If you are like me and are new to Collagen or thinking about adding collagen to your nutrition routine, you’re off to a great start.  I have been learning that this supplement can have tons of benefits for your hair, skin, nails, and joints. Here are the key factors you should be looking for in a collagen supplement and how you can get the most out of it.

A Complete Collagen Product

There are 9 essential amino acids (phenylalanine, valine, tryptophan, threonine, isoleucine, methionine, histidine, leucine, and lysine) that your body needs to support protein synthesis. These are important building blocks for all proteins, including collagen. Collagen itself has only 8 essential amino acids, which is why it’s important to find a collagen product with all nine. For example, Collagen-9 is a blend of collagen and pea protein to create the most complete collagen product.

Collagen Types I and III

There are at least 28 types of collagen, but the most abundant is type I. It is found in your skin, joints, bones, tendons, and all over your body. If you’re using a collagen supplement in your skin care routine, this is a big thing to look for as type I collagen helps maintain healthy skin.* Type III is another collagen protein found in your skin that decreases with age. So you’ll want both type I and type III in your collagen supplement.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is already a key antioxidant in skin care routines, but the fact is your body can’t effectively produce collagen without it. Vitamin C aids in collagen synthesis and helps protect the body from damage caused by free radicals.* Your body can’t produce vitamin C on its own, so you’ll need it either in your diet or your supplement.

Biotin

Also known as vitamin B7, biotin is another key nutrient that can help support healthy hair, skin, and nails.* Also, biotin deficiency has been shown to lead to hair loss and skin and nail problems. So make sure your collagen supplement has this one.

Grass-Fed Source

Most collagen supplements have collagen that comes from animals, so it’s best to choose a product that is sourced humanely and sustainably. For collagen with a bovine source, choose one that is grass fed and pasture raised. This means that the animal was raised humanely and fed only grass so that it’s as close to their natural diet as possible.

Looking for something that checks all the boxes?

If you’re still looking for a complete collagen product that’s sustainably sourced and contains the key nutrients above, we recommend Collagen-9. This supplement gets its name by having all 9 essential amino acids. With 10 g of collagen per serving, 100% DV of vitamin C and biotin, and 100% hydrolyzed collagen for quicker digestion and absorption*, Collagen-9 might be one of the best things you add to your nutrition routine.

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