Why take collagen supplements?

Why take collagen supplements when all the nutrients are available in food?

Collagen supplements are formulated with hydrolysed collagen that you take orally so that it enters your bloodstream to fuel collagen production in your body. Your digestive system breaks it into amino acids which stimulate and feed collagen synthesis. But those same amino acids, and other key nutrients, can be obtained from foods as well. So why take collagen supplements at all when the nutrients they contain can come naturally from other sources?

Well, there are key benefits to using supplements and your diet alone will not be nearly as effective. Read on to learn more.

What do our bodies need to produce collagen?

Collagen is a protein that plays a key structural role in tissues throughout our bodies. Our skin, bone, tendons, ligaments, intestines, arteries and more all rely on the fundamental properties of this glue-like protein to provide density and elasticity and to help structure the complex matrices of cells.

As we get older, the collagen in all areas of our bodies depletes and we become less efficient at synthesising new collagen to replace it. The consequence of this is that we feel the early signs of ageing. Our skin wrinkles and sags, our joints become stiff and painful, bones lose density, muscles lose mass. Essentially, the loss of collagen makes us look and feel older. But it is possible to take steps to increase the rate at which our bodies produce new collagen and also decrease the rate at which our collagen is destroyed.

The fuel for collagen production is certain amino acids; namely, glycine, proline and hydroxyproline. You also need a range of vitamins and minerals, including:

• B vitamins

• Vitamin C

• Copper

• Zinc

• Chlorophyll

• Antioxidants

The amino acids are the building blocks from which collagen molecules are formed, but the mechanisms that do the building require the other nutrients to function properly. You can get these nutrients in varying amounts from high-protein foods like meat and beans as well as a range of other foods high in vitamins and minerals like fruits, vegetables, milk, cheese, pulses, seeds and more.

So why take collagen supplements?

There is one significant limitation of getting your nutrients from food alone. You will not get the nutrients you need in a consistently high amount from your food.

Instead, it will be some of one thing one day and a little of another the next. There will be days when you get almost none of certain nutrients and days when you get an abundance of everything, depending on what you eat and drink. For your body to keep working at creating and deploying new collagen where it is needed, you need to give it a consistent supply of the nutrients it needs over a long period of time.

Collagen supplement fill this role. They enable you to fuel collagen synthesis with the exact same quantities of the key nutrients every single day. Those nutrients are also optimised for maximum bioavailability so that they are easily absorbed and put to use in your body.

This is something you simply can’t replicate with diet alone, but eating the right types of things will ensure you complement the power of your collagen supplement. In short, a combination of supplementation and a pro-collagen diet can be the most effective way to boost your collagen levels.

Are all supplements the same?

All collagen supplements make very bold claims about what they can do for you. Some will say they contain a certain type of collagen that will target a specific benefit, while some say they utilise special tricks to ensure maximum absorption. The reality is that your digestive system will break down everything you feed it into component parts, most of which will be absorbed.

The key, therefore, is that the collagen component of your supplement must be high-quality. This is the core variant that differentiates a good supplement from a not-so-good one. You need to do your due diligence to find out where the collagen comes from, how it is processed and how much of it is actually in the supplement.

Learn more about Kollo

Kollo aims for maximum transparency when it comes to the supply chain. We use Naticol marine collagen peptides, taken from aquaculture farmed fish and extracted using enzymatic processes. The hydrolysis stage is also conducted using enzymes rather than acids. What this all means is that there are very few potential contaminants added into the mix – the collagen peptides in Kollo have extremely high purity and integrity.

We also provide a daily dosage of 10g in every sachet of Kollo. To put this into perspective, here’s what the existing research recommends to get the desired benefits of collagen:

• Skin benefits: a daily dosage of 2-5g could start yielding improvements in skin tone, wrinkles and elasticity in 6-8 weeks.

• Hair/nails: by taking 2-5g per day, your hair and nails could become thicker and fuller within 2-3 months.

• Joints: the daily dosage for improved joint health falls within the 5-8g range and you could experience improvements within 3-6 months.

• Bone density: with a daily dosage of 8-12g, you may experience improvements in bone density within 6-12 months.

There are other benefits to collagen supplementation, but these are the ones that are talked about the most. As you can see, a daily dosage of 10g is enough to deliver on all of them. There is no way of instructing your body where to make new collagen, so the key is to be consistent in taking collagen and keep doing it for the long-term. The benefits will start to materialise.

Is there anything else I can do to improve my collagen?

Why take collagen if you are not doing everything else possible to bring about improvements. If you want to see maximum results, you need to shift towards a pro-collagen lifestyle. We have already mentioned taking a high-quality supplement and eating a diet rich in the nutrients needed for collagen production. The other piece of the puzzle is to try to reduce the rate at which its lost in your bod.

There are various factors that accelerate collagen loss. The ones you can’t avoid include age and the menopause. But many of them can be mitigated if you are willing to make a few changes. Here are some things you can do:

• Avoid excessive sun exposure and wear sunscreen whenever you go out.

• Carry out a daily skincare routine that includes exfoliating, cleansing and moisturising.

• Exercise regularly to strengthen bones, joints and muscles.

• Quit smoking.

• Eat less sugar and refined carbohydrates.

• Reduce your stress levels.

• Get 7-8 hours sleep every night.

• Drink lots of water.

If you can do all of the above, you will significantly reduce the rate at which collagen is lost from your body. In combination with a pro-collagen diet and high-quality supplementation, you will age more slowly and start to look and feel younger in a matter of months.

Why take Kollo?

We have already listed some of the benefits of Kollo: premium-grade marine collagen with maximum purity and a high daily dose. Did you know that marine collagen is exclusively type I, the most abundant type of collagen in your body? Research indicates that this makes marine collagen easier for the body to absorb efficiently to stimulate and fuel the synthesis of new collagen.

There are other benefits of Kollo as opposed to other collagen supplements. These include:

• A formula fortified with B vitamins, vitamin C and l-lysine to boost collagen synthesis.

• A liquid suspension for maximum bioavailability and a consistent dosage of all nutrients.

• Ease of use – simply empty a sachet into water and drink.

• Great tropical taste from natural, sugar-free flavourings.

• Maximum sustainability from the source of the collagen right through to the fully-recyclable packaging.

• Informed Sport certification to demonstrate quality and trustworthiness.

• Multi-award winning product.

• Over 2,000 5-star reviews from verified buyers.

The people who use Kollo come from all walks of life. Every age, ethnic background, lifestyle, gender and more makes up our valued customer-base and we receive daily stories of improvements in how people look and feel. Don’t take our word for it – visit our Customer Reviews and Before and After sections to see the stories for yourself.

Learn more

Why take collagen? Because if you do it right, it can change your life. Delve into our website to learn more – we have a wealth of information about our product and our company. We also provide details about the scientific research and dedicated sections to showcase unedited reviews from our customers. We also invite you to explore our blog to learn more about everything related to collagen and what it can do.

If you still have questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Our dedicated team will be there to answer them.