4 Types of Collagen Supplements: Research is Telling Us Amazing Benefits

Collagen is a type of protein that your body produces. It is the most common protein.

And it plays a tremendous role in connective tissue function. Connective tissues are made up of many components, but collagen is integral in health tissue function.

According to Yale University, bones and tendons are almost entirely made out of collagen. And this beefy protein allows your body to function in a mobile way.

These stretchy fibers, essentially, support your body’s ability to expand and contract. 

This means, if you are big into fitness and moving your body, you’re going to want to read the following.

The human body produces collagen on its own. By consuming a diet that’s full of protein, you will support your own ability to support collagen production.

This means consuming meat, legumes, nuts and whole grains will help your body to repair itself. 

But you may be lacking in collagen, without even knowing it.

In this article, we dive deep into collagen, what it is, why it’s amazing for your health, and what are the best ways to get collagen in your diet.

If you are looking for a specific collagen supplement to add to your diet, check out our comprehensive buying guide here.

Sometimes dietary restrictions play a part in our ability to produce collagen, which is when adding a supplement to your routine might help. 

But dietary restrictions are not the only thing working against you here.

Our body’s ability to produce collagen slows as we grow older (by 1.5% per year), which is another reason why one might add a supplement to their diet. If you’re reading this, you are someone who puts a lot of stress on your bones, ligaments and tendons.

This is important to remember.

It is even more essential to take necessary nutritional precautions to support bone and joint health. And adding a quality collagen supplement to your diet might help your body recover from stress faster. 

In this article, discover how this amazing supplement can take your fitness game to the next level.

We will cover 4 different types of collagen supplements that can help you do this, and provide insight into which one fits best with your fitness lifestyle.

Navigating Collagen Products: 

Finding the right collagen product to fit your needs can be really overwhelming. You can find it in workout supplements and even makeup ingredients for its rejuvenative effects on the skin. 

No need to worry here, we’ll make it really simple for you.

While there is some debate in the medical field revolving around the necessity of incorporating collagen supplements into your lifestyle, a lot of research supports the idea that maintaining hearty collagen levels boosts your body’s muscular abilities. 

The scientific literature is clear.

Taking collagen supplements has been shown to benefit the human body in the following ways. 

• Improves skin health
• Strengthens joint health
• Enhances bone density
• Reinforces muscle mass
• Boosts heart health

But interestingly enough, collagen isn’t only used as a health supplement.

It is a molecule that has been used to stop bleeding and it even creates more blood vessels for better oxygenation of the body.

Finding a collagen product that works for you just involves a little bit of time and patience. And consistency is key. We’ve taken the follwing collagen types and broken them down to help you achieve the best version of yourself:

• Collagen peptides 
• Marine collagen
• Bovine collagen
• Bone broth powder 

All of these options offer great ways to support your bone and joint health. Continue reading to find out which kind is best suited for you.

What are Collagen Peptides Supplements:

Collagen is a massive molecule, which can make the absorption of it really difficult for your body.

However, with growing interest in collagen and general health and wellness, there has been an influx of different types of collagen products on the wellness market. Today, it comes in pills, powders and even liquids.

But collagen in its peptide form might offer a more digestible medium. Collagen peptides or hydrolyzed collagen have much shorter amino acid chains than standard collagen. 

This makes them much easier for our bodies to break them down, while still maintaining all of the benefits.

What is the difference between Collagen Peptides and Proteins?

Peptides are made out of chains of amino acids. They link anywhere between two and fifty types of amino acids. Proteins link amino acids, as well, but they link fifty or more together to create their chains.

Because of the simplicity of peptides, they are much easier for the human body to digest and use. 

Investing in quality collagen peptide supplements offers a simple way to incorporate muscular support into your digestive process. While the FDA does not currently regulate collagen products in a strict manner, some collagen supplements feature a USP certification, which suggests that the manufacturer creates products that comply with the United States Pharmacopeia regulations. So, it might be helpful to keep your eyes peeled for products that feature that certification. 

What Are The Marine Collagen Benefits?

Marine collagen is a type of peptide collagen that is derived from fish. That means that manufacturers pull the collagen out of scales and skin. According to some sources, this type of collagen is one of the easier kinds to absorb.

Marine collagen can be one of the most efficient proteins, to add to your diet.

Marine collagen benefits are endless. Adding the supplement to your lifestyle can actually help your body to produce more collagen, naturally. And it also involves benefits like boosting the immune system and enhancing muscle re-construction. 

This type of collagen is particularly important to consume because we need the most of it. The beauty industry has used this ingredient for many years due to its ability to support skin health. The benefits aren’t only limited to personal wealth and wellness.

Marine collagen is also sourced in a sustainable way. 

Ordinarily, fish handlers would dispose of the parts of the fish from which marine collagen is derived. By manufacturing supplements that are both great for human health and useful against waste accumulation, marine collagen provides a plethora of positive components. 

What is Beef Gelatin Powder Good For?

While you are on the hunt for the perfect type of collagen to add to your lifestyle, you might find yourself curious about its gelatinous form.

Beef gelatin, grass-fed gelatin or bovine gelatine, as it’s commonly known, is made out of bovine products.

Gelatin is a substance that is derived from animal products and is the resulting product of cooking the collagen.

This substance is almost entirely made out of protein. It’s packed full of a number of different amino acids, which are essential to your body’s ability to build muscle. 

Gelatin is incredibly popular in the realm of pharmaceuticals and food. It is the substance that can be found in products like Jello.

But it is also highly useful for anyone who wants to support their bone health. As another form of collagen, this product can be used to build the tissues and muscles in the human body. 

And according to some sources, gelatin can be used to combat issues like osteoporosis and brittle nails.

Many beauty products use some amount of gelatin because it is believed to prevent or slow the aging process in our skin.

Incorporating beef gelatin in your lifestyle can provide your body with all of those hard-to-get amino acids. 

Gelatin contains a substantial amount of one particular amino acid: Glycine. 

A study conducted by J Biosci in 2009 found that most of us won’t product enough glycine on our own to meet our nutritional needs.

It is vital to our health to consume it. Gelatin makes regular consumption of glycine simple, accessible, and easily digestible.  

What Is Bone Broth Collagen Powder?

Bone broth powder is a substance that is derived from animal bones and tissues. Boiling a chicken or ham bone to make soup is a time-tested cooking practice.

As the bone boils, the marrow and an ultra-potent concoction of vitamins and minerals mix into the water.

This creates a very dense and nutritious liquid, making it one of the best ways to feed your body. 

Bone broth powder is simply the concentrated form. And science is starting to catch up with us, giving us hints about why it is so good for human consumption. 

Using a quality bone broth collagen powder has been linked with improvements in joint and gut health.

By incorporating the connective tissues into the boiling process, you are creating a substance that is really rich in collagen. And collagen is that magical super-substance that provides your body with the essential amino acids that it needs.

It also helps strengthen the gut lining in your stomach, making it a great supplement if you suffer from gut permeability. It is also likely to reduce inflammation, promote better sleep quality and support joint health. 

The amount of vitamins packed in bone broth collagen power is stunning.

Bone marrow, one of the ingredients found in bone broth, is packed full of a number of different ingredients.

By consuming it, you’ll ingest plenty of iron, vitamins A and K, and zinc. But you’ll also supply your body with fatty acids, selenium and manganese. The nutritional components of bone broth powder vary by brand.

Since the number of bones or the type of tissues that are used to make this substance might vary by manufacturer, some brands offer a more dense array of minerals than others.

It never hurts to compare brands to determine the nutritional content that’s involved in each product. 

What Kind Of Collagen Product Is Right For Me?

While searching for the right collagen product, it’s important to consider the following questions:

• Is it produced in an ethical way? 
• Do you, generally, consume a lot of beef or fish? And when you consume those products, are you eating the skin, where a lot of the collagen is found? 
• Do you have a prefered method of consumption? 
• Does your supplement contain any noteworthy certifications like the USP? 
• And how committed are you to your journey with collagen? 

Weighing your nutritional and physical needs should help you to determine which product might suit your needs. 

Collagen peptides, marine collagen, bovine collagen and bone broth powder all offer wonderful sources of collagen. Finding the product that fits your needs just takes a bit of thought and consideration. 

Here a pro tip to consider:

If you’re someone who rarely consumes fish, adding a marine collagen supplement to your routine will help you patch the holes in your diet. And the same goes for bovine collagen. Whatever your needs, there’s likely a product that will seamlessly fit into your lifestyle. 

If you see a product that is advertising “plant-based collagen,” be advised that it does not actually contain collagen.

The ingredients will probably support collagen production in your body, but collagen is an animal protein and cannot be produced by plants.

This means that it might help your body to stimulate the growth of collagen-based functions. But the product in itself doesn’t contain any collagen. 

While attempting to find the perfect collagen product to fit your needs, consider where your diet might have holes. And next, determine what you are hoping to use collagen support for. 

3 Impactful Takeaways to Implement

• Consider adding collagen to your diet: Collagen is important for connective tissue function and can support bone and joint health. Consider adding a collagen supplement to your diet to help your body recover from stress faster.
• Be aware of age-related collagen decrease: As we age, our body’s ability to produce collagen decreases. Keep this in mind and consider adding a collagen supplement to your diet to support your body’s collagen production.
• Choose the right type of collagen supplement for you: There are 4 different types of collagen supplements that can help support your fitness lifestyle. Do your research and choose the one that fits best with your needs.

Conclusions About Collagen Supplements: 

While you’re on the hunt for products that will boost your health and well-being, it is worth researching collagen. This workhorse of a protein is an essential part of joint and muscle health. And the consumption of it has been recorded for centuries.

But it can be difficult to ingest it in its traditional form, since it is often found in parts of the animal that are difficult to eat. This is one reason why bone broth or bone broth powder is a great approach to meeting your collagen needs.

Once extracted, the substance is flavorless and without color, which makes it easy to add to nearly anything. Put some in your morning shake for a nutritional boost. Or add it to your oatmeal. And you won’t even notice a difference in the flavor or color of your food. 

As we age, our body’s ability to maintain bone and joint health begins to slow. And those of use who partake in regular, intense physical activities might feel these changes sooner rather than later.

But by prioritizing your health, you’re much more likely to slow the breakdown process. And adding some variation of collagen to your dietary regimen might be one of the best steps you can take to become stronger.

Whatever your level of fitness, collagen supplements can revolutionize the recovery process along with your overall health and wellbeing. If you support your body, your body will support you.

If you are interested in ordering collagen but don’t know where to start, check out our buying guide on the best marine collagen here. It’s a plethora of information that will help find the best supplement for your body.