Marine collagen falls under Type 1 collagen, the most abundant form of collagen, and is responsible for minimising fine lines and wrinkles.
Ageing is a certainty that no one can escape. After birth, an average person goes through the different stages of life -childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and finally, old age. The cumulation of every year lived accounts for ageing, and while that is natural and beyond one’s control, how one ages can still be managed. The first signs of ageing are noticeable in fine lines and wrinkles on the face. We often witness small, slight creases, commonly known as laughter lines or crow’s feet at the outer corners of the eyes. We all age differently, and the way we age has a lot to do with our genes and lifestyle. But is there a solution to slowing down ageing? Yes, marine collagen.
What is Marine Collagen?
Marine collagen falls under Type 1 collagen, the most abundant form of collagen, and is responsible for minimising fine lines and wrinkles. It is obtained from fish collagen peptides as is perhaps the highest and most bioavailable source of collagen available in the market compared to bovine collagen and collagen builders. But before we delve deeper into the benefits of marine collagen, let’s explore what collagen is and why it is essential.
Collagen is a protein that glues and gives your tissues structure, texture, and rigidity. It strengthens your bones and muscles and brings elasticity and natural skin through Skin Fuel.
Most people may not know that as we age, our body starts losing nearly 1.5% of its natural collagen from our early twenties.
Given its importance for the body, one needs to start consuming collagen-rich foods or supplements to ensure unhindered overall well-being.
Why Choose Marine Collagen?
Now that we have established why it’s crucial to consume collagen daily, let’s look at which collagen to opt for. The most common collagen supplements are marine collagen peptides, bovine collagen, and plant-based collagen.
- Marine collagen is usually Type 1 collagen derived from fishes, whereas bovine collagen is both Type 1 and Type 3 collagen sourced from cowhides. Plant-based collagen is mostly collagen builders that contain vitamins and herbs, which aid in collagen production in the body. On their own, they have no collagen.
- Marine collagen is considered at least 1.5 times more bioavailable and soluble than bovine collagen, thereby stating that they are the most effective collagen peptides. The main reason behind this is that marine collagen has minuscule protein particles and can be easily digested. As far as collagen builders are concerned, marine collagen is nearly 25 times more effective than them.
- Marine collagen is primarily Type 1 collagen, the most effective form of collagen for skin. On the other hand, Bovine collagen tends to be both Type 1 and Type 3 collagen. They are more effective when it comes to improving joint health, whereas marine collagen is more effective when it comes to skin, nail, and hair health. Collagen builders have the least efficacy rate compared to the other two types of collagen.
- If your diet preferences are more plant-based than meat, then marine collagen may work for you. They are free of harmful antibiotics and GMO feed and are as friendly to the environment as they are to your body. They are usually sourced from wild-caught fish scales and skin, which is non-GMO and preferable for those who don’t consume gluten and dairy. One can’t be too sure of the sourcing methods of bovine collagen, and they can be pretty environmentally-degrading.
Given that marine collagen is the most effective form of collagen for slowing down skin aging, let’s look at how it helps enhance skin health.
- Youthful Skin: Marine collagen helps maintain skin youthfulness, glow, elasticity. Research shows that marine collagen restores skin collagen and elastin protein fibres and enables the outer layer of the skin to thicken, thereby reducing early signs of ageing.
- Improves skin hydration: Marine collagen supplementation also helps skin hydration and firmness by promoting the production of other proteins like elastin and fibrillin that give the skin some structure.
- Reduces early signs of ageing: Marine collagen helps to diminish early signs of ageing like wrinkles, fine lines, and dark spots. This they do by replenishing the collagen levels in the body and by stimulating elastin protein fibers that keep the skin looking fresh and hydrated by removing all early signs of ageing.
- Other health benefits: Marine collagen peptides also contain amino acids that help with the keratin production that aid in hair growth, strengthen hair follicles, prevent hair damage and age-related hair loss. It also helps prevent brittle nails, reducing breakage and encouraging the development of strong nails. Furthermore, it enhances bone and joint health by reducing inflammation and stiffness and lowering bone loss caused due to age-related collagen depletion. It also encourages faster recovery after sport, exercise, injury, and surgery.
So Which Marine Collagen Supplement Should We Opt For?
While selecting a marine collagen supplement, go for one that has the following features:
- Use marine collagen supplements of both Type 1 and Type 3 to take care of your skin, hair, nail, bone, and joint health.
- Go for the marine collagen supplement derived from wild fish as they often are more nutritious and free of damaging antibiotics and GMO feed that are harmful to the body. Preferably go for Platinum Grade Korean Marine Collagen Peptides sourced from Korean wild-caught fishes like Cod, Pollock, and Haddock, which are rich sources of collagen.
- Go for a supplement that’s hydrolyzed to a low 3000 Dalton molecular weight so that they are more bioavailable and soluble, ensuring better absorption and efficacy.
- While you get many flavoured ones in the market, go for the one that’s tasteless and odourless so that you can mix it with your daily coffee, smoothies, yogurt, or breakfast cereal, among other things.
- Lastly, if the product you’re going for is gluten-free, sugar-free, USDA organic, and GMP-certified, then it’s just a bonus.
