The Glue Holding Us Together

Here’s something neat we learned from the Dose & Co FAQ:

The word collagen comes from the Greek word “kolla” meaning glue.

Now, to clarify: we’re talking glue in the keeps-your-body-together-and-functioning sense, not the sticks-sheets-of-construction-paper-together sense. Which is to say, this is a non-dairy creamer, not a crafting supply.

But, like, what is collagen, actually? For that, we turn to a source that has never led anyone astray, WebMD:

Collagen is a protein responsible for healthy joints and skin elasticity, or stretchiness. It’s in your bones, muscles, and blood, comprising three quarters of your skin and a third of the protein in your body.

Oh, okay, cool. Just your skin, bones, joints, muscles, and blood. Nothing super important. Now, luckily, your body produces plenty of it… until you hit your 30s and 40s. Then, it produces a lot less (of it and also everything else aside from excuses to take ibuprofen and reasons to buy orthotics).

And so, it’s a decent idea to start using collagen supplements around that time to replace what your body can no longer make. The potential benefits according to this article from Everyday Health are pretty big. On the basic level, collagen is just an easy-to-digest protein. Beyond that, though, it could help you smooth wrinkles, lessen joint aches and pains, and promote a healthy gut and heart.

So, that’s collagen generally. Let’s go back to this stuff from Dose & Co. Here are some important things to know:

• First off, you don’t have to put it in coffee. You can put it in black tea, smoothies, matcha, milk, really just anything that could use a little creamy, caramelly, collagen-y kick.

• You can take up to three servings of it daily. (And you’ll probably want to, honestly, because this stuff has a best by date of 6/1-6/3 of this year, and you’re getting 102 servings. Do the math. And then share it around.)

• Also, it’s good for women and men. That’s right! Finally, a non-dairy caramel-flavored creamer FOR THE FELLAS!

Of course, with this kind of stuff results may vary, some might feel the benefits, others might feel nothing at all, yada yada yada. But here’s the thing, if you’re collagen-curious, this is a good chance to get a bunch of it for the price of not much of it.

So give it a shot! If it works, you might just end up with better skin, bones, joints, blood, gut health, and heart health. If it doesn’t do much for you, well, hey, at least your coffee will be pretty tasty!