Woman takes collagen for 30 days to show true impact it has on body

A woman documented herself taking collagen for a month to see whether or not the supplement actually had any benefits – here's what she found.

Anyone who's existed in or in proximity to the health and fitness world will have likely seen the word collagen slapped on the side of various supplement powders, but what exactly does it do?

According to the Cleveland Clinic, collagen is considered the 'primary building block' for our skin, muscles, bones and connective tissues, accounting for 30 percent of the body's protein.

The benefits aren't restricted to health either, with a beauty expert from Boots adding that collagen supports the growth and maintenance of healthy skin and nails, as well as making your skin appear more plump and youthful.

Sounds like an ideal supplement, right?

Collagen is hugely popular these days – but is it worth it? (Getty Stock Images)

But, like any other supplement readily available on the supermarket shelves, there is an understandable amount of scepticism when it comes to these 'wonder vitamins', with consumers looking online for reviews before taking the plunge.

Fortunately for us, there are plenty of content creators who've documented their experience with collagen, meaning we have more of an idea of what it can – and cannot – do for our bodies.

This includes creator Keltie O’Connor, who recently shared the results of her 30-day collagen experiment on YouTube.

Here's what she found:

What are the benefits of taking collagen for 30 days?

After 30 days of mixing 5 to 15 grams of cocoa flavoured collagen powder into her water every day, Keltie noted that she hadn't seen significant improvements in her hair, skin and recovery process, although she noted that the latter was most likely down to her increased marathon training.

Keltie documented the experience and found that she didn't see major benefits from the experiment (YouTube/Keltie O’Connor)

She adds that her digestion had gotten worse throughout the 30 days, but puts this down to long-haul travel and jet lag rather than the supplement.

However, Keltie notes that the lack of results she noticed is more likely to be a result of her personal diet and not the effectiveness of collagen.

"I think the biggest reason I personally didn't see any change is [because] my diet is naturally high in collagen," she said. 'I do eat steak, I eat chicken, I eat poultry, I eat a wide variety of animal sources.

"So, I didn't really get any benefits cuz I was already sufficient enough in collagen in my diet," she added.

Watch the video below to see the full 30-day experiment:

Should I consider adding collagen to my diet?

Whether or not you'll benefit from taking collagen depends on a variety of factors, including your age, diet and overall lifestyle.

As Keltie notes during her video, collagen doesn't appear to have much of an effect on her lifestyle, as she already consumes a large amount of animal products. However, if you're someone who doesn't eat a lot of protein or animal products, you may be more likely to see the benefits – just know that collagen cannot be vegan or vegetarian.

"For example, [if] you just rely more on protein bars or beans and stuff like that, you're likely not getting as much collagen," Keltie explained. "So, this could be a great supplementation."

Age is another important thing to factor in, as our collagen stores deplete as we age, meaning that older people are more likely to benefit, while young fitness fanatics should focus on eating a balanced diet and preserving their collagen.

When it came to preserving collagen levels, she recommended the following:

• Get better sleep
• Use suncream
• Exercise
• Good nutrition
• Avoid smoking and excessive alcohol use.