Collagen. What to look for in a collagen product and suggested brands

Can taking collagen be of benefit to you?

Collagen

Photo by Bluebird Provisions on Unsplash

Collagen holds water; as we age, collagen loses its elasticity, causing wrinkles and increasing the risk of tendon and ligament injuries.

Collagen provides structure, strength, and support throughout the body. It supports new cell growth, replaces dead skin cells, provides a protective covering for your organs, helps make skin look youthful, and helps blood clot.

Hydrated collagen is more elastic and, thus, less prone to injuries.

You will lose 1% of your naturally producing collagen each year starting in your mid-20s to early 30s, so we see more wrinkles as we age. When you are 40 years old, your collagen production dips even further.

The collagen you produce when older will not be the same quality as when you are younger. Women will notice a sharp decline in collagen production after menopause, such as more sagging skin.

If you smoke, spend a lot of time sunbathing, eat a refined diet, or are exposed to pollution, your collagen production may be of lesser quality, and these exposures can deplete your collagen levels.

Interestingly, the Cleveland Clinic collagen article suggests that we wear sunscreen every day with an SPF of 30 or higher, which does not make sense to me because daily use all the time is probably not necessary for most people, and by protecting the skin to this extreme we are putting chemicals onto it daily and not getting any sun-sourced vitamin D.

Collagen is produced from amino acids, the three main ones being glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline. Your body also requires vitamin C, zinc, copper, and manganese to make collagen.

Collagen cannot be absorbed in its whole form, so the body breaks it down into amino acids.

Types of Collagen

Previously, I stated that there are 5 types of collagen, but when I looked further into the topic, I discovered that there are 28 known types of collagen. Collagen types differ based on how the molecules are assembled, the added cell components, and where the collagen is used in the body.

Still, these collagens are categorized into 5 major types. Of the 5 collagen types, most products will contain the main three types of collagen (types I, II, and III).

Type I is found in the skin, tendons, ligaments, internal organs, bones, and the vascular system. Type I makes up 90% of the body’s collagen and is found everywhere except in cartilage.

Type II is the cartilage builder. Cartilage is found all over your body, and joint pain and arthritis are common signs of depleted collagen production. Collagen makes up roughly 60% of cartilage, the tissue that protects bones from the shock of movement. It can help with joint mobility as we age and decrease joint pain. It may also be helpful to support bone health in those with an age-related decrease in bone density.

Type III teams up with type I to keep the walls of the arteries and other hollow organs strong and supple.

Type IV ensures the health of cell basement membranes and the capillaries' filtration system.

Type V is needed for cell surfaces, healthy hair, and the placenta during pregnancy.

Collagen Sources

Photo by Jakub Kapusnak on Unsplash

Collagen products are sourced from marine life or bovine sources, including tendons, feet, bones, skin, and scales. For instance, chicken feet or pigs feet can be excellent collagen sources. My father, as gross as it was to me but a regular food in Poland and Slovakia, always ate pig feet. When he died at 85, he still had a few wrinkles even though he spent years in the sun (without sunscreen) as a mason and home builder.

So, perhaps there are benefits to consuming collagen sources.

Type I is often sourced from marine and fish sources because it is easier to absorb it from these sources. Marine collagen can be sourced from fish, jellyfish, and other sea life.

Type II collagen is abundant in chicken collagen, so you may see it in a capsule or taken as chicken bone broth (add chicken feet if possible) and as a chicken collagen protein powder. Bovine can also be a type II collagen source.

I have this Type II collagen product sourced from seafood, and after learning more about collagen, I will look for a new type II product.

Type III is often sourced from bovine. Bovine collagen can be sourced from cattle, buffalo, and bison.

Collagen Supportive Foods

The same Cleveland Clinic article on collagen also states that people should consume foods rich in the amino acids that make up collagen, such as glycine-rich foods. One of the glycine-rich foods the Cleveland Clinic article mentions is granola.

Hmm, I never knew granola was a single-sourced food. I make my own raw, paleo-style granola, but the ones on the store shelves are entirely different. So, which is it, and what ingredients in the granola are glycine-rich?

I thought that was strange, so I wanted to point it out.

Collagen cannot be obtained from vegan or vegetarian food sources. It will have to come from meat sources and meat-based broths.

If you do not want to supplement, consume bone broths (beef, pork, chicken), chicken with the skin on, fish with the skin and bones such as sardines, and organ meats such as liver, heart, brain, and kidneys. Organ meat was another one of my father’s favorites. He used to make “organ meat” soup. In poor immigrant families, nothing got wasted, and now we realize how healthy this was. My mother loved to cook liver. I admit I was never a fan of this soup or liver and have difficulty eating organic meats.

Should You Take a Product That Contains Types I, II, and III?

Some manufacturers boast that their products contain types I, II, and III collagen. Ideally, you want to take a type II collagen product separate from types I and III so they do not compete.

Vegan and Vegetarian collagen products are not sources of collagen since collagen only comes from animals. Do not be fooled. Look at the wording on the vegan and vegetarian products.

If you consume collagen protein powder, do not make it your primary protein source. Collagen protein powder differs from other protein powders, such as whey, which contains all the essential amino acids. This should not be an issue if you meet your complete protein needs via animal products.

Gellatin is not collagen, although it is similar. Gelatin is a collagen derivative that is extracted from animal bones via boiling.

Heavy Metal Content in Collagen Products

The Clean Label Project (cleanlabelproject.org) tests products for heavy metal content, pesticides, and herbicides. Their latest study on collage protein powders found that only three tested met their safety criteria.

The article suggests that the brands are safe to consume without high heavy metal content.

BioOptimal Collagen Powder, Unflavored

Neocell Super Collagen

Puori CP1 Pure Collagen Peptides

Does Supplementation with Collagen Work?

Look for products that say hydrolyzed bioactive collagen peptides. Bovine collagen may be the best absorbed and utilized compared to marine life. Collagen peptides are small animal collagen since collagen cannot be absorbed in its whole form. They are identified as just that, or hydrolyzed collagen.

Not much scientific research indicates that any of these products work. One study indicated that after 8 weeks of collagen peptide supplementation, participants noticed skin improvements. They used a drink called ELASTEN with other ingredients such as vitamin C, acerola fruit extract, and vitamin E. ELASTEN contained 2.5 grams of collagen peptides, and the article did not specify collagen types. The outcomes were significant compared to the placebo group.

A review found that taking a collagen supplement ongoing and long-term can be helpful for bone and joint degeneration and reduce joint pain as we age.

If you take collagen to support joint, skin, hair, and nail health as you age, you may need to take it continuously to see the results. Once you stop taking it, your collagen will deplete, and signs and symptoms will return.

Bottom Line

Read the label of your collagen product. Do you want one for skin, hair, and nails or one for joints, or both? If both, you should take two separate products or use the food sources mentioned in this article. It may take up to 8 weeks for you to notice any improvements. Look for products that say hydrolyzed bioactive collagen peptides. Look at the back label that indicates the animal sources for collagen.

Do you take a collagen product? If so, I want to know which collagen types you take (I, II, or III) and if you have noticed any benefits since taking them.

Collagen Updates (June 2024)

The information below is from a professional product webinar I attended. The presentation included references for all points I shared below.

The Dose

Many collagen products have roughly 12 grams of collagen per serving. The literature indicates that this is insufficient to see results in hair, nails, skin, and joints. The collagen dose needs to be around 20 grams per serving once daily.

My Super Collagen Plus product contains 12 grams of collagen; the directions state that you should take it once daily. Therefore, this product would not improve my skin, hair, and nails since it contains types I and III. I would need to take the product twice daily or use two scoops once daily instead of one and consume 24 grams of collagen. If I did that, the container would only provide one week of servings.

The Duration to See Results

Most people, including myself, will abandon a product if no changes are seen within four weeks. Like some other products, collagen results require patience.

Based on the research presented in the professional webinar, noticeable results take about 12 weeks, so don’t ditch the collagen after one or two months—give it more time.

Collagen Types

I said that taking collagen I and III together and away from type II is better for bioavailability as they can compete. I stated this based on information that I read.

Based on listening to the webinar, that may not entirely be accurate.

The company is promoting its new collagen product, so I take the claims with a grain of salt. Still, they provided much research to support adding bioactive silicon as stabilized orthosilicic acid (OSA) to the collagen, enhancing collagen synthesis and bioavailability. Therefore, the product can contain types I, II, and III together. They described the OSA as the glue to keep the collagen intake. This is a bioavailable monomeric silica, as opposed to polycondense silica, which has lower bioavailability.

As mentioned in this post, collagen should still be hydrolyzed for bioavailability. The majority of products that I glanced at online do have collagen in this form.

Collagen Source

Also, while collagen can be sourced from marine life and animals, the webinar presenter indicated that bovine collagen might be the best-utilized source for humans for collagens I and III but indicated that eggshell membrane and sternum collagen are type II-rich sources. Eggshell membrane, that thin layer you can peel off the inner part of the eggshell, provides natural constituents of connective tissue, including collagen, hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfate, and proteoglycans. Studies using eggshell membranes have shown it can also improve skin and hair.

Next Steps

As a result of this information, I purchased the collagen powder advertised in the webinar. Each container has 20 servings. I plan on taking it once daily for 12 weeks and then report the results, if any, on my substack. As a post-menopausal woman not taking BHRT, I have wrinkles, thinning hair, and psoriatic arthritis, so I am interested to see if I get any improvements.

I also emailed the company asking if they tested the product for heavy metal content.

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