Deciding between collagen and collagen peptides? We will tell you which is the best

Shopping for wellness products can be overwhelming—especially when it comes to collagen. There are countless options on store shelves and online stores, all of which claim to be the best. So how do you know what’s really worth your money? Let’s break it down.

Collagen is the building block of your body, important in building our skin, bones and connective tissue. This protein keeps your skin supple, your bones strong, and your joints moving smoothly. But here’s the thing: As we age, our the production of natural collagen slows downand the collagen we already have begins to break down. That’s why many people turn to dietary changes and supplements to give their bodies a collagen boost. Before you jump in, though, it’s crucial to understand the difference between collagen and collagen peptides—because, yes, there is a difference. Here’s everything you need to know.

What is collagen?

Collagen is the most abundant protein that our body produces. It is made of three chains of amino acids arranged in a helical structure that is found in our muscles, tendons, cartilage, skin and bones. The amino acid glycine is present in most collagen chainssuch as proline and hydroxyproline are also common. In addition to being an essential building block, collagen is particularly useful for things like tissue repair and a healthy immune response.

There are 28 types of collagen we know about. Of these many types of collagen in the body, types I and III constitute a significant majority. As we age, our collagen breaks down faster and our body becomes less efficient at producing more. (This is one of the factors that contribute to skin aging.) Other factors that contribute to collagen depletion include smoking, environmental pollution, excessive alcohol use, and nutrient deficiencies.

What does collagen do?

As we age, our collagen breaks down at a faster rate, compounded by reduced production, so it’s important to be careful about our collagen intake. While this is important for the overall health of the body, there are very specific benefits that people can pursue. for example, healthy levels of collagen help maintain healthy hair, skin, bones and joints. However, more research is needed to understand how collagen supplements effectively help tissue repair.

Tendons depend on collagen for strength and endurance and may weaken with age. Taking supplements can help strengthen tendons and other parts of the joints. Collagen also makes up a significant portion of our bone massand people often lose bone mass in old age. In some cases, increasing your collagen intake through supplements can help mitigate this.

What are collagen peptides?

Collagen peptides, also known as hydrolyzed collagenare fragments of animal collagen that breaks down through a process called hydrolysis. When the collagen is hydrolyzedit becomes more bioavailable – the body is more efficient at absorbing it.

Collagen peptides support the production of new collagen proteins and the repair of existing ones. Although in-depth research on these supplements is relatively new, studies are beginning to make promising discoveries. For example, this study found that collagen peptide supplements can contribute to improvements in a number of skin health characteristics.

What do collagen peptides do?

There are numerous purported benefits of collagen peptide supplements, although only a few have been seriously studied. Among these potential benefits include improvements in aging skin and osteoarthritis. Although these peptides are mostly consumed to repair damaged collagen, these supplements can also help with other health issues such as:

What is the difference between collagen and collagen peptides?

One key difference between collagen and collagen peptides is that one is a degraded form of the other. Collagen peptides are obtained by breaking down animal collagen by hydrolysis. So while collagen is a complete protein, collagen peptides are fragments of that protein.

Whole collagen is difficult for the body to digest or absorb, while collagen peptides are significantly more available to the body. When you take a whole collagen supplement, your body will only be able to use a small portion of it compared to a collagen peptide supplement. This difference in bioavailability is the driving force behind collagen peptides as an alternative to collagen.

It is important to emphasize that the value of collagen peptides lies in their potential to help the body repair or produce collagen. So while collagen peptides may be a good way to get there, the ultimate goal is wholesome and healthy collagen.

Which is better: collagen or collagen peptides?

While collagen may be the ultimate goal, the best way to get there may be through collagen peptides. Due to the low bioavailability of collagen and the relatively high bioavailability of collagen peptides, the latter may be more beneficial for people looking to reap the benefits.

Although more research is needed to determine the full range of benefits that collagen and collagen peptide supplements offer, preliminary evidence seems to support the use of collagen peptides. However, it is important to remember that there are different types of collagen and supplements come in different formats.

Types of collagen and collagen peptide supplements

Collagen peptides reflect the type of collagen used to make them. Bovine and marine collagen are two examples of common sources of collagen used to make collagen peptide supplements. Both sources provide an abundance of type I collagen, while beef also provides significant type III.

Collagen is harvested from various animalswith cattle, pork, poultry and marine animals being among the more common sources. Once extracted, collagen can be converted directly into collagen supplements, degraded into collagen peptides, or partially degraded into gelatin.

Collagen and collagen peptide supplements can be found in powder, pill, and liquid forms. Each of them contains collagen or its fragmented parts. Pills are often the same as the powder form, but placed in a pill capsule. However, there is some difference between powder and liquid. The powder tends to have a higher concentration of collagen or peptides.

At the same time, liquid forms often require higher levels of bioavailability but lower concentrations. At the end of the day, choice is a matter of preference, but if one type of supplement doesn’t work, you may find success with another.