By now, you’ve got seen it in every single place: collagen this, collagen that. But what’s collagen in the primary place? And more importantly, how do they make it? Should you’re reading this, we’ll assume you will have an idea of what collagen is so we cannot get too deep into that. As an alternative, we’ll concentrate on how collagen is sourced and the method it goes through to find yourself in your kitchen counter.
What’s Collagen?
Briefly, collagen is a protein that makes up roughly 30% of the protein within the human body. Its foremost purpose is to offer structural support to the body’s connective tissues, equivalent to skin, bones, ligaments, tendons, and cartilage.
Most collagen you will find available on the market has been harvested from an animal source. Should you’re on the look out for one of the best available, be certain to ascertain out the our article that covers one of the best collagen supplements!
Let’s take a better take a look at how collagen protein powder makes it to the shelf.
How is collagen protein powder made?
1. Sourcing the Raw Material
As mentioned above, collagen is present in various animal sources. The foremost ones are:
- Bovine Collagen (from cows)
- Porcine Collagen (from pigs)
- Marine Collagen (from fish)
While there are more to pick from, these three sources are wealthy in collagen. The collagen is taken from their skin, bones, tendons, and cartilage, parts of the animals that will typically go straight into the trash. Using these normally discarded parts helps keep the collagen industry sustainable without adding an enormous burden to the ecosystem.
2. Preparation and Cleansing
Once the animal materials are collected, they undergo an intense and thorough cleansing process to remove fats, impurities, and unwanted tissues. The very best priority is ensuring that only high-quality collagen stays contaminate-free. If this step is not performed accurately, it could possibly result in a tainted final product.
3. Extraction of Collagen
Now that the fabric is cleaned and able to go, here’s where the true transformation occurs. They should break down the collagen structure right into a usable form:
Hydrolysis
Essentially the most common method is enzymatic hydrolysis. The animal material is soaked in either a heated acidic or base solution (normally acidic) to assist break down the collagen bonds. Once that step is complete, enzymes are added to cut back the collagen into smaller peptides.
So, principally, the hydrolysis process helps break down collagen into smaller chains of amino acids, which makes it more digestible and effective as a complement.
4. Filtration and Purification
So, despite the fact that there was the prep and cleansing step, the hydrolyzed collagen must undergo several rounds of filtration to do away with any remaining impurities, non-collagen proteins, or other unwanted materials. At this stage in the method, the collagen remains to be in a liquid form but highly purified and prepared for the subsequent step.
5. Dehydration
To convert collagen from liquid to powder, it must undergo a dehydration process. This is normally done in a process called spray drying, where the liquid is sprayed right into a heated chamber. The liquid evaporates as a result of the high temperatures, and a fantastic powder of collagen is left to be collected.
6. Testing for Quality
Now that the collagen is in powder form, it have to be rechecked for quality and safety reasons. Manufacturers generally use a 3rd party to ascertain for purity, ensuring that the collagen is simply that and meets industry standards. The testing also verifies that the product comprises the advertised levels of collagen peptides, which is significant in ensuring the correct dosage.
7. Flavoring and Packaging
Now that the collagen protein powder is able to be sold, firms can determine whether to depart it unflavored, add flavoring, or mix the collagen with other ingredients (protein, vitamins, etc.). Finally, the product is packaged in tubs or single-serve packets and sold to consumers.
3 Advantages of Collagen Protein
Now that you understand how collagen protein is made, let’s take a look at a few of the reasons it must be a part of your complement regimen.
1. Skin Health
Studies have shown that collagen improves skin elasticity, reduces wrinkles, and promotes hydration.¹ It’s no wonder why it’s such a giant a part of many anti-aging stacks.
2. Joint Support
It helps strengthen joints, reduce pain, and improve flexibility. One study found a noticeable improvement in patients with osteoarthritis², with similar results present in rheumatoid arthritis and athletes in high-impact sports in other studies.
3. Muscle Recovery
Studies have shown that collagen supports muscle repair markers, making it an incredible addition to post-workout recovery.³ It could not help stimulate muscle protein synthesis in addition to whey protein, but it could possibly provide help to get back within the gym quicker.
Conclusion
From cow/pig/fish to collagen powder, now you understand how the sausage is made. While not overly complicated, there still is an actual science to producing a top quality product each time.
The following time you see a collagen powder complement, you possibly can see how much work goes into getting that product on the shelves. Should you’ve been on the fence about adding collagen protein to your routine, you possibly can now be assured that the thorough production and testing process means that you simply’re getting a top-quality product.
Take a look at how other supplements are made:
- How Protein Powder Is Made
- How Creatine Is Made
- How Pre-Workout Is Made
References
- Pu, Szu-Yu, et al. “Effects of Oral Collagen for Skin Anti-Aging: A Systematic Review and Meta-Evaluation.” Nutrients, vol. 15, no. 9, 1 Jan. 2023, p. 2080, www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/9/2080, https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15092080.
- Martínez-Puig, Daniel, et al. “Collagen Supplementation for Joint Health: The Link between Composition and Scientific Knowledge.” Nutrients, vol. 15, no. 6, 1 Jan. 2023, p. 1332, www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/6/1332.
- Bischof, Kevin, et al. “Influence of Specific Collagen Peptides and 12-Week Concurrent Training on Recovery-Related Biomechanical Characteristics Following Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage—a Randomized Controlled Trial.” Frontiers in Nutrition, vol. 10, 16 Nov. 2023, p. 1266056, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10687431/, https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2023.1266056.
