I was first introduced to the idea of taking collagen daily after watching foodie, Mariam Jakoet’s (cookedinc) Insta story where she was sipping on a magnesium fizzy dissolved in water and had added collagen to it. At the time I was training really hard and muscle recovery was of utmost importance so I thought I would give it a try. Furthermore, given my chronic illness, I was curious to see if there would be any actual health benefits.

I ended up researching the various collagens available on the market and finding one that was halaal certified. This led me to Lamees Romaney from Pomegranate Wellness and suffice to say I have never looked back.

Before I tell you about how amazing this product has been for me, let’s first unpack what collagen is and why you should be consuming more of it. Collagen is the glue that holds us together as it is a structural protein found in our skin and connective tissue in the body.

At least 30% of the proteins in our body is made up of collagen and it is all over in the body such as tendons, ligament and bones. As you age the joints start to get wobbly and pain more and this is related to the lack of collagen production in the body. Have you ever wondered why we get all wrinkly as we age? It is because our bodies are producing less and less collagen. The foods we consume produce what is called free radicals and when these accumulate, they break down collagen so eating foods rich in antioxidants becomes more important as well as ingesting pure collagen too.

The gut

Did you also know that at least 80% of health issues relates to the gut. The immune system and the gut are strongly linked as a large part of your immune tissues sit in the digestive tract. Collagen contains large amino acids like glycine, proline and glutamine to name a few and they are beneficial to the digestive tract as well as the stomach. Healthy gut results in a healthier life.

So how has collagen benefitted me?

My skin is more plump and the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles are slowly diminishing although I should say that they would never really go away completely. I am over 40 so wrinkles are part of growing old. With that said, we do not need to look like prunes.  

My nails are a lot stronger and where I use to cut them once every three to four weeks, I am not cutting them every second week. My joints ache a lot less and I find that muscle recovery is faster.

Initially I could not see any difference to my sleep pattern but after using the product consistently for around 8 months I started noticing that I slept better and for longer hours (I am a nocturnal creature).

Being a female over 40 years old, I am more aware of my body and my skin so needless to say that I have a deep sense of elation when I started seeing that the cellulite pockets on my thunder thighs look a little less. It is not considerably noticeable but there is definitely a change.

However, the most important and impressive change for me was in my eczema. I have suffered with eczema since the age of 13. There was a stage between the ages of 18 and 28 where it was dormant but was reactivated during one of life’s stressful moments. Since then it has been an uphill battle leaving me not only scarred but negatively impacting my life on a day to day basis. My eczema use to bleed and often my hands needed to be wrapped which meant that I was unable to do normal activities and also suffered from excessive joint pain. My hair had to be cut as close to my head as possible because of the itching scalp. Collagen helped me skin to repair faster. My scarring is less and the hyperpigmentation on my hands and legs are slowly disappearing. Unfortunately, it is a very slow process. It has aided in my hair growth. Within 8 months of using it, I went from little hair to a lush bush which is just past shoulder length. Collagen won’t cure eczema but it does provide the extra help needed for your body to regenerate healthy skin and hair.

Why it is important to make sure its halaal certified?

Collagen can be sourced from bovine (cattle), ovine (sheep) or porcine (pig). The hides go through a hydrolysed process whereby they are cleaned and soaked in extremely hot water and then they undergo various milling techniques. In order for bovine or ovine sourced collagen to be halaal the animal would have had to be slaughtered according to correct Islamic manner. It should be stated that collagen is also sourced from marine and with that option there is generally no question on the halaal factor.

How to choose the best collagen

• Go for collagen produced from certified grassfed cows
• Choose a brand that is transparent about its amino acid profile and lists which is contained in the product. The top three that makes up collagen are glycine, proline and glutamine.
• If it contains additives, then avoid it

You can purchase your halaal collagen from:

• Pomegranate Wellness (@lameesromaney)
• Bella Rose (@bellaroseandbeauty)
• HydroZen Healthy Living (@hydrozen_bym)
• Rushtush (@rushtush)
• BioCultura Collagen Powder (@biocultursa)

By Munira Allie
Project Manager by day, everything else all of the time. A wannabe baker and passionate chef who loves an adrenalin rush cos it makes me feel most alive. I love fast cars and daydream about superbikes. I have a predilection for all things nature and love capturing the Almighty’s majestic beauty even more. If I had a statement to describe my life it would be “she turned her can’t into can and her dreams into plans”.