Curious about Collagen?

You may have seen Jennifer Aniston’s new add for Vital Protein’s collagen recently… The hubs literally made me drop what I was doing to come see the commercial because 1) he knows I just ordered more VP banana cinnamon protein and 2) Jen Aniston is one of two of his favorite celebrities… Carrie Underwood being the second. If you haven’t seen the commercial and want to check it out here you go!

Collagen is a fibrous protein that is found in connective tissue – it’s in our bones, our joints and is also a major component of our skin. Collagen, like glue, holds our bodies together providing firmness and strength as we age. Reduction of fibrillar (types I and III) collagen is a normal characteristic of aging skin enhanced (unsurprisingly) by the amount of sun exposure in earlier years. (1) Regretting those sunny days without sunscreen yet? I sure am...

After 25, collagen production slows by around 1% each year. We begin to blame gravity for our loose skin and blame ‘getting older’ for the aches and pains we feel just getting out of bed in the morning.

When we consume collagen through meat like fish, beef, and chicken, it gets broken down and rebuilt in your body the same way as any other food. Nutritious foods, such as fruits, vegetables, fish and meats, are packed with collagen. Collagen supplementation might help those with nutritional deficiencies or malabsorption issues who may not be benefitting maximally from the food they ingest.

Collagen peptides (also referred to as hydrolyzed collagen) are supplements made of the same amino acids as collagen but are more easily absorbed by our bodies. They are shorter chains of amino acids than collagen making them more easily absorbed into our bloodstream (i.e. more digestible). Oral hydrolyzed collagen peptides, together with other dermonutrients like vitamin C, vitamin E, biotin, and zinc, have been shown to significantly improve skin hydration, elasticity, roughness, and density after three months of intake.(2) Preclinical studies have also demonstrated that vitamin C has the potential to accelerate bone healing after fractures, increase type I collagen synthesis, and reduce oxidative stress parameters. (3, 4)

Supplementing with collagen and other nutrients does not instantaneously increase the amount of collagen in your body, rather it helps signal your body to produce collagen on its own. (5) Remember, there currently isn’t any "magic pill" you can take that helps you reverse the effects of aging overnight. If after three months of supplementation you notice improvement in your skin and/or joints, you may have signed yourself up for a new long term relationship. The enzyme collagenase eats away at our natural collagen and by doing so initiates collagen turnover so be prepared to keep supplementation as part of your normal routine. (6)

If you decide to begin supplementing with collagen, consider what foods you currently eat in order to know what type of collagen supplementation is right for you. When it comes to bovine, marine, or porcine collagen in food, the bones and skin are the richest sources, but most people aren’t eating those parts. Flavored bone broth can be a cheap, easy and delicious way to begin supplementation. Vital Proteins, Pacific, Bonafide Provisions, Epic and O organics are my favorite off the shelf brands but there are tons of great recipes you can make at home! If you find collagen supplements don't seem to digest well, consider gelatin as a easy to digest alternative.

A quick tip: When we wake up we are in a fasted state and likely do not have much vitamin C in our system to get the most out of supplementation. If you tend to skip breakfast, or all you have is a cup of coffee, wait to take your collagen supplement until your first meal. Vitamin C is a co-factor for collagen production and there needs to be enough in your body to support the effectiveness of your collagen supplement. Consider adding 60 mg/d of vitamin C through a small whole food snack to get the most benefit. (7)