ARE COLLAGEN DRINKS REALLY WORTH THE HYPE?

Taking the industry by storm, beauty drinks and capsules are becoming seriously popular, with collagen supplements being hailed as anti-ageing heroes. Closer looks into the benefits…

Collagen is the most abundant protein in our bodies and is naturally found in muscles, skin, blood and bones. This wonder protein helps to promote skin elasticity, hold our bones and muscles together and protect organs. As we get older, our collagen production slows down (we lose up to one per cent a year from the age of 30) and this can result in signs of ageing, such as wrinkles. Collagen supplements and products are praised as anti-ageing heroes by celebs like Jennifer Aniston and Kourtney Kardashian – so, should we all be using them?

WHAT DO THEY DO?

Daisy Whitbread, a top nutritionist, says, “Keeping our collagen levels topped up with capsules, drinks and beauty products can have wide-reaching benefits. The smaller fragments of collagen found in most supplement drinks are absorbed very quickly by the body and can act fast to give our skin and tissue a boost. There’s quite a lot of scientific evidence to back up the claims – one study reported a 20 per cent reduction in eye wrinkle deepness after using for just eight weeks. I’d recommend taking collagen every day for maximum results. The minimum amount found to be effective is 2.5g a day, so anything higher than that will create noticeable improvements within weeks.”

ARE THERE ANY DOWNSIDES?

Skin consultant Megan Felton is a little more sceptical when it comes to the supplements. She explains, “They may work well for organs and other parts of the body, but the skin is the last in line to receive the nutrients that we feed our body, so it’s unlikely supplements alone can have much of an effect. There are plenty of other ingredients that can boost collagen production in our skin – look for products containing vitamin C and retinol, or try LED facial treatments to stimulate collagen levels.”

The jury is still out on whether a daily dose can really have the miracle effects that they promise, but it seems this “wonder ingredient” can boost the appearance of your skin if taken or used topically over a long period of time. Don’t expect a plumpedup complexion overnight, but this is certainly an ingredient for your beauty arsenal.