Most people know collagen as a superfood in creams and lotions. But as a nutrient, it can do much more. You'll learn all about its benefits in this article.
Table of contents
1. What is collagen?
Simply put, collagen is a protein . In fact, it's the most important structural protein of all. It acts as a kind of flexible framework , lending the various tissues in your body their tensile strength and elasticity .
In addition to collagen, there is another structural protein with which it is often confused: elastin . Collagen and elastin differ primarily in their length and elasticity.
Elastin is significantly shorter and more stretchable. Like collagen, elastin can also be taken as a dietary supplement to support the body where it needs to be particularly elastic and flexible.
What many people don’t know: Collagen is not only the most important protein in the human body, but also the most abundant protein in the animal kingdom [1].
At a whopping 6% of our total body weight, it also makes up a quarter of the total protein in our body . For a person weighing 60 kg, that's 3.6 kg. But what does collagen actually consist of?
Collagen consists of three amino acids : glycine , proline , and hydroxyproline . Glycine is the highest in the amino acids, while hydroxyproline is the lowest.
- Glycine content: 33%
- Proline content: 12%
- Hydroxyproline content: 10%.
2. Where do we find collagen in the human body?
Collagen is found almost everywhere in the body , as the entire human body is permeated with tissue. In addition to skin, blood vessels, lungs, bones, and cartilage, this also includes tendons, ligaments, and fascia.
By far the most collagen is found in your skin . There, it forms a kind of framework whose stability and resilience make your skin look so firm, especially at a young age.
The same applies to connective tissue. This is where the side effects of aging become particularly evident: skin and connective tissue become increasingly weaker due to deteriorating collagen, thus appearing increasingly flabby [2].
Athletes also need to ensure they consume sufficient collagen due to their significantly higher levels of wear and tear on their joints, tendons, and ligaments. A deficiency can lead to joint destabilization or even an increased risk of injury [3].
Comparatively little collagen is found in the different parts of the eye or in the basal lamina, the membrane walls of our muscle cells.
Here, too, collagen plays a key structural role. Your gums and tooth tissue also contain small amounts of collagen.
3. What types of collagen are there?
Essentially, there's a crucial organ in almost every part of our body for which collagen is essential . Depending on their occurrence and composition , there are five different types of collagen .
We now know of many different types of collagen. However, 80 to 90% of the collagen found in the body is of types 1, 2, and 3.
- Collagen type 1: skin, tendons, bones, dentin (tooth material), fascia, vessels and internal organs
- Collagen type 2: various types of cartilage, vitreous body of the eye,
- Collagen type 3: skin, blood vessels, in women in the uterus and in skeletal muscles
- Collagen type 4: kidney glomeruli (capillary vascular tangles), eye lens, basal lamina of epithelial and endothelial cells (tissue lining of inner surfaces)
- Collagen type 5: Basal lamina of smooth and striated muscle cells, placenta and in fetal tissue.
Most collagens are fiber-forming . This applies to types 1, 2, and 5. Of the main types listed here, type 4 is the only collagen type that is reticular.
4. What do you need collagen for?
After ingestion through food, collagen is broken down into small particles in the digestive tract. It then passes through the intestines into the bloodstream, from where it is distributed throughout the body.
Our body then always uses a small portion to build its own collagen in the connective tissue. Collagen is essential for the health and protection of our tissue .
If collagen production is disturbed or not enough collagen is supplied through food, injuries or dysfunctions can occur, especially in the area of the joints , tendons and ligaments .
Therefore, it is especially important for athletes and older people to monitor their collagen levels . In older people, a collagen deficiency can also lead to eye problems [3].
If you previously had a collagen deficiency, taking collagen can have very visible and noticeable effects: The skin appears smoother and plumper , joint pain decreases , etc. This process can even happen quite quickly.
BRAINEFFECT hack: For beauty inside and out with the help of collagen, we developed DAILY GLOW . The collagen powder also provides hyaluronic acid and many other beauty products that support your skin, hair, and nails.
Why exactly collagen formation can occur so quickly compared to other bodily processes is not scientifically understood [4].
5. Which foods contain natural collagen?
One of the best-known sources of collagen is bovine collagen . However, there are many other sources , all of which are of animal origin :
- Marrow bones, cartilage and tendons from beef and pork
- Oxtail
- Pig's feet, chicken feet and knuckles
- Chicken skin, pork rind and salmon skin
- Gelatin: This is extracted from the skin and bones of pigs, cattle, and poultry. It is most commonly found in aspic, various desserts, and fruit gums.
- Bones from chickens and pigs as well as fish bones
This poses a certain problem for vegetarians and vegans . While pescetarians can still meet their collagen needs through fish , plant-based eaters and those allergic to fish naturally need to be careful here as well. However, we already know of some interesting alternatives to collagen from mammals and fish.
Jellyfish collagen, for example, is particularly controversial: Unlike many other animal species, jellyfish lack a nervous system. Therefore, it is assumed that they cannot feel pain.
Accordingly, they are considered a reasonable source of collagen in some discourses. Far less controversial, but not quite as valuable, is the collagen-like substance " Collageneer ."
It is found in the seed coat of the white lupin , which is also used to make many protein supplements for athletes. It can potentially stimulate collagen production in the skin and is therefore often used in natural cosmetics.
If you want to support your overall collagen intake , your diet should contain a good mix of amino acids and vitamin C [5].
Foods rich in zinc , silicon , and antioxidants can also be helpful. They help your body produce collagen and can even slow its breakdown.
6. Buy collagen
Nowadays, collagen is also available as a dietary supplement in powder , capsule , or tablet form . The collagen is processed in a form that is particularly water-soluble. This is especially beneficial if you want to add it to smoothies, shakes, or muesli. We offer collagen as a delicious drink powder in DAILY GLOW .
7. Conclusion
Collagen supports our entire tissue structure. Thus, it is not only important for the good and healthy appearance of the skin, but also for the functionality and protection of tendons, joints, ligaments, and fascia.
Various deeper structures of the body also depend on a sufficient supply of collagen. Those who regularly eat meat and fish, ensure adequate vitamin C intake, and regularly consume foods rich in valuable amino acids should not experience problems with collagen deficiency.
Only vegans should consider supplementing with lupine due to their diet. Since collagen formation is particularly important in old age and with increased muscle and joint wear, people over 50 and athletes also need to ensure they get enough of this important structural protein.
8. Sources
[1] Lodish, H.; Berk, A.; [...]; Zipursky, SL (2000), Molecular Cell Biology, 4th edition, Section 22.3: Collagen: The Fibrous Proteins of the Matrix, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK21582/.
[2] Varani, J.; Lady, MK; [...]; Vorheees, JJ (2006), Decreased Collagen Production in Chronologically Aged Skin: Roles of Age-Dependent Alteration in Fibroblast Function and Defective Mechanical Stimulation, American Journal of Pathology, Volume 168, Issue 6, p. 1861 - 1868, https://ajp.amjpathol.org/article/S0002-9440(10)62205-5/fulltext.
[3] Dressler, P; Gehring, D.; [...]; König, D. (2018), Improvement of Functional Ankle Properties Following Supplementation with Specific Collagen Peptides in Athletes with Chronic Ankle Instability, Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, Volume 17, Issue 2, p. 298 - 304, published online, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5950747/?report=classic.
[4] Watanabe-Kamiyama, M.; Shimizu, M.; [...]; Komai, M. (2010), Absorption and Effectiveness of Orally Administered Low Molecular Weight Collagen Hydrolysate in Rats, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Volume 58, Issue 2, p. 835 - 841, https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jf9031487.
[5] Nabzdyk, CS; Bittner, EA (2018), Vitamin C in the Critically Ill - Indications and Controversies, World Journal of Critical Care Medicine, Volume 7, Issue 5, p. 52 - 61, https://www.wjgnet.com/2220-3141/full/v7/i5/52.htm.
