Collagen has been all the craze the past few years. You've probably even heard of a few friends or family members talking about collagen — and for good reason!
But did, you know that there are two different kinds of collagen available? There's bovine collagen and marine collagen. As if figuring out collagen alone wasn't confusing and overwhelming enough, now you have to figure out the difference between these two different sources, too.
Don't worry because we're going to give you all the science-backed facts you need to figure out which of the two is the best one for you.
But before that, let's give you a run-down of what collagen and collagen peptides are to help you further understand the importance of collagen in general.
What is collagen?
Collagen is the most abundant protein in our bodies out of 20 other proteins. It's responsible for keeping our skin, bones, and connective tissues together and makes up approximately 25% to 35% of our entire protein content.
Without it, our bodies would have no structure, making it one of the most important types of protein in our system.
The 3 types of collagen worth noting
There are actually at least 16 types of collagen found in our bodies but there are only three main types of collagen that are worth discussing today:
Type 1
Type 1 collagen is the most common type of collagen found in our bodies. It makes up around 90% of our skin, hair, and nails, but it can also be found in our organs, teeth, and bones. This is the type of collagen that is responsible for beauty-boosting and anti-aging effects.
Type 2
Type 2 collagen is known for improving gut health and is also the main component in our joints and cartilages. It helps improve flexibility and reduces joint pain and inflammation. This is the collagen you turn to if you want to improve joint health and avoid joint problems such as osteoarthritis.
Type 3
Type 3 collagen is often found together with Type 1 collagen. Some people consider these two as the same types, but instead of beauty-boosting benefits, it's mainly known for maintaining good cardiovascular health. Having low Type 3 collagen has been associated with life-threatening conditions such as ruptured blood vessels.
Why Supplement With Collagen In The First Place?
Collagen is naturally found in our bodies but sadly it doesn't last forever. By the time we turn 20 our natural collagen levels start to decrease by 1% every year.
That's why we start to get wrinkles, our hair begins to thin, our nails become brittle, and our immunity worsens leaving us more susceptible to all kinds of health issues. That's the main reason why collagen is important and why more people should be taking them.
There's just one little problem. Collagen is made from a tightly wound chain of amino acids. This is how it is able to keep our body's structure together.
Because of this, it makes it difficult to break down during digestion. This means collagen in its full-length and tightly woven structure is not really beneficial when taken orally.
So how are you to supplement with collagen then? It's all thanks to collagen peptides.
What are collagen peptides?
Collagen peptides, also known as hydrolyzed collagen or collagen hydrolysate, are a shorter chain of amino acids derived from collagen. They're basically a bioactive form of collagen, featuring the same function as typical collagen with one key difference: this form can be digested and absorbed into our bodies far easier.
Once these peptides have been absorbed into our system, they are capable of doing everything our natural collagen production would do. They will help rebuild and repair our skin, bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, and other connective tissues. All the while boosting our immunity.
This is the collagen present in different supplements, but not all collagen is the same and it can be found in different animals as well. So, let's discuss the two different sources you came here to learn about today.
What is bovine collagen?
Bovine collagen, also known as grass-fed collagen, is a type of collagen derived from cows. It is rich in antioxidants and is where most Type 1 and Type 3 collagen are found.
This is the kind of collagen commonly used in most supplements. It is cheaper than marine collagen and is the best option for people who are allergic to shellfish - for obvious reasons.
Bovine Collagen - How Is It Extracted?
Aside from using the hide of cows to create leather, it is also used to produce collagen. Bovine collagen can also be taken from a cow's bones, tissues, and cartilage.
In order to extract the collagen from a cow's hide, bones, and other tissues, the source must be treated and undergo the process of hydrolysis. This is the process used to create hydrolyzed collagen, breaking down larger proteins into smaller, more digestible chunks using water.
It's very important to find a brand that uses grass-fed collagen specifically. This ensures that the collagen you're consuming was created through humane and safe practices. Grass-fed collagen is usually also 100% non-GMO and free from any antibiotics and artificial growth hormones.
Bovine Collagen Benefits & Use
Bovine grass-fed collagen has plenty of benefits and uses. This is thanks to its high levels of antioxidants as well as Type 1 and Type 3 collagen. Here are some of its main effects:
Reduces joint pain:
If you want to avoid the risk of getting osteoarthritis and other joint disorders as you age, or treat it if you're already suffering from it, take bovine collagen1. It helps decrease any joint pain and inflammation you might currently have by stimulating the cartilage production in your body.
A study on adults who consumed 2 grams of bovine collagen for 70 days showed a significant decrease in joint pain and inflammation as compared to adults who didn't. It also helped increase their overall physical performance and activity2.
Faster recovery:
Speaking of physical performance and activity, you'll also find that collagen is great for any athlete. Taking bovine collagen after a workout can help make recovery faster.
A study conducted on athletes found that those who took 10 grams of bovine collagen for 24 weeks were able to recover much faster from their workouts than those who didn't3.
Improves gut health:
Ever heard of leaky gut syndrome? It's when the lining of your intestines is so thin that some of the bacteria coming from your intestines leak into your bloodstream causing a series of problems with your immune system.
Studies have shown that taking collagen can repair the lining of your intestines and improve your gut health4.
Increases muscle strength:
Most bodybuilding and gym supplements contain this type of collagen because of its capability to recycle the ATP in your body more efficiently5. ATP is the energy in your body responsible for helping increase your muscle's strength and power.
What is marine collagen?
Marine collagen is a type of collagen made from fish that mainly contains Type 1 collagen. This type of collagen supports healthy skin. So if your goal is to fight signs of aging and enhance your beauty, marine collagen is the ideal type of collagen for you.
Marine Collagen Production
Both bovine and marine collagen is produced through hydrolysis. The only difference between the two is which animal you're getting the collagen from. Marine collagen, as its name suggests, is taken from fish skin and scales. But you don't have to worry about these tasting fishy because hydrolyzed collagen alone is flavorless.
Marine collagen has the least impact on our environment and is probably the most sustainable way to get collagen. Not to mention, it's a great option for pescatarians or for people trying to avoid consuming beef.
Marine Collagen Benefits & Use
Marine collagen mainly contains Type 1 collagen so you can expect a majority of its benefits and uses to be beauty-related.
But that's not even the best part about marine collagen, it's the fact that its bioavailability is so much higher than other forms of collagen. Meaning it absorbs much better into your body once digested. Here are its main effects:
Enhances skin elasticity:
The older we get and the more our collagen decreases, the drier our skin gets and the more wrinkles show on our face6. Fish collagen has been proven to help bring back the moisture and elasticity in our skin.
A study conducted on women found that those who took 2 to 2.5 grams of fish collagen every day for 8 weeks had much more hydrated skin than those who didn't. It even showed that their skin's elasticity had improved7.
Heals wounds and scars faster:
Collagen is a major component of our skin, so aside from enhancing your skin's elasticity, it can help in healing even the most severe wounds. In countries such as Brazil, the use of tilapia skin as a xenograft for burn victims is becoming more and more common8.
It has been proven that fish skin helps wounds, scars, and burns heal much faster than a human skin graft would. This is due to the extremely high levels of Type 1 collagen found in marine collagen that is essential for fast skin repair and wound healing9.
Strengthens nails:
Studies have found that marine collagen helps to strengthen brittle nails. A study conducted in 2017 found that 25 participants taking 2.5 grams of marine collagen once a day for 24 weeks had a significant improvement in nail strength. It not only decreased the brittleness of their nails, but it also increased the nail growth rate by 12%10.
Keeps hair healthy:
When it comes to hair you're more likely to hear about the protein keratin than collagen. But did you know that collagen is a rich source of amino acids that are essential to producing more keratin in your body? Well, now you know.
Several studies have shown that the Type 1 collagen present in marine collagen plays a big part in keeping our hair follicles healthy. It does this by fighting the free radicals on our scalp by releasing antioxidants into the skin around our hair follicles, slowing down the rate of hair loss11.
Aside from decreasing hair loss it even helps avoid the premature graying of your hair12. We all want to keep our natural coloring intact for as long as possible!
Bovine collagen vs Marine collagen-Which one is better?
Finally, the big question: Which of the two types of collagen is better? Bovine or marine collagen?
The truth is, it depends on your own personal preferences. There are honestly no downsides to each type of collagen supplement.
If you're trying to avoid meat or if you're allergic to shellfish, then the answer is simple. Otherwise, both of them provide very important benefits to our health and wellbeing. It all boils down to which part of your health you want to address.
If you're looking to improve your overall physical health and activity, grow muscle, and decrease the risk of joint disorders, bovine grass-fed collagen is definitely the choice for you.
If your focus is more on beauty-boosting, bringing back your radiant and youthful skin, having healthier hair and nails, then marine collagen should be your go-to. With that said, bovine collagen also has skin, hair, and nail benefits too - so if you were looking to chose one, stick with bovine!
And if you need both, well, we know just the brand that provides both bovine and marine collagen packed into one collagen supplement.
Obvi - The #1 Collagen Supplements Online
Obvi has the best selection of collagen supplements online. We offer both bovine and marine collagen supplements so you can have the best of both worlds!
If your goal is to gain back your radiant and youthful skin while taking care of your hair and nail health. You should definitely try our best-selling Super Collagen Protein Powders.
We have sold over 2,000,000 servings of our protein powders, and we release tons of new and exciting delicious flavors — each one just as good as the next.
If your goal is to boost your beauty, increase physical activity, and lose weight safely and sustainably, you should try our Collagenic Fat Burner Capsules.
With Obvi's Collagenic Fat Burner Capsules, losing weight and enhancing your beauty is as easy as taking two capsules a day. You won't have to worry about crashing or experiencing any jitters because our capsules are made with only the best ingredients.
It not only contains organic ingredients such as green tea extract, black pepper extract, raspberry keynotes, cayenne pepper extract, and garcinia extract.
A single capsule is also packed with collagen Type 1, 2, and 3. That's not all! It even contains both bovine and marine collagen — we call this our 5 Collagen Matrix.
Other Collagen Supplements We Offer
If you want to focus on other aspects of your health, our products are categorized into different health goals making it easier for you to browse and select the right product for your personal needs.
Want to focus on skincare? Our H2Obvi Collagen Drink is great for staying hydrated throughout the day and bringing back moisture into your skin, reducing the number of wrinkles and fine lines on your face.
Need a snack to curb your hunger? Obvi Collagen Protein Bars are packed with all the essential nutrients you need to satisfy your cravings and help you stay on track with your weight loss goals.
Have no time to prepare your meals? Our Collagen Whey Protein is the perfect all-in-1 meal replacement. It not only fights signs of aging but can improve your overall health.
Whether it's beauty, weight loss, immunity support, or overall health improvement that you're after, Obvi has every collagen supplement you need to help you reach your target.
You can build your own bundle of Obvi Collagen Supplements or choose from our pre-made top-selling bundles to help you get started on your collagen journey.
Once you've tried Obvi, you'll have no choice but to keep coming back for more! The results will speak for themselves.
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