We've taken this company's gelatin for a while but it is hard for me to get down. Saw all of the good reviews on the collagen so I thought we'd try it. Firstly, I have a sensitive nose and yes it does have a smell, and a taste, but they are pretty minor. It mixes better into hot liquids than cold. The smell and taste are more noticeable if you put it into something bland. In milk I can smell and taste it. But in a mocha (chocolatey coffee) I can't detect it at all. I bought this mostly because both of my knees are shot and the cartilage is gone. They are bone on bone and I'm supposed to have a knee replacement in March 2017. It might be too late for my knees but there are plenty of other joints in our bodies that could still be helped. I did notice that my lower back felt better within a couple days of starting this. Sleep: I'm normally a good sleeper but quite often was waking up around 3am and would lay awake for an hour. My husband has never been a good sleeper and if he slept for 5 hours straight that was a really good night. He was nearly always up in the middle of the night. If we take at least a teaspoon of this shortly before bed we both sleep through the night. I've sent a can to my mom who has terrible insomnia so we'll see if it helps her too. Hair: I had a bout of thyroid trouble and lost a lot of hair from the top of my head. It's not seriously noticeable to others but I know it's there. I'm hoping that taking this supplement will fix that. Nails: I've always had weak & peeling nails so I'm hoping to see an improvement there as well. Both of my thumbnails have bumps in them and the nail on one index finger is always split. I will report back on these issues. Skin: Every winter I get painful splits in the skin at the corners of my nails. It would be great if the collagen helped that. Wrinkles & saggy skin, well I'm not looking for a miracle here, but any improvement would be welcome. --------------------------------------------------------------- Update 3/7/17 Age spots faded to nearly nothing in about 45 days. The keratosis I have on my cheekbone has reduced in thickness. It's now quite flat. The stiffness I had in my back for the past 10 years is gone. It used to take me a while to bend over to pick something up off the ground, now I can bounce down there and back up like when I was much younger. I'm still hoping it will do something for my arthritic knees. I take about 4 tablespoons per day. I've got my 91 year old mom taking it too. I cancelled the knee replacement that was scheduled for tomorrow. Not that my knee pain is better but because I want to give the collagen more of a chance to work for me. I'm trying not to take any NSAIDs because they mess with my stomach/bowel movements something awful. Going to try Boswellia (herb) for knee pain but not just yet. The humps I have in my thumbnails are about half gone. My nails are definitely growing faster & stronger and less likely to peel. I still get painful splits in my fingertips and it hasn't even been a cold winter. Wrinkles seem to be reduced. The jury is still out on the scalp hair but I will update this if that changes. Needless to say we're going to continue to take this

I hate when some IDIOT gets on here and say something REALLY STUPID that NO ONE wants to hear. With "there's no scientific proof that this works for any thing!" Well I have two things to say to that. One- I have hair that I feel grows very slowly even though I'm very heathy eat healthy, not on ANY meds, DON'T and NEVER has been a drinker or smoker, drink PLENTY of water and take ALL natural vitamins. I purchased this for pain in my neck and upper back from an engery and in like the 2 1/2 months my hair grew about 3 1/2 inches. Longer than it grows in 4 years without this powder. I was shocked!!!! ( and I'm African American ) for anyone wondering. I would have taken before & after pics if I had any idea this would have that effect on my hair!!!! Two-I have a dear brother that HAD brain cancer (proven by doctors and hospital stays) and that was years ago. He does not have any brain cancer anymore. They said he would be dead. (He even refused all their cancer treatments!!! ) Well he's NOT and there is NO SCIENTIFIC reason why he's NOT!!! So science can't explain or prove everything in God's nature. SO IF something works for some it works. It does not have to be because science said so. Be grateful people are finding and getting relief!!!! And STOP being a hope destroyer for others quest for finding much needed help!!!!

Let me say that it stinks getting old! Nearing 50, my hair in the front, near my hairline has been thinning for some time. Not knowing what I could do to stop it, but certainly not interested in embracing my ever-increasing "slickness", I decided to cover it up with makeup. That worked as long as it didn't rain, and as long as you didn't have to scratch your head. Yeah, with dark hair you don't want to have to explain what that is underneath your fingernails (cringe face). But at this point, there's nothing else to do. I was not going to walk around with a solar panel on my head. I began reading about the benefits of essential oils (specifically jojoba oil, rosemary oil, & lavender oil). That combination of essential oils did work, but very very slowly. And wouldn't you know it, as soon as I would put it on my hair, the doorbell would ring. Oh what my neighbors must think! Then my hair stylist mentioned this collagen powder to me. To be honest, I was a little skeptical, because everything I tried to that point was met with zero or minimal results and my hope for hair restoration was thinning as quickly as my hair itself. Then I realized, "what else do I have to lose besides more hair, right?" So I ordered it and OH MY GOODNESS! Are my eyes deceiving me? Do I really see little sprouts of hair? I SURE DO! After just about 3 weeks of mixing one heaping tablespoon into my morning coffee, this stuff is actually working! Wish I had the forethought to take a before picture, but who really wants to see that. We all know what a bald spot looks like. However, this is my current situation. If only you could see my toes-a-tapping

Hi everyone. I've been using this product since May 2nd, 2014. Some background information: I'm 22 with multiple knee and back injuries and a very busy schedule. For nearly one year after a traumatic event and in the midst of a full-time school and work schedule, I ate erratically, exhibited anorexic tendencies, forgot to eat, and hardly consumed any protein. My body started sagging, I lost weight like crazy, and developed deep crow's feet, lines at the corners of my mouth, and bags under my eyes. I started taking this supplement because I screwed up my digestive tract so badly that I could hardly take anything by mouth and I figured, since my body started to consume itself because I was so negligent regarding protein intake, this would be good for a transition into a more normalized diet. This has certainly delivered. I take one tablespoon morning and evening in my smoothie (made with almond milk without carageenan) and I've started to put on weight in lean muscle, the premature lines around my eyes are starting to vanish, and the ones at the corners of my mouth are totally gone. I feel SO much better, I am no longer sore all the time, nor am I hungry and irritable like I was when I neglected my nutrition. I tried jumping straight into a diet heavy in grass-fed meats, eggs, and non-homogenized/ raw/fermented dairy, but as I've said, my digestive tract was so off-kilter that my body totally rejected the food. This has been such a wonderful supplement because, only two weeks after starting to take it, I've begun reintroducing organ meat into my diet along with egg whites with great success (as long as it's in small quantities) and I am feeling absolutely incredible. Soon, I'm hoping to cut the dose and continue healing with a diet of whole foods. Thank you so much for helping me get better :

This stuff is awesome. I didn't realize until I tried another brand how good I had it (you can find my review of the other brand through my profile). Yes, it is pricey, but you're getting a specialty product that you can't find in other places. If you want cheap gelatin, buy Knox. Ew, right? I have moderate degenerative arthritis in my hand and take gelatin to help manage it (along with a topical ointment) instead of prescription anti-inflammatory pills with nasty side effects. This stuff keeps the pain to a minimum despite working on the computer all day and doing all sorts of regular daily tasks. It *immediately* dissolves in hot or cold liquid. This is a big plus if you've tried other brands that are lumpy, gluey, and nasty. It gives my coffee a slightly foamy, latte-like froth that I enjoy. I mix in coconut oil and milk, and boom - morning bliss. It is essentially tasteless in coffee or tea. If you put it in water or a very light-tasting beverage, yes, you will taste the gelatin. Mix it with juice or something else, and you might not know it is there. It's great for hair, nails, and skin - all of those claims are true. It just works. The only *small* negative I have is that you lose some product with the container top - it's rough to get it all out near the end. I might have my husband McGyver a way to get it open and put it in a glass container. If that happens I'll post an update. For now, I'll sign off with - try the other products if you like and good luck to you. I will never be without Great Lakes again! **Update - 09/09/2015** I still love it and it still works. I did, in fact, figure out a way to get every little bit out. Yay! If you are a child of the 80s like me, you might remember Peach Hi-C in a huge can. Mom would open that thing on 2 sides with a church key (for you youngsters and non-Southerners, that's a bottle opener with a curved end :)). I digress. I used a church key to open the top - it pretty much peeled away after I got it open (wearing gloves couldn't hurt! I used a towel). Then I poured every speck into a resealable glass container. Problem solved - hope this helps someone :) **Updated - 11/13/2015** Hallelujah! Great Lakes heard the complaints about the container and fixed it! I bought the 2-pack and made the happy discovery...you just take off the top plastic lid and there is a pull tab. Once you discard the pull tab cover, you can either keep in the container with the plastic lid or put it in another container of your choice (I use a glass container with a gasket in the lid to keep it fresh). This is now a 6-star product

I haven't used this long enough to rate it on the benefits that may come from taking it but I will rate on qualities I have been able to gather at this point: Shipped quickly, packaged well, received what I ordered and the product is as described---dissolves COMPLETELY in ANY liquid AND relatively tasteless. Not absolutely tasteless but definitely won't alter anything you dissolve it into to any significant degree. I'm very impressed with how well it dissolves because the first product of this kind I have ever used is the Aminogen by Elavonne and it is a powder that does NOT stay in suspension in liquid. However, that may be because of the added ingredients included as well as the TYPE of collagen in their formula---their collagen is FISH sourced rather than from bovine. I agree that there are "issues" with the closure design. If you pour the product directly out of the cannister the powder ALWAYS collects around the plastic insert and when you twist the can top closed and try to shake OFF the amount that collected around the lid MORE and MORE seeps out from the closure! You ALWAYS have accumulated collagen powder on the top of the cannister. :-( Here's the "BUT"...I am planning on calling the company on Monday, but maybe someone can answer this for me in the meantime (it's the weekend)... I am a bit confused about the conflicting info regarding serving size info on the container! :-( Reading only the TEXT part of the package under "Recommended Dosage" it says: "Take one rounded tablespoon (10-12 g) in the morning, and the same amount before going to bed late evening..." HOWEVER, under the SUPPLEMENT FACTS it states that a serving size is 1 tbsp::1/4 oz::7g! :-( I did not notice that after having read the recommended dosage so I had just been weighing out 12 g for my serving size. I just happened to notice the discrepancy TODAY after taking this for about a week. At a 7g "serving size" this 454g container would yield 64.86 servings which is close enough to the 62 servings they say it yields. If you do take at this amount 2x/day this cannister would be roughly a month's supply. At the 12g "serving size" this container will only yield about 38 servings and only 19 if we take a.m. and p.m. as they recommend!!! :-o SO...how are you guys reconciling this conflicting dosage info? What amount REALLY is needed to see benefits??? Will let you know what the company says when I reach them. :-) ***********UPDATE*********** Ok! I reached GL easily via their 800 number listed on the cannister. Got friendly very helpful info about my question. Here's the answer! :-) The 7g serving size describes EXACTLY what a LEVEL TABLESPOON measurement equates to and what is REQUIRED for labeling purposes. HOWEVER, a ROUNDED tablespoon is closer to 10-12g and the TRULY recommended dosage. Want MORE specifics? ... One can calculate .33g per pound of body weight for highly ACTIVE individuals. The 10-12g is for the "average" person not placing more strenuous demands upon their bodies. I was very pleased with the conversation I had w/ this company's representative. They are very committed to the research, study and efficacy of collagen's use to help support a strong, healthy body...including at the cellular level. I learned that although a new nail can grow from the nail bed in 3 months or so, it takes much longer (perhaps 6-8 months) for the body to incorporate nutrition into what actually will make up that nail---THEREFORE I should NOT expect to see the full effect this product may have on my nails in 3 months time as I was hoping. :-( For me, that means I will need to take this CONSISTENTLY for at LEAST that length of time before evaluating THAT VISIBLE benefit. :-( That BUMS ME OUT!!! :-( I was reminded that while VISIBLE results may take longer, the benefit IS occurring on a CELLULAR level and I AM REAPING THE BENEFITS although invisible to the eye. I will definitely try to continue long enough to fully test if this indeed changes the state of my nails. :-\ I wanted it to work YESTERDAY!!! :-( Hope this helps! :

For the record I'm not a doctor. My experience with this product is mine and the opinions I express come with zero scientific backing. With that said, this is the best stuff out there. Here is why: In July 2014 I had my annual physical. When my numbers came back my TSH came in a little high around 5.5. I knew my diet and exercise left a lot to be desired (i'm 5'9" and weighed around 200 lbs) so my dr instructed me to increase my workouts, clean up the diet, and recommended testing again in 6 months (Dec 14). I did all of that but to no avail. My TSH had climbed to 6.1. The dr at that point put me on the generic version of the thyroid meds. I thought that it might help me lose a little weight but that didn't happen. I went back in July 2015 for my annual physical, strangely enough my TSH had risen to 6.5. My dr suggested i move to the brand Thyroid medication which i did. We tested again in Oct 2015 to make sure i was back in range and i was (about a 4.3 so BARELY in range). However, i didn't feel any different so at the end of Dec 2016 I decided to take matters into my own hands and to stop taking the medication. I thought with an even cleaner diet I could make changes. I decided to do the Whole30 in Q1 and see if that made a difference. I had read all about bone broth and the benefits so i thought maybe that was my answer. Yet at my annual exam in July 2016 and i was back out of range at around 4.8 (so out of range but not crazy) . I asked my dr for more time and she said ok, we will test again in Oct and see where you are. I didn't know what i was going to do but i was hellbent on solving this issue naturally. I felt strongly about not wanting to be tied to a medication for the rest of my life. When i was making my bone broth i noticed that i wasn't getting the jello-like effect and thus not the gelatin that i wanted. I had spoken to some friends about what they were doing and a gelatin/collagen powder came up. I decided to give it a whirl. The directions said to do 2 Tablespoons twice a day but I only did 2 Tablespoons once a day like once every three days. Even though i wasn't following the directions exactly I quickly noticed a change in my nails getting stronger and my eyebrows start to grow back in. It was amazing. I went back to get my blood work done in Oct 2016 and sure enough i was actually back in range at 4.2. The ONLY thing I had changed was this product to my routine. My dr was thrilled and she said that i could go until my physical in 2017. I have continued to use this product only once a week (for the majority of the time, as i got closer to getting my blood drawn you know i was doing it like every day!) and my results came in at 3.5 this past July. I've done the Whole30 several times since and while i think it offers a ton of health benefits this products got my TSH back in order. On the downside I still haven't lost any weight but i'm not on a medication that i will have to take for the rest of my life and for me, that is a win

I first purchased this product because I noticed I was losing a lot of hair in the shower, and because I heard that it was great for your skin and nails. I am now halfway through my third container and... Wow! I started using this at the same time that I started a whole food diet, with a cheat day on Saturday. I have done this many times, and lost large amounts of weight doing so. Because I've done this many times, I know what to expect for the first couple of months. This time around has been remarkably better. First off, let me say that it absolutely does the things that I purchased it to do. I have noticed much less hair loss in the shower, and my nails are definitely tougher. I have not noticed a difference in my skin yet, but I am only on my third can. The huge, surprise benefit that I am thrilled with, and did not expect, is that it is doing a tremendous job helping me get rid of cellulite! Like I said, I know what to expect the first month of me starting my whole food diet that I have done many times before. I always feel remarkably better, and begin to lose inches fairly quickly. This time around, after the first few weeks, I felt remarkably better like usual, I began to lose inches, and I had a lot more energy. Only this time, I noticed a dramatic reduction in the fat that sits under my skin underneath my arms, and on my thighs and backside. I keep on looking in the mirror to see if I'm not just imagining things, but it is a dramatic enough difference that I see it, and I feel it. I have also lost inches much more quickly than usual. It has been an absolutely wonderful, and unexpected side benefit. I had read in one or two of the previous reviews that this was supposed to help with cellulite, but I completely dismissed it, so this is terrific :-) I am up to 6 tablespoons a day with no ill effects. I did notice the first few times that I took a few tablespoons in my tea on an empty stomach it made my heart race a bit. I've noticed that my heart races a bit when I don't eat enough carbohydrates so I am familiar with this feeling. I began to take it after eating and now I noticed no ill effects at all. I should mention that I happen to have very good digestion, and a strong stomach, so others might not be able to take quite so much of this, but I've had nothing but positive results so far. It should also be noted that this is only my third can, and I will update if I notice any negative side effects. According to the particular endocrinologist that I go to for advice, whole foods are better quality sources of gelatin, and collagen, but this seems to be working marvelously for me so far so I'm willing to make an exception, unless I notice negative side effects. Hope it works well for all of you too :-

I performed some research before I decided to purchase this item. I read through reviews on different sites about the use of hydrolyzed collagen. I decided to try this particular brand of collagen, and I'm glad I did. After one week of use, I have greater mobility in my range of motion. I have mild scoliosis with one leg slightly shorter than the other. I was diagnosed 7 years ago by a chiropractor. Since I exercise daily, I started having painful issues with my knees, hips, and lower back. I blew my knee out twice from running, and it took months to heal. I started taking MSM , and it helped to reduce my healing time dramatically from the second knee blowout. When I came across an article on collagen, I wanted to know if it was something that could benefit me. Since taking the collagen, and MSM, I don't have the "snap, crackle, and pop" of my joints when I get out of bed in the morning. I can sleep through the night without having back, hip, or knee pain wake me from sleep. I feel as though I have regained 10 years of my life back. My skin is not dry looking, and the fine lines and wrinkles about the eyes are less visible. My skin has a more supple appearance, and feels soft and smooth. My hair feels softer, with a little less shedding than before. My nails have always been thin, but they have strength, and a sheen to them now. Another effect that made me skeptical after reviews was the effect of weight loss. For me, the collagen does have an "appetite suppressant" effect. I take the product on an empty stomach, then eat breakfast, and wouldn't be hungry for hours. I had to make myself eat dinner. I am noticing a slight change in my midsection because of it. The product itself was something different for me. The consistency is like fine baking sugar. It dissolves in cold liquid as long as you keep stirring until it is dissolved. I use it in grapefruit juice. The container was much bigger than I anticipated, but then I had to remember dry volume weight (L.A.M.). I look forward to repurchasing soon

My initial motivation to purchase this product was very simple, joint pain. I have bad knees (who doesn't nowadays), it's general arthritis, crepitus, and the "pain hangover" from working out and lifting heavy weights. My typical routine has me icing after workouts, which I will still do. I like this supplement, but it's not a miracle powder. I wanted something in addition to my fish oil supplement to help my joints, if even possible. I'm pretty skeptical about supplements that make those kind of claims, and I really raised an eyebrow to the metabolic part, and especially from the review about claiming to help her PCOS, it's on the front product page when you scroll to reviews. That is a very bold claim. I have PCOS, and I wouldn't assume that a powder I could take with water and a wedge of lemon would be beneficial for something that I've had to change my entire lifestyle to fight against. I purchased this product and received it mid May and have been taking it since. I only take 1 serving of this product a day, so just 2 tablespoons. So first, let's talk about the taste. I started with taking it in my morning orange juice/water mix that I take my iron supplement with. It does make your drink frothy, which I find absolutely disgusting. I do not like frothy anything, that is personal preference. You can shake it up and put in the fridge for 30 minutes or so and the froth goes away. This "recipe" did not work for me. I tried straight water and lemon, not as frothy, but also felt like a chore to drink. And, it never really dissolved all the way. The way I drink it now works best for me. On my gym days, I use my 32oz wide mouth Nalgene bottle and took a blender ball from one of my BlenderBottle 3-Pack Water Bottle of 28oz, Blue/Black/Red, 28 ounce and stuck it in there. Next I fill it 75% with water, 2 tablespoons of the Great Lakes powder, and 1 Starbucks VIA® Refreshers Valencia Orange (3 Pack/Boxes) 6 Packets Each Box (green coffee extract), shake up a few times, then add ice to the top. I let it sit for a bit as it will get frothy, but dies down. If I am not working out there is no need for any caffeine, so I use a Crystal Light Pure, Lemonade, 7-Count, 2.17 Ounce (Pack of 6) or homemade (unsweetened) Green iced tea, or something similar to have some kind of flavor to it. As far as the benefits, I have noticed that my knees are less achy than normal. Although I have been doing a lot more recovery/physical therapy exercises, it could be the combo of both. My hair, which has always fallen out excessively has stopped shedding so much. That alone is worth it for me to always use this product. I feel like I leave hair everywhere I go, and it gets into everything. My BF hasn't been complaining about it as much, so I know that means there's been a change as well. One of the best benefits of this supplement is the hunger factor. If I'm just drinking water and my Starbucks VIA, by the time my workout is over I'm typically ravenous and want to eat everything and anything I can find. Which totally defeats the purpose of my workout. However, once I added this to my water/VIA blend, it really keeps the satiety in check and I have no issues running a couple errands after working out, then coming home and eating a sensible meal. I think that's the biggest bonus to this supplement, at least for me because I'm actively losing weight. I also powerlift, so the little amount of protein I'm getting during the workout probably does help me during the workout and with recovery. I will say that a few weeks into this I did have a cooking accident and cut my finger pretty deeply. Nothing that required stitches, but it was gross. The cut healed very quickly and the scar is barely visible. I have old cuts from cooking slips that you can still clearly see the scars. I'm assuming those are never going to really be non-visible, but that's something I don't really care about, I just thought it was interesting enough to add. Some people like that kind of thing. My nails do look healthier, less ridges. I'm iron deficient, so they have always expressed ridges on the nail, but maybe the combo of this and my iron pill are finally working! However, the only downside is that using this product I started to get small, barely noticeable whiteheads. They go away quickly. I've had very clear skin for the past few years, and this is the only change to my diet. I am attributing it to this product, but I'm sure the only person that notices them is myself. It was more noticeable when I first started this product, but now after a couple month, it doesn't happen as much (but still happens). As far as weight loss claims or PCOS help, the only thing this product has helped with losing weight is what I mentioned above, satiety. It does curb hunger, at least for me. The weight loss I've noticed is because I workout and track my calories, not because I added Collagen Hydrolysate to my diet. Another reviewer is right, it is cheaper to buy this in the bulk 6 pack on their website, which is probably what I will do in the future. Wish they gave that option on Amazon, since I'm a prime member, and I don't recall if Great Lakes offers free shipping