Is collagen powder good for you?

If you’re looking to support the health of your skin, joints, and hair, collagen is the all-in-one supplement that can be of great benefit to your body’s health. A type of protein that’s the most abundant structural protein within animals, collagen is found in connective tissue, skin, tendons, bones and cartilage. Not only does collagen provide structural support to tissues, but it also plays a key role in significant cellular processes, such as tissue repair, immune response and cellular communication and migration.

While our bodies naturally produce collagen, collagen supplements and dietary sources of collagen are powerful tools in ensuring our body has all it needs to function at its best. Collagen is often used both orally and topically, with collagen a key ingredient in items such as face creams which treat signs of ageing. 

Collagen decreases over time

One of the key changes our bodies go through as they age? A reduction in collagen production. Alongside a reduced level of natural collagen produced, the collagen our bodies does produce may become fragmented, therefore being more loosely distributed and contributing to signs of ageing. 

Dietary and lifestyle factors can also contribute to a decrease in collagen production. Since collagen is necessary to so many crucial elements of the body’s protection, healing and maintenance, finding alternate sources of collagen can help to reduce the impact of ageing, including the loss of elasticity in skin or a reduction in bone strength. 

The secret superpower of collagen: Amino Acids

With 28 known types of collagen, the key component to look for in any great collagen supplement is amino acid. Regardless of collagen type, it is the amino acid profile of collagen that is of the most important benefit when using collagen supplements.

Amino acids are compounds that are critical to bodily processes such as building proteins, hormones, and neurotransmitters. They’re naturally found in protein-rich food, with many opting to take them as a supplement in order to improve their mood, boost their performance, and strengthen their body. 

The most crucial types of amino acids are proline, glycine, and hydroxyproline. The number of, and the typical ratio of, these amino acids doesn’t vary significantly enough to warrant a claim that one form of pure, unblended collagen hydrolysate will be more beneficial to skin, bones, or joints than any other form. This is also true of the type of enzyme used to break down the large protein chains found in collagen into the smaller peptides - once it’s been consumed by an individual, collagen hydrolysate is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream as 18 different pure amino acids. 

Watch out for retailers who may claim a difference in the chemical structures of identical amino acids. Proline, for example, is the same, whether it’s sourced from bovine, marine, or chicken collagen. 

Make the most of collagen powder

Give your body the tools it needs to decrease the impacts of ageing and support its optimal function. With Nutraviva’s collagen powder offering an easily-accessible source of crucial amino acids, it’s never been easier to support your health and wellbeing.