How to choose the right collagen?

Marie-France is passionate about natural health products to support optimal health and vitality. Trained as a naturopath, she has been a Sales Representative at Land Art since 2015.

A few years ago, when I was working as a naturopathic advisor in a health food store, we were very rarely asked about collagen. Very few companies carried it, and buyers were few and far between. Today, if you’ve never heard of this “miracle” product, you probably live under a rock!

Every company seems to have its own version of the “best” collagen supplement—whether it’s meant to support your joints or firm up your lovely complexion. And of course, when something becomes trendy, it’s worth knowing how to separate the good from the not-so-good. Since companies are all fighting for their share of the market, at least make sure you’re well informed.

The first thing to know is that collagen is an animal-derived product. Some companies will try to make you believe their collagen is vegan. It simply doesn’t exist. Plants do not produce collagen. Let me be clear: plants can do wonderful things in many ways, but collagen isn’t one of them. When you look at the ingredient list, you quickly realize these formulas contain absolutely no collagen. They’re simply blends of plants or essential fatty acids that may support joint health—but they don’t contain a trace of collagen. In my opinion, these companies are using opportunistic marketing by riding the current collagen wave.

If you’re looking for a vegan formula to support your body’s own collagen production, silica may be a key ingredient to look for in a natural product. From mineral or plant sources, silica offers many benefits, including acting as a precursor to intrinsic collagen. Silica—often sold as a cosmetic-style product for skin health and vitality—can also make its way to your joints and tendons, and may be just as effective long term as collagen. You should also know that because our bodies are partly made of animal collagen, the body quickly recognizes the amino acid profile found in animal collagen—so results tend to appear faster than when using a precursor.

So how do you make sense of all the collagen options on the market? Here are a few criteria to keep in mind as you research.

First, collagen is a very large protein. You may already consume it regularly through cooking. In that form, your body absorbs very little of the collagen naturally found in meat, broths, or gelatin. In order to see benefits at the joint level—or for the strength of your nails—you need to choose hydrolyzed collagen. This simply means the large collagen protein has been broken down into its simplest form: amino acids, which are much smaller at the molecular level and easier to absorb where the body needs them. When collagen is consumed in amino acid form, the type of collagen becomes less important.

What matters more is the company’s hydrolysis method and the quality of the raw materials used to produce a joint-health supplement that contains collagen.

Land Art offers two products containing collagen, including Collagen Extra, a complete formula for painful joints that includes, among other ingredients, glucosamine, MSM, chondroitin, wintergreen, and devil’s claw. The collagen used by Land Art is bovine-sourced. It is hydrolyzed enzymatically, which is an advantage compared to more common hydrolysis methods that use potentially harmful chemicals. The final product, Land Art Collagen, contains only collagen and therefore offers collagen-only benefits.

Now you’re well informed about the collagen trend. And since you may feel the effects quickly, you can be confident this trend is here to stay!