March 10, 2021

Marine Collagen vs. Bovine Collagen vs. Plant Collagen

Collagen is becoming more popular, making it essential to know what kind to buy! Take a look at our collagen drinks today.

Collagen is becoming more and more popular in health and wellness, making collagen drinks, supplements, powders, and more, available at nearly every health store. As new research supporting the health benefits of collagen continues appearing, the public interest in this peptide increases as well due to people realizing how amazing collagen supplements really are. While many are familiar with the fact that collagen is good for skin, nail, and hair health, collagen may also be beneficial for joints, bones, gut health, and more. It is a good idea for consumers to know where their collagen comes from, however, mainly for personal preferences, like vegetarians who do not want to consume land animal products, but also for a deeper understanding of the collagen itself. 

Today, we are going to discuss marine collagen vs bovine collagen vs. plant collagen, what they are made of, and if there are any substantial differences. Heivy specializes in providing marine collagen drinks for hair, skin, and nails; joint and bone strength; heart health; sleep; mood; and more! Shop our collection of liquid collagen supplements now and start investing in your wellness. 

What is Collagen?

Before we dive into the different types of collagen, let’s first define what it is. For those who are unfamiliar with collagen, it is a naturally-occurring protein in the body. It is responsible for providing structure to our skin and helping our blood clot. It is a major building block of bones, skin, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Collagen is also found in many other body parts including blood vessels, corneas, and teeth. There are 16 types of collagen, but there four main types are type I, II, III, and IV. 

• Type I: Accounting for 90% of the body’s collagen, type I collagen is made of densely packed fibers and provides structure to skin, bones, tendons, fibrous cartilage, connective tissue, and teeth. 
• Type II: Consisting of more loosely packed fibers than type I, this type of collagen is found in elastic cartilage, which cushions your joints.  
• Type III: Type III collagen supports the structure of muscles, organs, and arteries.
• Type IV: This helps with filtration and is found in the layers of your skin. 

Marine Collagen

Fish collagen, or marine collagen, is made from fish skin and scales, and is primarily a Type I collagen. As stated above, this is the most abundant collagen in your body and is the most effective in healing and rebuilding the body. It is the best form of collagen for boosting skin health because it is a building block for maintaining elasticity and firmness. Marine collagen has also long been used in the cosmetic industry for its skin-enhancing benefits. Its ability to provide plumpness, restore a youthful glow to skin, and increase hydration in skin, which is what makes it so popular. 

High-quality collagen products are hydrolyzed, which means that the particles are broken up smaller and smaller, which makes it easier for our bodies to use them. Marine collagen consists of smaller peptides, meaning that it also has superior bioavailability (the body’s ability to actually use the collagen once you take it) than other types of collagen. 

In the past, we have discussed the collagen peptide that Heivy uses for its collagen drinks and the amazing benefits of it. Its absorption in the small intestine is superior to other collagen products due to its smaller molecule size, which leads to more efficient collagen synthesis in different parts of the body, such as joint tissues, bone, blood vessels, and skin dermis. This product is used for supplements to lessen the pains and aches from arthritis, atherosclerosis, and other signs of aging.

Bovine Collagen

Bovine (or beef) collagen comes from cows and is the most common source of collagen in supplements. Cattle are harvested for their meat before the cow hides are removed and treated to extract their collagen protein. During this process, the proteins are hydrolyzed, which breaks down the collagen proteins into smaller and more digestible amino acids. Much of the grass-fed collagen found on the market comes from countries that have a long history of grass-fed cattle production where cattle graze on grass all year-round and are not treated with artificial growth hormones or excessive antibiotics. 

Bovine collagen is mainly made up of Type I and Type III collagen, which both play a major role in the growth and repair of bones, tendons, ligaments, and skin. Bovine collagen can be good for reducing joint pain by stimulating cartilage production, which can cushion joints; improve gut health by repairing microscopic holes in the gut lining; help speed athletic recovery when taken after a workout; and can make the recycling of ATP (the energy currency in our cells) more efficient, helping increase muscular strength and power. 

Vegan, or Plant-Based Collagen Collagen

While it is more common for collagen to come from animal sources, like beef and fish, science has discovered a way to make vegan collagen. Vegan collagen, or plant-based collagen technically doesn’t exist since collagen is only found in animal sources. In response to consumer demands, however, a ton of products being labeled as “collagen builders” have popped up. Any plant-based collagen product that you see on shelves doesn’t actually contain any collagen yourself, but rather, contains various nutrients needed for collagen production. These nutrients include

• Specific amino acids, like proline, glycine, lysine, and arginine
• Vitamin C
• Zinc
• Copper
• Sulfur

While plant-based collagen isn’t truly collagen at all, they do provide consumers who cannot take animal-based collagen a potential next best thing. Consumers shouldn’t expect them to have the same effects as a true collagen supplement that comes from meat, but there are other ways to support their collagen production as well. 

TRY HEIVY TODAY

From our early twenties onward, our body’s natural production process of collagen declines with each year so by the time we are 40, we are producing, on average, 25% less collagen. The decline in collagen production means that we start experiencing the hallmark signs of aging, like achy joints, fine lines, thinning hair, digestion issues, and more. However, the marine collagen supplements found at Heivy can help replenish your collagen levels and also provide relief for joints and bones, not to mention help your skin get some of its youthful bounce back. 

Interested in trying our liquid collagen drinks made from marine collagen peptide? Take a look at the different kinds of collagen drinks we supply and get your own today! If you have any questions about our products, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team.