Collagen:
Is it even worth it? What to look for in a supplement!
We’ve seen it everywhere! Collagen has gained a lot of popularity in recent years for SOOO many reasons! Weight loss, joint health, skin, beauty, youthfulness, & SO. MUCH. MORE.
It’s almost overwhelming… but no worries! I got you!
Here’s what you NEED TO KNOW
(I do get a little technical and science-y, so just bear with me! The background knowledge is super important when trying to understand how collagen can benefit you!)
We’ve seen it everywhere! Collagen has gained a lot of popularity in recent years for SOOO many reasons! Weight loss, joint health, skin, beauty, youthfulness, & SO. MUCH. MORE.
It’s almost overwhelming… but no worries! I got you!
Here’s what you NEED TO KNOW
(I do get a little technical and science-y, so just bear with me! The background knowledge is super important when trying to understand how collagen can benefit you!)
Table of Contents:
What Is Collagen?
Collagen Is The Main Structural Protein In The Extracellular Matrix In The Various Connective Tissues In The Body. It Is Considered To Be The Most Abundant Protein In Our Bodies, And Is Especially Known For Providing Structure To Our Fibers.
There are 4 Main Types of Tissue In The Body:
- Epithelial (lines organs and blood vessels, lines some cavities where organs sit, skin)
- Connective
- The most abundant type of tissue.
- Functions:
- 1) Binding and Supporting
- 2) Protecting
- 3) Insulation and Warmth
- 4) Storing Reserved Fuel
- 5) Transporting Substances Within the Body.
- Muscular tissue lines the muscles
- Nervous tissue lines our nerves
Collagen: Function, Properties, & The Basics
Collagen makes up most of our connective tissue. This means it is essentially in every part of our body: muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments, organs, blood vessels, skin, intestinal lining, and other connective tissues. It provides structure & strength to the skin, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Another huge role of collagen is aiding in the repair process for these tissues.
How is Collagen made?
The good news is the body naturally makes collagen! Vitamin C, copper, zinc, and amino acids from protein are all involved in collagen synthesis.
How to know if your body is NOT properly producing collagen:
Aging & Collagen Production
As we get older, collagen production starts to diminish. This is why we get loose, wrinkly skin.
The structure and elasticity within your skin becomes weak and less abundant. As we age our muscles, ligaments, joints, bones, and tendons become weaker because they lose their strength, elasticity, mobility, and overall structure due to the lack of collagen production. 1,2
The Diet & Collagen Production
Another sign that you may be lacking collagen production is gastrointestinal issues. Stomach and digestive issues may be caused by a lack of collagen. Since collagen helps make up the structure & lining in your digestive and GI tract, lack of collagen may lower GI function. 3
Why would I Need To Take Collagen or increase actions to aid in production?
Aging and diet are the main reasons you would lack collagen. These are circumstances where you may need to consider actions to help your body make collagen. (For example: eating certain foods or adding a supplement to your routine)
- Diet: If you’re not eating enough protein, fruits, and vegetables that provide those nutrients involved in making collagen, the body is unable to follow through with the metabolic processes in collagen production.
- Aging: Your body may not absorb nutrients as well as it used to, and may not be able to make that collagen as efficiently.
5 Reasons People Often Take Collagen Supplements
#1 Beauty
Skin
Since collagen is involved in the repair process, it could help improve the turnover rate & healing from acne-caused damage. Collagen can also help with the elasticity and hydration of your skin, which is beneficial for many skin conditions or states of skin health such as wrinkles, aged skin, damaged skin, eczema, acne, and more! Collagen even helps produce more hyaluronic acids in the skin, according to this article from PubMed.
Hair
Collagen is also great for your luscious locks. When you consume a collagen supplement or protein, your body metabolizes it and breaks it into different amino acids. One of the non-essential amino acids (meaning your body can’t make it and it has to come from the diet) that collagen produces is proline. Proline is one of the building blocks of keratin. Keratin is one of the main proteins that make up your hair, skin, and nails.
Collagen may also help with damage to hair follicles and may help with hair loss. However, take note, that there is still developing research on the effects collagen has on hair and skin health. 5
#2 Joint Health & Joint Pain
Collagen also helps repair and keep a youthful structure in your cartilage, thus may help with general joint pain or even arthritis and inflammation. 1,2
#3 Bone Loss & Osteoporosis
Our bones go through bone remodeling, which is when the bone tissue is broken down and new bone tissue is made. It’s a reoccurring process within your bones, but when there are fewer proteins that assist in this process, our bones can weaken. Collagen helps make up some of these proteins, so it is believed that collagen can have a positive effect on bone loss and bone mineral density. (BMD).
#4 Muscle
Collagen may help with sarcopenia, the loss of muscle mass, usually because of age. Since collagen is a structural protein, it helps create and keep great structure in your muscles and keeps them strong and working well. Collagen may help increase muscle mass, strength, and the growth and building of muscle.
#5 Digestion & GI Issues
Collagen may assist in treating intestinal permeability, leaky gut syndrome, digestion, or overall gut health. There are some amino acids provided by collagen, that help with the structure and repairing of the inner lining in your gut. A healthy gut lining allows you to absorb the nutrients you need and helps keep toxins from seeping through that membrane barrier. It also helps just keep a good flow of things in a nice and steady way which is also vitally important for overall health.
What are Sources of Collagen
Food & The Diet as a collagen source
Protein-containing foods provide collagen. But one of the most commonly discussed sources of collagen is bone broth. However, it is important to keep in mind that with science, new information is constantly being researched, and discovered. While some may claim bone broth is the best source of collagen, other research challenges this. 6
It is also important to note that since the body uses vitamin C, copper, and zinc to make collagen…we must regularly consume foods with these nutrients as well. This is why eating your fruits & veggies is SO important because this is where you will mostly get those vitamins and minerals that are vital for metabolic processes in the body (such as making collagen).
Basically.. eating fruits + eating veggies=good metabolism.
Creams as a collagen source
If your focus is skin & beauty when it comes to collagen, you may have seen or even tried a collagen cream! Collagen has gained a lot of popularity in the beauty industry, mostly because it helps create youthful and beautiful skin. (Not that wrinkles aren’t beautiful, but we all like to try to prevent those as long as we can.)
Because of growing popularity, there are many creams made with collagen. However, there is a debate on the effectiveness of these.
Diet/Supplements Vs. Creams
PRO Creams & Skincare (External)
Michelle Wong, who has her Ph.D. in synthetic medicinal chemistry, discusses creams vs. food in her article published on healthline.com here. 6
She says to look for “creams containing vitamin A with ingredients like retinol and tretinoin. These are the gold standard for boosting collagen in the skin. Vitamin C serums are also fantastic for increasing collagen.”
She also discusses the importance of HYDRATION for great skin!
So…DRINK MORE WATER!!
PRO Foods & Supplements (Internal)
Some research claims that the benefits of these types of creams are pretty similar to moisturizers and hydrating products, in that it locks in moisture and protects the skin. 5,7
Because of this, the benefits of the creams may not be from “collagen”, but more from retinol, tretinoins, vitamin a, vitamin c, or other ingredients that improve the skin.
As always, remember science is always changing and new evidence is always being discovered so the debate of cream vs. food will continue when concerning beauty & how collagen may affect it.
SO… ALWAYS. Do. Your. Research. Especially when looking to buy collagen skincare!
Supplements: as a collagen source
While food is the best way to get collagen! Supplements may also be a great option for you!
Here are some pros & cons of supplements & food!
Supplements Vs. Foods
Supplements:
Supplements could be easier to take than eating food
- Sometimes it can be hard to get enough protein in the diet, or enough variety of proteins!
- (For example, fish provides a different type of collagen, but I don’t eat fish option. A collagen supplement from fish could be a good option for me)
- Oftentimes, it is best to focus on the diet first, then add in supplementation. However, some research has found that supplements may provide more reliable concentrations of collagen precursors, thus making production more efficient. 8
Foods:
Our bodies are smart and can recognize the difference between supplements & food.
- Our bodies are designed to digest food, not supplements. Yes, supplements are like a “synthetic” version of food and are made with food, however, our bodies are very smart, and can tell the difference.
- Supplements may also not be designed accurately or properly for digestion.
Supplements are expensive.
- Not only do you have to spend $25+ on a supplement… the supplement often only lasts for half a month or maybe a month if you take it daily…
- You’re already spending money on food daily, so consuming food as your collagen source can be much more budget-friendly.
With food, you know exactly what you are getting
- Food must be tested and approved. What’s on the label MUST match exactly what’s in the food! Supplements are not regulated by the FDA, thus, companies aren’t required to ACCURATELY display what’s really in the supplement product.
- For example, the supplement label may say 10g of collagen for example, but in reality, you could be getting only 1g.
- Food must be tested and approved. What’s on the label MUST match exactly what’s in the food! Supplements are not regulated by the FDA, thus, companies aren’t required to ACCURATELY display what’s really in the supplement product.
Food is the most natural way for your body to make collagen!
- Your body can easily digest the protein, convert it to amino acids, and build collagen! Some supplement products may not digest the same way.
Obviously, food is always the better option when being compared to a supplement. However, there are many valid reasons to take a supplement:
Some examples include:
- For a little boost.
- Just in case it could help.
- To make up for not eating enough protein, or whatever other nutrient it may be.
Whatever your reason may be, there are some things you need to know first!
Things to look for in a collagen supplement:
There are a ton of supplements out there from pills to powders, to collagen water.
BUT with supplements, they are not all created equal.
Here are some things to take into consideration before purchasing a collagen supplement:
What to look for in a collagen supplement:
In the ingredients or somewhere on the container look for “hydrolyzed collagen” or “collagen peptides”.
- This means it will have a complete amino acid sequence instead of just a few different amino acids. There’s nothing wrong with a few amino acids, depending on what you’re taking the collagen for, but you’re likely to get more collagen and more variety if it is a full sequence. Different amino acids can provide different benefits, thus the benefits increase when it is a full sequence.
Look for a product that has been 3rd party tested!
As mentioned in my previous blog about probiotics and prebiotics, keep in mind that supplements do not have to be approved by the FDA, and do NOT require testing! Do your research and find a brand you trust!
Variety!
- Look for products from a variety of sources such as beef, fish, and/or plants. Try to find products from a type of food you don’t eat often! Again, if I don’t eat fish often, a collagen supplement from a marine source would be more beneficial!
***Always consult your physician or healthcare team before beginning any exercise or diet program. This information is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition, or to replace your healthcare professional’s advice and instruction. Consult with your healthcare professional to see what is right for you.***
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If you’d like to learn more about Gut health or healing your gut check out these two blogs below!
