Collagen 101: A Crash Course on Collagen Peptides

How do you improve your skin vitality, have healthier hair and nails, AND restore your joints back to health? — COLLAGEN PEPTIDES.

Collagen Peptides have become all the rage the last few years and the hype is real and well deserved! You’ve probably heard that taking collagen supplements can benefit you, but do you know the full extent of how impactful collagen is? Keep reading if you’re ready to learn more about this exceptional product! 

First things first, let’s tackle the essential question:

What is collagen and why is it so important?

Think of collagen as being the “glue” that holds us together! Accounting for about 30% of all bodily protein, it’s the most abundant protein in the human body and is a key component of connective tissues. Specifically speaking, it provides structure to our joints, cartilage, bones, skin, organs, tissues, teeth, eyes, and MORE!

Pretty sure it goes without saying, but without collagen we wouldn’t be structurally sound. Just like a home needs framing in order to be stable and livable, we need collagen to provide structure and support throughout our bodies.

There are numerous different types of collagen. Roughly 28 if we are being technical, but the most common are types I, II, and III. Together they make up 80-90% of all collagen in the body. Below we shared where each one is found and what they do for the body:

• Type I: The most prevalent type of collagen found in the body as it helps provide structure to your skin, tendons, eyes, bones, teeth, and muscles. It’s great for repairing and strengthening those connective tissues mentioned, but it’s most well known for improving skin elasticity and hydration as well as the strength and health of your hair, skin, and nails.
• Type II: The least prevalent of the three, but still extremely important. It’s primarily found in cartilage, which is the connective tissue that protects your bones and joints and is known for helping with joint discomfort, joint support, and overall joint health.
• Type III: The second most prevalent type of collagen and a major component of skin, intestines, muscles, arteries, blood vessels, and organs. There’s a lot of overlap with the benefits of type I and type III, so you’ll typically find them being used together to improve gut health. 

Collagen’s primary job is to protect, strengthen, and repair the integrity of our body’s different connective tissues! Our bodies naturally produce collagen, but as we age we produce less and less. In fact, after about the age of 25 our natural collagen production decreases by about 1.0-1.5% per year. Might not seem like much, but over time that adds up and can lead to some pretty unfavorable health issues such as: weak bones and muscles, achy joints, brittle hair and nails, and wrinkly, dull skin. 

It’s not just age that affects collagen production, there are also lifestyle habits that can impact and even damage collagen:

• Stress
• Smoking
• Sun exposure
• Diet (if there is a lack of collagen-rich food sources)

If you’re over the age of 25 with lifestyle habits that affect your collagen, it’s important to find ways to ensure you’re getting enough collagen through your diet on a daily basis. The good thing is, we offer a handful of collagen products that are extremely versatile and easy to incorporate into your daily routine! Before we talk about those, let’s talk more about how collagen benefits you.

How does collagen benefit you?

Like we mentioned earlier, collagen provides structure and support, without it we put our bodies at risk for numerous health consequences! The benefits of collagen are NUMEROUS, but to name a few:

• Strengthens and repairs joints and cartilage
• Promotes youthful skin and increases skin vitality
• Strengthens hair and nails
• Speeds up recovery after injuries
• Protects and repairs connective tissues
• Improves gut health

Thanks to collagen, we’re able to move better and revitalize our bodies from the inside out!

Where can I get collagen?

You can obtain collagen from your diet (the foods you consume) or from supplements. Collagen is a naturally occurring protein and is derived from animal sources. To make collagen, your body repurposes the amino acids found in the animal tissues to create collagen! 

When it comes to collagen supplements, the collagen is typically extracted from animal tissues such as beef, fish, and/or chicken; however, the majority is withdrawn from bovine (cow) bones. Most, but not all, are also hydrolyzed. Meaning it’s been broken down into collagen peptides to make the collagen easier for your body to absorb. This is a huge benefit of taking a collagen supplement because it’s less work for the body.

If you don’t want to consume a collagen supplement, it’s crucial that your diet is high in protein-rich sources such as fish, poultry, meat, eggs, and dairy. You’ll need a variety as well to ensure you’re getting the amino acids needed to create collagen. Just remember that as you age, your body’s ability to produce collagen declines as the elements of aging make it harder to do so.

What collagen should you get?

In today’s world, there’s A LOT of options out there. It can be overwhelming trying to determine which collagen supplement would be best for you, but we simplified this process for you.

First you need to determine what your goal is by taking collagen. Your goal will determine which collagen is best for you:

• If you'd like to improve skin elasticity and hydration, support muscle and/or injury recovery, and strengthen your hair, skin, and nails, we’d recommend either Bovine Collagen or Marine Collagen. Both contain high amounts of both type I and type III collagens.
• If you’re wanting to support your joint health and/or reduce joint pain and inflammation, we’d suggest Bovine Collagen or a joint supplement with type II. Type II collagen is most prevalent in your cartilage; therefore, it’s the best for overall joint health.
• If you’re looking to improve your gut health, we’d suggest Bovine Collagen because, again, it has an ample amount of type III, which is a major component of your intestines. 

Our Collagen Peptides contain collagen types I and III; therefore, if your goal is bullet one or three then our Collagen Peptides will be best for you. If your goal is to support your joints (bullet two) then we’d suggest checking out our Joint 2.0. It’s formulated with an undenatured type II collagen peptide, UC-ll® Standardized Cartilage, that has strong clinical evidence showing it supports healthy joints, improves joint mobility and flexibility, and relieves joint discomfort. Please note that our collagen can help with joint health as well, but not to the extent that our joint supplement can.

Now that you know WHAT type of collagen you need for your goals, you can determine where the best place to shop is. Not all collagen supplements are created equal. When shopping for collagen, you need to be looking at:

• The amount of ingredients used
• Where the ingredients are sourced from
• How and where they are processed

Ingredients: You want the highest-quality collagen sources as those are the ones that will maximize the nutrient intake, so you get the maximum benefits! In the case of Bovine Collagen, you should be looking for collagen products that come from grass-fed, pasture raised sources. In the case of Marine Collagen, it needs to be wild-caught, not farm raised sources purified to remove toxins.

Production: The way in which collagens are processed varies across the board. Some use low quality ingredient sources and/or high temperature processing in order to produce in bulk for cheap, this way they make the most profit off each tub. A little slimy if you ask us. 

All of our products are produced in a GMP certified and FDA accredited facility and are third party tested in an ISO 17025 lab. Our Collagen Peptides specifically are made with 20g of grass-fed, all hides traceable bovine born and raised on rural properties with vet supervision. They are also low-temperature processed to ensure you get the most out of each scoop. 

You don’t have to shop with us, but it’s important that wherever you are shopping, you’re taking those points into consideration! If it were me, I’d want the best of the best going into my body! 

How much collagen should you take?

Health authorities have not provided any official guidelines stating how much collagen per day is recommended; however, a clinical study done in 2019 concluded that ideally one should consume at least 2.5-15g per day. We’d recommend consuming at least 15g per day, in order to reap the rewards, but you certainly can take more. Lucky for y’all, we offer products with a range of collagen amounts! 

• Collagen Peptides: 20g of collagen per scoop
• Protein Brownies/Blondies: 5g of collagen per square
• Protein Cookies: 5g of collagen per two cookies (one package)
• Bowmar Butters: 4g of collagen per serving
• CSC: 20g of collagen per packet

When and how do you take collagen? 

Collagen can be consumed any time of day! There truly is no better time of day and no wrong way to enjoy it. It’s a simple addition that can be easily integrated to your wellness routine. Our collagen powder is available in unflavored and flavored options and dissolves seamlessly into hot or cold liquids, so you can mix it, add it, or enjoy it all on its own. 

• Mix it: Toss a scoop in with any of our other supplements (besides fiber lol). There are so many fun flavor mashups you can try this way!
• Add it: Pump up your smoothies, shakes, baked goods, or even your morning cup of coffee!
• Enjoy it on its own: Scoop, sip and savor the flavor! *We only suggest doing this with our flavored collagens. 

To learn some additional ways to use collagen, CLICK HERE! 

We also offer collagen-infused sweets of different kinds to be enjoyed as is, OR you can have fun with it and create unique recipes like protein ice cream sandwiches!

To learn different ways to enjoy CSC, CLICK HERE. 

At the end of the day, it really comes down to your personal preference. No matter HOW you take your collagen – in just one additional step, you’ll improve skin vitality, relieve joint pain, repair cartilage and tendons, and even promote a healthy gut!

Conclusion:

Collagen is a MUST for your daily wellness routine. Your body deserves the nutrients it needs to function at its best. Using a high quality collagen supplement like Bowmar Nutrition’s Collagen Peptides can simultaneously reinforce healthy joints, restore youthful skin, hair, and nails, and revitalize your body from the inside out!

 

Sources:

Reilly DM, Lozano J. Skin collagen through the lifestages: importance for skin health and beauty. Plastic and Aesthetic Research. 2021; 8:2. http://dx.doi.org/10.20517/2347-9264.2020.153

Paul C, Leser S, Oesser S. Significant Amounts of Functional Collagen Peptides Can Be Incorporated in the Diet While Maintaining Indispensable Amino Acid Balance. Nutrients. 2019 May 15;11(5):1079. doi: 10.3390/nu11051079. PMID: 31096622; PMCID: PMC6566836.

Natural Force. Collagen: The important differences between types 1, 2, and 3. Natural Force. https://naturalforce.com/blogs/nutrition/collagen-differences-types-1-2-3. Accessed January 20, 2023.