How To Choose The Right Collagen Supplement
When choosing a collagen supplement there are a few things to take into consideration. The first is which source of collagen is suitable for you. The two main sources are Marine and Bovine.
Marine Collagen
Marine collagen is, as you might expect, comes from fish. Collagen is found in fish skin and scales.
When fish is farmed and processed for food, anything that’s left, such as bones, scales, and excess skin is thoroughly cleaned and then the collagen is extracted. The fish oils are removed prior to creating the marine collagen supplements so that you don’t experience a fishy taste or smell. (yuk)
Marine collagen contains type 1 collagen and is easier to digest and absorb than other sources of collagen. Its high in hard to find amino acids hydroxyproline, glycine and proline. So a good choice for anyone looking to boost skin hair and nails.
Bovine Collagen
Bovine Collagen is derived from cows - mostly cow hides. It contains type 1 and 2. It's associated with several health benefits, including arthritis relief, improved skin health, and bone loss prevention. It’s favourited by athletes to help strengthen and repair tissue muscle and bone after injuries.
What to Look For:
Researching a supplements can be a minefield so some key things to look out for are:
High Potency – When choosing your collagen look out for a high mg content, for example The Million Dollar Firm Lift Marine Collagen contains 10,000mg the higher the dose the more effective. Anything less than 500mg don’t waste your money.
Quality Ingredients – i.e Hydrolyzed collagen – (Collagen molecules are simply too large for our body to absorb, so they need to be broken down into smaller particles in the form of chains – collagen peptides for our body to use effectively.) Other quality ingredients include hyaluronic acid, amino acids, B vitamins and vitamin C. Also sustainably sourced collagen gets my vote – we are trying to save the planet aren’t we? And its’s good to know where it’s come from!
Recommended by health care professionals – Not just celebrity endorsements, as these guys are paid a lot of money to advertise, health care professionals have your best interest at heart (i.e. me).
My personal recommendations are:
Million Dollar Firm Lift marine collagen (I take this daily)
Dose and Co Marine Collagen or Collagen Peptides (I have taken both on a regular basis)
Other brands worth a look into are Ancient & Brave, and Absolute Collagen.
I hope this mini guide was useful. Feel free to drop me a message on the contacts form with any queries.
Good Luck x
