Deciding Between Collagen and Collagen Peptides? We’ll Tell You Which is Best
Shopping for healthy products can be overwhelming—especially collagen. There are countless options on store shelves and online, all claiming to be the best. So how do you know what’s really worth your money? Let’s break it down.
Collagen is a building block of the body and is essential for maintaining good health Build our skin, bones and connective tissue. This protein makes your skin elastic, your bones strong, and your joints mobile. But here’s the thing: as we age, our Natural collagen production slows downthe collagen we already have begins to break down. This is why many people turn to changing their diet and taking supplements to increase collagen in their bodies. Before we get started, however, it’s crucial to understand the difference between collagen and collagen peptides – because, yes, there is a difference. Here’s everything you need to know.
What is collagen?
Collagen is the most abundant protein produced by our bodies. It consists of three chains of amino acids arranged in a helical pattern and is found in our muscles, tendons, cartilage, skin and bones. The amino acid glycine is found in most collagen chainsproline and hydroxyproline are also common. In addition to being a building block, collagen is particularly useful for tissue repair and a healthy immune response.
There are 28 types of collagen We know. Among the various collagens in the body, Type I and Type III accounting for the vast majority. As we age, our collagen breaks down faster and our bodies become less efficient at producing more collagen. (This is one of the causes of skin aging.) Other factors that contribute to collagen loss include smoking, environmental pollution, excessive alcohol consumption, and nutritional deficiencies.
What does collagen do?
As we age, our collagen breaks down faster and production decreases, so it’s important to watch your collagen intake. While this is important for overall physical health, there are many specific benefits that people may seek. For example, Healthy collagen levels help maintain healthy hair, skin, bones and joints. However, more research is needed to understand how Effectively supplement collagen to help repair tissues.
tendon depends on Collagen Strength and Durability And it weakens with age. Taking supplements may help strengthen tendons and other parts of your joints. Collagen also makes up a large part of our bonesand people often lose bone mass in old age. In some cases, increasing your collagen intake through supplements may help alleviate the condition.
What are collagen peptides?
Collagen peptides, also known as Hydrolyzed collagenare fragments of animal-derived collagen that are broken down through the process of hydrolysis. when Collagen is hydrolyzedit becomes more bioavailable—the body absorbs it more efficiently.
Collagen peptides help produce new collagen and repair existing collagen. While thorough research on these supplements is relatively new, research is starting to yield promising findings. For example, this study found that collagen peptide supplements can help Many characteristics that improve skin health.
What do collagen peptides do?
Although only a few have been carefully studied, there are many questionable benefits to collagen peptide supplements. among those with potential Benefits include improvements in aging skin and osteoarthritis. Although these peptides are primarily used to repair damaged collagen, these supplements may also help with other health issues, such as:
What is the difference between collagen and collagen peptides?
One major difference between collagen and collagen peptides is that one is a broken down form of the other. Collagen peptides are made by hydrolytically breaking down animal collagen. So, while collagen is a complete protein, collagen peptides are fragments of that protein.
Whole collagen is difficult to digest or absorb by the body, while collagen peptides are more easily absorbed by the body. When taking a whole collagen supplement, your body can only use a smaller portion of it compared to a collagen peptide supplement. This difference in bioavailability is the driving force behind collagen peptides as collagen alternatives.
It is important to emphasize that the value of collagen peptides lies in their potential to help the body repair or produce collagen. So while collagen peptides may be a good way to achieve this, the end goal is complete and healthy collagen.
Which is better, collagen or collagen peptides?
While the ultimate goal may be collagen, the best way to achieve this may be through collagen peptides. Since collagen has low bioavailability and collagen peptides have relatively high bioavailability, the latter may be more beneficial for people looking to reap the benefits.
While more research is needed to determine the full range of benefits provided by collagen and collagen peptide supplements, preliminary evidence appears to support the use of collagen peptides. However, it’s important to remember that there are different types of collagen and supplements come in different forms.
Types of Collagen and Collagen Peptide Supplements
Collagen peptides reflect the type of collagen used to make them. Bovine collagen and marine collagen are two examples of common collagen sources used to make collagen peptide supplements. Both sources provide abundant Type I collagen, while cattle also provide large amounts of Type III collagen.
Collagen is collected from different animalsof which cattle, pork, poultry and marine animals are the more common sources. Once extracted, collagen can be converted directly into collagen supplements, broken down into collagen peptides or partially broken down into gelatin.
Collagen and collagen peptide supplements are available in powder, pill, and liquid forms. Each of these contains collagen or fragments thereof. Pills are usually the same as the powder form but are placed inside a pill capsule. However, there are some differences between powders and liquids. Powders tend to contain higher concentrations of collagen or peptides.
Liquid forms, meanwhile, generally have higher bioavailability but lower concentrations. Ultimately, choice is just a matter of preference, but if one supplement type isn’t producing results, you may have success using another.
