Collagen is the most abundant protein in your body.
It acts as a glue to help bind together the tissues and cells in your muscles, tendons, skin, and teeth, and ensures everything has the right unity and shape. That’s why the benefits of collagen, which we’ll get into below, are so crucial and why taking a supplement can be life-changing.
Types of Collagen
The three main types of collagen supplements serve different functions:
- Type I: The most abundant and strongest collagen in your body. Type I helps bones form and wounds heal.
- Type II: Plays a large part in healthy joint cartilage as well as hair, skin, nails, and gut health.
- Type III: Present in all skin, tissue, and organs of your body. It’s often combined with Type I and/or Type II in collagen supplements.
Each type can be taken in supplement form to encourage the most significant collagen benefits for your body and health.
Benefits of Collagen
1. Better Joint Health
The best type II collagen is chicken-based (as opposed to beef-, pork- or marine-based) because it contains hyaluronic acid, glucosamine sulfate, and chondroitin sulfate that support healthy cartilage and joints.
Biocell® collagen, a patented hydrolyzed type 2 collagen we use in Joint Rescue, has been clinically studied to improve joint mobility and more:
- In a 2008 study from Pennsylvania State University, athletes who took a hydrolyzed collagen supplement for 6 months had less joint pain when they were active and at rest (1).
- A 2016 study found type II collagen helps reduce knee pain in those with osteoarthritis (2).
- Further, a 6-month double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled 2012 study suggested collagen hydrolysate could help improve lower back joint pain (3).
This makes collagen a perfect supplement for any adults with knee, hip, back or other joint pains. That includes athletes, senior citizens, and everyone in between.
2. Healthy Muscles
Type II collagen also supports healthy muscle tissue. Why is this important? Because maintaining a healthy muscle ratio helps you boost your metabolic rate and burn more fat.
Our Hydrolyzed Collagen has over 16 grams of protein and 19 grams of chicken protein isolate for optimum muscle growth.
3. Less Skin Wrinkles and Fine Lines
As you age, your body makes less and less collagen. That’s why we get wrinkles, fine lines, and skin sagging in older age. Collagen helps maintain healthy skin elasticity, moisture, smoothness, and plumpness.
Taking a daily supplement may help boost your levels and replenish its diminished levels, potentially reducing visible signs of aging (4).
For example, a 2013 study from the Department of Dermatology at the University of Kiel in Germany found that after 8 weeks an oral intake of a specific collagen peptide supplement reduced wrinkles and a positive effect on skin tissue synthesis (5).
4. Thriving Hair and Nails
Besides improving skin appearance and elasticity, studies have shown collagen as helpful in:
- Preventing broken and brittle nails
- Increasing nail growth (6)
- Promote significant growth in thinning hair (7)
5. Combats Leaky Gut
Leaky gut happens when the lining of the small intestine becomes damaged and irritants, like food particles and toxins, enter the bloodstream.
Poor diet, stress, alcohol, prescription medications, and lack of exercise can all contribute to leaky gut.
One of the best natural ways to start repairing a leaky gut is by using collagen. Your body can easily use collagen protein’s amino acids to help reduce inflammation in the gut lining.
When to Take a Collagen Supplement
For best results (including the benefits above), you’ll want to take a high-quality collagen supplement every single day. Dr. Colbert recommends taking it specifically at night since that’s the time when your joints and skin are repairing. Don’t be surprised if you start sleeping better too!
Dr. Colbert offers a few different forms of collagen to choose from, including Joint Rescue with type II collagen, Type I and III Capsules, and our famous Keto Zone Hydrolyzed Collagen Powder.
