Alaya Multi Collagen is a supplement branded as a premium option, because it contains other functional ingredients beyond collagen peptides. The brand claims this product contains "our proprietary hair, skin, and joint support blend" in addition to collagen.
But does Alaya Collagen contain a research-backed collagen dose? Are the other active ingredients shown in studies to be effective? What was our experience testing this product? And does it cause side effects?
In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Alaya Collagen to give our take on whether or not it's likely to be effective, and whether or not it's healthy.
We'll share our experience testing this product for a month, document which retailer sells it for the best price, and discuss the risk of side effects.
Key takeaways:
- Effective collagen dose
- Other active ingredients are underdosed in our view
- We do not currently recommend Alaya Collagen
Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in Alaya Multi Collagen are shown below:
Multi Collagen Complex is the most important active ingredient blend, and it provides 8.6 grams (g) of collagen per serving.
This is within the clinically proven dosing range for wrinkle reduction, so we consider this an effective dose.
The remaining active ingredients are included at an average dose of 333 milligrams (mg).
Chondroitin sulfate is clinically shown to reduce arthritic pain, but the vast majority of clinical trials we came across while researching this article used a daily dose at or over 800 mg, so we consider this ingredient underdosed.
Glucosamine hydrochloride is also used for osteoarthritis, but this medical review published in the Arthritis Research & Therapy journal describes the standard dose as 1,500 mg/day, or 4.5x the dose in Alaya Collagen.
MSM is another ingredient we consider underdosed.
We cannot identify a single clinical trial using a dose as low as that in Alaya Collagen.
The good news about this supplement is that it's entirely free of unhealthy inactive ingredients.
Overall, we consider Alaya Collagen likely to be effective for anti-aging, given the effective collagen dose. However, we don't currently recommend this supplement because we consider its other active ingredients to be underdosed, and therefore unnecessary.
We Tried Alaya Collagen Ourselves
As the author of this article, I wanted to try Alaya Collagen myself to share my thoughts on the product experience and health effects.
When I ordered this supplement, I was dealing with a bad finger bruise due to an injury sustained playing basketball.
I take collagen powder daily, and typically mix it in with my coffee:
One minor complaint is that the scooper doesn't fit well into the holder when the container is mostly full. I had to bend it to fit it in which caused some product spillage.
The taste was more "medical" than typical collagen and had an awful aftertaste which I didn't like. This is likely due to the other active ingredients.
I will say that I noted a rapid reduction in the pain and swelling of my finger injury while taking this product. I can't compare it to how regular collagen would have affected the injury, but I was impressed.
Overall, I would rate Alaya Collagen 7/10, because I feel like it helped my finger heal, but I don't plan to replace my regular collagen with it moving forward.
Will Alaya Collagen Cause Side Effects?
As we discussed in our Native Path Collagen review article, collagen peptides alone are unlikely to cause side effects.
Pharmaceutical-grade chondroitin sulfate is shown to cause minimal side effects, but the effects are less clear with typical supplemental versions of this ingredient.
Glucosamine hydrochloride was shown in a 2007 medical review to cause mild digestive discomfort in some individuals.
MSM is highly unlikely to cause side effects, according to a medical review published in the Nutrients journal.
Overall, we consider Alaya Collagen to be unlikely to cause side effects, but we consider it slightly more risky than a typical collagen supplement, due to the additional added ingredients.
Alaya Collagen vs. Vital Proteins
Vital Proteins is one of the most popular collagen supplements on the market, so consumers are often curious about which of the two options is better.
Both products are similarly-priced on the upper end of the market, so this comes down to formulation in our view.
As we detailed in our Vital Proteins Collagen review article, the original Collagen Peptides formulation from Vital Proteins contains two research-backed active ingredients.
However, like with Alaya Collagen, we only considered one of these ingredients (collagen peptides) to be effectively-dosed.
Because the other active ingredient in Vital Proteins is closer to the clinical reference range, we consider Vital Proteins to be a slightly superior product.
Where to Get the Best Price
Alaya Collagen is currently sold on the brand's website and on Amazon.
Here's a price breakdown at the time of publishing this article:
Brand website: $44.95 (plus shipping, link)
Amazon: $43.95 (free shipping, link to official Amazon listing)
Alaya Collagen is currently around 15% cheaper at Amazon when factoring in shipping costs.
Alaya Collagen Pros and Cons
Here are the pros and cons of Alaya Collagen in our opinion:
Pros:
- Effective collagen dose
- Should have anti-aging effects
- No unhealthy additives
- Unlikely to cause side effects
- Contains some alternate research-backed active ingredients
Cons:
- We consider most active ingredients to be underdosed
- Relatively expensive
- We tried it and didn't like the taste
- We tried it and didn't like the packaging
