Collagen supplements have become talk of the town. Why? Well, the idea of finding the fountain of youth in a pill with no side effects is understandably attractive to many, especially those looking to improve the health of their skin, bone, nail, hair, and potentially even healthspan.
So let’s try to understand the hype behind and why you might also wanna consider taking them!
In this article
Key takeaway
- Amino acids are the building blocks of collagen, but they also provide health benefits above and beyond collagen production.
- Collagen supplements help in improving joint health, reducing wrinkles, fine lines and saggy skins, as well as enhancing muscle recovery and function.
What is collagen?
Collagen is a complex protein, consisting of 19 out of the 21 amino acids common to all life forms. The main amino acids are proline, glycine, and hydroxyproline – together forming fibril-like structures with the help of Vitamin C, Zinc, Copper and Manganese.
Collagen fibrils are what allow the shape of connective tissues to be defined and maintained. As the most abundant protein (30% of all proteins) in the human body, it is found in our digestive system, bones, teeth, muscles, skin, hair, connective tissue, and blood cells.
Digestion, exercise, and ageing deplete our amino acid stores, making optimal ingestion via diet and supplementation advisable. Multiple clinical studies show the benefits of collagen supplementation on muscles, joints, skin, bone, tendons, and much more. Besides, it carries no adverse side effects!
Common collagen supplements consist of peptides or amino acids. Don’t worry, you don’t need a PhD in science to understand, just read on to help you get the best supplement!
Primary amino acids of collagen
Amino acids are basically the building blocks of proteins. Individual amino acids have been shown to prevent muscle loss, increase energy, boost endurance and stamina, improve mood, reduce body fat percentage, enhance immune health, optimise sleep quality, and more.
Human collagen is made almost entirely of amino acids; glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline, explaining the synergistic power of the three amino acids to make a collagen supplement effective. Together, they regulate collagen synthesis, providing the distinct glue-like structure to collagen.
- Proline: Proline is responsible for the production of cartilage and collagen that benefit wound healing and heart health.
- Glycine: Glycine is the second most common amino acid in humans, making up one-third of the total collagen in the body.
- Hydroxyproline (a special amino acid made from proline and lysine): Hydroxyproline boosts collagen synthesis and also helps to maintain its structure.
Collagen peptides vs. amino acids
Peptides” are simply short chains of amino acids, essentially hydrolysed collagen that has been broken down into more digestible strands of protein.
Amino acid supplementation goes beyond the mere production and maintenance of collagen in your body.
How the avea collagen activator is unique
All in one – Vegan precursor
As a vegetarian or vegan, it might be challenging to get enough essential amino acids through diet alone. Whilst collagen peptides supplements have been around for some time, most of them aren’t vegan or vegetarian friendly since manufacturers tend to extract them from bones and proteins of animals. Our Collagen Activator changes the game as it consists of an ideal vegan mix.
4x more effective than standard collagen supplements
Developed in collaboration with scientists from ETH Zurich, our collagen precursor consists of the building blocks of collagen – not peptides, but direct amino acids which are proline, glycine, and hydroxyproline. Besides being more easily absorbed, this patent-pending ratio of amino acids has been scientifically proven to significantly activate the collagen turnover more than taking in collagen supplements directly.
Ingredients backed by over 1000 scientific studies
Our carefully-chosen ingredients are highly bioavailable and work in synergy to boost collagen production and much more. This includes benefits of a daily dose of Vitamin C, one of the strongest discovered antioxidants astaxanthin, as well as CaAKG, which is our longevity star ingredient.
