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what is collagen

What is collagen and what is it good for?

Woman on couch drinking orange juice with collagen.

Welcome to the wonderful world of collagen, something we could talk about all day… But here’s the abridged version!

Collagen is a protein made up of 18 amino acids and these amino acids and proteins provide our bodies with the building blocks they need to heal, grow, repair and rejuvenate. 

There are fundamentally two versions of collagen - firstly, there is the collagen that is made in, and found throughout, our bodies and the bodies of animals. 

Secondly, there is the collagen we can consume as a supplement which is produced in powder form but which can then be manufactured into pills, gummies, liquids and shots. The latter, when taken as a supplement, can provide our body with a very pure and very easy to absorb form of protein that can then support numerous bodily processes and functions, so it can be good for healthy skin, hair, nails, bones, joints, ligaments, muscles, organs, illness, injury, fitness, exercise and even gut health!

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Jump ahead to any of these quick links below for fast and easy information! 

Collagen in our bodies

Collagen is made naturally in our bodies. Typically, it does a good job of this on its own until your mid-twenties. This is when natural production starts to slow down, and tell-tale signs begin to show (more on that later).

Collagen is a protein found throughout the animal kingdom. It is the most prevalent protein in the human body and is often referred to as the ‘glue’ that holds us together. Some 30% of the protein in our body is, in fact, collagen. Its job is to provide structure and integrity to our hair, skin, nails, tendons, joints, ligaments, and bones. It is also found in other body parts, including the stomach lining, blood vessels, heart and other organs, teeth, and even the corneas in our eyes. It’s almost a case of - name the body part, and you’ll probably find collagen has a starring role in either building and/or maintaining it.

Collagen as a supplement

Collagen is also something you can ingest so as to encourage and support your own collagen production, which is where Edible Health collagen powder steps in! 

What happens as your body’s natural collagen production levels decrease?

In a nutshell, you start to age! As your natural collagen production levels decrease, you begin to see, well, cracks in the maintenance. Typical tell-tale signs might include:

  • Skin - fine lines, wrinkling, age spots, creping texture 
  • Hair - lacklustre, prone to split ends, brittle, dry 
  • Nails - brittle, weak 
  • Joints - begin to ache or make those crackle and pop noises as you get up 
  • Gut - stomach lining can be compromised, allowing toxins to leak into your system and a general microbiome imbalance 
  • Recovery - from illness, injury, and even working out begins to take longer

What is collagen made of?

As we’ve mentioned, collagen is a protein. It is made up of chains of amino acids (the building blocks of protein) which are formed in a very special and unique way, known as a triple helix (think of DNA but with three strands). This gives it a very strong yet flexible structure, like rope. Technically, it’s these amino acids in collagen that do all the heavy lifting and are considered our body’s ‘building blocks’.

What is collagen powder made of?

Edible Health’s collagen powders are made from 100% pure hydrolysed bovine collagen, 100% pure hydrolysed marine collagen or a highly specialised blend of our 100% pure hydrolysed bovine collagen mixed with other natural super nutrients.

Edible Health sources its bovine collagen from cowhide and uses a cutting-edge, solvent-free, alkaline manufacturing process that is fully certified as BSE safe and free from all hormones, steroids, veterinary medicines, toxins and allergens. Our marine collagen is sustainably sourced from fish skins and uses the same state-of-the-art hydrolysis process.

Where does collagen come from?

If referring to the collagen in our bodies, then this is made by our bodies from the amino acids that we consume from our food. 

However, if referring to collagen supplements, then these currently only come from animal sources. Whilst trials for alternative, modified vegan sources of collagen are underway; you will currently only find collagen supplements that are sourced from:

  • Beef (often referred to as bovine collagen) 
  • Fish (often referred to as marine collagen) 
  • Pigs (often referred to as porcine collagen)
  • Sheep (often referred to as ovine collagen)
  • Chicken
  • Rabbits
  • Eggshell membranes

It’s important to understand that vegan food (like berries or citrus), or vegan collagen supplements, are not collagen per se. They simply supply the body with certain nutrients that help support the body with collagen production. For this reason, you may see them referred to as ‘collagen-activating’ or ‘collagen-boosting’ ingredients. Just beware of marketing gimmicks that try to mislead you with vegan collagen products. There is no such thing as vegan collagen; that’s just the collagen cowboys talking.

What is collagen hydrolysate?

Collagen hydrolysate, or hydrolysed collagen, is simply the term used to describe when the big chains collagen of collagen molecules are broken down into smaller chunks. These smaller chunks are referred to as peptides and are broken down using this hydrolysis process to enable the collagen to pass through the stomach into the small intestine, where they will be digested for maximum absorption and efficacy.

Where to buy Edible Health collagen

If you’re interested in shopping for Edible Health collagen, jump over to our collagen products and see our full, fabulous range. If you have any questions, though, don’t hesitate to contact us. Like we said, we could talk all day about collagen…!

 

 

The information we have provided herewith, and all linked materials, are not intended nor should they be construed as medical advice. Moreover, the information herewith should not be used as a substitute for professional medical expertise or treatment. Please refer to our Terms and Conditions and consult your General Practitioner for advice specific for you.

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