FAQs

 Step 1: The bioavailable collagen peptides are easily absorbed by your body and enter your bloodstream

Step 2: Soon after absorption they enter into your target tissues such as bone, cartilage, muscle or skin

Step 3: The specific levels of amino acids in collagen are recognised by the body. On top of this you are topping up the amino acids your body needs to combine and repurpose into new collagen

Step 4: your tissues are then prompted to produce more collagen and at the same time an enzyme that breaks down collagen is hampered.

Our True Collagen is derived from EU sources. It is sustainably sourced, grass-fed bovine collagen and is derived primarily from the hides.

The cows have been raised naturally without hormones, antibiotics, chemicals, or GMOs. The True Collagen is of the highest quality and purity and is hydrolysed, making it highly absorbable, odourless and tasteless.

Our Wild collagen is sustainably sourced from wild-caught, free swimming whitefish from the icy waters of the North Atlantic

With absolutely no fillers or additives and free from hormones and antibiotics our Wild Collagen is beautifully pure.

You can take our collagen peptides at anytime of day! 

If you have specific goals you might consider; 

Morning: If you are aiming for fat-loss, taking collagen in the morning may help you feel full and satiated, giving you energy without a crash (and reaching for snacks an hour after breakfast!). Morning is also a great time to use our Coffee+Collagen blend as part of your kick-start to the day

During the day: You may choose to take your collagen during the day to support you through workouts or for general pain reasons. If you have an afternoon slump we recommend reaching for our Inspired or Radiant blends to give you more focus and keep you feeling satisfied until dinner. 

Evening: You may consider taking your True or Wild collagen in the evening to help your body repair and restore while you sleep - especially if your goal is skin health or muscle repair.. The evening is also  a great time to use our Cacao + Collagen to wind down or include the benefits of MSM and Glucosamine to support joint recovery overnight, found in our Naked Blend. For general inflammation and to help with sleep you may want to include a scoop of collagen before bed.

True MCT is a key part of the Brave Method as it contains fats that is taken from the stomach directly to the liver, where it is metabolised and used as an instant energy source - or if you are in a fasted state are metabolised into ketones. Providing the body, muscles and brain with an energy supply during fasting helps contribute to curb hunger, sustain alertness, energy, mindset and physical performance.

By blending True MCT into either of our blends you add another layer of fuel to your day. You gain all the nourishing benefits of the hydrolysed collagen with the fuel and ketogenic potential of MCT. In the case of the Coffee + Collagen and Cacao + Collagen it could be that when the caffeine wears off, the MCT oils may still have you covered.

Whilst we source our MCT oil from coconuts, the two oils are made up of different compounds, so each has different benefits and uses. MCT oil contains 100% Medium Chain Triglycerides, making it a concentrated source, compared with 54% found in coconut oil. MCT also comprises only the key medium chain fats C8 and C10, which are readily converted into energy and ketones that help facilitate a state of ketosis making it a superior oil to use for many health benefits.. As a general guide you would need to take 6 tablespoons of coconut oil to gain the same amount of those helpful C8 and C10 medium chain triglycerides found in one tablespoon of MCT. Coconut oil also contains LCTs as well as MCTs and unsaturated fats. The LCTs and Lauric Acid are much slower in terms of digestion and absorption and therefore coconut oil is usually not considered an MCT-rich given its high lauric acid content. What's more, MCTs are less likely to be stored as fat and may promote weight loss better than other fatty acids.

In short, Yes! A tablespoon or more of True MCT is useful between meals or during your eating window for many reasons. Not only could it help generate a feeling of satiety, distracting you from unhealthy snacks it may also help to bolster your energy. This is one of the reasons why MCT oil is so popular with some endurance athletes, who carry MCT oil on their long rides and runs. MCTs are also easily digested, which can help you to safely increase your healthy fat intake and therefore may help you to absorb more fat-soluble nutrients like vitamins A, D and K. MCTs do not raise blood sugar which is also why you can safely use it between meals.

This is totally dependent on each person. The way each body rapidly digests MCT fats is very individual. Some people digest it quicker than others which may lead to digestive discomfort. It’s best to test it out for yourself and start low and slow. Begin with 1 tsp and then 2tsp. You can increase this up to 1 tbsp a day which is plenty. Taking MCT with food such as drizzling over salad or adding to soup helps stimulate fat digesting enzymes to be released, which could help offset any digestive discomfort.

Fasting can be challenging both physically and mentally at times. The Brave Method encourages the use of MCT oil and hydrolysed collagen peptides (or our vegan Collagyn alternative) during the last few hours of your fast, to help provide a feeling of satiety (fullness), nourish and sustain you through those challenging parts without breaking your fast. MCT oil can provide a good boost of energy during your fasting window without affecting fasting insulin levels.

Some people find that the last few hours of their fasting window, which is typically the first few hours of their day, tend to be the most challenging. This is where the Ancient + Brave blends and vegan Collagyn range come in handy. Coffee + Collagen and Cacao + Collagen both contain a natural source of caffeine to help kick start your morning, and hydrolysed collagen peptides (units of protein) for nutritional sustenance to help you extend your fast to the finish line. If you are following a plant-based diet, then the vegan Collagyn contains vegan sourced key amino acids as an alternative to our bovine collagen. Coffee + Collagen, Cacao + Collagen and Inspired Collagyn also contain botanical adaptogens which help build stress resilience offering up support during busy and demanding mornings. Adding a teaspoon of True MCT oil to Coffee + Collagen and Cacao + Collagen provides a source of fat that helps you feel fuller for longer and which cells can readily convert into energy and ketones.

As a general fasting rule, if you drink something with less than 50 calories, then your body will remain in a fasted state. So, if you only have a small splash of milk or cream in your coffee then it should be ok. If however you are making the whole drink with a milk (cow or plant) then this is likely too many calories and sugars.

We recommend no more than 50mls providing the nutrition information states:

• Under 28 Kcal per 100ml
• Under 2.5g of total carbs per 100ml
• Under 2.5g sugar per 100ml
• Under 0.5g of protein per 100mls

As a side note; it is also preferable to avoid milks which contain lots of fillers, gums and industrial seed oils.

Taking hydrolysed collagen is becoming a popular daily youthful skin ritual so we totally understand why you would want to add extra True Collagen to your brew. There’s a limit to how much you can add before you end up disrupting your fast. It’s generally considered that anything over 50 Kcal is likely to take you out of a fast and True Collagen contains 18Kcal per 5g (approx. 1 tsp).

• Coffee+Collagen contains 35 kcal so you could add just under a teaspoon of extra True Collagyn
• Cacao+Collagen contains 32 kcal so you could add an additional teaspoon of True Collagyn.
• Adding True Collagen to water, then you can add 3 teaspoons (15g) before you hit your 50kcal fasting limit.

Adding extra True Collagyn could give you that extra nutrition to help you feel full and satisfied until your next eating window and it could be a useful tool to help avoid snacking during your eating window.

Fasting is a very individualised experience. For some people, exercise is a great choice when fasting, especially if your goal is fat loss. When you exercise in a fasted state it can increase fat burning and muscle growth, as you produce more growth hormone. Without the glucose and glycogen to pull energy from during your workout, your body is forced to adapt and pull its energy from fat. Since your metabolic demand during a workout is significantly higher than at rest, you will be burning more body fat during your workout. We always urge you to listen to your body however; if you are in a high or chronic stress state then fasted exercise may not be beneficial to you and your nervous system and cause more harm than good. It can also have an impact on women’s hormones and therefore isn’t recommended for those worried about a change (or loss) in their monthly cycle or with potential thyroid issues.

If you have any medically diagnosed conditions we always recommend checking with your practitioner before changing or adding anything to your diet.

Those with kidney disease who need to stick to an ideal protein intake may need to check with their doctor as collagen peptides count towards your total daily protein consumption. It is also recommended to ensure you have plenty of water with your collagen and stick to the recommended dose.

Those with allergies should choose the correct source of collagen (e.g. those allergic to fish or shellfish should choose True (bovine) Collagen).

Collagen peptide powder has no known drug interactions. However we always recommend telling your doctor about any supplements you’re taking prior to using any medication.

It is always tricky to talk about safety of many products in pregnancy, due to ethical challenges involving research in pregnant people which therefore mean there are little to no studies available yet . However, given the massive abundance and predominance of collagen in our body and a higher need of collagen specific to this time in your life, it certainly seems possible and biologically plausible that collagen could be beneficial both during and post-pregnancy. In fact fertility Nutritionist Charlotte Grand has included our True Collagen as one of her recommended products in her book The Fertility Kitchen.

We recommend you always consult with your doctor or midwife about what supplements you take during your pregnancy. Only they, knowing your personal health history, will be able to give you the green light on making any changes in your nutrition during this time.

Collagen appears to be well tolerated and is thought of as a safe supply of important amino acids and protein and therefore likely to be safe to take. We suggest you are mindful of our blends which contain caffeine if you are monitoring your caffeine intake during pregnancy and breastfeeding. These include our coffee + collagen, cacao + collagen and our vegan blends which contain White Tea Extract.

Fasting can be very beneficial for many people, however when our body is under chronic or extreme stress, restricting food can further exacerbate this stress state. It is therefore recommended that a regular overnight fast of 12hrs (e.g. 7pm to 7am) is more helpful for your health.

Our blends also contain Ashwagandha, which is a fantastic adaptogen for stress and adrenal support. You may also want to seek other stress relieving activities such as meditation and yoga. We would recommend you engage in the Brave Lifestyle by spending more time outdoors and getting your required daily dose of sunshine, ideally with your shoes off. Eat nourishing and warming seasonal foods and try to reset your circadian rhythms by going to bed and getting up at the same time every day.

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites of moulds and coffee is easily one of the largest sources of mycotoxins in the food supply. Some types of coffee have more mycotoxins than others. There’s no benefit to mycotoxin exposure, and even tiny amounts within regulatory standards may impact the health of some sensitive individuals. The main mycotoxins are Aflatoxin B1 (a known carcinogen) and Ochratoxin A. We have taken the extra measure to ensure our coffee is not just organic and free of pesticides, but also free of undesirable moulds.

Yes, they’re so delicious why wouldn’t you want to keep drinking them! All our products can continue to be used throughout the day, even when you are out of fasting mode, as they deliver key nutrients. Coffee + Collagen, Cacao + Collagen and Inspired Collagyn contain botanical adaptogens which help build resilience to stress, so these products may be helpful when your to-do list is looking pretty stacked up. The vegan Collagyn range also contains essential vegan nutrients that are hard to achieve through diet alone, this range provides an excellent daily supply of vegan vitamin D, and choline.

The vast majority of our packaging is recyclable and our cardboard is all FSC certified. Read on for specific product packaging details.

Our true MCT oil and our True Collagen both come in recyclable glass bottles. Their lids are made from food grade plastic and so should also be recyclable. We have removed the plastic scoops from our Coffee + Collagen and Cacao + Collagen, as although we only used the best possible materials, we felt it was unnecessary, and recognise our responsibility to the environment.

Any cardboard used for our products (i.e. boxes and tubs) is FSC certified cardboard and is recyclable. We are also moving to pouches which are 100% compostable, which we will launch early this autumn.

Unfortunately, our sachets are not yet recyclable, but we are obsessed with packaging and are continually working on new solutions to make everything recyclable where possible.

Studies in this area are still small, however they are showing mixed results at this stage, so we cannot say if collagen will support or further exacerbate UC symptoms. We suggest chatting to your gut specialist before taking any supplements including collagen.

While there is some research indicating the potential for collagen to support the body during cancer, there is simply not enough evidence at this time to recommend taking supplements after a cancer diagnosis or during treatment. We always, always recommend consulting with your doctor or oncologist before taking any supplement, as some can interfere with treatment.