Update: 20.08.2024
Liquid Collagen Type I, II and III – Which is the Best Collagen to Drink? What Collagen for Skin, Hair, Joints?
How to choose the best collagen to drink for your skin, hair and joints? Collagen supplements are experiencing a real renaissance. We remember a few years ago the opinions of experts who said that it couldn't work. Science is moving forward and we currently 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 and which collagen will be right for you.
Types of Natural Collagen in the Body - What is Collagen?
Pure collagen is a protein, or rather its molecules, built from amino acids. Thanks to its properties (stiffness and resistance to stretching), it is an ideal matrix for skin, tendons, bones and ligaments. Collagen fibers are made of proline, hydroxyproline, glycine and hydroxylysine. We distinguish different types of natural collagen and interestingly - even 28 of them have already been discovered! In the body, there is mainly collagen type 1, 2, 3 and 4, and Type I collagen alone accounts for up to 90% of the total content of this protein in our body [1]. Different types of collagen are defined by their different molecular composition, specifically the composition of the α (alpha) chain, and their functions and presence in specific tissues/organs. Since the first four types of collagen are most often mentioned, we will summarize their functions and the tissues/organs in which they are found in the table below.
Collagen – properties – which collagen is good for skin and hair, and which is good for joints?
The origin of collagen
Many people still wonder 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, we will tell you that on the market (mostly foreign at the moment) we can already find a raw material called "vegan collagen", but we should not (yet) attribute the same effects to it as to collagen of bovine 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 than native collagen [2]. By far the most common types of collagen available on the market are beef, pork and marine, i.e. fish collagen . Which one to choose? You'll find out later in the article!
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Which collagen source is best for you?
The supplements available on the market include collagen types I, II and III. Type 1 collagen is found mainly in fish collagen , type 2 in chicken and bovine collagen, and the collagen mixture Types 1 and 3 can be found in pork and beef collagen .
Will the source matter? Today, it seems that the effect of collagen as a supplement is not so much to increase collagen synthesis per se, but to provide substrates (proline and hydroxyproline), which are supposed to support this synthesis. And now, although limited evidence indicates possible differences in the amount of substrates provided depending on the source of collagen, it seems that overall supplementation of both fish, beef and pork collagen will result in similar concentrations of the above-mentioned substrates for collagen synthesis , so considering it mechanistically, the source doesn't have to be important (research has not shown this).
Collagen type I - fish, beef and pork collagen
Collagen I is considered to be the special type, as it makes up the majority of the total collagen content in the human body. This collagen can 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 II collagen - where is it found?
II collagen occurs naturally much less frequently 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 does type 2 collagen occur? Collagen II can come from beef or fish bones , but most often (both in supplements on the market and in scientific studies) it is obtained from chicken sternum cartilage . For example, in one study, administration of even small amounts of collagen II, derived from poultry, led to an improvement in joint pain [4].
Collagen type III - pork and beef collagen
Collagen III is the second most common collagen. It combines with collagen type I in the body to form so-called fibrils 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 liquid collagen to choose? What is the best type of collagen, how to use collagen?
Okay, so which type of beauty collagen is best for you? This is a very difficult question to answer. The most commonly studied are collagen I and III, but type II also has its own scientific publications that demonstrate the benefits of its use. Unfortunately, no study has conducted a direct comparison of them. When analyzing the subject from the physiological perspective, we will probably not find any arguments for the benefits of collagen X over Y, because these proteins are denatured in the digestive tract anyway and the three-dimensional structure of this protein is destroyed . Therefore, it seems that the "strongest collagen" does not exist and In practice, it will not make any difference whether you choose collagen I, II, III or a mixture .
How to take collagen? Collagen supplements should be taken according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Most often, however, it is one portion per day. To see the effects, supplementation should be continued for at least several weeks. Remember to use a varied diet and regular physical activity. If you have any doubts, it is worth consulting a doctor.
Summary
Collagen is a supplement that is experiencing a real renaissance - a few years ago it was criticized, and today it is represented by dozens of studies and undoubtedly has great potential. If you are wondering which collagen to choose to improve the quality of your skin and nails, we will summarize it for you:
- the type of collagen doesn't seem to have any significance in the final effect, so don't bother with it and just choose a product from a trusted manufacturer and with a taste that you like. We recommend our product!
We hope that after reading the article you already know what collagen is, where it occurs, what collagen to choose for wrinkles, or what is the best absorbable collagen for joints. The supplement market is so huge that it is important to consciously choose the most beneficial product for you, and finally, we 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.
