What are Marine Collagen Peptides Made Of?
Picking the right supplement to help care for your skin requires careful research. What ingredients are in the product? What benefits does it give? These questions will shape your choice of supplement, so it’s important to have the answers.
What Ingredients Are in Collagen Supplements?
Generally speaking, collagen supplements contain a single ingredient: collagen, a protein found throughout the human body. This protein is made up of 19 different amino acids - the most important of which are proline, hydroxyproline (which isn’t found in other proteins), and glycine. Most collagen supplements don’t use whole collagen proteins, though.
Indigo Marine Collagen supplements are made with an ingredient called collagen peptides, which are collagen protein chains cut into smaller segments of collagen. This type of collagen supplement has proven to be more effective because the body can’t absorb whole collagen but has no trouble with the collagen peptides.
Not all sources of collagen are equal; some come from sources that may have been exposed to hormones or other chemicals, while others come from the wild.
Where Does Collagen Come From?
Most collagen in supplements comes from one of two sources: either animals on land or in the sea. Standard collagen supplements usually get their collagen from either cows, chickens, or pigs, leading some to believe that traditional collagen sources may carry the risk of exposure to hormones or antibiotics, which some farm animals are treated with.
The other type of collagen is marine collagen, which is sourced from the ocean. The collagen in Indigo Marine Collagen supplements comes from whitefish caught in the depths of the North Atlantic Ocean, which guarantees that the collagen in our supplements hasn’t been subjected to unwanted hormones or drugs. We also break down our marine collagen into easy-to-digest peptides for faster absorption and greater bioavailability.
What Parts of the Body Are Made of Collagen?
Generally speaking, people who use collagen supplements want to see healthier skin, hair, and nails. Because the skin is mostly made of collagen and relies on this protein for moisture retention and elasticity, this goal makes sense. Plus, the amino acid proline, which is found in collagen, is a key element in keratin, the protein used to make your hair and nails.
These aren’t the only parts of the body made up of collagen and its amino acids, though. The cartilage in between the bones at your joints also relies on collagen to provide structure. As we get older and collagen production slows, the cartilage in your joints starts to wear down, leading to joint pain.
And although people tend to think of calcium when they think about bone health, collagen is also important for the formation of strong bones. Your bones are mostly made of collagen, so taking collagen supplements is thought to help with bone loss as well as wrinkle prevention.