The Collagen Craze
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Collagen seems to be the new trend and let me tell you, I am here for it. Collagen supplementation can provide a wealth of health benefits ranging from muscle healing to getting those long, luscious locks of hair you've always wanted. I'm here to bust out the facts and break down the myths surrounding it and to provide the best information for where to get it and how to use it. First -- let's go into what collagen actually is.
COLLAGEN -- WHAT IS IT?
Collagen is a compound of amino acids -- a fancy way of saying it's a type of protein. However, it is not the same as dietary protein that you get from eating meat and fish. Instead, it is found in connective tissues like muscles, bones, tendons, and blood vessels of animals (and humans, but we don't eat the humankind).
This means that when you consume collagen, it does not count toward your daily protein intake. The reason for this is that it does not stimulate mTOR, the mechanism that breaks down dietary protein. So if you're one of those people who counts macros, go ahead and leave the protein aspect of it out of your numbers.
While collagen is naturally occurring in the body, production ceases as we age. Decrease in collagen production is one simplified explanation why we get wrinkles and become more injury prone as we get older. Since our body can no longer produce it, we must supplement it in our diet.
WHAT COLLAGEN CAN DO FOR YOU
You won't die if you don't supplement it into your diet, but you may see noticeable differences in how you feel if you DO supplement it. Here are just a few of the many benefits of supplementation:
Improved skin elasticity
Stronger, longer hair and nails
Deeper sleep
Improved skin tone
Decreased cellulite
Improved gut health and digestion
Building muscle and repairing tissue
Optimal workout recovery
Osteoarthritis relief
Soft tissue repair of torn ligaments, tendons, or muscles
Serotonin release (feel good hormones!)
HOW DO I GET IT?
Okay, now that I've sold you on the benefits (I mean, who doesn't want all of those things), let's chat about sourcing. Collagen is only found in animal and human tissue (sorry, vegetarians and vegans, but keep reading). Primary sources include organic, pastured, grass fed bone broth and bovine collagen powder.
Now, please do not get bone broth mixed up with beef broth you find in soup and use for cooking. Bone broth is made from boiling animal bones and allowing the collagen and minerals to leach out of the bones and into a broth. It sounds disgusting, it tastes delicious. I promise.
Collagen powder is another great source of supplementation. It contains the amino acid glycine which is important for building DNA and RNA in the body. I prefer bovine-based powder, but for those who do not tolerate beef well, there are marine-based sources, as well. Collagen powder may come in many forms --unflavored, vanilla, chocolate, creamer for your coffee, matcha powder, and so on. Personally, my favorite brand is Primal Kitchen because I trust the brand and it dissolves very well in my morning tea.
BEWARE! Collagen offers a lot of beauty-based benefits, especially for the skin, so a lot of skincare products will boast that they contain collagen. And they might -- but it won't do anything for you. It cannot penetrate the skin deep enough to have any benefits when used topically.
BUT WAIT -- I'M A VEGETARIAN/VEGAN
For strict vegetarians and vegans, unfortunately supplementation simply does not exist. It is not found in plant-based sources so be very wary of "plant-based collagen" supplements because they are on the market, but they do not actually contain collagen.
The good news is that there are ways to give a little boost to the collagen that you already have in your body by adding the following supports to your diet:
Vitamin C -- oranges, grapefruit, lemons, limes, or vitamin C supplementation
Dark green vegetables -- kale, spinach, and beet greens help protect against free radicals
Antioxidant rich berries -- blueberries, blackberries, raspberries
Hyaluronic acid -- beans and root veggies or supplementation
Aloe vera
Ginseng
NOT ALL COLLAGEN IS CREATED EQUAL
Before you buy, as always, READ THE LABEL! There are TONS of sources of collagen supplements and bone broth out there but it's extremely important to know where it is coming from. To put it simply, if you are buying poultry-based supplements, make sure it is certified organic. If you opt for bovine-based supplements, be sure you are buying grass fed.
Some collagen supplements are made from animal byproducts coming from animals treated with antibiotics, prescription drugs, and steroids and may also contain parabens and insecticides. If the animal was exposed to these chemicals, they will be present in the collagen that comes from them. As I mentioned before, Primal Kitchen is a safe brand that I trust for collagen supplementation (and all of their other wonderful products!). As for bone broth, I recommend opting to make your own using organic bones or getting it from a trusted brand like Kettle and Fire.
THE TAKEAWAY
Regularly adding collagen to your diet can greatly improve your overall functioning. Personally, I've seen improvements in the strength of my nails and in my digestion. It's easy to add to my morning coffee, it's tasteless, and I hardly know I'm drinking it. Add it to your morning routine and reap the benefits alongside me!