Tips for Buying the Best Collagen - What you Need to Know

Nutraviva is proud to have been the first Australian company to introduce collagen to the Australian market. Here are some tips and information to ensure you not only purchase the best collagen but the correct form of collagen for your needs.

Our bodies stop producing collagen as when we reach our mid 20’s and thereafter, begin to break down the collagen stores throughout the body at a rate of 1-2 % per year. This leads to the physical signs of aging that we all experience. The skin starts to sag and wrinkles appear, joints ache and the tissue throughout the body becomes weaker and we can become more susceptible to hurting our self. It can also take longer to heal and recover from these injuries

Adding collagen into your daily diet is the quickest and easiest way to help slow down the depletion of collagen and trick the body into replenishing collagen within your cells again. If you consume 10 to 20g of collagen a day your body will be stimulated into thinking that natural collagen is being broken throughout the body and it will being re-synthesising collagen once again using the amino acids found in the ingested collagen, so you can start to reverse collagen depletion and prevent the signs of aging.

When you are looking to buy collagen powder in Australia make sure you look for an unblended variety, also check to see where the product has originated from. If the labelling does not specify a country of origin then you can be pretty sure that they have blended the collagen with cheaper products from less reputable countries. Having a product that is predominantly grass-fed and finished is also a key indicator when looking for a quality bovine source collagen product, as it indicates that the source material is free from many of the chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides, growth hormones and antibiotics that go into fed lot raised animals.

Here are some key tips to keep in mind when purchasing a collagen powder product:

1. Compare Dosage

Taking between 10 to 20g of collagen a day is ideal, so check the serving size and the amount of collagen contained in the serving. If you’re taking a 10g serve then the collagen content should constitute at least 90% of this weight. The rest of the weight is possibly moisture found with the powder. Tablets and capsules will struggle to provide you with a sufficient dose of collagen and will be inherently more expensive per dosage.

2. Pills VS Powder

Pills can often contain binders and additives that may delay or block absorption, while powder formulations that are hydrolysed lead to immediate bioavailability, making them quicker and easier for the body to absorb and digest.

3. Know The Source

It is important to understand that collagen can come from various sources;

Animal – a large majority of collagen powders come from beef, pork and chicken. Animal collagen is produced from the skin, bone and cartilage. It is more economical to produce and contains the same amino acid profile as the more expensive marine collagen.

Marine - is derived from fish, but not all fish are the same – take note, there is a difference between freshwater and wild-caught fish. Fresh-water fish can potentially be farmed fish, which are often grown with added hormones and antibiotics, which may be harmful vs wild-caught fish which are generally not farmed and are caught in the ocean. Marine collagen is seen as higher quality collagen to that of the animal being scientifically recognised as the most bioavailable form of collagen.

Plant based – There is no single sourced consumable collagen for vegans and vegetarians that are derived wholly from a plant source. If you follow one of these diets it is instead recommended to consume foods that help stimulate the body’s collagen production. Nutraviva Vegan Collagen provides a comparable amino acid source to hydrolysed collagen through the use of plant and microbe based scientific processes. 

Nutraviva Vegan Collagen Alternative is a true vegan alternative to collagen hydrolysate and incorporates specially sourced and blended ingredients including probiotics for gut health, grape seed extract and Vitamin C for collagen formation and skin health, zinc for protein synthesis and maintenance of hair and nails, along with a suite of carefully selected superfoods.

4. Know The Types

There are over 20 different types of collagen found in the body. The most abundant is Types I and III. This is found in the skin, connective tissue and muscle. This type of collagen is ideally suited to beauty benefits (skin, hair and nails), healthy aging, joint and bone health, injury and exercise recovery. You can find collagen types I and III in collagen hydrolysate and gelatin powders.

Collagen hydrolysate has very small peptides that have been cut down to increase the bioavailability of the amino acids, making it easily absorbed and digested. It mixes well with water and can be consumed in hot or cold liquids or used in cooking. The versatility of collagen hydrolysate and its high bioavailability makes perfectly suited to overall healthy aging.

Gelatin has the exact same amino acid profile, however, the protein chains are much longer. This means it takes longer to breakdown and digest. Gelatin will set when liquid is added and it cools down and is less bioavailable compared to collagen hydrolysate. Due to its slower absorption rate gelatin is particularly well-suited for gut and digestive health support, helping to reduce gut inflammation and also help regulate hunger and ease cravings. Once the amino acids slowly break down and are absorbed into the bloodstream, they will elicit the exact same results as collagen hydrolysate, with the only difference being that fewer amino acids will be digested and absorbed.

Type II collagen is located in cartilage and is found in bone broths. This type of collagen has a much longer protein chain and will gelatinise when cooled down. It not only contains collagen, in the form of gelatin, but also chondroitin sulphate, glucosamine, hyaluronic acid and is rich in vitamins and minerals that have been extracted from the marrow of the bone. The result is a collagen that is much slower in its absorption which helps to coat the gut lining and promote healing, reduces inflammation, improves immunity and helps to control appetite.

Why choose Nutraviva?

Our superior clean Nutraviva Collagen Hydrolysate powders (available from both bovine and marine sources) contain 100% all-natural unblended, unflavoured collagen powder. Designed to promote health outcomes in an easily digestible way, this collagen powder offers benefits that aren’t found in liquid-style collagen shots, which are most often composed of water and preservatives as key ingredients.

Nutraviva is widely considered to be the best collagen powder supplier in Australia. We provide the highest quality grass-fed and finished beef collagen and gelatin and wild caught Marine collagen from North Atlantic deep-sea fish.

Find out more about us. 

Written by Bruno Rossitt, Founding CEO Nutraviva, BEd(PhysEd)