Everyone knows that protein is an essential part of every diet. Not every type of protein is the same though.
There are so many different types of proteins found in the body that all have unique functions.
Collagen, for example, is one of the most important and abundant types of protein in the body. It makes up more than 30% of our body’s protein! Mind-blowing, am I right?
Your body needs plenty of collagen to thrive and be healthy. Collagen can even benefit you when you're trying to build muscle mass or lose weight.
It's important for your muscles, tendons, joints, skin, organs, and more!
Today, I'm going to cover everything you need to know about the benefits of collagen. First, let’s start with what collagen is.
What Is Collagen?
Collagen is a protein made from the amino acids proline, glycine, and hydroxyproline.
These amino acids create protein fibrils in a triple helix structure. That structure makes it particularly strong and resistant to stress.
That’s why collagen is so crucial for tissues like our muscles, tendons, ligaments, and skin. Its rigid structure is elastic and allows it to withstand high amounts of force.
Our bodies would seriously suffer without collagen. I mean, it strengthens and supports the body nearly everywhere! This is everything from connective tissues to bones to organs. We need collagen to maintain our physical structure, and it's not something to neglect.
Our bodies do make collagen internally, but not without help. We need vitamin C, zinc, copper, and manganese along with other amino acids to properly produce it.
As we age, the body's collagen production begins to slow down as well.
What Role Does Collagen Play In The Body?
As you may guess, the benefits of collagen can be significant. That's because collagen plays a lot of important roles inside the body.
To be specific, collagen has quite a few responsibilities:
• Supporting the formation of our skin and new skin cells
• Creating a protective covering for organs
• Supporting bone formation and strength
• Supports muscle elasticity
• Helps to cushion joints
• Provides strength to blood vessels
• Aids in blood clotting
The Different Types of Collagen
Believe it or not, there are 28 types of collagen that play different roles in the body. It’s pretty crazy to think about.
Now, of these 28 diverse collagen types, there are 5 that stand out among the others. These are responsible for the bulk of collagen benefits:
Type I Collagen - Accounts for 90% of the collagen in your body. It makes up plenty of the structure of your skin, bones, tendons, and ligaments.
Type II Collagen - Supports our joints by helping with joint flexibility and cushioning.
Type III Collagen - Mainly found in muscles, arteries, and organs like the intestines and uterus in women. It works with type I collagen for skin elasticity and tissue repair.
Type V Collagen - Found in the cornea, certain layers of skin, hair, and tissue in the placenta.
Type X Collagen - Found primarily in articular cartilage and can help support new bone formation.
What Are The Benefits of Collagen?
Now that we’ve discussed how collagen affects the body, what are the benefits of collagen peptides?
When you start increasing your collagen intake, you may not see immediate results. However, collagen benefits are more likely to be seen over time.
These collagen benefits are most notable...
• Improved hair, skin, and nail health
• Joint health
• Bone strength & integrity
• Muscle health
• Heart health
Collagen Benefits: A Closer Look
Let's dive into these collagen benefits so you have a better understanding of how they could help you!
Improved Hair, Skin, and Nail Health
If you’ve heard of collagen, you’ve probably heard about how much it benefits your hair, skin, and nails.
When it comes to your skin it makes perfect sense! Collagen accounts for roughly 3 quarters of our skin (1).
Collagen not only strengthens your skin, but also adds to its elasticity and keeps it hydrated (2).
When it comes to your hair and nails, not as much of it is made from collagen. Most of your hair and nails are made from another protein called keratin.
…But that doesn’t mean collagen doesn’t have benefits for your hair and nails!
Take hair for instance. Studies show that fish collagen can be preventative in hair loss, and may even help stimulate hair growth (11).
Collagen intake has also been shown to help reduce brittle nails, and can even help with nail growth (12). So when it comes down to it, your hair, skin, and nails all can benefit from collagen intake!
With less collagen in our bodies, there can be some noticeable problems that arise over time. For instance, you may notice more wrinkles and dryness in your skin.
That only gets worse with aging too.
This is part of why collagen is so important as people start getting older. We produce less and less collagen as we age (3).
If you want to take care of your hair, skin, and nails, taking collagen on a regular basis is a solid start!
Joint Health
Collagen has been known to help reduce joint pain and improve joint function (4).
Pain in joints is also a common effect of osteoarthritis and aging, and collagen can help with that (5). So, again, collagen is a good thing to utilize the older we get.
By taking collagen peptides, the goal is to help with the growth and repair of cartilage and different tissues. That’s one way it can help with joint pain.
Collagen can also help support lower levels of inflammation (5). This can help with joint pain as well, so long as it’s a cause of the pain.
Bone Structure & Integrity
A large portion of our bones are actually made of collagen (6). Most people don’t know that.
So, it can be helpful to get more collagen if you want your bones to be healthy and resilient. This can be especially true if you live an active life.
For those at risk of osteoporosis, taking collagen can have a protective effect (7). It helps even further when taken with calcium and vitamin D.
Muscle Health
This is a collagen benefit that flies under the radar. Yes, collagen can even help with building muscle and boosting strength (8). At least, as long as you're lifting weights too.
Now, I wouldn’t choose it as your post-workout protein source. Protein sources such as whey protein will be more ideal in a post-workout setting.
However, a good portion of our muscles are made from collagen. So, it does make sense that collagen can help too!
People tend to lose muscle as they age. So again, it can benefit those who are aging even more so!
Heart Health
Collagen has also been shown to lower blood pressure, LDL levels, and support fat loss (9). All of these benefits could directly or indirectly support your heart health.
Collagen has also shown benefits in contributing to the prevention of atherosclerosis (10). This is a disease that can occur with excessive arterial plaque buildup. Obviously, collagen isn't magic, but studies show that it can help.
What Are the Side Effects of Collagen?
Collagen is an important protein, but many foods that contain a lot of it are also common food allergens.
Some collagen-containing foods are fish, shellfish, and eggshells. Nowadays, it's not uncommon for people to have sensitivities or allergies to these foods.
If you have these food allergies, you may want to avoid certain collagen-rich foods. You should also pay attention to collagen supplements made with those ingredients.
Some people with these issues experience nausea, bloating, or other digestive issues. However, collagen supplements shouldn’t have negative effects for people without these sensitivities.
You can also add collagen in slowly. That way you can gauge how your body handles it without worrying much about potential side effects.
I’ve been using collagen regularly for the past 4 years or so. I haven’t noticed any negative effects from taking it at all.
Everything I’ve noticed has been positive, but I also don’t have any allergies linked to it. If you aren’t allergic to these foods, the benefits of collagen peptides outweigh any potential risks.
How To Get Enough Collagen
As I mentioned earlier, we produce less and less collagen internally as we age. You should also know by now that there are a number of collagen benefits!
Eating foods high in collagen, or taking collagen supplements is one way to help. Our bodies don’t directly take collagen and put it straight into production though.
First, we break down and separate the amino acids during digestion. Then we have to reincorporate them internally as we produce our own collagen.
Don’t forget: We also need to get vitamin C, zinc, copper, and manganese to produce collagen internally.
Citrus fruits, leafy green vegetables, and meat can help you get all those nutrients! What about foods that actually contain collagen, though?
Foods that have gelatin, like bone broth, provide collagen. You can also find collagen in eggshells, and other meats like chicken skin, pork skin, and fish.
It’s always best to get nutrients from a well-rounded diet. Although, it isn’t always easy to get what you need in food alone.
When it comes to collagen, this is definitely true. Most people I know aren’t boiling animal bones, or eating eggshells.
That is, of course, unless they’re really bad at cracking eggs. I do know some people like that.
Taking a collagen supplement is an easy and effective way to ensure you’re getting the collagen you need. Some collagen supplements can be even easier to absorb if they come hydrolyzed. This is when they’ve been broken down beforehand, so the amino acids are more readily absorbed.
Collagen supplements can also be really convenient, and taste pretty darn good! Not all of them do, but there certainly are some!
At 1st Phorm, our mission is to help real people earn real and long-term results. We know you don't take shortcuts when it comes to your goals. That's why we don't take any shortcuts when it comes to the products that can help support your goals.
That's why I'm confident you'll love Collagen with Dermaval. It's what I personally use!
Mixed into coffee or protein shakes, it seriously tastes so good! I like the salted caramel flavor, but there are several other great ones, including an unflavored option.
For those of you who prefer natural flavors and sweeteners, we also make a Natural Collagen. Just like the other option, it has Dermaval in it too.
If you’re wondering what Dermaval is, allow me to explain.
Dermaval is a superfood blend packed with vitamins, antioxidants, and phytonutrients. It not only helps protect against the breakdown of collagen, but it can also help protect elastin.
Elastin is responsible for the elasticity of different tissues in our bodies. This includes our skin, ligaments, and blood vessels.
Reducing the breakdown of collagen and elastin can do wonders! It can help support skin health, and may help prevent wrinkles too!
It’s not a common ingredient in collagen powders, and it really separates 1st Phorm's Collagen from many others on the market. Not only that, but Collagen with Dermaval has quite a diverse amino acid profile.
Rather than only containing one or two types of collagen, 1st Phorm’s Collagen Powders contain 5. This gives your body more options to help you produce these different types of collagen in your body.
So give Collagen with Dermaval, or Collagen Natural with Dermaval a try today! If you don't believe me, see what everyone else has to say about it! Between both collagen powders, there are over 10,000 five-star reviews!
If you have any questions in the meantime, don't hesitate to reach out. We have a full team of NASM Certified Personal Trainers and Nutrition Coaches right here in St. Louis, Missouri.
Just give us a call at 1-800-409-9732 or send us an email at CustomerService@1stPhorm.com any day from 6 AM to 10 PM Central. We'll be more than happy to help in any way we can!
References:
(1) Oikarinen A. Aging of the skin connective tissue: how to measure the biochemical and mechanical properties of aging dermis. Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed. 1994 Apr;10(2):47-52. PMID: 8043384.
(2) Al-Atif H. Collagen Supplements for Aging and Wrinkles: A Paradigm Shift in the Fields of Dermatology and Cosmetics. Dermatol Pract Concept. 2022 Jan 1;12(1):e2022018. doi: 10.5826/dpc.1201a18. PMID: 35223163; PMCID: PMC8824545.
(3) Varani J, Dame MK, Rittie L, Fligiel SE, Kang S, Fisher GJ, Voorhees JJ. Decreased collagen production in chronologically aged skin: roles of age-dependent alteration in fibroblast function and defective mechanical stimulation. Am J Pathol. 2006 Jun;168(6):1861-8. doi: 10.2353/ajpath.2006.051302. PMID: 16723701; PMCID: PMC1606623.
(4) Khatri M, Naughton RJ, Clifford T, Harper LD, Corr L. The effects of collagen peptide supplementation on body composition, collagen synthesis, and recovery from joint injury and exercise: a systematic review. Amino Acids. 2021 Oct;53(10):1493-1506. doi: 10.1007/s00726-021-03072-x. Epub 2021 Sep 7. PMID: 34491424; PMCID: PMC8521576.
(5) Martínez-Puig D, Costa-Larrión E, Rubio-Rodríguez N, Gálvez-Martín P. Collagen Supplementation for Joint Health: The Link between Composition and Scientific Knowledge. Nutrients. 2023 Mar 8;15(6):1332. doi: 10.3390/nu15061332. PMID: 36986062; PMCID: PMC10058045.
(6) Mohamed AM. An overview of bone cells and their regulating factors of differentiation. Malays J Med Sci. 2008 Jan;15(1):4-12. PMID: 22589609; PMCID: PMC3341892.
(7) Zdzieblik D, Oesser S, König D. Specific Bioactive Collagen Peptides in Osteopenia and Osteoporosis: Long-Term Observation in Postmenopausal Women. J Bone Metab. 2021 Aug;28(3):207-213. doi: 10.11005/jbm.2021.28.3.207. Epub 2021 Aug 31. PMID: 34520654; PMCID: PMC8441532.
(8) Zdzieblik D, Oesser S, Baumstark MW, Gollhofer A, König D. Collagen peptide supplementation in combination with resistance training improves body composition and increases muscle strength in elderly sarcopenic men: a randomised controlled trial. Br J Nutr. 2015 Oct 28;114(8):1237-45. doi: 10.1017/S0007114515002810. Epub 2015 Sep 10. PMID: 26353786; PMCID: PMC4594048.
(9) Jalili Z, Jalili F, Moradi S, Bagheri R, Moosavian SP, Naeini F, Mohammadi H, Mojtaba Ghoreishy S, Wong A, Travica N, Hojjati Kermani MA, Jalili C. Effects of collagen peptide supplementation on cardiovascular markers: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised, placebo-controlled trials. Br J Nutr. 2023 Mar 14;129(5):779-794. doi: 10.1017/S0007114522001301. Epub 2022 Jun 6. PMID: 35658958.
(10) Tomosugi N, Yamamoto S, Takeuchi M, Yonekura H, Ishigaki Y, Numata N, Katsuda S, Sakai Y. Effect of Collagen Tripeptide on Atherosclerosis in Healthy Humans. J Atheroscler Thromb. 2017 May 1;24(5):530-538. doi: 10.5551/jat.36293. Epub 2016 Oct 6. PMID: 27725401; PMCID: PMC5429168.
(11) Hwang SB, Park HJ, Lee BH. Hair-Growth-Promoting Effects of the Fish Collagen Peptide in Human Dermal Papilla Cells and C57BL/6 Mice Modulating Wnt/β-Catenin and BMP Signaling Pathways. Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Oct 7;23(19):11904. doi: 10.3390/ijms231911904. PMID: 36233206; PMCID: PMC9569759.
(12) Hexsel D, Zague V, Schunck M, Siega C, Camozzato FO, Oesser S. Oral supplementation with specific bioactive collagen peptides improves nail growth and reduces symptoms of brittle nails. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2017 Dec;16(4):520-526. doi: 10.1111/jocd.12393. Epub 2017 Aug 8. PMID: 28786550.
