Ever since collagen began popping up in the world of health and beauty, people cannot stop talking about it. There are plenty of debates surrounding the effectiveness of collagen as a form of anti-aging.
When collagen was first introduced as a beauty product, plenty of companies were selling it as a topical cream. Recent studies have shown that collagen for topical use actually doesn't provide that many benefits since collagen molecules are too big to be absorbed directly through the top layer of our skin.
Collagen as an oral supplement, however, is an entirely different story. Some people are just as skeptical about oral collagen supplements as they were with collagen topicals. But maybe by the end of this article, we'll have you convinced otherwise.
Before we figure out once and for all if collagen supplements (collagen drinks in particular) are effective or are just another instance of "too good to be true", let's discuss a little bit about collagen in general, what it is, and what makes it so important.
What is collagen anyway?
There are tons of different types of protein in our body, but collagen is by far the most abundant and probably the most important protein for those concerned with hair, skin, nail, and joint health.
About one-fourth of our body's protein content is made up of collagen and it's responsible for holding our bones, skin, ligaments, joints, muscles, and other connective tissues together.
You're probably thinking, "why all the fuss about collagen supplements if we already have collagen in our bodies"?
Well, that is because by the time we turn 20 years old, our natural collagen levels begin to decrease by 1% each year thereafter. And if we want to stay healthy and looking young, we need collagen supplements to help boost our collagen levels.
Fun fact: the name collagen came from the Greek word "kólla" which means glue because collagen acts as the glue that holds our body's structure together.
All proteins are made up of amino acids. We have 20 different amino acids and depending on the sequence each amino acid makes, it creates a protein with a different function altogether.
Collagen in particular is made up of three amino acids called proline, hydroxyproline, and glycine. These three amino acids are like strings that wind around each other to form an alpha-helix.
Because collagen plays a big role in holding together the structure of our bodies, the bond of these three amino acids is tightly woven. This makes collagen, in its native full-length form, indigestible.
If collagen is indigestible, do collagen supplements even work? Yes, they do!
But first, collagen has to undergo the process of hydrolysis to become bioactive—the scientific term for being able to affect a living thing, such as a person —hence making collagen digestible.
What are collagen peptides?
Once collagen has undergone the process of hydrolysis, it is now considered hydrolyzed collagen, otherwise known as collagen peptides. The process of hydrolysis is what breaks down the molecules of collagen, loosening the bonds of its molecules, allowing collagen peptides to be safely extracted.