Collagen supplements are available at Basics in powder and pill form, or increasingly as a featured ingredient in food and drinks.
What is collagen?
Collagen is a protein, made of amino acids. It is an essential building block for our skin, hair, nails, joints, ligaments and tendons, and makes up more than 2/3 of the total protein in the human body.
why supplement?
Collagen is produced by the body but decreases with age, by as much as 50%. Because of this, many people choose to supplement their diet with it.
WHICH KIND SHOULD I USE?
There is some evidence* that supplementing with collagen types 1 and 3 may support the skin in particular.
Type 2 collagen is associated with joint and cartilage support.
*sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23949208 Oral supplementation of specific collagen peptides has beneficial effects on human skin physiology: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18416885 24-Week study on the use of collagen hydrolysate as a dietary supplement in athletes with activity-related joint pain.
*Not evaluated by the FDA. Not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or health condition.