The Benefits of Collagen

What You’ll Learn in This Article:

• What is Collagen?
• Difference Between Collagen and Gelatin
• Why We Need Collagen
• Symptoms of Collagen Deficiency
• Benefits of Taking Collagen
• Collagen and Histamine
• How Our Wellena Collagen is Formulated
• How to Incorporate Collagen to Your Diet

What is Collagen?

Collagen is a structural protein that makes up nearly one-third of our body’s total protein. It is particularly rich in our connective tissue, which includes skin, tendons, cartilage, and bone.

You might say it holds us together, and in fact, the word collagen comes from the Greek word, kolla, which means, “glue.”

Not only is collagen found in the human body, but it is also the main component in animal protein—again, found in the connective tissue.

For that reason, the best sources for animal-derived collagen originate from skin (for example, chicken skin or salmon skin), bones (bone broth), and tendons (including chicken feet or calve’s feet). Through consuming dietary collagen, derived from animal protein, we can increase collagen in our own body.

Difference Between Collagen and Gelatin

When you think of things like calve’s feet, you may also think of gelatin. Gelatin and collagen are really the same substance in different forms. Collagen is the protein that is found in the bodies of humans and animals. Gelatin is what you have after collagen has been cooked.

When you make a homemade bone broth, you’re putting collagen-rich bones into the pot with water, perhaps some vinegar, and your choice of vegetables and seasonings. After the broth has been cooked a few hours, drawing out the collagen and minerals, you have a rich, nutritious, gelatin-rich broth. You can see the gelatin once the broth has completely cooled or especially after being refrigerated.

Collagen powder versus gelatin powder is a similar concept. After going through partial hydrolysis to make it digestible, collagen is put through a heating process to make it into gelatin powder, which gels when you put it into the water.

That’s of course what’s used to make gelatin desserts. To make non-gelling collagen powder, the gelatin powder goes through a second processing (hydrolyzing), to make the molecules smaller and easier for the body to digest. As a result, you have hydrolyzed collagen (collagen hydrolysate) or collagen peptides.

Why We Need Collagen

So, what does collagen do? Since collagen is a structural protein in the body, it’s vital for promoting:

• Bone health
• Strong tendons and cartilage
• Muscle health
• Healthy hair, skin, and nails

In short: collagen is crucial to healthy epithelial tissue, which isn’t just on the surface. Epithelial tissue also makes up the lining of our digestive tract.

Collagen is different from other protein in that it’s high in specific amino acids. Collagen protein is especially high in glycine (22%), proline (13%), and hydroxyproline (12%).

For that reason, simply taking in protein isn’t necessarily going to have the repair effect that collagen protein does.

Symptoms of Collagen Deficiency

Insufficient collagen levels may show up as the following:

• Problems with GI tract lining, including IBS (aka “leaky gut”)
• Premature aging (wrinkles, crepey skin, sagging skin)
• Dry skin
• Brittle nails
• Cellulite
• Stiff, inflexible joints
• Joint pain
• Tendon or ligament issues
• Weak muscles or loss of muscle mass
• Poor Bone Mineral Density (BMD) reports
• High blood pressure (due to inflexible flood vessels)

With a list like that, you’re probably wondering how to increase collagen in your body. Keep reading!

Benefits of Taking Collagen

Signs and symptoms from the list above can be associated with a number of conditions. Because it’s so rich in healing amino acids, increasing collagen intake can help a number of seemingly different health conditions, There are benefits of taking collagen for:

• Could help increase body’s level of satiety hormones helping with food cravings
• Could exhibit a protective effect against cortisol’s effect on skin quality
• Can restore healthy blood sugar levels
• Supports GI tract integrity (i.e. gut health)
• Supports bone health
• Can build strong tendons and cartilage
• Supports muscle health
• Helps restore healthy hair, skin, and nails
• Can improve pelvic and vaginal health, including incontinence

And there are likely more that haven’t been studied yet.

Collagen and Histamine

For people with histamine sensitivity, taking collagen is not recommended as it may trigger a host of histamine intolerance symptoms such as digestive distress, skin redness, hives, anxiety, headache, head and sinus congestion, fatigue or nausea and vomiting.

If you experience histamine sensitivity, consuming animal-based protein will help you sustain healthy collagen levels. We recommend Wild Pastures to get the highest-quality, pasture-raised and cared-for protein available. You can receive 20% OFF + Free Shipping FOR LIFE when you subscribe to a monthly box, or $15 off your first, one-time order.

How Our Wellena Collagen is Formulated and How We Are Different

Do collagen supplements work? Yes, but not all collagen supplements are created equal.

That’s why we did our homework at Wellena. We wanted to make sure we provided you with a collagen supplement that is both safe and effective.

The Wellena Collagen is formulated with HMB, Vitamin D3 and Calcium for optimal absorption.

HMB, also known as Beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate, is a highly absorbable form of collagen that increases muscle mass (studies show especially with resistance training), and decreases muscle damage in older adults. This is especially helpful for women going into menopause when maintaining muscle form becomes more difficult.

Vitamin D3 helps improve calcium absorption into the body for use in tissue recovery and bone building

Calcium (as Calcium Beta-Hydroxy-Beta-Methylbutyrate-Monohydrate), when combined with collagen, helps to improve calcium’s ability to repair and strengthen bones

The synergistic effect of these three ingredients improve the integrity of connective tissues, and muscle health throughout the body.

How to Increase Collagen in the Body

So, how do you increase collagen in the body? You can certainly start by eating adequate protein so that you have the amino acid building blocks to make collagen. However, there are certainly dangers associated with eating too much animal protein, and protein isn’t as high in those specific amino acids (glycine, proline, hydroxyproline) that largely make up collagen.

You could focus on drinking bone broth and eating chicken skin, but we realize that might not be everyone’s cup of tea.

Our solution: Collagen Complete.

What’s in Collagen Complete

Collagen Complete by Wellena is a synergistic formulation designed to benefit the health of bones, joints, and skin. It contains the research-proven collagen peptide HMB as well as added Vitamin D3 and Calcium to optimize absorption and support the building of muscles and prevention of muscle-loss, which is especially important in aging women when declining testosterone and estrogen levels.

Other hydrolyzed collagen proteins are available, but they cannot all be assumed to have the same efficacy, due to different amino acid and peptide profiles. In addition, the clinical effects obtained in studies with collagen peptides have not been duplicated with non-collagen type proteins, likely due to collagen’s unique composition.

How to Incorporate Collagen to Your Diet

How to Take:
As a dietary supplement, mix 12.5 grams (approx. half a scoop) with three to four ounces of water per day, or as directed by your health care practitioner.

For best consistency, add the powder in a cup before adding water or other liquid. This product can also be mixed into hot or cold beverages and foods, such coffee or tea; soups and stews; sauces; yogurt; non-dairy milks; mashed potatoes or cauliflower; and homemade desserts.

For best consistency, add the powder in a cup before adding water or other liquid. This product can also be mixed into hot or cold beverages and foods, such coffee or tea; soups and stews; sauces; yogurt; non-dairy milks; mashed potatoes or cauliflower; and homemade desserts.

Collagen Recipes

Tulsi Tea Adaptogen Latte
Schisandra Beet Adaptogen Latte
Nourishing Pumpkin Smoothie
Supergreen Basil Smoothie
Chocolate Addiction Smoothie with Avocado and Cacao Powder
Coconut Mushroom Ginger Coffee
Matcha Latte Drink Recipe
Better Than Coffee (Chicory Latte)

Helpful Tips

• To learn more about how to balance your hormones with supplements (and which to take), you can download our FREE Supplement Guide here.
• If you’re looking for more ideas on how to add hormone-balancing ingredients to your diet, I invite you to check out my cookbook, Cooking for Hormone Balance, here.

Resources

https://blog.kettleandfire.com/gelatin-vs-collagen/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28177710

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27267663

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4685482/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5793325/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16557055

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1479-8425.2007.00262.x

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17076983

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/the-best-way-you-can-get-more-collagen/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31531146/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28493406/