There’s a lot of buzz on the internet these days about collagen.

You might see it being stirred into coffee or mixed with a protein shake. Some take it in capsule form and it can even be found in some skincare products.

What’s the buzz about? What is collagen and what does it do exactly?

Collagen is the most abundant protein in our body. Roughly between 25-30% of the protein in our body is collagen.

It’s the main component of cartilage, tendons, bone, and skin. Collagen is present in healthy skin, hair, nails, and joints.

The strength of collagen is due to its structure. It’s like a rope made of three strands of protein twisted together. Collagen fibers can be stiff or flexible depending on their exact composition.

Collagen is especially popular for its beauty and anti-aging benefits.

This protein is what helps give structure, fullness, and elasticity to the skin. It is what keeps the skin looking firm and youthful, and slows down the natural process of aging to keep those fine lines and wrinkles at bay.

“Collagen” in ancient Greek meant “glue producing”.

For thousands of years, people have boiled up animal skins and connective tissue to make glue.

When it comes to our joints and tendons, that’s exactly what it does – it’s the “glue” that helps hold the body together.

Our bodies produce collagen naturally, but this ability declines with age.

In fact, collagen production can begin to slow down as early as our late teens or early 20s. The good news is we can get more collagen by adding collagen-rich foods such as bone broth to our diets and by taking a collagen supplement.

What are collagen products good for?

If you use a complete collagen supplement, meaning one that includes all 9 essential amino acids that are required by the body to synthesize protein, it aids and supports:

• Formation of all connective tissue
• Hair, skin, nails and joints

Naturally occurring collagen comes from animals. If you follow a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, that’s something you’ll want to know.

Collagen in supplements are usually called collagen hydrolysate, partially hydrolyzed collagen or collagen peptides.

All of this means that the native intact collagen molecule has been chopped up into smaller pieces.

You see advertisements from companies saying that you cannot digest and absorb collagen unless it’s broken down. That’s not true. That’s false marketing.

What is true is that the partial breakdown of collagen into collagen peptides makes it easier to digest and be absorbed compared to intact collagen.

A 2019 study published in Nutrients found increased concentrations of collagen-rich amino acids in both the group given hydrolyzed collagen and the group given non-hydrolyzed collagen. However, the peaks in the blood rise to a greater degree with those given hydrolyzed collagen.

Most collagen supplements focus mainly on skin health. Multiple studies worked on the benefits of supplementing hydrolyzed collagen in improving the signs of skin aging.

Many people also take collagen supplements to reduce joint pain.

Several studies also found that collagen hydrolysate could be useful in the prevention or treatment of sports injuries to tendons. A 2017 study on the use of collagen peptides in athletes with functional knee problems due to sport found that taking collagen peptides significantly reduces joint pain and improves mobility.

If you want to add supplemental collagen to your diet, choose one that is 100% hydrolyzed collagen for quicker absorption and digestion. If possible, get the one that includes all 9 essential amino acids and contains vitamin C and biotin.

To healthy joints and skin,

Jerry / Jerry@Fit4LifeLLC.com / 703-626-0774

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