Let's face it, these days there are plenty of collagen brands to choose from. It's tempting to choose the least expensive one and get on with the rest of your shopping. But, not all collagen is the same in terms of quality or where it comes from. With our newsfeeds erupting with stories about fires in the Amazon due to clearing for cattle farming, we thought it was important talk about the sourcing of our grass-fed collagen and why we've made the choices we have. The fact is, not all collagen sources are created equal. Sproos uses two different sources of collagen for our variety of products. The first is grass-fed (bovine) collagen that comes from cattle. The other is wild-caught marine collagen that comes from fish. In this post, we are going to take a deep dive into our grass-fed (bovine) collagen.

How Sproos Chose Where to Source Our Collagen

Choosing our collagen source was the most important decision since day one. The decision took into account sustainability, reliability and quality. We decided to source our bovine collagen from grass-fed (and finished) cattle from the US. It was the highest quality, most sustainable and reliable source of collagen. Ensuring our collagen comes from grass-fed and grass-finished cattle is important to us. From an environmental, ethical and health perspective, grass-fed is superior. We support the humane raising of animals in pastures rather than factory cattle farming. Based on research, grass-fed meat is also much more nutritious than those raised on grain. Additionally, grass-fed animals are not fed genetically-modified and heavily sprayed grain. Many prominent collagen brands source their bovine collagen from Brazil or China. Brazil has a huge cattle farming industry and is the world's largest exporter of cattle products. They are a leading supplier of bovine collagen. However, cattle farming is the largest contributor to Amazon rainforest destruction. The forests are clear cut to create more farmland for cattle ranching. In recent years, the destruction has been accelerating as the industry grows.

Why We Chose Not to Source Collagen from Brazil or China

Sourcing from Brazil or China would enable us to offer a cheaper product. However, we know you would rather pay a little more for quality and sourcing that you can feel completely confident in. We want you to use our products comfortable in the knowledge that you are choosing a collagen that is best for both your health and the world. Don't misinterpret this to mean that we believe US cattle farming is without environmental impact; we know this isn't true. Cattle farming of any kind impacts the environment. However, the bovine collagen we have chosen is the most sustainable option available. We also considered taste, dissolvability and bioavailability when choosing a collagen supplier. Our bovine collagen is tasteless, very easy to dissolve and has a low molecular weight. A low molecular weight is important because it means it is more bioavailable to the body. Our collagen has a molecular weight averaging 3000 Daltons which is considered excellent. Additionally, our bovine collagen is antibiotic, hormone and pesticide free.

Have further questions about Sproos or collagen generally? Follow us on Instagram or Facebook or drop us an email at hello@sprooslife.com. Or, simply check out other posts on our blog at www.sprooslife.com.

Here are some of our favourites: Is There a Vegan Source Of Collagen? Does Collagen Actually Work? The Top 6 Studies That Say It Does Which Type Of Collagen Is Best For You? Marine Collagen vs. Grass-Fed Collagen

Sources:

Amazon Destruction: https://rainforests.mongabay.com/amazon/amazon_destruction.html

Beef Cattle: https://www.ucsusa.org/global-warming/stop-deforestation/drivers-of-deforestation-2016-beef-cattle

From Amazon Pasture to the High Street: Deforestation and the Brazilian Cattle Product Supply Chain: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/194008291300600309

Unsustainable Cattle Ranching: https://wwf.panda.org/knowledge_hub/where_we_work/amazon/amazon_threats/unsustainable_cattle_ranching/

Revealed: Amazon Deforestation Driven by Global Greed for Meat: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jul/02/revealed-amazon-deforestation-driven-global-greed-meat-brazil

Cattle Ranching in the Amazon Rain Forest: http://www.fao.org/3/xii/0568-b1.html

The Commonalities and Differences Between China and US Agriculture: https://www.card.iastate.edu/ag_policy_review/article/?a=40