Collagen Absorption and Bioavailability: Why It Works Better with Vitamin C

 

“It’s not just about taking collagen. It’s about how your body uses it.”

What does collagen do?

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body and helps to provide structure, strength and elasticity to connective tissue - including your skin, joints and tendons. It also provides vital amino acids (such as keratin) which form the building blocks for hair and nail health. Collagen essentially acts as a glue supporting the body’s integrity and structure - which not only affects its appearance but also its strength and resilience. In the body it does different things depending on the target tissue:

Skin
Provides the scaffolding for the middle layers of the skin, also called the dermis, which supports skin firmness, elasticity and hydration

Joints and Bones
Provides structural framework for bones supporting their strength, whilst also providing a shock absorbing matrix for cartilage which is the connective tissue surrounding joints

Hair
Supports scalp and follicle health by providing essential amino acids and maintaining skin elasticity

Nails
Provides essential amino acids for nail health plus also strengthens the nail matrix

What is bioavailability?

Bioavailability is a scientific term which essentially measures the rate and degree at which a substance—such as a drug, vitamin, or nutrient—enters your bloodstream and becomes available for your body to use or for it to reach its target tissue or cell . This is important because, when you are assessing the effectiveness of a nutrient, you want to be sure it’s in its most available form for your body to see the benefit. High bioavailability ensures maximum nutrient uptake. 

 

Why collagen peptides matter

Collagen peptides are essentially chains of collagen particles. The size of the peptide chains are measured in Daltons and many collagen supplements have Dalton weights in the thousands, which means they are made up of very long chains of peptides. The problem with higher Dalton weight collagen peptides, is they simply can’t pass through the gut wall effectively in order for the body to absorb them; so the benefits can be limited. 

Smaller molecular weight means smaller chains and therefore higher bioavailability, allowing the body to absorb and utilise the collagen more efficiently. And research confirms that the optimal ratio for absorption and retention of collagen peptides is 500 Daltons. At this molecular weight, the collagen is formed of dipeptides and tripeptides and pass through the gut intact and are bioactive at a cellular level within minutes of consuming. Whereas collagen peptides of a higher molecular weight can take much longer to be absorbed and are much less bioavailable. This optimal 500 Dalton weight is one of the hero ingredients in our Collagen 500 Plus. 

Why Vitamin C is important

Vitamin C has a very special relationship with collagen in a number of ways:

Collagen Production - Vitamin C is a vital co-factor for collagen synthesis - which means your body’s ability to produce collagen. Vitamin C stimulates certain skin cells called fibroblasts to produce new collagen. 

Collagen stability - It also activates an enzyme involved in linking collagen amino acids together, acting like a glue for the collagen fibres. Without Vitamin C the collagen fibres are less stable

Prevents damage - Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant which helps to prevent cellular damage, helping to reduce the breakdown or degradation of both newly formed and existing collagen. 

Supporting collagen naturally

There are many ways to support your natural collagen production through food but two of the most important include:

Increasing your intake of Vitamin C rich foods including - berries, kiwis, citrus fruits, bells peppers and broccoli. Aim for a few servings per day. 

Eating collagen rich protein sources including eggs, bone broths, chicken (particularly chicken thighs), fish with the skin on (collagen is found in the skin, bones, and scales of fish). Make sure to eat collagen rich proteins on a daily basis. 

Serving suggestions:

Berry pancakes (eggs for collagen, berries for Vit C)

Chicken bone broth with broccoli (bone broth and chicken for collagen, broccoli for Vitamin C

Skin on roasted salmon and red pepper tray bake 

Want to learn more about Collagen or any of our supplements. Lean on our expert nutritional therapists for one-to-one advice, whenever you need it. No cost, no catch, just honest nutritional advice, from us to you.