or stretch marks.
#4: IT BOOSTS HAIR AND NAIL GROWTH.
Hair and nails are made up mostly of keratin, which is a fibrous protein. Like any protein, it needs amino acids to grow. And what is rich in amino acids? You guessed it – collagen. Consider this: if you have an abundance of these amino acids, you will naturally have faster-growing hair and nails. If you lack these amino acids, which many people do, you will have slow growing, weak, brittle hair and nails.
#5: IT REDUCES INFLAMMATION.
Collagen is rich in the amino acid glycine, which has been shown to reduce inflammation (source). Glycine doesn’t just reduce inflammation in a small way, it has been referred to as “a promising treatment strategy for inflammatory diseases.“
Inflammation is the body’s natural response to harm. If you get punched in the face (which I really hope you don’t, I’m just using this as an easy example), your face turns red and swells. That’s inflammation. If you have heart disease, that is the result of inflammation. If you drink alcohol or sodas regularly or bombard your body with toxins, your liver will become inflamed.
Inflammation is natural, but prolonged inflammation is anything but. One of the biggest steps we can do to reduce disease is to reduce inflammation. Eat well, stress less, sleep more and supplement with collagen!
HOW TO TAKE IT.
I use and love my own brand of collagen which is formulated with six organic supergreens: broccoli, kale, wheatgrass, spirulina, spinach and turmeric. It’s incredibly nutrient dense, delicious and healthy!
Here is my favorite smoothie recipe:
Serves 2
- 1 scoop Ancestral Nutrition Collagen Protein + Supergreens
- 1 cup coconut milk
- handful of spinach
- 1/2 avocado
- handful of blueberries
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
Blend until smooth. It’s insanely delicious!
37 Comments
How many servings come in one bottle?
I think 60? It’s huge.
It does not apply to those of us with a hereditary connective tissue disorder Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. Many do not realize they have it unless they are genetically tested!
Hi! I had actually boughten the green container of collagen from amazon that you use in your shot every morning. ive been doing that too! but now I see that you are talking about a new brand of collagen instead. Is this one better than the green canister? What is the difference? If I buy this, can I add it to my shot? Thank you!! xoxoox
They’re similar, both grass-fed. I love the new company I’m promoting, they’re great people. Their collagen is supposed to be more bioavailable.
What evidence of this is there?
You can find it on their website.
I have been battling R A for 26yrs now. I am currently 47. I will b trying this asap!! Thank u & I hope this will relieve majority of my pain. I’m so tired of Dr’s in pain mngmt making me feel like a drug addict!
Look into turmeric as well!
Remember for turmeric to me absorbed by the body it needs to be coupled with black pepper.
Could you continue taking collagen if you were pregnant and breastfeeding?
Yes. I mean always check with your doc but I plan to.
I just found your website and holy moly am I loving it! Thanks! I was going to say, I took Collagen all pregnancy long. My Doctor was more than supportive of my use of it.
Hello! Do you suggest this brand over the one you use in your ‘healthiest shot ever’? I am glad I saw this post I am ordering the collagen to make the shots this week! Thank you! and I love your posts!
Hi Dani, I went to the website to order this collagen and there was a pop-up ad from you giving a code to use @ checkout to get 10% your purchase. I tried to use it but the site would not accept it. Do you know why? I still purchased it even though it’s on backorder. Thanks for your time, Bonnie PS, I’ve just discovered your website and I think it’s fantastic!
Hmm…you should contact their customer service about that.
Thank you!
I just ordered the collagen last night & was able to use the code…I got the 10% off so I would definitely call customer service. I am new to this awesome site (ancestral-nutrition) & I’m so excited I found you! Loving all of the info you have on the site. Thank you!
Dani,
How many scoop of collagen can you use per day? Is it safe to put more than one scoop in your smoothies?
Each package will list the recommended serving size.
Is this the same as gelatin? I bought a brand that is from grass-fed cows and do not want to buy a duplicate of what I have if it’s the same.
Thanks you
Gelatin contains collagen – did you buy the green can from Great Lakes? If you bought the red one, it will turn this to jello.
Please advise on how much of this you would take/add to foods per day. I have Crohn’s disease and I bet it would be good for my gut and my inflammation! Thank you !
The packaging will tell you – they usually contain their own scoop.
I do buy the orange can…I mix 1T with 4 to 6 oz hot water to dissolve it…Let it sit a minute or two.. then if it is morning after I have done my oil pulling, I add the juice of one lemon and 1 T of raw ACV…If there is room than I add a little room temperature water and drink it down…That is how I start my day. At the end of my day, I add 1 T to 4 to 6 oz of water…let it dissolve and then I top it off with about 6 oz of Tart (unsweetened) cherry juice.
This does several things….not only do you get the Collagen twice a day…You start your day with an Alkaline warm drink…and set the stomach and gut up to digest food…Most often I am not hungry for a couple of hours and the drink will help get the bowels awake too. Good way to tell the body that it is morning!
At night the tart Cherry juice helps to reduce inflammation, is a mild natural pain reliever and will help you sleep. You need to be consistent.. and use it every night. You may not see any difference at first….When you start seeing your nails and hair improve… you will gradually notice some of the other benefits. As with most natural healing, the body take time to correct the issues…You did not get like that over night and it will not heal over night.
It has not done as much for my arthritis pain as I had hoped but I need to really drop some weight and then I know that will help too. I will not give up on it though either because I cannot be certain that I would not be worse off if I had not started this process.
For me this is so much better than taking any over the counter “medicines”…
Thanks for the post!
Hi I just bought a tub of perfect supplements hydrolized collagen as it sounds like a great way to stay young looking, but a friend of mine said that as soon as I drink it my stomach acids will destroy it before it gets chance to be absorbed into my body? Is this true? ….. Hope not!
No, that’s not true at all. That’s basically saying the food you eat will be destroyed by your stomach acid before your body can absorb it. We’d all be dead!
Thanks Dani! ????
I am trying to figure out how to get this to Mexico where I live, the postage service will take forever and add on extra tax costs, and possibly won’t even arrive. I am a scuba instructor here and am constantly working in the sun and the salt water….I can see my skin aging already and I’m only 25 (yes, I’m freaking out)! How much do you take in a day?
I take 2-3 scoops but what works for me isn’t right for everyone. Always start small and work your way up.
Also the company is great about shipping.
I’m 23 years old. Would it be okay for me to start taking collagen?
I’m not a doctor, but I don’t see any reason not to. It has great benefits.
Hi!
Love your blog! I’ve learned a lot in the four months that I’ve been following it! My sister recently started using collagen drops. Is there a reason you like the powder form better?
Hi Dani! I have ulcerative proctitis and read somewhere that folks with UP and UC should avoid bovine collagen and stick with collagen from fish or chicken only.. do you know if this is true? And if so, do you have any other collagen recommendations or other supplement recommendations that’ll help with digestive health and proctitis? Thanks!!
Is collagen from beef better than collagen from chicken?
I was using this same product and worked great then I saw bone broth from dr axe and purchased , I just realized it’s derived from chicken broth . Does that make a difference ? I’m considering going back to hydrolyzed collagen . I really saw a difference with that product
Please advise
Can you use this while breastfeeding? 🙂
Hi Dani, I just discovered your blog and I am avidly reading everything. Do you still recommend this collagen and do you still take it yourself? Thanks!
I do but I’m in the process of creating my own collagen powder + super greens supplement that will be available this summer!