Collagen
Collagen is a special protein that comprises about one-third of our body's protein and is essential for skin, nails, joints, and connective tissue. Studies show that collagen supplementation demonstrably leads to more beautiful skin and improved joint function.
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Collagen is a blessing. Dietary collagen, that is.
This also reveals how impoverished discussions about «too much meat» have become in Switzerland. Yes, if it means «too much muscle meat,» «meat in overproduction,» or «too much consumption of low-quality meat,» we're on board. But in the current narrative, it seems that meat per se, nowadays completely without nuance, is portrayed as bad for the body and bad for the environment. Why this thinking falls short, we explain frequently in our blog and on Instagram. Stop by sometime (@edubily).
Today, we want to briefly and clearly explain why our ancestors cooked bone broth, ate aspic, or spooned up «jelly dessert.» Humans and their direct ancestors have eaten meat for three million years – and since humans began eating meat, they haven't only eaten muscle meat and thrown away the rest. They process essentially the whole animal, from head to tail, «nose to tail.» Accordingly, we can assume that humans, since becoming human, have consumed a substantial amount of collagenous protein.
For those who don't know: collagen is a special protein. Approximately one-third of all body protein consists of collagen. Incredible numbers. It must be important. It's immediately obvious to us why: skin, nails, cartilage, joints, teeth, bones, connective tissue in general – in short, everything that holds us together and makes our function possible – consists of collagen, this special protein. What makes it so special is stability combined with elasticity. Depending on the type of collagen in the body – there are a remarkable 28 different collagen types in the body – these two factors vary. What all collagenous proteins in the body have in common is that they consist primarily of the amino acid glycine (30%), usually arranged together with proline and hydroxyproline.
Glycine, then. We've been writing about this wonder amino acid since we started the blog in 2014. Biochemical calculations show that we cannot produce this amino acid in sufficient quantities ourselves. We do produce small amounts, but ...
«From synthesis, approximately 3 g per day, together with the amount available from food in the range of 1.5–3 g per day, the amount needed for all metabolic purposes, including collagen synthesis, can fall significantly short of what a 70 kg person requires, up to 10 g per day.»
That means a healthy 70 kg person (similar to the average weight in Switzerland) might need up to an additional 10 g of glycine per day. This 5–10 g extra can be obtained with a heaping teaspoon of Glycine (tastes sweet), stirred into coffee, or via a large serving of collagen hydrolysate powder. Our ancestors did this in a somewhat more roundabout way, but essentially consumed collagen. This has a major advantage over glycine as a single amino acid: here we have collagen peptides, short-chain collagen fragments.
Whenever these flow into the bloodstream, cells that need to build connective tissue understand that they need to step up their game.
Result: for example, more beautiful skin. Everyone understands that. If the professor is in the mood, he'll explain in one of his first lectures that smokers get more wrinkles because they damage the collagen under their skin. Aha. So theoretically, couldn't we ensure that overall skin appearance improves? That joints function better again? That we look «firmer,» more youthful? Let's listen to what current, large studies say:
Collagen powder is thus possibly the first and only product that truly delivers on the frequently heard advertising promise «improves skin appearance.» There is indeed a sufficient and robust scientific foundation, which should result in everyone having such a powder at home – and if you're vegan, you'll need to fall back on glycine. In any case, collagen and glycine will keep our musculoskeletal system and appearance fresher and ensure that things look better inside the body too.
