What is Collagen? 4 Things You Must Know

Should you take collagen?

Collagen supplements and powders seem to be everywhere. Many new patients come in asking about its efficacy and if collagen supplements are something we recommend.

I had been meaning to do a deep-dive into collagen for a while, so I finally jumped in, and what follows is part 1 of a 4 part series.

This research was embarked upon completely open-minded. I really hadn’t come across much research regarding collagen previously so I was ready to be completely objective and really find out the truth.

Collagen facts:

Collagen, the most abundant protein found in mammals is located in your skin, joints, bone, cartilage, and connective tissue.  When you consider your skin is your largest organ, you realize how abundant collagen is in the human body.

Collagen levels begin to decrease in our 20s, by about 1% per year. The result of diminished collagen aesthetically is more lines and wrinkles, and constitutionally, more potential arthritis and joint disease.

Protein is made up of individual amino acids and small groups of amino acids called peptides.

There are 9 “essential” amino acids that we must ingest because we cannot manufacture them.

There are 11 “non-essential” amino acids, named as such because we can manufacture them from the essential amino acids we eat.

Protein is widely available and about 97% of us eat adequate amounts on a daily basis, even if you’re vegetarian or vegan. Fiber, on the other hand, is something in which 97% of us are deficient.

Do you need more protein?

With the abundant messaging regarding collagen and its diminishing volume as your body ages, you can easily understand why “taking” collagen would seem to be a no-brainer.

But what is collagen? As we said earlier, it’s protein. Hmm, so how does the body make protein? It makes it from the amino acids you eat.

With all the collagen hype you would think protein was something we were desperately in need of. It seems we are producing less collagen therefore we must be deficient in protein, right?

Wrong.

Nothing could be farther from the truth. Americans and most of the planet, for that matter, get plenty of protein in their diets.

Is there something special about the protein in collagen?

The body’s collagen breaks down with age despite, apparently, getting ample protein in our diet. Is there something unique about ingesting the collagen from animal parts, like the bones of cows, chicken feet, and fish scales that will result in better collagen in our bodies?

Human collagen, and that of other animals, is rich in certain amino acids such as glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline, meaning these particular amino acids are present abundantly in collagen. You will see marketing materials stating that collagen powders and supplements have the “very amino acids” so richly present in collagen.

That’s true. But can we get these particular amino acids without eating collagen itself? Yes, you can.

Is there anything special and unique about these amino acids that make them difficult to find in the human diet? No there isn’t.

In fact, all three of the amino acids so richly present in collagen are non-essential, thus capable of being made from the other amino acids you eat. They are readily available in animal products such as meat, fish, eggs, and dairy products.

And they are readily available from plant-based sources including soy, cabbage, kale, cauliflower, beans, and mushrooms, to name just a few.

Is there something missing in collagen?

It’s important to remember the “facts” about protein. There are “complete” proteins and “incomplete” proteins.

A complete protein contains all essential amino acids.

An incomplete protein is missing one or more essential amino acids; amino acids we cannot produce on our own.

It turns out that what’s “special” about collagen is not what it has, but rather what it doesn’t.

Collagen, also known as gelatin, is an incomplete protein because it’s missing the essential amino acid tryptophan. All essential amino acids are important, but missing tryptophan can produce significant mental and emotional effects.

A low tryptophan level can affect your mood and create symptoms of anxiety, irritability, low self-esteem, and depression since it’s a precursor to serotonin, a mood stabilizer.

Spoiler alert: if you tend towards low serotonin, depression, irritability, or anxiety and have been using collagen as a major source of your protein, you may want to take a break from it and see if you notice any improvement in your mood.

Dr. Axe, a huge promoter of collagen’s benefits states that fish collagen and I quote: “ is over 97 percent protein with no fat, sugar or carbohydrates, making it one of the absolute best protein foods on the planet.”

Could it possibly be “one of the best” when it is the only commonly consumed protein on the planet that is incomplete, missing the essential amino acid tryptophan?

I don’t have a particular “ax to grind” (sorry for the pun) with the good doctor, but it’s misleading to label collagen protein as the “absolute best on the planet” when it clearly cannot be; it’s an incomplete protein.

If it was truly a perfect protein you could eat it exclusively with no ill effects. That is patently not so.

The collagen “hype” preys on a misconception we’ve had for quite some time, and that is the idea that:

1. We need a great deal of protein in order to be healthy
2. Protein can only come from animal flesh.

Both are false.

Why are we losing our collagen?

There must be something missing in our computation, however…

As I’ve mentioned, you get plenty of protein. Why then are you losing collagen with age?

Here’s a piece that no one particularly mentions with any emphasis. Amino acids require assistance in their collagen-building activities.  They get this assistance from vitamin C-rich foods.

Vitamin C, abundant in fruits and vegetables, aids in the formation of collagen and should be consumed in healthy amounts. What’s a healthy amount – about 1,000 -2,000 mg per day.

Plant foods such as papaya, bell peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, strawberries pineapples, and oranges top the list in their vitamin C content per serving.

Additionally, foods that are naturally deep red and purple in colors such as cherries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries increase vitamin C levels in your cells and thereby protect your collagen against destruction.

Okay, so collagen requires protein, which we get plenty of, and vitamin C which we don’t.

If you look at the average American diet it is very high in protein, but extremely low in vegetables and fruits that are rich in vitamin C.

What percentage of Americans eat enough fruits and vegetables?

According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) only a “sliver”, 10 percent, of Americans eat enough fresh fruits and vegetables.

The problems don’t strictly follow economic lines; 7 percent of poor people were lacking in fruits and veggies, but 11 percent of wealthy Americans were also lacking.

Nine servings of fresh fruits and vegetables are considered optimal, but only 14 percent of American adults eat even 5 servings – 3 veggies and 2 fruits.

Technically speaking the mere 14 percent eating 5 servings is factually 2.5 servings. Why?

Fifty percent of the veggies given as “credit” are actually potatoes and tomatoes in the form of French fries and tomato sauce on pizza. Yes, we actually give vegetable “points” for oil-laden French fries and the tomato sauce or ketchup consumed with fast food, and we STILL fall way short of our goal.

Getting back to the need for vitamin C and getting “credit” for tomato sauce, how much vitamin C does that provide us? One medium tomato has a mere 16.9 mg of vitamin C – not much. Yet an orange has 124 mg and 1 cup of kale has 80 mg.

It gets you thinking; is the problem of maintaining our collagen a protein issue or a vitamin C issue?

Considering we get so much protein, what do you think? I’d like to hear from you.

There is a lot more to discuss collagen – 3 more chapters are coming soon on these topics:

Bone Broth and Collagen – a Hidden Danger?

Does Collagen help Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Will Collagen make your Skin Look Younger?

How are your health and your family’s health?

Is your health not where you want it to be? 

Are you confused about what to do? 

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