DO NOT TAKE IF YOU HAVE DEPRESSION

I got the chews and the pills for this, so I’ll be talking a little bit about both here. The overall feeling for me about this product is that it’s good quality and would be a good option for some people. The reality is that I gave it 3 stars due to an unforeseeable medical issue which means I was unable to continue taking it. See ‘side effects’ for more info. Therefore, while I do recommend this collagen, it wasn’t for me and I recommend you do a LOT of research if you have other health conditions or take other medication. Natural does not mean safe and can easily harm you if you do not take care.

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Collagen
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So, while the benefits of collagen have not been fully proven, I was impressed to see that there have been many studies done that point to it being actual fact. The current general opinion of dermatologists right now is that the research has a ton of promise, so while they won’t stand 100 percent behind it, they are ready to admit it looks like it might be accurate. In order to get skin and hair benefits, you’re looking at 1000-3000 mg a day dose, so the chews would work well for those.

However, some studies have also shown that Collagen can benefit arthritic pain, but the doses there are much higher. For those kind of benefits, you’ll want 6000mg daily, so the tablets are a better fit for you.

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Chews vs Pills
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As detailed above, part of the consideration is definitely what amount of collagen you need for what effect. Those aiming for joint and pain reduction, will want the pills. The chews still have a place as they are perfect for those who cannot swallow large pills. The pills are not gigantic, but they are still bigger than some would be comfortable swallowing.

There’s also cost to take into consideration.

At $24.74 (at time of review) for a bag of 60 (that’s two a day, a one month supply) each day’s dose comes out at $0.82 per daily dose for the Chews.

Whereas for the pills it’s $21.99 (at time of review) for a bag of 120 (6 tablets a day) means a day’s dose is $1.09.

However, it’s important to note that the daily dose of the pills is 3 times the amount, so you’re still (unsurprisingly) getting more bang for your buck with pills.

Some people might be nervous about the taste of the chews, but honestly I thought they were pretty good, and I’m a supertaster. They have a bit of a sweet aftertaste, but predominantly taste a lot like those fruit punch candies you can buy in the UK (not sure if Canada has anything similar). They are chewy and get stuck to your teeth a little, but not overly much.

For the diabetics amongst us, the bag does NOT contain a nutritional chart, even though when I contacted the company to ask, they said it did, but I got the numbers for you right here!

NeoCell Beauty Bursts Fruit Punch has 6g of carbs and 4g of sugar in two chews. So each chew has 3g of carbs and 2g of sugar, meaning they aren’t ideal for diabetics.

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Side effects
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Finally, here we are at the reason why I must rate these a mere 3 stars. I’m very careful with supplements. I have a tendency towards an upset stomach. Indeed, even starting on the chews at a half dose (one chew per day) I had a lot of pain in my stomach. I always check that there will be no issues with my current medication and look at the side effects.

In the case of Collagen I was totally blindsided by something I didn’t even think to check, so I’m leaving a warning here. I’m honestly surprised they don’t have to warn you on the pack. If you have Major Depressive Disorder or another mental illness that is affected by Serotonin DO NOT TAKE THESE.

After about five days of taking these I sunk into a deep, deep depression the likes of which I’ve only ever felt when having side effects from serious medication. Upon mentioning this to my partner, he offhandedly said that it seemed like the same as last time I had a medication affect me this way, but that I hadn’t started anything new last week. I agreed, but later that night as I took my collagen, I thought...didn’t I start this about a week ago? But surely Collagen can’t affect the brain that way?

Well a quick google led me to studies showing that Collagen can lower serotonin in the brain, leading to depressive episodes in those who already suffer from it. I was massively shocked, I didn’t think such a thing could be possible. So I immediately stopped taking it. Within 2 days I started to feel a lot more like myself again.

Of course I can’t be 100 percent sure, but it’s extremely suspect and I would recommend anyone with depression to stay away from Collagen supplements (not just Neocell, but all of them).

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Effects on skin
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Given above, I wasn’t able to take the product for longer than five days and only on half a dose. At that stage I wouldn’t expect to see any improvement and as expected, I didn’t notice any improvement. The Collagen shouldn’t be faulted for that, given the situation, as supplements can often take a month to show effects. Therefore, I don’t feel comfortable giving a summary on whether or not this Collagen is effective. It was easy to take and I have no reason to believe it doesn’t do what it says, but I was unable to continue taking it due to interactions with my illness.