Collagen seems to have taken the supplement world by storm; this stuff is available everywhere and in all shapes and sizes. The natural protein is known for its anti-ageing effect on the skin and joints, but how do you make sense of all the different supplements and choose the right one? We list it.
Are collagen supplements really that important?
First of all, a little more about collagen and why you should buy a supplement with this ingredient in the first place.
Everyone ages
As we age, our bodies lose more and more collagen: an important building block with a glue-forming function that ensures firmness and flexibility. It does this, for example, in the skin, but also in the joints, tendons, muscles and bones.
So everyone loses collagen and firmness in the skin during the aging process. This starts around the e year of life and accelerates in menopausal women. Men generally lose firmness in the skin a little later, but wrinkles can eventually deepen. (1)
The solution: supplements
The ‘problem’ is therefore a reduced amount of collagen in the body. As a result, the skin loses volume and wrinkles appear. This amount can be supplemented by taking supplements. If you don’t do this, it is inevitable that the skin will lose more and more collagen. (2)
Collagen creams are unfortunately not the answer, as they do not reach the middle skin layer. This is the place in the skin where this structural protein is located and is called the dermis. This layer is accessible from the inside and for this reason there are so many brands that offer collagen supplements .
Research on the daily intake of collagen peptides in combination with vitamins and antioxidants shows that this improves the elasticity of the skin by up to 40% (3).
Who are these supplements for?
Up to the age of 25e we have more than enough collagen in our body, but unfortunately this starts to decrease around that age. So you could start taking supplements around your 25e. This prevents wrinkles and keeps the skin strong. Both men and women lose this structural protein, so supplementing it is an option for everyone. (1)
Never too old
Does this mean that you are late and that you are ‘unlucky’? No! Mature skin can also use the benefits of a collagen drink. The use of peptides can both reduce and prevent visible skin aging. (2)
An existing shortage can therefore certainly be supplemented, at any age. Just keep in mind that you have to be patient. In the case of a weaker skin layer, the period until visible results will be somewhat longer. This of course differs per person, so that one person will already see results after 3 weeks and the other only after 3 months.
One thing is certain: without supplements, the collagen decrease will in any case continue. (2)
So: do you want to counteract the collagen decline in your skin? Then supplements are definitely recommended, but how do you make a choice from all the range? We explain the differences and what you can pay attention to.
What types of products are available?
Products with collagen come in all shapes and sizes. We now know that creams are not the most effective, but what is left? A whole bunch of supplements that all promise the same thing, but are slightly (or quite) different.
What to watch out for:
- Is the collagen hydrolyzed?
- What types of collagen does the supplement contain?
- What source does it come from?
- In what form can you taking it?
- What other ingredients are in the product?
Hydrolyzed Peptides
Whatever supplement you choose, with whatever type / from whatever source / in whatever form: make sure it contains collagen in a hydrolyzed variant. Hydrolyzed means that the protein has been broken down into smaller particles, or peptides.
The process looks like this:
These are then hydrolyzed into small peptides.
This ensures that your body can absorb the substance through the stomach wall and that the collagen does not leave the body after ingestion. (4) After all, that would be a shame!
CelioGenix contains 10 grams of hydrolyzed collagen per 50ml bottle.
Different types
Terms such as ‘collagen’ and ‘peptides’ are widely used, but did you know that there are 28 different collagen types, for example?
The main ones are Type I, Type II and Type III. (5) You also see this a lot in products, mainly Type I because this type is naturally in our skin and improves the structure here. Type II is especially good for cartilage and III for muscles. The other 25 work well with these three, so a mix is ideal for tackling multiple problems.
CelioGenix contains a mix of twelve types, but the collagen in this drink consists mainly of Type I (and Type II & III).
The source: fish, beef or vegetable?
If you’ve searched for collagen supplements, you’ve probably noticed that they can come from a variety of sources. The biggest difference is in natural versus synthetic collagen. (6)
- Natural collagen always comes from animals. The protein occurs naturally only in humans and animals, not in plants.
- Vegetable/Synthetic collagen is therefore not natural but genetically manipulated. This form is rare and very expensive.
What are all those collagen products that have VEGAN on them?
These are usually products with only a stimulant function that are sold as vegetable collagen products. They can slightly boost collagen production in the body. A nice effect, but this does not (sufficiently) supplement the deficit to really achieve a lot of results.
A mix of natural collagen and stimulating ingredients is a good combination.
Which natural collagen options are the most common?
- Bovine Collagen
This strain comes from cattle hides and bones and is widely used in supplements. This is also where gelatin comes from. Bovine collagen also contains Type I and Type III collagen.
- Fish Collagen / Marine Collagen
- Fish Collagen is extremely rich in Collagen Type 1, which is known for its anti-aging effect on the skin. About 90% of the collagen in our skin is of this type: our body is used to this type and can therefore easily process it. Fish collagen would therefore be most comparable to our body’s own collagen. Marine collagen is a name used for fish collagen derived from wild fish from the sea.
CelioGenix contains sustainably sourced marine collagen sourced from wild & healthy fish that live in the clean waters around the Canadian island of Nova Scotia.
Different forms of supplements
In terms of shape you can think of:
- Collagen drink (shot)
- Collagen tablets
- Collagen capsules
- Collagen powder (in large jar or small sticks)
- Collagen water
So quite a bit of offer. Let’s go through the options:
COLLAGEN DRINK
This option means that a drink is composed in small quantities. The idea is that you drink one such ‘shot’ every day or every other day. So you don’t have to add or mix anything at all. You can often keep the drinks in the fridge and have a flavor added to them. Other ingredients can also easily be added to this.
CELIOGENIX BEAUTY DRINK is also such a drink. Each bottle contains a drinkable mix of 50ml (a few sips). This is a handy ready-to-use form: you can easily take a bottle from the fridge. Each bottle contains no less than 10 grams of high-quality marine collagen: enough for a big boost. Our drink also has a pleasant peach flavor and contains a lot of added vitamins and minerals. An all-in-1 mix for beauty & health, of course of the highest quality.
COLLAGEN TABLETS
Tablets with collagen also exist. These are often available in a jar, just like you sometimes see with vitamin pills. So these are pills or tablets that you have to swallow and dissolve in the stomach. If you don’t mind taking pills every day, this is of course an option.
Many of the tablets on offer contain between 1 and 5 grams of collagen from various sources. Some ingredients may have been added, but not as much as in a drink, for example.
COLLAGEN CAPSULES
Capsules actually work the same as tablets, only the casing is slightly different. They can be a bit larger, which can make swallowing a little less pleasant.
COLLAGEN POWDER
This is a fairly common form: powder. Often offered in large jars with a scoop, or in sticks with a daily amount of powder in them. You have to mix the powder into a liquid after which you can drink it. Advantage: this can be done in water, but also in coffee or another drink. Downside: it can clump and stick a bit. It just depends on how you deal with it and whether this shape suits your personal preferences.
COLLAGEN WATER
This form is relatively new on the market: a drinkable mix with water in, for example, a bottle or can. So you don’t just take two sips, but you really have a normal consumption to take.
An advantage is of course that you immediately get some water and it hydrates your body.
Nevertheless, it requires some effort and the taste can be disappointing. Collagen itself is quite bitter. Flavoring a 500ml bottle naturally requires more flavorings than a 50ml bottle.
What else can you pay attention to?
The amount collagen and the other ingredients in the supplement can of course also be included in your choice.
QUANTITY
It is said that collagen is already effective (if hydrolyzed) from 2.5 grams per day. So don’t take less than this. Many supplements contain more than this for greater certainty of results & an extra boost. This also makes it possible to use supplements, for example, every other day or even less, without loss of results.
CelioGenix contains no less than 10 grams of collagen peptides per bottle: a large amount for the best results.
INGREDIENTS
As mentioned briefly, there are certain ingredients that support the formation of collagen in the body. A good example of this is Vitamin C, which means that it is often added to the supplements.
If you do take a supplement, you can also check whether there is a variant with vitamins and/or minerals so that you can get more benefits from the product. and possibly replace other supplements in 1x.
For this reason, we have added 11 vitamins, 6 minerals and 2 moisturizers to our CelioGenix Collagen Beauty Drink. This mix makes CelioGenix a unique all-in-1 drink, very handy!
Literature
(1) Shuster S, Black MM, McVitie E. The influence of age and sex on skin thickness, skin collagen and density. Br J Dermatol 1975; 93: 639–43. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2133.1975.tb05113.x
(2) Asserin, J., Lati, E., Shioya, T., & Prawitt, J. (2015). The effect of oral collagen peptide supplementation on skin moisture and the dermal collagen network: evidence from an ex vivo model and randomized, placebo‐controlled clinical trials. Journal of cosmetic dermatology, 14(4), 291-301. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jocd.12174
(3) Czajka, A., Kania, E. M., Genovese, L., Corbo, A., Merone, G., Luci, C., & Sibilla, S. (2018). Daily oral supplementation with collagen peptides combined with vitamins and other bioactive compounds improves skin elasticity and has a beneficial effect on joint and general wellbeing. Nutrition Research, 57, 97-108. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0271531717311508
(4) León-López, A., Morales-Peñaloza, A., Martínez-Juárez, V. M., Vargas-Torres, A., Zeugolis, D. I., & Aguirre-Álvarez, G. (2019). Hydrolyzed collagen—sources and applications. Molecules, 24(22), 4031. https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/24/22/4031
(5) Maynes, R. (Ed.). (2012). Structure and function of collagen types. Elsevier.
(6) Riaz, T., Zeeshan, R., Zarif, F., Ilyas, K., Muhammad, N., Safi, S. Z., … & Rehman, I. U. (2018). FTIR analysis of natural and synthetic collagen. Applied Spectroscopy Reviews, 53(9), 703-746. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/05704928.2018.1426595
