{"id":1470,"date":"2025-04-02T07:48:26","date_gmt":"2025-04-02T07:48:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1470\/"},"modified":"2025-04-02T07:48:26","modified_gmt":"2025-04-02T07:48:26","slug":"i-wasted-600-and-15-months-taking-collagen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1470\/","title":{"rendered":"I wasted \u00a3600 and 15 months taking collagen"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\t\t\t\t\tIt\u2019s all too easy to believe the hype of certain wonder supplements, including collagen, but all is not necessarily as it seems\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n

Davina McCall says it has left her skin \u201cfirmer,\u201d presenter Amanda Holden looks \u201cmore glowy\u201d and broadcaster Susannah Constantine describes herself as \u201cless dry and crepey.\u201d But it was the science as much as the never-ending rota of midlife celebrity endorsements that swung collagen supplements for me.<\/p>\n

As a health journalist, I was intrigued to read that a randomised, double-blinded independent clinical trial funded by leading brand Ingenious found 98 per cent of women taking its collagen supplements experienced improved skin and 77 per cent a reduction in fine lines and wrinkles.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The extent of my anti-ageing beauty regime was a retinol serum from budget skincare brand The Ordinary, I had long been a supplement sceptic and at \u00a3120 per rolling three-month subscription, the product wasn\u2019t cheap. Yet the evidence sounded persuasive and with invisibility encroaching as my forties progressed, it was an investment I was willing to make.<\/p>\n

My collagen experiment\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

I swallowed three capsules on an empty stomach before bed as instructed. Every morning, I scrutinised my face for signs of smoother, dewier skin. Every morning I saw none. I told myself to be patient. Giving up would render my financial outlay meaningless, or worse: I might suffer some sort of collagen collapse and end up more haggard than ever.<\/p>\n

Days turned into weeks. It was 15 months before I finally accepted that the product seemed to have made zero difference to my skin (or, for that matter my joints, energy levels or sleep \u2013 all of which collagen has been credited with improving), by which time I\u2019d spent \u00a3600 and felt like a fool.<\/p>\n

Collagen is set to gain another wave of hopeful midlife recruits \u2013 after rival supplement company Ancient + Brave announced McCall as its latest ambassador, In its own \u201cgold standard\u201d clinical trial, 100 per cent of participants noticed a \u201cstatistically significant improvement\u2026in visible signs of ageing.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Trust Pilot, meanwhile, 81 per cent of Ingenious\u2019 1,149 reviews are five star, with customers raving about the supplements\u2019 effects on their skin, hair and nails. So am I simply an unfortunate anomaly for not seeing results? What is the truth behind collagen\u2019s seemingly unstoppable rise?<\/p>\n

\"JournalistJournalist Antonia Hoyle at home Stamford, Lincolnshire (Photo: Tony Buckingham)<\/p>\n

The global supplement industry was valued at \u00a3138bn last year, of which over \u00a31.5bn is estimated to come from collagen pills, powders and drinks \u2013 and much of the revenue courtesy of female customers my age, hormones fluctuating and desperate to keep the years at bay. One recent survey found women spend an average of \u00a3147 a year on supplements to counter the effects of perimenopause and menopause.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt doesn\u2019t surprise me that all these claims have been made, because there\u2019s a huge amount of money in it,\u201d says James Goodwin, Visiting Professor in Physiology of Ageing at Loughborough University. \u201cBut what seems to be absent in all of them is any basic understanding of the chemistry of collagen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Do you actually need a supplement?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Collagen is a structural protein in our joints, muscles and skin, critical for tissue repair, that declines as we age. Too large a molecule to be absorbed into our blood when we eat it as food, we break it down and absorb its components instead \u2013 chains of amino acids such as glycine, proline, hydroxyproline, and lysine that form peptides. \u201cThe cells take amino acids and produce collagen,\u201d explains Ilaria Bellantuono, Professor in Musculoskeletal Ageing at the University of Sheffield.<\/p>\n

It has been shown collagen supplements can increase our levels of collagen, and Ingenious claims its formula stops its supplement being broken down by stomach acid so it reaches the small intestine intact, where absorption occurs. <\/p>\n

But Goodwin and Bellantuono tell me there is no reason why we can\u2019t get all the amino acids we need to make collagen from our diet. \u201cFor example, proline is found in egg white, meat, fish. Glycine is found in red meat, chicken, pork,\u201d says Bellantuono.<\/p>\n

Even then, there is no guarantee increased collagen levels will result in better skin, \u201cbecause of competing demands from the rest of the body,\u201d says Goodwin. \u201cNo individual has any control over their internal physiology.\u201d To date, it has been impossible to analyse exactly what effect collagen peptides have on human skin. \u201cNobody really knows where they go. Nobody\u2019s actually looked,\u201d says Bellantuono.<\/p>\n

The problem with trials \u2013 and self-funded research<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 2023 a meta-analysis on the effects of collagen supplements on skin anti-ageing published in the journal Nutrients found they improved skin hydration and elasticity. However, the studies were small and participants\u2019 lifestyle habits that could also have led to the improved appearance of skin were not analysed. The authors concluded \u201cadditional studies, specifically large clinical trials, are needed.\u201d<\/p>\n

The evidence \u201cis not what I would call robust,\u201d says Goodwin. He predicts that if you did a trial comparing the skin of people taking a collagen supplement against the skin of a group increasing the amino acid content of their diet, by eating more protein: \u201cOdds on, you wouldn\u2019t find any difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bellantuono points out \u201cmany biases\u201d in the research to date and says collagen supplements often contain ingredients such as Vitamin C and Zinc, essential for building collagen, which could themselves increase skin\u2019s water content, improving appearance, \u201cso there are things that are difficult to untangle.\u201d<\/p>\n

All of which complicates the bold claims of Ingenious and Ancient + Brave\u2019s self-funded research. Ingenious describes its 2019 12-week trial, with 116 women aged 30 to 60 as \u201cmassive\u201d but Goodwin says a trial needs \u201cseveral hundred\u201d people in it to be conclusive because \u201cwith that huge number you eliminate effects due to individual differences.\u201d<\/p>\n

One half of the trial\u2019s participants were given a placebo, and neither participants nor researchers knew who was getting the supplement. Results were assessed using facial imaging and a suction device to assess how quickly skin reverts to its original shape.<\/p>\n

The average skin elasticity improvement for the group taking the supplement was 33.9 per cent \u2013 across the age brackets, the average wrinkle reduction was 26.5 per cent, the average hydration improvement was 29.8 per cent.<\/p>\n

All of which sounds impressive to the average consumer. But, says Bellantuono, \u201cyou can\u2019t decide whether that is a good trial or not\u201d from the information provided on Ingenious\u2019 website. \u201cLet\u2019s say there are biases in the way they are divided, the placebo and the treatment group. The treatment group may have more younger people. Have they controlled for their lifestyle \u2013 what if in the treatment group there are more people doing exercise and a good diet? They may have done a fantastic job, but they\u2019ve not put the data out there. At the very least they should put those data on their website, so everyone can scrutinise.\u201d<\/p>\n

When I asked Ingenious and Cutest, the testing company Ingenious used for its trial, for more information they said volunteers were randomly assigned \u201censuring similar demographics\u201d in each group and that the trial was consistent with guidelines for phase 1 clinical trials published by the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry.<\/p>\n

Pharmacist and Ingenious co-founder Pupinder Ghatora said its criteria for a fair trial \u201ccannot be improved\u201d and represents \u201cthe best and most reliable form of research, that provides direct evidence that a treatment genuinely works.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Ancient + Brave\u2019s randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled 12-week trial had 90 female participants aged 35 to 55. Results were assessed with \u201cvisual grading\u201d and questionnaires. In addition to a universal improvement in fine lines and wrinkles, skin elasticity and brightness among those taking the supplement, 80 per cent felt more energetic, 90 per cent noticed an improvement in muscle soreness and recovery from exercise and 77 per cent saw less hair breakage.<\/p>\n

Dr Jenna Macciochi, Director of Science and Innovation at Ancient + Brave, told me \u201cdiet and lifestyle factors were accounted for, and participants completed diaries ensuring participants maintained usual routines to reduce external variability.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yet neither trial has been published in a peer-reviewed journal (Dr Macciochi says Ancient + Brave is \u201cin the process of preparing the results for submission\u201d while Ghatora says it has plans for publication.)\u00a0<\/p>\n

Goodwin says peer-review allows data to be properly scrutinised by other scientists, and claims if a trial is \u201cnot peer reviewed, or it\u2019s paid for by a company with a commercial interest, you\u2019ve got to be suspicious.\u201d<\/p>\n

And then there is the midlife factor\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

There is a worry consumers will be exploited, particularly at \u201cthe 40 to 50 junction,\u201d says Bellantuono, when \u201cyou find yourself face-to-face with the reality you\u2019ve reached midlife and you\u2019re aging. There is an instinctive drive to stop it at all costs. So people are prepared to try absolutely anything.\u201d Certainly, I feel incredulous at being 46 and my desperation to hold back time makes me a valuable customer.<\/p>\n

Yet all too often we ignore the practical, and often free, steps we can take to improve our skin, says Bellantuono. These include protecting ourselves from UV rays that damage collagen, avoiding alcohol and smoking, both of which can damage collagen production, exercising regularly to increase blood circulation that improves cell repair, and following a healthy diet.<\/p>\n

Goodwin avoids a vegan diet because \u201cthere\u2019s a much lower density of amino acids in vegan food\u201d but advises we eat food rich in vitamin C, zinc, copper and manganese, contained in fruit, vegetables and leafy green vegetables, essential to build collagen.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He also advises drinking a glass of water an hour \u2013 \u201cthe vast majority of people in Britain are dehydrated\u201d \u2013 and adds: \u201cDon\u2019t smoke, don\u2019t take drugs, don\u2019t sunbathe, try not to breathe in polluted air, and above all don\u2019t sit down all day. To me, the biggest intervention to slow down ageing is exercise.\u201d He suggests 150 minutes of aerobic exercise and two sessions of weight-lifting a week and says there is \u201cno such thing as a quick fix.\u201d<\/p>\n

My verdict<\/strong><\/p>\n

Fifteen months since I stopped taking collagen supplements, I wear sunscreen every day, exercise regularly, eat as much protein as possible and limit alcohol. <\/p>\n

And when the glossy ambassadors for collagen supplement companies pop up on my Instagram feed and I\u2019m tempted to give it another try I remember Goodwin\u2019s tongue in cheek advice: \u201cYou shouldn\u2019t have to spend \u00a3600. You just have to buy a bucket of chicken wings from KFC.\u201d<\/p>\n

6 ways to boost midlife skin \u2013 according to the experts\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

Embrace protein<\/strong>: particularly eggs, fish, red meat, chicken, pork<\/p>\n

Protect your skin:<\/strong> wear sunscreen every day,<\/p>\n

Eat plenty of fruit, vegetables and leafy green vegetables: <\/strong>essential for vitamin C, zinc, copper and manganese<\/p>\n

Stay hydrated: <\/strong>drink a glass of water an hour\u00a0<\/p>\n

Get moving: <\/strong>aim for at least 150 minutes of aerobic exercise and two sessions of weight-lifting a week.<\/p>\n

Steer clear of: <\/strong>smoking, drugs, sunbathing, pollution.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It\u2019s all too easy to believe the hype of certain wonder supplements, including collagen, but all is not…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1471,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[973,126,105,974,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-1470","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health","8":"tag-ageing","9":"tag-features","10":"tag-health","11":"tag-skincare","12":"tag-uk","13":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114267272189944158","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1470","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1470"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1470\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1471"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1470"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1470"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1470"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}