Native Path is a dietary supplement brand that's best-known for their collagen supplements. The brand claims to have sold over four million jars of their collagen peptides powder.
But does collagen powder actually improve skin and joint health? Does Native Path Collagen provide an effective collagen dose? Does the brand use any unhealthy ingredients? And what was our honest experience purchasing and trying this supplement for a month?
In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze clinical studies on collagen supplementation to determine whether or not it can improve skin and joint health.
We'll analyze the ingredients in Native Path Collagen, share our experience trying this supplement for a month, and compare Native Path to other popular collagen brands to pick our winners (and losers).
Key takeaways:
- Collagen is clinically shown to improve skin and joint health
- Native Path contains a research-backed collagen dose
- We currently recommend Native Path Original Collagen Peptides
We Tested Native Path Collagen
As the author of this article, I wanted to try Native Path collagen myself to share my thoughts on the taste, effects, and overall product experience:
I purchased the unflavored collagen peptide product in powder format from my local Walmart.
The first thing I noticed (that you can see in the picture above) is that the collagen didn't dissolve that well in water.
I've tried a wide variety of collagen products during my product tests, and I'd say the solubility of this brand is below-average.
There was no taste to the collagen, and I experienced no side effects during its use.
The packaging is flawed, as the scooper doesn't fit properly into the canister when the product is first opened. It needs to be tucked in and folded slightly which is a minor nuisance, and not something I've experienced in any other collagen product test.
I take collagen daily for joint and skin benefits, and I feel like it's improved my skin quality and has reduced shin splints I get from long cardio workouts.
Overall, I'd rate Native Path collagen 5.5/10, and I don't plan to purchase it in the future.
Does Collagen Improve Skin and Joint Health?
Collagen is the structural protein in skin, and it’s one of the most well-studied supplements for reducing wrinkles.
As we age, our body’s collagen production slows down, and medical research shows that supplemental collagen can help replenish collagen levels in the body to improve the appearance of skin.
A medical review published in the International Journal of Dermatology analyzed data from 18 clinical trials on oral collagen supplementation, and the researchers concluded the following:
“Based on results, ingestion of hydrolyzed collagen for 90 days is effective in reducing skin aging, as it reduces wrinkles and improves skin elasticity and hydration.”
A 2019 meta-study concluded similarly, and suggests that the effective dosing range of collagen for skin quality is 2.5 grams (g) to 10 g per day.
Collagen can also improve joint health.
A 2019 medical review evaluated whether orally-administered collagen could reduce osteoarthritis (OA) symptoms. The researchers concluded that collagen reduced arthritis symptoms overall, and was particularly effective for reducing stiffness.
Based on the available research, we consider oral collagen supplementation likely to be effective for supporting skin and joint health.
Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in Native Path Original Collagen Peptides (unflavored) are shown below:
image source: https://nativepath.com/
Collagen peptides sourced from grass-fed animals is the only ingredient, making this a clean and effective formulation.
The collagen dose per serving is 10 g, which we consider to be maximally-effective as documented in the previous section.
We approve of this formulation and consider it likely to support skin and joint health.
The ingredients in Native Path Chocolate Collagen Peptides are shown below:
The active ingredient (collagen peptides) and dose (10 g) are the same as the unflavored version, so we consider this supplement equally likely to be effective for skin and joint health.
Natural flavor is the only ingredient in this formulation that we consider questionable from a health perspective.
As we documented in our Live Conscious review article, some flavoring additives and their metabolites may be harmful to human health according to at least one medical review.
Native Path currently sells nine different collagen products, and the unflavored versions are the only ones we recommend from a health perspective.
Native Path vs. Popular Collagen Brands
Here's how Native Path Collagen compares to other popular collagen brands, in terms of formulation quality, in our opinion:
Vital Proteins
Many more options and better product experience based on our testing.
From a purely formulation perspective, the Original Collagen sold by Vital Proteins and Native Path Original Collagen Peptides (unflavored) are equivalent.
Winner: Vital Proteins
Primal Collagen
Similar formulation to Native Path: single-ingredient supplement and effectively-dosed.
However, Primal Collagen has a better product experience without some of the packaging issues that Native Path had, as we documented in our Primal Collagen review article.
Winner: Primal Collagen
Momentous
Nearly identical product to Native Path, but more expensive.
Winner: Native Path
Our Clean Collagen Pick
Thorne Collagen Fit is our top collagen pick.
It provides 15 grams (g) of collagen per serving, is sourced from grass-fed animals and is NSF Certified for Sport (meaning a third-party laboratory has verified it to be free of harmful contaminants.
This formulation also contains nicotinamide riboside, which "will play an important role in anti-aging therapy" according to a 2022 medical review.
Native Path Collagen Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Effective collagen dose
- Should support skin health
- Should support joint health
- Sourced from grass-fed animals
- Unflavored version contains no unhealthy ingredients
- We tested and found that it subjectively supported joint health
Cons:
- Flavored version contains "natural flavor"
- Doesn't mix well into water based on our test
- Packaging issues based on our test
