Everything you need to know about collagen

Joep Rovers Founder January 15, 2025

If you've been following us for a while, you know we're fans of collagen! Collagen is a mega important structural protein in our bodies and forms the basis of our skin, bones, joints, tendons and connective tissues. It provides skin firmness and elasticity, supports the structure of blood vessels and organs, and promotes tissue regeneration. As we age, the natural production of collagen decreases, which can lead to wrinkles, sagging skin and reduced joint function. Drinking bone broth, eating animals with skin (such as fish with skin) and taking supplements containing collagen can help slow these processes and support skin, joints and overall health.

Different types of collagen

There are at least 28 different types of collagen, but the most common and important to our bodies are types I, II, III and IV.

• Type I Collagen: This is the most abundant type of collagen in the body. It provides strength and structure to skin, bones, tendons and connective tissue. It is also the type of collagen that helps with wound healing, for example.
• Type II Collagen: This type is found mainly in cartilage and is essential for joint health. It helps maintain smooth and pain-free movement.
• Type III Collagen: This type supports the structure of organs, muscles and blood vessels. It often works together with type I collagen to keep skin elastic and firm.
• Type IV Collagen: This type is found in the basal lamina (the thin layer under the skin) and plays an important role in kidney filtration.

How does that normally work?

Collagen is produced naturally in the body by fibroblasts (special cells that help make connective tissue, such as skin and scars), the cells responsible for producing connective tissue. This production begins with the synthesis of procollagen (the first, unfinished form of collagen), a precursor molecule made up of the amino acids (small building blocks that make up proteins, like cubes in a LEGO structure) glycine, proline and hydroxyproline. Vitamin C plays a crucial role in this process because it is required for the hydroxylation (a type of chemical processing that makes collagen stronger) of proline and lysine, forming stable collagen fibers. Factors such as aging, smoking, excessive sun exposure and junk (food & cosmetics) can negatively affect collagen production. Collagen is thus the most abundant protein in the human body and is mainly composed of amino acids such as glycine, proline and hydroxyproline. So it is of great importance that those three are coming in frequently. There are 2 major groups of collagen known from supplementation: fish collagen and bovine collagen.

Viscollagen

Viscollagen is extracted from the skin, scales and bones of fish. This type of collagen consists mainly of type I collagen, which is found mainly in skin, tendons and bones. Thanks to its smaller molecular structure (exactly how the building blocks of a substance are put together), fish collagen has higher bioavailability (how well and quickly a substance is absorbed by your body), meaning it is absorbed faster and more efficiently by the body.

Benefits of fish collagen:

• Higher absorption rate due to smaller peptide chains (long chains of amino acids, or proteins in their building block form).
• Rich in type I collagen, ideal for skin improvement.
• Sustainable if it comes from fish industry waste streams.

Disadvantages of fish collagen:

• Usually more expensive than bovine collagen.
• May have an extreme fishy taste or odor.

Bovine collagen

We chose grass-fed beef collagen (our cattle run outdoors year-round, get plenty of sunlight and eat only grass) because of its milder and more accessible taste compared to fish collagen and its impact on sustainability. Grass-fed cattle are fed a natural diet, which not only contributes to a better taste, but also to a higher nutritional quality of the collagen. Bovine collagen is extracted from the skin, bones and cartilage of cows. This collagen contains mainly type I and type III collagen, which makes it particularly effective for both skin and joints.

Benefits of bovine collagen:

• Contains both type I and type III collagen.
• Suitable for support of skin, bones and joints.
• Often more economical than fish collagen.

Disadvantages of bovine collagen:

• Slightly larger molecular structure, which can lead to prolonged saturation and slower absorption (not necessarily a disadvantage, by the way, if greater saturation is the goal)
• Less suitable for people who do not want or cannot consume beef products.

Which one do you choose?

This is always a difficult question. The choice between fish collagen and bovine collagen as a supplement depends on your personal goals and preferences. In theory, they are both absorbable and useful, but we have deliberately chosen bovine collagen because the taste is many times milder and more accessible.

You can theoretically mix the collagen with any liquids (think tea, water or shake) or through yogurt, kefir or other soft foods.

The difference between collagen and whey

Although both collagen and whey protein are popular supplements, they differ significantly in composition and action. I'd like to take you through the differences.

Collagen:

• Consists of specific amino acids such as glycine, proline and hydroxyproline.
• Supports skin, bone, joint and connective tissue health.
• Less effective for muscle building because of the lack of essential amino acids such as leucine.

Whey:

• A complete protein containing all essential amino acids, but more dominant in leucine, isoleucine and valine.
• Ideal for muscle building and muscle recovery after exercise.
• Quick absorption into the body, especially after training.

How can we tell? Collagen is best suited for supporting skin, joints and connective tissue, while whey is better suited for goals focused on muscle growth and recovery.

Bone broth

Bone broth is a traditional and natural way to ingest collagen. It is made by cooking bones of cattle, chicken or fish for a long time (slow cooking), which releases valuable nutrients such as collagen, gelatin, minerals and amino acids. These nutrients support skin, joint and intestinal health.

How to make bone broth easily?

1. Use bovine bones (e.g., from care nature)
2. Add filtered water, apple cider vinegar (helps extract minerals from bones) and spices to taste.
3. Leave the mixture in the slow cooker (e.g., a ceramic one from greenpan) for 48 hours.
4. Strain the broth and store in the refrigerator or freezer.

Bone broth is a delicious and nutritious way to add collagen naturally to your diet.

Conclusion

Let's say up front that we are always team real food, so prefer to see you frequently add bone broth to your diet. If for some reason this is not possible, then it can certainly be helpful (starting at age ²⁵ ) to support with a collagen supplement. Always look for a supplement that fits your values and standards.