This review examines a product called Vital Proteins Marine Collagen. We really like that this product is formulated solely with marine collagen and not a collagen blend. Studies have shown that marine collagen is more readily absorbed by the body as it is made up of smaller peptides, therefore proving better results. It is also a safer option as there is no risk of transmitted diseases such as mad cow disease, as is the case with bovine collagen.
These capsules also include Sodium, which is essential for a collagen supplement as it is important for absorption into the bloodstream. If the collagen is not absorbed properly, then you won’t get many benefits from it. However, it was disappointing that these capsules do not contain Vitamin C. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant, usually paired with collagen as it boosts collagen production in the body. When taking a collagen supplement, you want to also increase the natural production of collagen in the body and not just replace lost collagen stores.
To reap the amazing benefits of marine collagen, you will need to take a whopping 7 capsules of this product a day! We believe this is extreme and not many people will be able to keep this up every single day. We would much rather see a product which contains effective ingredients and gets an effective dose in 2 to 3 capsules a day.
This product is pretty affordable but if you are looking for something long-term, this may not be a great option as they don’t offer any sort of discounts for multiple purchases. Larger, more established companies usually will offer bulk discounts to try and garner loyalty in their client base. The only way to save is to sign up to their subscription program.
Where this product fails to impress us is their money back guarantee if you are not happy with the result. While there is one, it is only for 30 days and you may have to pay a restocking fee. This is upsetting because it could take longer than a month before you notice results.
We like that these capsules contain only marine collagen which has been shown to be the most beneficial collagen source as it is more easily absorbed by the body because it is made up of smaller peptides. However, the manufacturer has not mentioned if this collagen is hydrolyzed. Hydrolyzed collagen means that the collagen has been broken down through the process of hydrolysis so that it can be easily digested by the body. Therefore, hydrolyzed collagen provides better and faster results.
There are many customer reviews on the product’s website so we turned there to see what people’s real life experiences were. While many reviews seem to be positive 5-star reviews, when we investigated further, some of these 5-star ratings were actually negative reviews. However, the majority of the reviews don’t seem to be about these capsules, but rather the powdered version that this company also offers. A few reviews stated that even after 6 months, they noticed no difference. This is concerning, especially as the product only comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
This product does not appear to contain any ingredients that should cause harm. Those with a fish allergy should not use this product.
As with any new supplement or diet introduced into your daily life, we always advise talking to your healthcare professional about possible contraindications of any pre-existing medical conditions or medications that you are taking. Supplements work differently for everyone and the effects vary between individuals so it is always a good idea to run any health changes with a professional.
At first, Vital Proteins Marine Collagen appeared to have most of the qualities we look for in a collagen supplement because it contains marine collagen plus Sodium which is necessary for collagen absorption. However, it was disappointing that these capsules do not contain Vitamin C which is usually paired with collagen to enhance the natural production of collagen in the body. It is also not clear if the marine collagen is hydrolyzed.
The customer reviews appeared very good on the surface, but when delving deeper, they were very mixed and they were mostly about the powdered collagen product, not the capsules.
We appreciate that the manufacturer offers a money-back guarantee, however, with only 30 days to return the product if you are unsatisfied, we feel this is not sufficient time to really try out the product. The manufacturer has not provided any information about any quality manufacturing guidelines that it adheres to, such as third-party testing or a GMP-certification, so we are assuming there aren’t any. For us, this says it all.
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