All You Need to Know About Collagen & Marine vs Bovine

Written by our in-house Naturopath, Holistic Nutritionist and Medical Herbalist Em, from Nala Holistic.

Visualise collagen as the glue that holds the body, and all of its tissues and cells, together. In fact, the term 'collagen' comes from the Greek word kolla, meaning "glue".

When topping up collagen intake, you might outwardly notice the benefits in your skin, hair and nails, but it’s also busy playing a crucial role in the structure of your joints, bones, and vital organs, for example.

Collagen makes up about 30% of the body’s total protein and is made up of the amino acids glycine, proline, hydroxyproline, hydroxylysine, and arginine (1). Being a key component of connective tissue, it is crucial to the structure, integrity, and strength of all tissues in the body.

Connective tissue makes up about a quarter of our body mass and is found woven throughout our skin, tendons, ligaments, organs, blood and lymph vessels, joints, and muscles! Its role is to connect or separate, and support ALL other types of tissue in the body (1,2).

Collagen production and the body’s ability to regenerate it begins to decline after the age of about 25 years young. This contributes to the ageing processes that might appear as looser skin or wrinkles, tendon injuries, and joint and mobility challenges (3).

Types of Collagen

There are over 25 different types of collagen, but type I, II, and III make up the majority of collagen in our body. Here’s what sets them apart:

Types 1 & 3

Type 1 is found mainly in marine sources
Type 3 is found mainly in bovine sources
Makes up about 90% of the body’s collagen
Produced by cells that contribute to the formation of our connective tissue and bones
Type 1 supports the structure of almost everything, from our skin, hair, and nails, to our joints and muscles, bones and blood vessels, digestive tract, and much more.
Type 3 can be found in our elastic-like tissues, such as the lungs, skin, digestive lining, and blood vessel walls. Helpful for wound healing.

Type 2

Type 2 is found mainly in chicken and bovine sources
Makes up the remaining 10%, approximately
Produced by cells responsible for cartilage formation. Type 2 collagen makes up about half of all protein found in cartilage, and 85-90% of collagen in articular cartilage that lines our joints.
In other words… it’s great for joint support!

What does 'Hydrolysed' mean and why is it important?

To put it simply, hydrolysed means the collagen is broken down into small peptides, enhancing bioavailability, making it easier for your body to use and reap the benefits. By taking hydrolysed collagen peptides, we enhance our body’s natural collagen regeneration cycle.

Mitchells Collagen is a great way to top up your collagen intake and help the health of the many areas that use it for structure, support, and repair. But...

What’s the difference between our Bovine Collagen Peptides and Marine Collagen Peptides?

Bovine Collagen Peptides

Mainly type 1 & 3 collagen
Derived from cow hides
These are the most abundant types of collagen in the body, making up about 90%, with type 1 being the most abundant.

Use this for:

Strong hair, glowing skin, and healthy nails
Gut and joint support
Helping improve recovery time from activity, adventures, and training
Great for those who have fish allergies

Marine Collagen Peptides

Mainly type 1 collagen
Derived from fish scales and skin (utilising a previous byproduct)
Type 1 collagen from marine sources are more efficiently absorbed into the body (bioavailable) due to their smaller peptide molecule size

Use this for:

Supporting the structural resilience of everything, from our joints, vital organs, and blood vessels, to our digestive tract, and bones
Some extra love for your skin, hair, and nails
Skin, skin, skin. Our skin tissue is predominantly made up of Type 1 collagen fibres. Actually, 80% of the skin’s dermis layer collagen is Type 1. Making it super important for the integrity, hydration, and elasticity of the skin, our biggest organ!
Great for those who eat fish but not meat (pescatarian)

Tips For Consuming: Best taken on an empty stomach. Try to take types 1 & 3 and type 2 either on their own or at different times of the day. This is said to optimise bioavailability of the different types, and their effectiveness. To reap the benefits, aim for 10g per day.

Holistic Side Note: With collagen being made up of amino acids, we also recommend a focus on ensuring adequate protein intake from wholefoods! Food is the foundation!

References:

Ricard-Blum S. (2011). The collagen family. Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in biology, 3(1), a004978. https://doi.org/10.1101/cshperspect.a004978
Gelse, K., Pöschl, E., & Aigner, T. (2003). Collagens--structure, function, and biosynthesis. Advanced drug delivery reviews, 55(12), 1531–1546. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addr.2003.08.002
Al-Atif H. (2022). Collagen Supplements for Aging and Wrinkles: A Paradigm Shift in the Fields of Dermatology and Cosmetics. Dermatology practical & conceptual, 12(1), e2022018. https://doi.org/10.5826/dpc.1201a18

All You Need to Know About Collagen & Marine vs Bovine