Collagen is all of the hype in case you pay shut consideration to skincare content material on social media. Collagen is an essential protein constructing block that types the muse of our skin, bones and connective tissues. It helps to strengthen our bones and maintain our pores and skin from being dry and uninteresting. Nevertheless, getting older declines our physique’s natural collagen production. This may be combated with a change in diet and dietary supplements to assist maintain our collagen ranges boosted. That is the place collagen and collagen peptides are available. However which one must you be taking?
To search out out, you will first have to study their variations. Here is all the pieces it is advisable know you are buying the best product.
What’s collagen?
Collagen is essentially the most ample protein our our bodies produce. It’s constructed from three chains of amino acids organized right into a helix sample and is present in our muscle groups, tendons, cartilage, pores and skin and bones. Amino acid glycine is present in most collagen chains, with proline and hydroxyproline additionally being frequent. Along with being a foundational constructing block, collagen is extra particularly helpful for tissue restore and a wholesome immune response.
There are 28 types of collagen. Of those, types I and III make up the numerous majority. As we age, our collagen breaks down extra shortly, and our our bodies turn out to be much less efficient at producing extra. (This is without doubt one of the contributing causes of getting older pores and skin.) Different components that contribute to collagen decline embody smoking, environmental air pollution, extreme alcohol use and nutrient deficiencies.
What does collagen do?
As we age, our collagen breaks down at a sooner charge, compounded by decreased manufacturing, so it is essential to be conscious of our collagen consumption. Whereas that is essential for total physique well being, there are various specific benefits that folks could pursue. Wholesome collagen ranges assist preserve the next:
- Wholesome hair
- Pores and skin
- Bones
- Joints
- Tendons
- Bone mass
What are collagen peptides?
Collagen peptides, also called hydrolyzed collagen, are fragments of animal-derived collagen that’s damaged down via a course of known as hydrolysis. When the collagen is hydrolyzed, it turns into extra bioavailable — the physique is simpler at absorbing it.
Collagen peptides assist in producing new collagen proteins and repairing current ones. Whereas thorough analysis into these dietary supplements is comparatively new, research are starting to make promising findings. For example, this examine discovered that collagen peptide dietary supplements can contribute to improvements in numerous traits of skin health.
What do collagen peptides do?
Quite a few suspected advantages of collagen peptide dietary supplements exist, though only some have been significantly researched. Amongst these potential benefits include improvements to aging skin and osteoarthritis. Though these peptides are largely consumed to restore broken collagen, these dietary supplements can also assist with different well being points like:
What is the distinction between collagen and collagen peptides?
One key distinction between collagen and collagen peptides is that one is a broken-down type of the opposite. Collagen peptides are made by breaking animal collagen down via hydrolysis. So, whereas collagen is an entire protein, collagen peptides are fragments of that protein.
Entire collagen is troublesome for the physique to digest or take in, whereas collagen peptides are considerably extra accessible for the physique. When taking a complete collagen complement, your physique will solely be capable of use a small portion of it in comparison with a collagen peptide complement. This distinction in bioavailability is the driving pressure behind collagen peptides as a collagen different.
It is essential to emphasise that the worth of collagen peptides lies of their potential to assist the physique restore or produce collagen. So, whereas collagen peptides is likely to be a great way to get there, the top purpose is complete and wholesome collagen.
Which is healthier: Collagen or collagen peptides?
Though the top purpose could also be collagen, the easiest way to get there may very well be via collagen peptides. Due to the low bioavailability of collagen and the comparatively excessive bioavailability of collagen peptides, the latter could also be extra useful for folks trying to reap the advantages.
Whereas extra analysis is required to find out the total vary of advantages collagen and collagen peptide dietary supplements provide, the preliminary proof appears to help utilizing collagen peptides. Nevertheless, it is essential to keep in mind that there are completely different collagen sorts and dietary supplements are available varied codecs.
Varieties of collagen and collagen peptides dietary supplements
Collagen peptides are reflective of the kind of collagen utilized in making them. Bovine and marine collagen are two examples of frequent sources of collagen used to make collagen peptide dietary supplements. Each sources present ample Sort I collagen, whereas bovine additionally offers important Sort III.
Collagen is gathered from different animals, with bovine, pork, poultry and marine animals being among the many extra frequent sources. As soon as extracted, the collagen may be turned instantly into collagen dietary supplements, damaged down into collagen peptides or partially damaged down into gelatin.
Dietary supplements of collagen and collagen peptides may be present in powder, tablet and liquid types. Every of those accommodates collagen or its fragmented components. Drugs are sometimes the identical because the powder type however positioned inside a tablet capsule. Nevertheless, there may be some distinction between powder and liquid. Powder tends to have the next focus of collagen or peptides.
On the similar time, liquid types usually declare increased charges of bioavailability however decrease concentrations. In the end, the selection is a desire, but when one complement kind does not yield outcomes, you would possibly succeed with one other.

