Collagen as a Dietary Supplement

Collagen – the body's most common protein

Collagen is the body's most common protein and it constitutes one-third of all protein in the body. It is part of the skeleton, cartilage, fascia/connective tissue, tendons, ligaments, joint capsules, blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, around nerve fibers and receptors, and more. Collagen fibers build the structure of the entire so-called extracellular matrix, i.e., in all tissue surrounding every cell in the body. Tissues in the body are constantly being rebuilt and restructured; old is replaced with new. Thus, new collagen is constantly being formed where more is needed, and at the same time, it is also broken down because it is not needed or needs to be renewed due to defects or injuries.

We therefore need to be able to produce large amounts of collagen to maintain and keep all collagen tissue intact. Even more is required in a growing individual and also during the repair of injuries. This means that the building blocks must be available for the body to be able to form collagen. The source of collagen in our food is untrimmed, sinewy meat with a lot of fascial membranes and, above all, broth boiled on marrow bones. In our modern lifestyle, all tough connective tissue is trimmed away. We eat well-trimmed, lean meat with very little connective tissue and rarely cook broth from marrow bones. Vegetarians and vegans do not get any collagen at all as it is an animal product!

Different types of collagen

In the body, 28 different types of collagen have been found. The types are all designated with Roman numerals, such as I, II, III, IV, V, and so on. They have slightly different compositions and structures, and not all of them form fibers. Collagen type I is the most common type of collagen; a full 90% of all collagen is type I. It is also the very strongest, but it is also extensible.

Type I is found in the skeleton, skin, tendons, ligaments, and stronger myofascia. In looser fascia, where there is more flow and gliding function, collagen III dominates. Type III constitutes a softer and looser, not as strong, collagen fiber, and it is also formed as the first type of collagen during the embryonic stage and in the healing of wounds and injuries. It is also found in lymphatic organs, blood vessels, around muscle cells, nerve cells, and also in the skin, among other places. Collagen type III is also called reticular tissue. In cartilage, for example, articular cartilage and discs, type II dominates.

Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins

All proteins are composed of amino acids. The amino acids are joined together in long chains and then folded into various three-dimensional structures depending on the type of protein. The body can (following instructions from our DNA) form about 90,000 different types of proteins, which all look different and have different functions, such as structure, enzymes, hormones, immune defense, transport, movement, and more.

The smallest protein is considered to be the hormone insulin, which contains 51 amino acids, but proteins can contain up to 27,000 amino acids. The collagen molecule contains about 3,000 amino acids: three chains, each with about 1,000 amino acids, wound around each other into a so-called triple helix.

There are 20 different amino acids in the body, nine of which are so-called essential amino acids, which means the body cannot produce them itself; we must get them through food or supplements. The other non-essential ones can be produced by the body itself if the building blocks for them are available. Sometimes, a building block for a non-essential amino acid can be another amino acid, which means the former cannot be formed if the latter amino acid is missing. Such an amino acid is called semi-essential or conditionally essential.

The amino acid profile of proteins

Different types of proteins are formed depending on which amino acids are included, in what quantity and order, and at what frequencies they are bound together. The specific amounts of various amino acids in a protein constitute its amino acid profile. Different proteins have different amino acid profiles, so not all protein is the same.

This means that, for example, muscle proteins (meat), milk proteins, blood proteins, connective tissue proteins, and others all have different amino acid profiles. Collagen tissue thus has a completely different amino acid profile than proteins found in, for example, meat and dairy products. Trimmed meat, such as roast beef or tenderloin, contains, for example, very small amounts of the three most common amino acids in collagen: glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline. The body can produce these itself, but since they are needed in very large quantities and are also needed for other functions in the body, a deficiency can arise. Glycine and proline are also semi-essential and thus require the availability of other amino acids to be formed.

Even if we eat large amounts of meat or cheese, we risk a deficiency in the amino acids needed to build collagen. This is especially true when we need extra new collagen, for example, during more intense training, when the body needs to build a lot of new tissue to repair an injury, or for young, growing individuals.

Proteins are always broken down into free amino acids in the intestine and absorbed into the blood. The cells then use these various amino acids to build new proteins according to the body's needs.

Fibroblasts produce collagen

Fibroblasts are cells that produce collagen. When a tissue is subjected to high load, exercise, or overload, more collagen is required, and the fibroblasts are stimulated to produce more. If the tissue is not used, it can be broken down instead. An overstrained, overloaded tissue can therefore produce extra collagen to strengthen itself, which can then result in a “surplus”.

Eating extra collagen does not mean that there will automatically be more collagen in the body, but only that the specific amino acids are available to build what is needed.

Vitamin C and collagen

Collagen fibers are made up of many collagen molecules that are in turn wound around each other in a spiral shape to become strong and slightly elastic (think of a hemp rope). For the fibers to become strong and functional, access to vitamin C is required when they are being assembled. If there is not enough vitamin C, the result is weak and poorly functioning collagen tissue, which leads to scurvy.

Therefore, it is important to ensure that the body has an adequate supply of vitamin C at the same time as the right amino acids.

Do I need to take extra collagen supplements?

Collagen is only found in the animal kingdom and gives organisms their structure. As mentioned above, it is the body's most abundant protein and is needed in large quantities, especially for growing individuals and during injury recovery. The need also increases with intense exercise and with age.

Depending on our dietary habits, we have different abilities to cover the need for collagen's amino acids. If you eat a purely vegetarian diet, it becomes more difficult to get a sufficient amount of the right amino acids.

Taking a hydrolyzed collagen supplement can be a good and easy way to get access to the right amino acids. That it is hydrolyzed means that the molecule is broken down into smaller pieces and is therefore easier to absorb.