Your body makes less collagen every year after 30. Here's what that actually means.
It's one of the most talked-about supplements of the last decade — and one of the most oversold. Here's the plain version.
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body. It's structural — the scaffolding in skin, tendons, ligaments, cartilage and bone. Roughly a third of all the protein you're made of is collagen.
Your body produces it continuously. But that production slows with age, generally beginning somewhere in your late twenties or thirties, and it keeps slowing from there. This isn't a condition or a deficiency. It's ordinary human biology, and it happens to everyone.
Why people take it as a supplement
Collagen supplements are usually sold as hydrolysed collagen peptides — collagen broken into shorter chains so it dissolves easily in liquid. It's a dietary protein, taken the way people take whey or creatine.
The appeal is straightforward: if the body makes less of something over time, supplying more of its building blocks is an intuitive idea. Collagen peptides are among the most studied supplements of the last ten years, and interest in them has grown accordingly.
Worth being clear about: eating collagen does not send it directly to your skin or joints. It's digested into amino acids like any other protein. What the research examines is whether supplying those building blocks in quantity makes a measurable difference. Results vary, and reasonable people read that literature differently.
What BUBS Naturals is
BUBS Naturals sells a collagen peptide powder aimed at people who want a daily protein supplement without flavourings or additives. It mixes into coffee, water or a smoothie.
Collagen Peptides — Unflavoured
20 oz tub. NSF Certified for Sport and Whole30 Approved.
The facts on the label, rather than the marketing:
- Hydrolysed peptides from grass-fed, pasture-raised cattle
- Types I and III collagen — the types found in skin, tendon and bone
- 20 grams of collagen per serving
- Unflavoured, 20 oz (567 g) per tub
- $47 for the 20 oz tub; $27 for 10 oz; $37 for a 20-count travel pack
Ingredients
Collagen Peptides (bovine). That is the entire ingredient list — one ingredient, no flavourings, sweeteners, fillers or additives. Full supplement facts are on the product page.
The tub carries the manufacturer's own wording, "daily support for joints, hair, skin, nails". That is BUBS Naturals' claim about their product, not ours; their evidence for it is on their site, linked below.
The company donates a share of profits to charity, which it states publicly and which is part of how it positions itself.
What it won't do
It isn't a medicine and it doesn't treat anything. It won't reverse ageing, rebuild a damaged joint, or substitute for a diet with enough protein in it. Anyone selling it that way is overselling it.
What it is: a convenient, unflavoured protein supplement for people who've decided they want collagen in their daily routine. If that's what you're after, it's a reasonable way to get it. If you're hoping for something dramatic, it isn't that.
Who it's actually for
- People already taking collagen who want it unflavoured and simple
- People over 30 adding protein to a morning routine they already have
- People who prefer a brand that says where its money goes
If you're not already interested in collagen, this won't convince you — and it shouldn't.
See the official product page
Full ingredients, sourcing, pricing and current offers, direct from BUBS Naturals.
View the productAdvertising disclosure. This is a paid advertisement. We receive a commission if you buy through the link above, at no extra cost to you. That relationship may influence which products we feature.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Dietary supplements aren't a substitute for a balanced diet. If you're pregnant, nursing, taking medication or managing a health condition, speak to your doctor before starting any supplement.