Every time I turn around I see another collagen product on the market. While collagen in general can be useful I wanted to take a look at the different types of collagen so you can see if your product is targeting what you think it is.
Collagen is the main protein that is found in various connective tissues in the body. It consists of amino acids that are bound together and are found mostly in tissues like tendons, ligaments and skin. It is also found in a intervertebral discs, dentin in teeth, muscle, blood vessels and the gut.
READ ON to learn more about which type of collagen you need…..
Collagen is used medically in several instances. It can help heal burn patients, can be used after dental or orthopedic surgery to aide in healing as well as many cosmetic procedures. Many of the fillers that are used for wrinkles are made from collagen. It has also been used to help with bone grafting, tissue regeneration and can aide in decreasing bleeding. Most medical collagen is made from beef sources. You can react to collagen especially when used cosmetically so testing a small area prior to injection is a good idea.
You can eat foods that are rich in collagen
Type I collagen: Egg whites, protein rich foods like fish and beef, bone broth.
Type II: Bone broth, chicken collagen, chicken
Type III: Egg whites, bone broth, protein rich foods like fish and beef and bovine collagen
Type IV: egg whites, protein rich foods
Collagen supplements contain a hydrolyzed form of collagen which is broken down into small peptides to increase absorption. When you see collagen peptides or hydrolyzed collagen they are talking about the same thing. Different supplements have different collagen types. There are nearly 30 different types of collagen but these 3 are the most talked about: Type I, II or III.
Choose Type I collagen for the following:
- Anti-aging
- Skin hydration
- Wound healing
- Aide in skin appearance (some speculate improvement in cellulite, stretch marks and weight loss)
Type I can be found in fish or bovine sourced collagen supplements
Choose Type II for the following:
- Bone health
- Joint health
Type II can be found in chicken collagen supplements
Choose Type III for the following:
- Intestinal health
- Support for blood clotting
- Muscles
I have looked at several collagen supplements and one really grabbed my attention,
Designs for Health Whole Body Collagen. It has a spectrum of collagen that targets everything from skin, hair, nails, joints to bones (so Type I, II and III). This product has three proprietary ingredients (see below) that had a multitude of studies demonstrating their effectiveness. I was so impressed I am going to share a few tidbits and more information if you want to look this up. We are going to start carrying this collagen and I am sure you will see why!
Fortigel: studies showed increased mobility even in healthy individuals, decreased knee pain with osteoarthritis and decreased joint pain
Verisol: studies showed smoother skin, improved skin elasticity with decreased wrinkles, improved nails and decreased cellulite
Fortibone: studies showed improved bone density especially in women with osteopenia and osteoporosis
Fro comparison, the one I always hear about is Vital Protein Collagen:
Vital Peptides: collagen peptides (bovine) and marine collagen (fish/shellfish) are both primarily Type I and III collagen. They have a product called Cartilage collagen for the joints that is Type II.
Choose the type of collagen based on what you are targeting for best effects and stay on it. Give it 6 months as the effects are cumulative before deciding it is not making a difference. Be aware that you can have a sensitivity (especially to beef, fish or shellfish) so read the ingredient list.
To your health,
Laura
