Did you know that collagen is the most abundant protein in your body? It’s everywhere, from your skin, nails, and hair to your joints, and even your brain. You’ve probably heard about it in relation to the first one, since it makes up 70% of your skin.
The problem is that your collagen levels are slowly reduced with age. Thus, many people turn to consume nutritional products containing this protein, in an attempt to recover the amount of collagen they lose when aging.
Collagen supplements are associated with several health benefits, such as helping to prevent wrinkles, relieve joint pain, improve bone density and increase muscle mass. Plus, they are considered safe and nontoxic to take on a daily basis.
They are usually made from animal products, but as more people cut back on them, plant-based collagen has become popular too. Both of them can have beneficial effects on your body, although they are not quite the same.
Keep reading to learn about the differences between plant-based and animal-based collagen supplements!
Animal-based Collagen
Collagen is exclusively present in all animals, especially in mammals. This is why supplements are commonly made from their hides, hooves, bones, cartilage, and other connective tissues. These are parts of the animal that would otherwise be discarded after passing through the meat industry, so these products are sustainable in their own way.
People used to eat almost all parts of an animal. Lately, they mostly consume only muscle meat, that is why they turn to supplements to obtain the rest of the nutrients. Manufacturers break down the collagen in those disposable parts into peptides, making it easier for the body to absorb and use it.
By consuming peptides, you obtain important amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein, and help your body produce more collagen for strong skin, hair, nails, and joints. Most of these supplements even provide you with other healthy nutrients such as Biotin, Vitamin C or Zinc to help absorb the peptides. Plus, you’re also supporting sustainable practices that use all parts of the animal
Based on all these potential benefits, Nature’s Discount recommends these products:
- Ancient Nutrition’s Multi Collagen Protein Powder (244 gr)
- Ancient Nutrition’s Multi Collagen Protein Powder – Beauty Within (24 serv)
- Ancient Nutrition’s Multi Collagen Protein Capsules (45’s)
Plant-based Collagen
As mentioned before, collagen is present in animals, but since plants have no use for that protein, they have none of it. Then, how do plant-based collagen products work?
It turns out that they aren’t made out of collagen per se, but they contain nutrients that support the production of this protein, which many plants do have in them. These same components are also used in many animal-based products to aid in collagen absorption.
However, if vegans and vegetarians want to enjoy the same benefits, they need to turn to these plant-based alternatives instead. Their ingredients are obtained from food like beans, whole grains like rice and corn, and many fruits and vegetables like oranges, tomatoes, peppers, and broccoli.
As for Nature’s Discount’s recommendations, we’ve selected the following vegan-friendly collagen products:
- Sunwarrior’s Collagen Building Protein Peptides – Tahitian Vanilla (500 gr)
- Sunwarrior’s Collagen Building Protein Peptides – Chocolate Fudge (500 gr)
- Sunwarrior’s Collagen Building Protein Peptides – Natural (500 gr)
- Sunwarrior’s Collagen Restore & Protect – Vegan Capsules (30’s)
So, should you choose to consume animal-based collagen peptides or plant-based collagen boosters? It all comes down to your dietary preferences and needs. You can find whichever you want at your nearest Nature’s Discount, so come visit us!
