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Is Marine Collagen Better Than Bovine Collagen?
Not all collagen is created equal! Did you know that collagen supplements are sourced differently? The most popular of those being bovine (cow) and marine (fish). Choosing the source of collagen you want can be based on your dietary needs, sustainable practices, and personal budget.
What is Bovine Collagen?
Bovine collagen seems to be one of the most popular collagen products. Bovine collagen is sourced from cows, specifically cow hides. Cow hides are abundant and cheap to produce, but they can have a negative impact on the environment. Livestock products account for 14.5% of all human-induced green-house gas emissions with bovine contributing almost half of those emissions.
Dosage. In order to get the adequate amount of collagen, you’ll need 20 grams of bovine collagen.
Dissolvability. An advantage of bovine collagen is that it tends to dissolve quickly without any taste. You can mix bovine collagen into different liquids, both hot and cold, and many don’t find a taste when adding it to water.
Price. Bovine collagen tends to be cheaper than many other alternative sources of collagen.
What is Marine Collagen?
Marine collagen is sourced from fish, specifically the skins. Some brands will use farm-raised fish, but Indigo Collagen uses wild-caught white fish from the North Atlantic. That means our marine collagen has less impact on the environment and less likely to be exposed to hormones.
Dosage. A key benefit of marine collagen is that less is more! You only need 10 grams of Marine Collagen opposed to 20 gram of Bovine Collagen.
Dissolvability. Some marine collagen products will dissolve quicker and easier than others. With no additives included, a natural fish smell or taste is to be expected. If this is unfavorable to you, we suggest dissolving powder in coffee, teas, smoothies or baked goods.
Price. Marine collagen could be priced higher than alternative sources of collagen.
Indigo Marine Collagen is also Kosher certified and can fit into pescetarian diets. Our marine collagen is tested for Mercury and other heavy metal contents. Our marine collagen has been tested to contain Types I, II, III, and IV collagen. Meaning, you can get a multi-collagen product from only one source!
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Sustainable Marine Collagen
The supply chain at Indigo Collagen is a cycle of sustainability. The fish are collected from food fishermen in Canada, the United States, and Europe to provide the quality raw material. From there, we take the fish skins that would normally be thrown away, but instead extract collagen.
Before the extraction, the skins receive a thorough wash with water to clean the skins and reduce any allergens to undetectable levels. No genetically modified materials are used in this product or any of our fish collagens. After filtering and purification, the hydrolyzed fish collagen is spray-dried, resulting in our fish collagen powder.
The waste material is then used as fish meal back into the animal industry.
Which Collagen is Right for You?
There are pros and cons to each source of collagen, and either option is great to get the benefits of collagen. If you’re looking for a cheaper collagen, bovine would be a great option for you. We prefer to use Marine Collagen due to its low environmental impact, the purity of the ingredient, and the benefits for your skin, hair, nails, joints, etc. Indigo marine collagen is kosher certified, while bovine collagens are not.
The type of collagen you choose will depend on your individual needs. At the end of the day, the important thing is that you’re taking care of your body!
