If you’re wondering how long does it take for collagen supplements to work, the answer depends on a few factors. Collagen in the body is used to make skin, hair, connective tissue, and bones, and collagen supplements can improve skin elasticity and make tissue strong and resilient. This guide will go over the benefits of collagen supplements and offer insights into how long they take to work.
Benefits of Collagen Supplements
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body and is found in the deep layers of your skin, your bones, hair, and connective tissue. As people age, their bodies make less collagen, which leads to a loss of skin elasticity. Taking collagen supplements helps boost collagen production in your body and breaks down the collagen into easily digestible forms.
According to research, taking collagen supplements improves skin health, reducing wrinkles, boosting skin elasticity, and improving moisture levels in the skin. Some of the benefits of collagen supplements include:
- Improves the appearance of skin
Reduces fine lines and wrinkles- Boosts skin elasticity
- Adds moisture to the skin
- Improves hair shine and health
- Boosts nail health and nail strength
- Improves joint health, combating osteoarthritis and joint pain
- Aids in digestion
- Stimulates muscle growth
- Speeds up muscle recovery
Collagen supplements can also provide benefits for bones and connective tissue, as collagen can improve cartilage and joint health. Another advantage of taking collagen supplements is that they can improve your digestive health. Aging and lifestyle factors can lead to thinning of the lining of your digestive tract, and collagen helps reverse this damage.
Collagen Types
Collagen is the most useful when taken as a supplement (as opposed to topical creams, which have less proven benefits). Supplements for collagen are digested by the body and spur the body to produce more collagen. There are five main forms of collagen found in the human body. These include:
- Type I is the most common form of collagen, making up 90 percent of your body’s collagen. Type I provides structure to your skin, bones, ligaments, and tendons.
- Type II collagen offers support to cartilage and joints.
- Type III is found in your muscles, organs, and blood vessels.
- Type IV occursin your skin.
- Type V is found in some layers of your skin, hair, and the corneas of your eyes.
The type of collagen supplements you need to take depends on your goals, but type I is essential for most needs.
Collagen Supplements
Your body can’t digest whole collagen so supplements come in broken-down forms, such as collagen peptides or hydrolysed peptides. Collagen peptides are small pieces of animal protein from animal collagen. Hydrolyzed collagen is collagen that’s broken down into easily digestible peptides.
Collagen supplements include different types of collagen and come in digestible forms to help your body absorb the protein and produce collagen.
Collagen Switch includes type I, type II, and type III collagen peptides to improve your skin, joint, and muscle health.
Complete Collagen contains hydrolysed beef collagen, which is high in protein and low in carbohydrates, and a fat-free formula containing all 9 essential amino acids.
Collagen Copper Peptide GHK-Cu includes a naturally occurring copper complex tripeptide that promotes a healing response and collagen production in the body.
How Long Does It Take Collagen Supplements to Work?
So with all these benefits of collagen, you may be wondering how long does it take collagen supplements to work. The process of digesting collagen supplements and producing collagen in your body is not a fast one. In general, it will take at least eight weeks to start getting results from your collagen supplements.
According to researchers, it takes at least eight weeks to start seeing bone benefits from collagen. For skin-boosting benefits, wait at least eight weeks to allow your supplements to start producing results. To see the biggest results, for glowing skin and shiny hair, you will need to wait three months to reap the rewards of taking a collagen supplement.
Side Effects of Collagen
With the ability to combat the effects of aging, enjoy more supple skin, hair, and nails, and improve muscle and bone health, collagen has become one of the most popular supplements. But is it too good to be true? What are the side effects of taking collagen supplements? So far there are no big drawbacks to taking collagen. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, the available research has not shown negative side effects in people given collagen supplements.
When choosing your collagen supplement, you’ll want to pick a flavor that you like and agrees with your stomach.
Choosing the Best Collagen Supplement for You
Now that you know the health benefits of collagen and how long does it take for collagen supplements to work, you may be eager to get started with some collagen-boosting supplements. Try these tips to help you find the best collagen supplement for you:
- Choose a supplement that meets your needs. Whether you want to improve your skin, muscle, or joint health, make sure you get a supplement that delivers benefits for your goal area.
- Pick a flavor you like. There are many options, with chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and more. Choose a variety that appeals to your taste buds.
- Buy in bulk. Once you find a collagen supplement that you like, stock up and save by buying it in bulk.
- Be patient when you start. As we’ve established, it can take eight weeks to start seeing any benefits from collagen, and up to three months to see the full benefits, so take your supplement regularly and be patient for the first few months.
Enjoy Better Health with Collagen
Whether you want to improve the appearance of your skin and hair as you age or enjoy better joint and muscle health, collagen supplements will give you a boost of targeted proteins that help your body produce more collagen. Enjoy glowing, supple skin and a more youthful appearance with collagen supplements. The best way to maximize the rewards of your collagen supplements is to practice a healthy lifestyle – use sunscreen to protect your skin and follow a healthy eating program.