Did you know that collagen makes up to 30% of the total protein content in the human body?
There are also numerous types of collagen out there and this substance is essential for the health of your skin, cartilages, tendons, and ligaments. The bad news is that after the age of 45, you have lost nearly 30% of the collagen in your body. The good news is that you can take supplements containing this magical hormone and reap its benefits.
But which supplement is best for you and why? And how do you purchase the best collagen supplement out there?
Keep reading to find an answer to all these questions.
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How to Find The Best Collagen Supplement – A Complete Guide
Collagen is a vital substance in the human body because it “glues” other tissues and cells, keeping them healthy. Collagen supplements tend to restore the collagen quantities in the human body, so you can prevent aging signs to appear. Here is more information on collagen supplements.
1. There Are 3 Main Types of Collagen
Type 1 collagen is the most abundant in the skin. Almost 80% of the collagen found in the human skin consists of type 1 collagen. This substance helps to maintain elastic and soft skin and it’s also present in nails and hair.
If you want your skin to look the best and enjoy a shinier, stronger hair then it’s recommended to supplement mostly with collagen type 1.
Collagen type 2 can also be found in the human body. It’s present mostly in cartilages and ligaments. This type of collagen makes your joints flexible and it can be regenerated on a regular basis. With age, the regeneration process slows down, so you might need a supplement with collagen type 2 to enjoy stronger and more flexible joints.
Those who engage in vigorous physical activity for a period of many years tend to deplete their collagen type 2 stores rapidly. As a result, they might develop painful tendons and ligaments. These people require collagen supplements the most.
Collagen type 3 can also be found in nails, skin, and hair. Children have high quantities of collagen type 3 and this is what makes their skin so soft. With the passing of years, collagen type 3 is replaced by collagen type 1 which becomes predominant in the human body.
You can learn more about collagen types and supplementation options from here. This website helps you expand your knowledge about collagen and health supplements in general.
2. Consider the Collagen Concentration of the Supplement
Collagen supplements come in various forms such as powder, creams, gels, pills, etc. When you take such supplements, it’s important to know their concentration, so you can reap the most benefits.
For example, if your goal is to reduce wrinkles and improve the appearance of your skin, you should go for a marine collagen supplement with a concentration of at least 10,000mg. People who took this supplement for a period of at least 2 months experienced marked improvements in skin texture, softness, and elasticity.
This doesn’t mean that other supplements are not good for you. There are supplements with higher concentrations such as 13,000mg or even 15,000mg, but make sure that you speak with your doctor first before trying those.
3. Check the Accompanying Ingredients
In most cases, collagen supplements are formulated together with other ingredients and substances. You might never find a “pure collagen” supplement on the market. Some of these accompanying ingredients include hyaluronic acid, elastin, vitamins, etc.
Hyaluronic acid is an important ingredient because it’s naturally present in the skin. It gives your skin its elasticity and plumpness, so it’s a good idea to supplement with it. Some of the best collagen supplements out there include 80% type 1 collagen, 20% type 3 collagen, and hyaluronic acid.
At the same time, other formulations also include vitamin E which is beneficial for your skin, orange juice extract for detoxifying purposes, and grape extract.
4. Pick a Healthy Sweetener
Generally speaking, most supplements are not sweet to the taste. Some of them are actually bitter. To compensate for this problem and to make the supplement more attractive for customers, manufacturing companies add a wide variety of sweeteners.
Some of the most popular sweeteners include sucrose which is basically table sugar. Others include high-fructose corn syrup and a combination of multiple sugars in one ingredient. These make the collagen supplement tastier, but as you probably know already, sugar is bad for your health.
When choosing your collagen supplement, go for one which has a natural sweetener added to it such as honey or stevia. Stevia is one of the best natural sweeteners out there and it doesn’t negatively impact your health.
Furthermore, do your best to stay away from aspartame which is a manufactured and dangerous sugar. You can find this ingredient in various food products and beverages, not only supplements.
5. Go for Marine Collagen If You Have the Option
Collagen is formulated with different types of peptides. A peptide is a chain of amino acids linked together. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins which are essential for the health of every human cell.
There are various types of peptides out there such as marine, bovine (coming from a cow), chicken peptides and others. Researchers have found out that collagen supplements formulated with marine peptides are the purest, safest, and most effective out there.
However, the chicken and bovine varieties are also good for your health. It’s just that they have a smaller bioavailability which means that they get absorbed by the organism at a slower rate, in comparison with marine collagen.
Now You’re Ready to Pick Your Collagen Supplement
You can definitely find the best collagen supplement out there, you just have to do your homework and do a minimal amount of research before picking one. Choosing the right collagen supplement helps you to reap the most benefits and even save some money in the process.
If you liked this article, feel free to share it with your friends and leave a comment. We’d like to hear your experience related to supplements of any kind.
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