Trending Supplements and Some of Their Lesser Known Benefits and Actions

We're sure practically everyone has heard about collagen, berberine and NMN in the past few months. They're pretty ubiquitous with 'wellbeing' if you look at any social media or websites these days. They've been everywhere for ages now, and new brands are popping up practically weekly. Here are a few things you might not know about them...

Collagen

We love the brands we have, we currently stock collagen from Ancient + Brave, Nature's Plus, Terranova, Kiki Health and G&G Organics supplements as well as Planet Paleo and Freya bone broths. They stretch across a good range of budgets, and we have bovine, marine and vegan options. We have powders, tablets, capsules and bone broth options, so there is definitely something for everyone.

They all have their space in the market, but before you start taking collagen to help with your skin, be aware that your body will have its own priority list for those building blocks you're providing.

You will be repairing in so many ways once you start taking a collagen supplement, but if you have any niggly joints, digestive issues, connective tissue struggles, or vascular damage, your body is likely to prioritise them over your wrinkles to begin with, as they are structural/survival related and therefore higher on the danger list for your control centre. That's not to say you won't see a benefit in your skin, just that it might not be as striking as you were hoping for initially!

Also, as well as being good for your joints, collagen is fabulous for maintaining healthy bones. Bet you didn't know that one! As we age, we're pretty well aware now of the decrease in bone density we experience and the corresponding increased risk of bone fractures. Well, modern 'treatments' tend to work by hardening bone structure (essentially making it more brittle and stopping it from repairing itself - bisphosphonates and strontium), getting more calcium into the body (but not necessarily into the bones, we're looking directly at you AdCal and Calci Chews...) completely ignoring that healthy bones need a measure of flexibility to make them more resilient to knocks.

Our bone matrix is actually made from a framework of type 1 collagen and crystalline minerals (calcium and hydroxyapatite, yes, the one from all the fancy new toothpastes). Our bones are highly vascular, and collagen also supports the blood vessels our bones need to get nutrients from our blood into the bone tissue, as well as taking away breakdown products from normal, healthy bone turnover.

So if you have a family history of fractures in later life, alongside weight-bearing exercise like T'ai Chi, collagen could be a really important part of your defence program.

Berberine

We're seeing a lot of 'hormone' and weight loss supplements with berberine at the moment. We get it, it's got great research backing up its impact on blood glucose management by reducing insulin resistance, AMPK activation and metabolism. It is well known for those.

However, it's also highly antimicrobial, supports healthy cholesterol levels, and may also benefit blood pressure. It can be great for supporting people struggling with PCOS, partly due to the insulin resistance support, but also because it can reduce testosterone levels. Which is worth considering for those of you wishing to support your testosterone whilst losing weight, as this might not be for you!.

Due to the antimicrobial action, it's also not the best idea to use it for long periods of time due to the potential for disruption to your microbiome. That may not necessarily

be such an issue if it's in smaller doses in a combined supplement though.

We've got berberine on its own from Nature's Plus and Time Health. Do be a little bit careful with berberine and check for any interactions with any medications you take. It doesn't play well with everything!

NMN (aka nicotinamide mononucleotide)

NMN is being touted as the latest panacea to cure all your ills and help you live forever; it seems from the social media hype we've seen lately!

Whilst we're not so sure about the 'forever' bit, there are definitely some serious power moves from this supplement. It is an essential precursor for NAD+, which is one of our busiest coenzymes, involved in over 500 processes in the body. NAD+ production peaks around our early 20s, and supporting your levels after this can be incredibly helpful.

It's an essential part of our mitochondrial energy production system, it's involved in our DNA repair and gene expression as well as activating our sirtuins, which regulate biochemical ageing and gene integrity (look into telomeres).

You might find that it helps with your energy levels, muscle strength, and insulin sensitivity; this is how it can help with weight management. It can reduce stiffness in your blood vessels and help with blood flow. There's also evidence suggesting it has some neuroprotective capabilities, such as improving cognitive function and protecting your neurons from decline.

So there are lots of good reasons to give NMN a try! We have Kiki Health NMN in stock.