Collagen drinks are big news right now, but does it really matter how you take your collagen?
In short, it's not how you take it, more WHAT you take. In order to give a comprehensive answer, we need to look at three things:
1 Bio-Availabilty
2 How much Collagen the body needs or can actually accept
3 Why you are taking it
1 Bio-Availabilty
As with most things, not all collagen is made equal. In order for the collagen to be effective it need to have high Bio-Availabilty. Whilst many studies have shown the effectiveness of collagen on the skin, the actual results will vary depend on the ability of the body to absorb the ingredients.
Bio-availabilty is the rate at which the body absorbs what has been ingested. Our collagen is absorbed into the bloodstream and distributed around the body as amino acids, targeting the areas that need it most, first. It can also cause an increase in our own levels of collagen production. Our supplements also contain Soy Isoflaovones, these encourage the body to produce new collagen. This is particularly helpful after the age of 30, where our natural levels start to decline rapidly.
2 How much Collagen the body needs or can actually accept
We are inundated with information on brands that offer up to 10,000mg of collagen in one serving. But how much do we actually need? and can we really absorb that much at once?
Whilst there is no recommended limit to how much collagen can be consumed, there is little evidence that taking collagen at such high levels makes a bigger improvement to the skin. Collagen once absorbed, becomes an amino acid, moving around the body to build and repair as required, once the adequate levels have been reached the amino acid moves elsewhere and any excess is eliminated from the body as waste.
When looking to improve the quality of skin, rather than focussing on high levels of one ingredient, we are better to select normal levels of many ingredients, that each act to improve skin in a different way.
3 Why you are taking it?
If you are taking collagen to improve overall health or joints, then a single ingredient drink could work for you. However, if like many of us, your quest is relating to the condition of skin, hair, nails, then the approach needs to be more targeted. There are many contributing factors to how quickly our skin starts to show the signs of ageing. We are constantly reminded about diet, alcohol and UV damage. But why? Well, poor food choices, such as sugar and alcohol cause inflammation around the body and exposure to UV light causes UV radiation, inflammation and oxidation. All of these factors can quicken the process of skin ageing. Therefore, taking a supplement drink or otherwise that only contains collagen, means you are only treating one contributing factor.
Taking a supplement with a multi aspect approach to skin health is more likely to lead to a better result.
Our 01 SMART Age supplement offers a complete approach to skin health, with a carefully selected blend of high performing ingredients known for their anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation and collagen boosting benefits.
Our multi-award winning supplement was independently clinically trialed and proven to reduce lines and wrinkles by 23% over 8 weeks. Following this, our Best Selling 01 SMART Age supplement was awarded "Best on Test' by the prestigous Good HouseKeeping Institute, where we outperformed the other supplements on test in both the user trial and lab tests!
