There are a lot of health-related protein powders out on the market that promise weight loss, and healthier skin, hair, and nails.
One of them is a supplement brand called Obvi Super Collagen Protein.
Before you actually decide to buy this product, there are a few things you should know. I'll be sharing some of my insights about using this product and other tips that might be helpful
In short, it's a decent product that delivers on most of its promises, but it also depends on the individual's usage and goals. Click here to read about the product in specific detail.
What Is Obvi Super Collagen?
Obvi Super Collagen Protein Powder is one of the most popular and leading protein powders on the market. It in fact has sold out twice due to demand.
As per their words, the product helps improve skin, hair, and nails. Not only that, their "special formula" allows for better collagen absorption, improved gut health, and weight loss:
"We take great pride in our unique formulation that helps you maximize collagen absorption - so you aren’t just taking the supplement without truly being able to reap the benefits it offers. This is only possible because we use grass-fed bovine collagen peptides, coupled with biotin, vitamins C & E, calcium, magnesium, and iron."
"you’ll not just unlock stronger hair, glowing skin, and healthy nails - you’ll enjoy improved gut health and weight loss, among much more - because as you’ll soon learn, we don’t just produce any collagen protein powder"
They come in a variety of flavors - chocolate, cereal, etc: https://myobvi.com/collections/super-collagen-protein-powder
Who Should Use Obvi?
Collagen is the building block of our bones, skin, ligaments, muscles, and tendons and can be found in different parts of our body like the corneas, teeth, and blood vessels. It is an essential part of our body because not only does it hold everything together, but collagen keeps our skin looking youthful and young.
Supplements can provide the extra collagen that we need, especially in Type I and III, because it is the major component that makes up our skin, bones, blood vessels, connective tissues, and organs.
There is a particular type of collagen that health products have, and that is bovine. It is rich in glycine that helps build healthy DNA and RNA strands. Products like Obvi have over 90% hydrolyzed bovine collagen which makes it more robust and effective.
The collagen powder consists of hydrolyzed peptides that don’t have any soy, gluten, or GMO filters. It is Type I, II, and III collagen protein that helps with better collagen absorption and improved joint and muscle health, in addition to glowing skin and hair.
It is useful for people who carry a bit of extra weight and have some skin problems, but a lot of products started to include collagen in their products because it is a good marketing schtick, so I'll answer whether collagen powder actually provides any health benefits soon enough.
What Are The Ingredients
The product contains a collagen protein with an advanced formula like the Hydrolyzed Grass-fed Bovine Collagen Peptides, Biotin, Vitamin C & E, Calcium, Iron, and Magnesium.
More specifically, here are the health benefits:
Biotin B7
Biotin B7 is one of the essential vitamins to look for if you want healthier skin, nails, and hair. It helps with collagen absorption, which improves the rate at which your hair, skin, and nails regenerate and grow.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C helps in the formation of collagen, especially when it comes to cartilage functions as it will reinforce and aid the joints. It will also help your body in the creation of muscle tissue, collagen, and blood vessels.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is a known antioxidant that improves skin and prevents sun damage. It helps your skin from absorbing too many harmful UV rays that cause aging and wrinkles.
Calcium
Not only does Calcium help with maintaining stronger bones and teeth, but it's a great type of mineral that serves as the bridge between Biotin and Iron synthesis.
Magnesium
Magnesium is an important mineral for the human body and is involved in more than 300 biochemical reactions. It helps maintain normal muscle and nerve function, keeps heart rhythm steady, supports a healthy immune system, and helps bones remain strong.
Iron
Iron is another mineral your body needs to function properly. It’s involved in hundreds of chemical reactions, including the metabolism of energy and the production of hemoglobin, which carries oxygen in your blood. Your body needs iron to make myoglobin, a protein that provides oxygen to your muscles. Too little iron can lead to anemia, fatigue, and other problems.
How Does Obvi Super Collagen Work?
The Obvi Collagen Protein powder will work if you take it consistently because you will notice fewer food cravings and your eating patterns will be different than usual. Instead of consuming fried eggs, bacon, or sugar-laden fruity cereal for breakfast, it's easy to replace it with Obvi supplements.
What's great about this product is how protein-rich it is without any form of sugar. It's a good source of protein without many calories, so for someone who is looking to build a LITTLE bit of muscle without gaining fat, it's a good choice. However, it's mainly suitable for women because it's not the most optimal protein supplement for gaining mass and muscle.
As long as you are going to take it consistently, you will be in good hands.
Claims Of Obvi Super Collagen Protein Powder
They claim that consuming one scoop a day will:
- Give you stronger and silkier hair
- Provide you with radiant skin
- Provide you with healthy and strong nails
- Help you alleviate joint pain and muscle soreness
- Improve gut digestion and health
- Help promote joint mobility
- Help minimize cellulite and unwanted stretch marks
- Help reduce wrinkles and aging
- Help you sleep better
- Help maintain healthy GABA levels
Does It Work? Can You Lose Weight?
The Youtuber above had somewhat of a similar experience and results that I had using the collagen protein.
While I had some benefits with better joint mobility and overall improvement with my joint health, I did maintain a healthy diet while taking the protein shake.
The truth is: Obvi super collagen protein powder is not a magic cure for everything. I did notice some improvement with skin and hair, not sure about the nails since I never paid much attention to it, but for best results, you should also cut out your bad habits overall.
I was sleeping more, exercising, and eating foods such as more fruits and leafy green vegetables which resulted in about a 6-pound weight loss in the span of 5-6 weeks.
You won't necessarily lose weight just by taking the supplement and the claim that collagen burns fat is not really founded on science, but it did help curb some hunger cravings.
Instead of reaching for the bag of chips or cookies when I felt hungry, which I usually did before, I opted for 1-2 scoops with some almond milk as a replacement. Besides the fact that it has a great taste, it doesn't have much calories ~30 to 70 calories, which is very little for a "protein shake", so it's a much better alternative to unhealthy unsaturated fatty chips and cookies that can easily reach 300-400 calories if you binge.
Preliminary Studies on Collagen
Interestingly, though I did notice a little improvement as per the product's claims, there isn't a whole lot of research on collagen. There are only a handful of preliminary studies on collagen.
Not A High-Quality Protein
Collagen is not necessarily a high-quality protein because it does not contain all nine essential amino acids. While it does help with joint health, it's not one of the best dietary supplements for building muscle nor burning fat because it is low in amino acids such as methionine, leucine, isoleucine, and valine.
Limited Peer Reviewed Studies on Improved Hair And Skin
Collagen supplements are usually tauted as a great way to achieve radiant skin and shiny hair, but actually there is limited peer reviewed studies for its efficacy. When collagen is ingested, it gets broken down into amino acids and absorbed by your body as per your body's needs.
But if your body has been starving for magnesium, iron, biotin, and vitamin E, you will definitely see some improvements.
Research on Muscle Recovery and Joint Health
Though some evidence and research suggest that collagen supplements did improve muscle soreness in athletes and improved joint mobility among elderly participants, there still needs to be further research on specific usage of collagen.
How and When Should You Use Obvi?
I found taking it early in the morning or during the evening the most effective because that's when I am usually the hungriest. I usually mix it with some skim or almond milk before heading off to work. A typical breakfast can be 500-700 calories, but by replacing your unhealthy sugar liberal fruity cereal with Obvi products, you are eating ~400 fewer calories than you normally would.
If you enjoy your breakfast, then you could try replacing it with supper / dinner. A lot of us tend to sift through the fridge late at night and it's easy to fall into the trap of overeating and consuming more calories than you need in a typical day.
Since it is in a powder form, you can eat, drink, or even put it in your baking ingredients. There is an available recipe book that comes along with the product which you can follow to make delicious shakes, smoothies, and baked treats.
Unlike chips, soda, or any other type of snack that leave you hungrier, Obvi products will curb your cravings while providing you with healthier nutrients and vitamins.
How Much is Obvi Super Collagen Protein?
One pack of Obvi super collagen protein costs $39.99, but if you get their subscription it comes out to be a little cheaper.
There are many delicious flavors to choose from, but I wouldn't recommend the Obvi Fruity Cereal personally. I preferred the Pumpkin Spice and Pepperming Mocha, but it's just my preference..
If you wait a little on their product page, you do get offered a small discount, so browse around until you get a pop-up for a little discount.
Is It Worth The Money?
As far as size, it's a little small. It's almost a pound with 30 servings. One scoop which is about 12grams comes to $1.33 with a calorie count of 35 per serving. Honestly obvi products are a little expensive compared to other brands of protein powder.
If you are mainly looking for a protein powder supplement, then it's not worth it. There are cheaper and better products with more protein.
However, if you are buying it for health reasons such as improving your joints, alleviating muscle soreness, improving skin hydration, and curbing your appetite, then definitely give a try.
Final Thoughts
Personally it is a little expensive for a small package, but I did notice some improvements in my overall health. When I started working out, I use to get sore more often and I had more problems with my joints when I was working with the dumbbells and the machines, but after about a few weeks of consistent use, I was recovering from my workouts quicker.
I did lose about 6 pounds in the span of 5 weeks, but it wasn't necessarily only because of Obvi, but moreso of the fact that I was eating less due to Obvi Super Collagen. I tried fasting during the mornings and evenings, but it was a little hard because I was cranky or couldn't sleep due to hunger cravings, but when I started taking a few scoops mixed with almond milk and sometimes peanut butter cups for flavoring, it definitely helped.
Don't get me wrong, Obvi Super Collagen protein did help with getting enough protein and nutritions my body needed for extensive workouts as well as some improvement with my skin and joint health, but people think that it's a magic formula; it is not.
Overall, compared to other obvi collagen reviews, I won't say the product is a magic cure for everything. I still had to put in the effort to change some of my bad habits, maintain a healthier diet, and go to the gym consistently. The opportunities that Obvi supplements provided however made it easier to change my lifestlye.