WHAT IS COLLAGEN?

Collagen is a protein made up of long chains of linked amino acids. It’s actually the most abundant source of protein in our entire body. You can think of collagen as a foundational building block. It provides strength and structure for our connective tissues. Collagen is essential to the function of skin, blood vessels, muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones and the digestive system.




Our bodies naturally produce collagen. This collagen production peaks in our early twenties, but naturally declines as we age, by about 1.5% per year, to be exact. By the time we are 40, our bodies are producing 25% less collagen. When we reach 60, collagen production has fallen by 50%! This collagen decline can contribute to many health issues that we associate with aging. These can include loss of skin elasticity, joint pain, slower exercise and injury recovery, loss of bone density and thinning hair. The good news is that many studies have shown that consuming collagen daily can help to mitigate and even reverse some of these issues.

At this time, there are no plant-based sources of collagen. Supplements like vitamin C will help to support the body’s natural collagen production, but that impact is trivial when compared to the body’s natural collagen production decline over time. The only way to supplement with collagen in a meaningful way is from an animal source. Historically, our diets were naturally high in collagen since we made use of collagen-rich animal bones and skin in our cooking. These traditional diets provided us with gelatin, which is collagen in a larger molecular structure. However, most modern diets need a collagen boost. Unless you are a fan of substituting bone broth for your coveted morning coffee, it’s time to discover collagen supplements.

When taking collagen, we need to be sure that it’s in a format that our body can access and use. This is where hydrolyzed collagen peptides come into play. Collagen is “hydrolyzed” (or broken up) into smaller peptides for our body to use. How? The skin or hides, depending on the source, are heated with water. This creates gelatin – think like a soup or broth. Enzymes are then added to the gelatin to further break it down. This enzymatic process breaks down the amino acids in gelatin into smaller chains. These smaller chains (hello collagen peptides!) have lower molecular weight than gelatin making them easier for the body to use. High quality hydrolyzed collagen peptides are highly soluble and relatively flavourless.

TYPES OF COLLAGEN

So, now you’ve done the research and want to add collagen into your daily routine. But you are faced with one last decision: what type of collagen should I buy?

There are numerous types of collagen in the body, but over 90% of it consists of types I and III. Type I is by far the most dominant. You will also hear mention of type II collagen. Type II collagen is found in cartilage, so is a valuable contributor to joint health. Sproos sources its premium collagen from marine (fish), grass-fed (bovine) and chicken bone broth sources to ensure you can access the collagen that is the best fit for you.

MARINE COLLAGEN (TYPE I)

GRASS-FED COLLAGEN (TYPES I & III)

CHICKEN BONE BROTH COLLAGEN (TYPE II)

CHOOSING A COLLAGEN SUPPLEMENT

THINGS TO CONSIDER

PERSONAL CHOICE