Collagen supplementation is experiencing a real revival. I remember a few years ago the opinions of experts who said that this should not work. Science is moving forward and we now have many scientific studies that confirm the benefits of introducing collagen supplementation, and the opinions of many experts have changed 180 degrees! From the article you will learn which collagen to choose!
Types of collagen in the body
Collagen is protein molecules made of amino acids. Thanks to its properties (stiffness and tensile resistance), it is an ideal matrix for skin, tendons, bones and ligaments. Collagen fibers are composed of proline, hydroxyproline, glycine and hydroxylysine. There are different types of collagen and, interestingly, up to 28 of them have already been discovered! Types I, II, III and IV are the most abundant in the body, and type I collagen itself accounts for up to 90% of the total content of this protein in our body [1]. Different types of collagen are defined by different molecular composition, more specifically the composition of the α (alpha) chain and their functions and presence in specific tissues/organs. Due to the fact that the first four types of collagen are most often talked about, I will summarize their functions and the tissues/organs in which they are found in the table below.
Origin of collagen
Many people are still wondering which collagen to choose. Currently, collagen can be extracted from natural animal sources or from recombinant protein production systems using bacteria, yeast, insects or plants. As a curiosity, I will tell you that on the market (rather foreign at the moment) we can already find a raw material called "vegan collagen" and although the first scientific works have appeared confirming its benefits, we should not (yet) attribute to it the same effects as collagen of beef or fish origin.
Coming back, the extraction process involves chemical and enzymatic hydrolysis. You've probably heard the name "hydrolyzed collagen" more than once - the name is related to these processes, and hydrolyzed collagen itself has a higher solubility compared to native collagen [2]. By far the most common types of collagen available on the market are collagen, beef, pork and marine collagen, or fish collagen . Which one to choose? You will find out later in the article!
If you want to take care of your skin or are struggling with an injury, be sure to check out the eatyx offer, which includes products with added collagen:
What source of collagen is best for you?
The supplements available on the market include collagen types I, II and III. Type I collagen is found mainly in fish collagen , type II in chicken and bovine collagen, and a mixture of type I and III collagen is found in beef and pork collagen .
Will the source matter? Currently, it seems that the effect of collagen as a supplement is not so much on intensifying the synthesis of collagen per se, but on providing substrates (proline and hydroxyproline), which are supposed to support this synthesis. Now, although limited evidence indicates possible differences in the amount of substrates provided depending on the collagen source, overall it appears that supplementation with both fish, beef and porcine collagen will result in similar concentrations of the substrates mentioned above for collagen synthesis , so considering this mechanistically, the source doesn't have to matter much (though it could, but research hasn't shown that yet).
And what does it look like in practice? If you want to supplement collagen to improve skin hydration and elasticity and reduce wrinkles, choose hydrolyzed fish collagen . Why? Mainly because virtually every scientific study was conducted on this type of collagen and in this case we have proven benefits. However, if you are struggling with an injury and want to speed up your recovery, research is usually carried out on pork or beef collagen, and when analyzing supplements aimed strictly at rehabilitation, these sources also dominate the composition of the products. This does not mean, however, that bovine collagen will not have a beauty-supporting effect. The research was simply carried out on a different type of collagen.
Type 1 collagen
Type I collagen is considered unique because it constitutes the majority of the total collagen content in the human body. This type of collagen may come from mammals, amphibians, fish, marine animals or recombinant human collagen. In supplements, you will find it in fish collagen and in combination with type III in beef or pork [3].
Type 2 collagen
Type II collagen is much less common than type I, but it has been represented in studies. Several clinical experiments have confirmed its effectiveness - mainly in the context of joint problems.
Where is type 2 collagen found?
Where is type 2 collagen found? Type II collagen can come from beef or fish bones , but most often (both in supplements on the market and in scientific research) it is obtained from chicken breast cartilage . For example, in one study, the administration of small amounts of type II collagen, derived from poultry, led to an improvement in joint pain [4].
Type 3 collagen
Type 3 collagen is the second most common type of collagen. It combines with type I collagen in the body, creating the so-called fibers in many tissues in our body. Although we know relatively little about its functions, preliminary data show that it plays an important structural role in the functioning of our joints [5]. We can find it in pork or beef collagen .
Which collagen should I choose? The best type of collagen
Ok, so which type of collagen is best for you? This question is very difficult to answer. Type I collagen is the most frequently researched type, but type II also has its own scientific publications demonstrating the benefits of its use. Unfortunately, no direct comparison has been made in any work. Analyzing the topic from a physiological perspective, we are unlikely to find any arguments for the benefits of collagen X over Y, because these proteins are denatured in the digestive tract anyway and the spatial structure of this protein is destroyed . Therefore, it seems that the "strongest collagen" does not exist and in practice it will make no difference whether you choose type I, II, III collagen or a mixture .
Summary
Collagen is a supplement that is experiencing a real revival - a few years ago it was subject to a lot of criticism, but today it is represented by dozens of studies and undoubtedly has great potential. If you are wondering which collagen to choose, I will summarize it for you in the following points :
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when introducing supplementation in the context of skin care, you can choose fish collagen, because it is the most frequently tested,
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when the goal is to recover after an injury, you will most often find beef or pork collagen in dedicated supplements,
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the type of collagen does not seem to have any significance in the final effect, so don't worry about it and just choose a product from a trusted manufacturer and with a satisfactory taste.
I hope that after reading the article you already know what collagen is, where it occurs, which collagen to choose for wrinkles, and what is the best absorbable collagen for joints. The supplement market is so huge that it is important to consciously choose the product that is potentially most beneficial for you, and finally, I once again encourage you to take a look at the eatyx product offer!
Literature
- Wu M, Cronin K, Crane JS. Biochemistry, Collagen Synthesis. [Updated 2023 Sep 4]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-
- Wang H. A Review of the Effects of Collagen Treatment in Clinical Studies. Polymers (Basel). 2021 Nov 9;13(22):3868. doi: 10.3390/polym13223868. PMID: 34833168; PMCID: PMC8620403.
- Naomi R, Ridzuan PM, Bahari H. Current Insights into Collagen Type I. Polymers (Basel). 2021 Aug 9;13(16):2642. doi: 10.3390/polym13162642. PMID: 34451183; PMCID: PMC8399689.
- Lugo JP, Saiyed ZM, Lau FC, Molina JP, Pakdaman MN, Shamie AN, Udani JK. Undenatured type II collagen (UC-II®) for joint support: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in healthy volunteers. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2013 Oct 24;10(1):48. doi: 10.1186/1550-2783-10-48. PMID: 24153020; PMCID: PMC4015808.
- Wang C, Brisson BK, Terajima M, Li Q, Hoxha K, Han B, Goldberg AM, Sherry Liu X, Marcolongo MS, Enomoto-Iwamoto M, Yamauchi M, Volk SW, Han L. Type III collagen is a key regulator of the collagen fibrillar structure and biomechanics of articular cartilage and meniscus. Matrix Biol. 2020 Jan;85-86:47-67. doi: 10.1016/j.matbio.2019.10.001. Epub 2019 Oct 23. PMID: 31655293; PMCID: PMC7137252.
