Supplements & Collagen

If you think you are too young to take them, you are so not! 20 or 60, start them sooner rather than later would be my advice.

I am now well into my 40’s and for years I would hear my lady friends saying that life changes when you hit your 40’s and it really does…

1. You notice aches, pains, and twinges2. Your hormones are all over the place

I noticed that towards my late 30’s early 40’s, my knees and back were often painful and the pain was increasing to the point that I was losing sleep. It was agony and I was in a bad mood all the time. In early 2021 I finally saw the doctor (I’m middle 40’s now) to see what the problem was. Four X-rays and one MRI later, the diagnosis was that the discs are collapsing in my lower back and I have advanced osteoarthritis in my left knee, initial stages in my right, sigh.

Hoping to help myself a bit, I embarked on my very first supplement journey. I had lots of help and advice from people with similar issues and I really want to go down the natural route before I consider having the steroid injections the doctor offered.

A couple of years ago, I started taking turmeric and cod liver oil, it is funny because I mostly don’t notice them working, its only when I forget to take them that I realise, they are indeed helping this old girl to function. I was talking to a friend recently and she mentioned a supplement that is used regularly here in France called ‘Devils Claw’; it helps reduce inflammation around the joints, so I ordered them as well. Why not?

My next supplement adventure is collagen. There are two types of collagen, marine and bovine, the biggest difference is obvious, one is fish, and the other is from cows. Marine collagen comes from fish scales and skin and bovine collagen is from cowhides.

Collagen, by the time you reach your early 20’s has already begun to reduce and reduces each year by 1%. So, as you get older, you start to experience problems with

your skin, hair, joints etc. There are obviously environmental and physical attributes that can also influence these ailments but ageing is the main one.

There are three types of collagen, and they all target different areas on the body.

Type 1. Mainly used in beauty products, minimizes the appearance of fine lines, strengthens hair, skin and nails, improves skin hydration and elasticity and supports muscle recovery.

Type 2. Improves the health of joints, supports spinal discs and eye health.

Type 3. Found in blood vessels, muscles and intestines, improves skins hydration and elasticity, and supports gut health.

Marine collagen primarily is Type 1 collagen, while bovine has a mixture of type 1,2 and 3. I am currently taking marine collagen, which also includes hyaluronic acid and vitamin C in the ingredients. I have only been taking it for a few weeks and it apparently takes 12 weeks to discover any real notable differences. I am however seeing an improvement in my skin and gum health and I have bags more energy, which is a huge plus for me.

I will think about adding the bovine collagen to my diet soon because of my knees and back issues, to see if it will help, but for me personally, I have definitely seen a difference in my joints. The pain and inflammation have reduced even though they are not totally eradicated and I think never will be. However, ensuring I have a balanced diet boosted with supplements, I’m really hoping to stave off the injections and further degeneration. I also want to limit the amount of painkillers I need to keep active. Don’t worry; I will let you all know how I am getting next month.

Tia xx