Update 2/19/22: This stuff is fabulous. I tried Anthony’s collagen powder because it was cheaper than this brand and was disappointed. Maybe it was just the batch, but it had a “beefy” smell and slightly affected the taste of my coffee, which is how I choose to consume my collagen. The Orgain Collagen has always been consistent in quality when purchased from Target or Amazon and has always dissolved well, has little no no “beefy smell” and makes the coffee creamier without changing the flavor (I use half & half and sugar in my coffee + collagen). I recently purchased Great Lakes Collagen and will try that once my Anthony’s runs out and hopefully update again. My only issue with Orgain is they recently changed the packaging. My first few containers said to use 2 scoops, and my most recent container said to use 1 scoop (the size of the scoop didn’t change), so on the nutrition label the amount of servings per container were doubled but the total volume remained the same and nutritional information adjusted accordingly. I only ever used 3/4-1 scoop per large cup of coffee anyway and had wonderful results. But I want to know why it changed. Did new product testing reveal better nutrition, so less is required for the same results? New scientific discoveries showing that less is better? I’ll have to do some digging. I have consumed 2 containers of this collagen and I’m working on my third. I mix 3/4 to 1 scoop in a cup of coffee in the morning plus a bit of creamer. I always have one cup of coffee but sometimes I’ll have two (so I don’t always have the complete recommended serving daily). I was worried that it would give the coffee a gross taste. The collagen DOES change the texture of the coffee, but not the flavor in my opinion. The collagen lends the coffee a creamier texture, and I’ve found that I actually PREFER my coffee with collagen now. This being said, it may be difficult to say the same if you take your coffee black since the creamer could be helping to blend the flavors together better (?) I have noticed a change in the thickness, durability, and growth of my fingernails before finishing the first tub. I have always had issues with my nails growing slowly and the layers of my nails at the tip chipping off, as well as my nails getting bent and torn. Since adding collagen to my diet my nails are growing quickly (I need to clip them weekly to keep them short!) and they have not been chipped or torn, despite daily gardening and outdoor work. I have also noticed a reduction in headaches. I have gone to a chiropractor (Gonstead method), which helped reduce the severity of my headaches from daily to maybe bi-weekly. Since adding collagen to my diet I have had maybe one headache that I cannot attribute to my spine misalignment or PMS—which is a win for me. That being said, I have also increased my time outdoors since it is summer and have made efforts toward upping my healthy fat and protein intake which have likely not been at good levels for a long time. I seems that overall that this combination of diet changes, being outdoors, chiropractic care, and the addition of collagen has helped reduce the headaches. Whether or not the collagen specifically was helpful in reducing headaches, or if it was primarily the other factors, I couldn’t say (I’m leaning towards it being related to the other factors), but I started supplementing collagen primarily for nail strength, which it definitely helped with! 4 stars and not 5 only because this is the first and only brand of collagen I’ve tried. Although my experience with this brand has been good enough that I have no reason to switch brands, I cannot give a full 5 stars without having other brands to use as points of reference. (Note: my first two tubs were purchased from my local Target and my third tub from Amazon. Both stores have the same price point and, in my experience, have the same taste/texture/quality). This collagen brand is not certified organic, so just be aware of that if that is important to you. But whether organic or not, products from grass-fed/pasture raised cattle is a must—cattle are meant to graze on grass in pastures, NOT corn and other agricultural commodities in feed lots. Corn is terrible for their digestive systems and causes heath problems for the cattle, which in turn affect the quality of their meat, skin and bones. The “certified organic” label can be cost prohibitive for farmers to obtain because of all the requirements (even the bedding used for the animals to poop on must be certified organic!). That being said, the fact that this collagen is made from cattle which are grass-fed & pasture-raised is more important to me than it being “certified organic,” although it would be great if this could be too. If I ever come across a certified organic, grass-fed, pasture-raised collagen powder at an affordable price point, I would definitely consider trying it. For now, this collagen powder brand hits my main concerns with the cattle it is made from being fed a diet appropriate for their digestive & overall bodily health.
