Understanding Collagen
It is likely that you’ve heard the word ‘collagen’ before, but do you really know what collagen is and what it does for the function of your body and beauty? Living in the skin, cartilage, bones, joints, and blood vessels, collagen serves a very important function in our physical health and outward appearance. In this article, we will cover what collagen is, the difference between collagen and collagen peptides, the collagen benefits, and provide inspiration on how you can easily incorporate collagen into your diet.
What is Collagen?
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body, serving as the primary building block for skin, bones, tendons, ligaments, and connective tissues. It acts as a sort of glue, providing structural support, strength, and elasticity to these important tissues, giving the tissues the ability to stretch and withstand impact, limiting wear and tear.
Unfortunately the collagen production in our bodies naturally declines as we get older, which leads to more wrinkles, a decline in hair quality, and increased stiffness of the joints. Because of this, many opt for taking collagen supplements to make up for the lack of collagen as they age, in an effort to combat these effects and reduce the appearance of age.
Types of Collagen and Their Benefits
There are a few different types of collage, each serving their own functions for the body. The primary types of collagen are Type I, Type II, and Type III. Here is what they are each primarily known for:
- Type I Collagen: This type makes up about 90% of the body's total collagen. It is found in the skin, bones, tendons, and teeth. Its main benefits include improving skin elasticity, reducing fine lines, and strengthening hair and nails.
- Type II Collagen: This type is found primarily in elastic cartilage. Its main benefit is supporting joint health, easing stiffness and promoting comfort and mobility.
- Type III Collagen: This type is found in muscles, blood vessels, and internal organs. It usually works alongside Type I to provide elasticity and structural support to soft tissues.
Common Supplement Sources:
- Bovine Collagen (Cows): Collagen from cattle is rich in Types I and III. This form of collagen is great for general skin and structural support.
- Marine Collagen (Fish): Collagen from fish is high in Type I. It is easily absorbed by the body and most ideal for skin health.
- Chicken Collagen: Collagen from chicken is high in Type II. This form is best for targeted joint and cartilage support.
What Are Collagen Peptides?
Collagen peptides are small, broken-down pieces of animal protein that are easy for the body to digest and absorb in order to support skin, joints, and bones. Also known as hydrolyzed collagen, they come from sources like cows, fish, or pigs and are often sold as powders or pills.
Whole collagen itself is too large for the body to absorb, peptides are tiny amino acid chains that pass easily through the gut. They supply building blocks like glycine and proline that may signal the body to make new collagen. Because of this, oftentimes people pair collagen together with collagen peptides.
How are Collagen Peptides Created?
The first step in creating collagen peptides is finding the raw material. Raw animal materials rich in connective tissue, such as bovine hides, porcine skin, or marine fish scales and bones are collected to create collagen. Then, the raw parts are thoroughly washed, treated with mild acids or bases, and prepared to remove non-collagen proteins and impurities. Next, the prepared material is heated in water to gently melt and release the collagen, turning it into a gelatin-like substance. Lastly, the substance is broken down with heat and water in a process called hydrolysis before it is purified and dried. After all this is done, it will be manufactured into a supplement, turned into powders, pills, etc.
Collagen vs Collagen Peptides
The key differences between collagen and collagen peptides lie in their size, absorption, and usage. Whole collagen is a large protein found naturally in animal and human bodies, while collagen peptides (also known as hydrolyzed collagen), as we discussed, are processed through water and enzymes so your gut can absorb them. You find whole collagen naturally in your body's tissues, whereas you buy collagen peptides as powders, pills, or drinks to use as a dietary supplement.
Which One of Them Is Better for Skin Health?
Collagen peptides are generally regarded as much better for skin health than whole collagen because their smaller size making them far easier for your body to absorb. Whole collagen molecules are too large to pass through your gut or skin effectively, whereas as we discussed, collagen peptides are broken down into tiny pieces that enter the bloodstream and support skin moisture and elasticity. Collagen peptides are common in powders and drinks, whereas whole collagen is mostly useless outside of basic surface creams.
Benefits for Healthy Aging
Collagen peptides have great benefits for healthy aging. For instance, they can modestly reduce joint pain, decrease stiffness, and improve physical mobility for people with mild to moderate joint wear. They work by signaling the body's cartilage cells to produce more natural tissue rather than directly replacing joint cartilage.
From a beauty perspective, collagen and nails have a great correlation. Collagen peptides can improve nail growth and reduce brittleness. As for hair, collagen can help support hair strength. The amino acids in collagen are the building blocks for keratin, the main protein in hair and nails. Collagen can also activate cells in the skin and hair follicles to support structural growth of hair.
As for skin, collagen can improve skin hydration, elasticity, and firmness when taken as a daily oral supplement. The peptides send signals to skin cells (fibroblasts) to wake up and produce more natural collagen and elastin. They help the skin hold onto water better, which can reduce the look of dry skin and fine lines.
How Much Collagen Should I Take?
The dosage for collagen and collagen peptides depends on the specific form you use, with daily amounts generally ranging from 2.5 to 15 grams for hydrolyzed types (peptides) and 40 milligrams for undenatured types.
Dosage by Health Goal:
- Skin Hydration and Elasticity: 2.5 to 10 grams daily of collagen peptides.
- Joint and Cartilage Support: 10 to 15 grams daily of collagen peptides, or 40 milligrams daily of undenatured type II collagen.
- Muscle Mass and Recovery: 15 grams daily of collagen peptides.
How to Incorporate Collagen into Your Routine
Creating consistency through a daily routine that works for you personally is more important than having collagen at a specific time or in a specific way. The easiest way to add collagen into your routine is by using a collagen powder supplement that can be easily mixed into a drink of your choice. If you already have a smoothie, juice, etc., most days as part of your routine, you can simply add the powder into this drink and before you know it, you will be incorporating collagen into your daily life naturally. Additionally, if you like to drink coffee or tea every day, you can use a collagen creamer powder to give your preferred source of caffeine a collagen health boost!
Conclusion
As we can see, collagen is an extremely important factor in reducing the discouraging effects of aging. Its benefits for joint health, skin, hair, and nails make it a powerful tool in supplementation and its ease of use make it so that you can seamlessly incorporate collagen into your daily routine. Collagen peptides allow us to create beauty from the inside out and combat the decline of collagen we experience as we grow older.
