What is Collagen?
– and how do we get more of it in our skin?
Collagen is the most abundant protein in your body. It is one of the major building blocks in tendons, ligaments, muscle, strengthens bones and provides skin with strength and structure. it is also found in teeth, blood vessels, and your corneas. There are 4 main types. Types 1 and 3 are important to skin.
Now, Collagen is a BIG protein. It is too big to be absorbed through the gut OR through the skin. What? you might ask? Does that mean taking collagen supplements is all a big waste of time? Sometimes yes, sometimes no – you need to know your product, and understand what’s going on.
Collagen is made of amino acids. They are the tiny molecules that join into chains and make the large molecule. (peptides are short chains of amino acids). Now amino acids and very short chains CAN be absorbed. (also note, that collagen is an animal protein – there is no vegan version of collagen. If you are after a vegan skin booster supplement it should be full of all the nutrients your skin cells need to produce more of their own collagen. (For example, our favourite in this category – Imbibe Protect).
SO, back to collagen containing products – if your product is in a form that contains the amino acids of collagen in a Digestible form – already broken up – (whether from a bovine or marine source), they will get into your body. This is seen in Imbibe Miracle Collagen, which contains Bioactive Collagen peptides clinically shown to stimulate skin cells to build more collagen.
BUT – How can we say that any little amino acid, or peptide absorbed from the gut is flying through your body directly to your skin cells? Mightn’t it be going to tendons, ligaments or somewhere else? Well of course it might, when some of the amino acids are used in all the types of collagen – our body will use it where it is needed. That’s not the end of the story though. This is where the research is vital.
There is research, both brand specific (Imbibe was involved in 10 years of research) and more generic, that shows an increase in the skin cell fibroblast function and collagen product with ingestion of the correct amino acid combinations. So, while we can’t track each individual amino acid, and while all of the supplement won’t be going to skin, clearly we can imply that enough DOES to achieve the changes we are after.
So, it can truly boost skin collagen production IF you have the right product. Pick up your Imbibe Collagen supplement or Imbibe Protect from the Mayah Clinic. Contact us for details.