Collagen is naturally found in the extracellular matrix of many tissues of the human body, such as the skin, muscles, the cartilage of synovial joints, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels.
Its role : to provide them with strength and structure.
When collagen production decreases with age, it leads to consequences such as wrinkles, joint pain, and even a loss of bone density.
Collagen dietary supplement regimens are gaining popularity and have been designed to slow the appearance of signs of aging in the skin as well as to improve joint comfort.
But people often wonder what the optimal duration of a collagen regimen is, whether it’s marine collagen or bovine collagen. To achieve meaningful results with your supplementation, you need to take into account different factors.
Read also | Everything you need to know to buy the best marine collagen, according to a pharmacist
The duration of a collagen regimen depends on various factors
Brands recommend 1 to 3 months
Based on my research, there is no universal duration that suits everyone. The time required for a collagen regimen to be effective depends on several factors such as:
- the goal : do you want to increase your joint comfort when practicing a sport? Improve the appearance of your skin? Prevent overall aging?
- interpersonal differences : age and the body’s natural collagen levels affect the effectiveness of supplements. The older you get and the more collagen declines, the longer it takes for collagen to be beneficial.
Scientific studies are not unanimous on the subject. Their protocols use supplementation durations that can vary from 8 weeks to 12 or 24 weeks from one study to another. Therefore, we cannot determine a perfect treatment duration.
Generally, collagen supplement brands recommend 1 to 3 months of treatment to see the first effects.
When should you start a collagen regimen?
There is no ideal age to start collagen supplementation. You can take it at any time in your life.
However, studies show that collagen loss occurs more or less rapidly depending on the person, between the ages of 20 and 30, at a rate of about 1% per year.
It is therefore unnecessary to take dietary collagen supplements before your twenties.
My tips for an effective collagen regimen
Since the time it takes to see the effectiveness of supplements varies from person to person, I suggest you give yourself the best chance by following these tips:
- Be consistent with your supplementation: take the correct dose indicated by the manufacturer and make sure to be consistent in taking it. If your treatment lasts three months, consider taking your supplement every day during that period.
- Consider optimizing collagen production : some nutrients such as the vitamin C are known to maximize its synthesis. You can also add other useful active ingredients depending on your goal, such as hyaluronic acid for skin appearance or glucosamine for joint health.
- Promote a healthy lifestyle for better results: incorporate mobility exercises to care for your joints, avoid sun exposure to slow skin aging, sleep properly, limit screen time, learn to manage your stress and stay hydrated.
