Unlock the Surprising Keto Collagen Benefits That Will Transform Your Health!

Collagen, derived from the Greek word “kólla” (glue) and the French “-gène” (something that produces), is the most abundant protein in the body, acting as the “glue” that holds us together and provides strength and integrity. Because of its unique amino acid composition, collagen provides many benefits. Collagen and the keto diet can be a match made in heaven for your low-carb lifestyle.

Understanding Collagen: Types and Formation

Collagen is found in every square foot of our bodies. There are several types of collagen, each with a unique structure and function:

Collagen I: The most abundant type, found in tendons, skin, bones, cartilage, connective tissue, and teeth. Type I collagen fibrils are incredibly strong and resist a lot of pressure without breaking.
Collagen II: Primarily found in cartilage.
Collagen III: Usually found alongside type I in muscles, organs, arteries, and reticular fiber (connective tissue that provides structure for the liver, adipose tissue, bone marrow, spleen, and more).
Collagen IV: Forms the basal lamina, a layer of the extracellular matrix (tissue that supports cells) underneath the epithelium.
Collagen X: Helps with new bone and articular cartilage formation and is involved in endochondral ossification (how bone tissue is created in mammals).

The main factor that sets each type of collagen apart is the peptides (amino acid chains) used to produce them. Collagen’s amino acid profile is unique because it contains more proline and glycine than any other protein. However, when you get sick or find yourself under stress your body will stop producing them.

The Formation Process

Procollagen is the precursor of collagen. Each amino acid sequence (peptide) is then processed in the endoplasmic reticulum of the cell, where they go through multiple changes that form a procollagen chain with loose ends, resembling a frayed rope. The procollagen chain is then sent to the Golgi apparatus (a vesicle in the collagen-forming cell), where oligosaccharides (complex carbs) are added. Once procollagen is out of the cell - in a place called the extracellular space - the loose ends of the procollagen chain are cut off.

Collagen formation can be thought of like assembling a rope made of 3 strands. Each strand is treated with chemicals to make them easier to bind together, they’re twisted together in a helix pattern and are left with frayed ends, which are quickly cut and sealed.

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Collagen vs. Other Proteins

Although collagen, meat, fish, whey, and casein are all proteins made up of amino acids, they don’t provoke the same responses in the body, because each protein is broken down into its amino acid components before it can be used.

Leucine, abundant in meat and dairy proteins, is a potent stimulator of insulin secretion and the activation of the IGF-1 and mTOR pathways. Methionine, abundant in meat and fish protein, can cause an increase in homocysteine levels in the blood. The effects that consuming too much leucine and methionine have on an inactive body may explain why red meat consumption has been found to be associated with cancer and heart disease in some studies. Meat consumption can be part of a healthy diet when we consume other amino acids that mitigate the effects that too much leucine and methionine can have on the body.

The Benefits of Collagen Supplementation

Research shows adequate collagen levels and collagen intake confers a multitude of benefits. The current literature indicates that a dose between ½ and 1 tablespoon of collagen hydrolysate is all you really need. The real and lasting benefits of collagen in your skin come from the inside out.

Skin Health: Collagen supplementation improves skin elasticity and hydration, reducing wrinkles and dryness.
Muscle Growth and Healing: Collagen is vital for the growth and healing of muscles. One study found that collagen supplementation in combination with resistance training increased fat-free mass and muscle strength while lowering fat mass in sarcopenic elderly men.
Tendon and Ligament Support: Tendons are 80% collagen, and collagen types I, II, III, V, and XI form the basic framework of tendons and ligaments.
Bone Health: Supplementing with a blend of calcitonin (a calcium derivative) and collagen provided better results in preventing bone collagen breakdown than calcitonin alone.
Eye Health: Type XVIII collagen is particularly important because it makes up your cornea, retina, and sclera (the white part of your eye).
Gut Health: Collagen helps us heal our gut and maintain gut health. When this barrier malfunctions, intestinal disorders can occur, including inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, leaky gut, and diarrhea. The promising effects that collagen has on our gut health explain why bone broth is known as a “gut healing tonic”.
Heart Health: As we age the collagen network in the heart naturally changes. This shift in collagen levels weakens and thins your heart’s wall, alters heart function, and changes the pressure in your arteries when the heart pumps blood.
Sleep Improvement: The best way to get these benefits (other than taking pure glycine powder) is by taking a collagen supplement with your dinner.
Mental Health: Whether or not these results translate to an overall improvement in mental health is uncertain.
Diabetes Management: Several animal studies indicate that glycine can help with diabetes and other metabolic disorders. One study, for example, found that glycine supplementation with 5 grams per day reduced glycated hemoglobin (A1C), a risk factor associated with poor blood glucose management in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Factors That Deplete Collagen Levels

Take collagen supplements (or supplement with the amino acids found in collagen).
High-sugar diet. Research reveals that glucose and fructose can prevent collagen from being used to repair skin while they also produce advanced glycation end products or “AGEs”. AGEs are toxic compounds that form when lipids or proteins are exposed to sugars, and they can trigger chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease.
Smoking causes early facial wrinkling and decreased wound healing because it slows down the synthesis of type I and type III collagen.
Excess sun exposure. Although sun exposure is necessary for improving our overall health, too much sun can cause a breakdown of collagen and shut down new collagen synthesis, making your skin weak and vulnerable.
Air pollution. Polluted air contains something called particulate matter (PMs), which are extremely small particles and droplets in the air that can be absorbed by your lungs and skin. Once absorbed in your skin, some particles may start to break down collagen, cause oxidative stress, and increase your risk of skin cancer.
Nutrient deficiency. A low intake of collagen-forming nutrients can lead to collagen deficiency. Getting adequate nutrition is key to preventing collagen breakdown and getting the benefits of this protein.

Boosting Collagen Production Through Diet

To prevent collagen breakdown and obtain its benefits, consume a healthy diet based on whole foods to get all the necessary building blocks for collagen. You will need roughly 20 amino acids to form collagen, and they can be found in protein-rich foods. However, these protein sources tend to be lower in glycine, which is one of the key amino acids needed for collagen formation (and for you to experience many of the benefits of dietary collagen). For this reason, it is best to include animal skin and/or bone broth into your daily diet. Both will contain plenty of glycine as well as the other amino acids your body needs to make collagen.

Vitamins and minerals, in particular, are essential for procollagen formation (the precursor of collagen):

Vitamin C: Arguably the most important vitamin when it comes to collagen synthesis.
Vitamin E.
Vitamin A.
Vitamin B6: Animal studies indicate that vitamin B6 participates in the first step of collagen maturation and in the synthesis of collagen peptide chains.
Vitamin B12: In animal studies, researches found that the synthesis of skin collagen was appreciably decreased in vitamin B12 deficient rat skins.
Calcium: Collagen requires calcium to form and preserve bone structure. This mineral is needed to produce the cells that synthesize collagen.
Omega 3s: These fatty acids help to regulate collagen levels, increasing and decreasing production when necessary by allowing for proper cell signaling.

Vitamins aren’t the only compounds that help boost collagen health, other phytochemicals are beneficial for collagen formation and protection as well. For more specific recommendations on exactly what foods you need to eat to meet your needs for the vitamins and minerals mentioned above, read through our keto guide to micronutrients. By meeting your micronutrient, omega-3, and amino acid needs, you will be able to get most of the benefits we spoke of earlier. However, don’t get the wrong idea - just because you are consuming collagen doesn’t mean your body will use it as collagen right away.

Types of Collagen Supplements

When you start looking for dietary collagen supplements, you will typically see the terms “collagen hydrolysate”, “hydrolyzed collagen” and “collagen peptides”. You may also come across another collagen-based supplement that is called gelatin.

To create gelatin, the collagen-rich animal tissues are boiled at a high pressure to partially break down the collagen molecules. The gelatin is then extracted, purified and dried. Unlike collagen supplements, no enzymes are used to create gelatin. This leaves the collagen in a semi-broken down state of amino acid chains that are longer than the chains found in the other types of collagen powder. Another difference between the two is that gelatin products become a thick gel when water is added to it, which makes it much more inconvenient to add to your diet. For these reasons, I recommend choosing collagen hydrolysate, hydrolyzed collagen, or collagen peptides over gelatin.

Bovine Collagen: This collagen is derived from the hide, bones, tendons, cartilage, and placenta of cows and other bovine. Studies have been conducted using this type of collagen specifically, and the researchers found that it can improve skin and bone health. Because of how much easier it is to get than other types of collagen, we recommend buying a bovine-based collagen supplement.
Pig Collagen: Pig collagen is similar to bovine collagen, except for the fact that it is much more similar to human skin.
Chicken Collagen: The reason why you don’t usually find chicken collagen as easily as bovine collagen is because of the risks of contamination from aviary diseases.
Marine Collagen: Marine collagen may include tissues from different marine animals including fishes, starfish, jellyfish, sponges, sea urchin, octopus, squid, cuttlefish, sea anemone, and prawn.

The Collagen Extraction Process

Collagen is extracted through a process called enzymatic hydrolysis.

Step #2 - Pretreatment: Removing non-collagenous pigments and proteins to increase the yield of collagen. This happens through an acid or alkaline process, depending on the tissue. The acidic process is used for fragile raw materials with less intertwined collagen fibers, such as pig and fish skins.

Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto

Typical Yield: If we started with 1 kg (2.2 lbs) of raw material, this process would make only 12g of bovine, pig, or chicken collagen. However, this doesn’t mean that all of that excess material will go to waste just to make your collagen supplement.

Choosing the Right Collagen Supplement

The best collagen powder available today is bovine collagen.
Research finds that grass-fed cows have higher beta-carotene (the plant-derived precursor of vitamin A) levels than grain-fed cows.
According to research, a dose of 10g of hydrolyzed collagen a day is good for skin, joint, and bone health (and this dose may provide you with some of the benefits of glycine as well).
Stay clear of any supplements that include gelatin, magnesium stearate, or sweeteners besides stevia or erythritol.
Some collagen supplements might contain other ingredients for added benefits and flavor, but you have to make sure they don’t impair ketone production.
High-quality flavored collagen products will only contain real foods like spices, powdered roots, and organic extracts.

Incorporating Collagen into Your Keto Diet

Once you have a high-quality collagen supplement, the next step is finding a way to take it. Fortunately, this is one of the easiest powders to incorporate into your diet because it can be added to almost any liquid and semi-solid meal. It blends in perfectly and you won’t taste it.

Coffee and Warm Drinks: Add a serving or two to your morning drink.
Keto Smoothies: Add a couple of servings to your daily smoothie.
Favorite Keto Drink: Mix it with your favorite keto drink.
Pre- and Post-Workout Shakes: Put it in your pre-workout and/or post-workout shakes.
Keto Soups, Condiments, and Sauces: Collagen will dissolve in almost anything that has water in it, especially when that substance is heated up.
Keto Recipes: When you are mixing the ingredients together, try adding a serving or two of collagen powder. Try doing this with keto bread, keto pancakes, or low-carb cookies.
Keto Ice Cream: Add it to your favorite keto ice cream before you freeze it.
Fat Bombs: As long as you use a fat/oil that doesn’t melt at room temperature as your primary fat bomb fat source, feel free to add some collagen for an extra protein boost.

10g per day seems to be the minimum effective dose. The best time to take collagen depends on how you feel when you take it and what your goals are. All collagen supplements are not compatible wi…

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