Collagen - Do You Really Need It?
Is this very popular nutritional craze worth spending money on?
There is a lot of hype about collagen right now but do you really need it? And if so, what is the best collagen to use?
First- what is collagen exactly?
Its the most abundant protein in your body. Your hair, skin, nails, blood vessels, muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones and connective tissue are all made from collagen. It literally holds your body together!
And it is only found in animal foods. There is NO vegan or vegetarian collagen.
So the question is, you need to eat it? Your body IS capable of making collagen but as you age, it produces less. That’s why skin loses integrity and sags or wrinkles. Some people experience hair loss, osteoporosis, weakened muscles and joint pain. Your blood vessels and other soft tissue may lose elasticity. And all of those symptoms maybe a due to a collagen deficiency.
So, unless you are regularly eating animal organs and other parts such as liver, kidney, heart, brain, bones, tendons, feet, etc, you may not be getting enough collagen to keep your tissues healthy and flexible.
What is unique about collagen? It is rich in amino acids, the building blocks of protein. But it has a different amino acid profile than muscle meat. For example, it is higher in the amino acid glycine than other protein sources. Glycine helps keep your DNA healthy and functioning properly. It also helps to build muscle. You may be deficient in glycine if you're not eating organ meats. Therefore, eating collagen IS a good idea.
What is the best collagen? Collagen derived from a cow (called bovine collagen) that is grass-fed and GLYPHOSATE FREE is best. Or marine collagen from wild-caught fish.
Why is glyphosate free important? Glyphosate inhibits the body’s ability to absorb glycine. It is also very toxic.
What are the best brands?
You’ll undoubtedly encounter some companies claiming that liquid collagen is absorbed more easily by the body. But when you put powdered collagen into liquid and dissolve it, it becomes liquid collagen! There is no conclusive, objective evidence to suggest that liquid is better.
In the US- Great Lakes Wellness and Perfect Supplements are both glyphosate free. Outside the US- contact www.detoxproject.org to see if they have a list of products in your country
And finally, for your body to produce its own collagen, you need to have adequate Vitamin C available. Vitamin C is a co-factor in collagen production. And the right type of C is very important (See my previous article on this topic).