What's the Difference Between Bovine & Marine Collagen?
Described by our founder as “the glue that holds us together”, collagen makes up around 30% of your body’s total protein. Essential for keeping our bodies firm yet supple, it’s found in our skin, nails, hair and connective tissues, as well as in our bones, muscles and blood vessels.
Collagen loss is a natural part of the ageing process, and it happens particularly quickly for women going through the menopause. It’s frustrating, as collagen loss leads to tell-tale signs such as wrinkles and cellulite, but help is at hand. Collagen supplements are an effective way to make up what’s being lost, helping to smooth out fine lines and wrinkles as well as strengthening hair and nails and aiding joint repair.
The collagen you can buy in supplements like ours primarily comes from two main sources: bovine and marine. But what’s the difference, and is one better than the other? Let’s take a look in more detail and find out why we’ve chosen bovine collagen in our powerful formulations.
Is bovine actually better than marine collagen?
In practice, there actually isn’t a huge difference between bovine and marine collagen, and they both have benefits. As the names suggest, though, they’re derived from different sources. Collagen is found throughout the animal kingdom, not just in humans. Bovine collagen comes from cows. Marine collagen, on the other hand, comes from fish - mainly from the scales and bones.
Bovine collagen contains both type I and type III collagen - both of which are found extensively in the human body. Type I is the most abundant form and occurs mostly in your skin, hair and bones. It makes up 80-90% of your skin protein, as well as being found abundantly in your tendons and ligaments. Bovine collagen is easily absorbed by the body, as it's the closest form of collagen to that found in humans.
Type III collagen is found in your muscles, vessels and arteries and organs, including your gut. Because of that, it’s thought that bovine collagen is better for those who suffer from intestinal problems. It’s important in skin recovery, healing and elasticity, and that’s why it’s known as the ‘baby collagen’ thanks to the supple, youthful appearance it gives your skin. Not only that, but it’s also one of the key components of the extracellular matrix in your skin, as well as supporting your bone matrix, cardiovascular, gut and digestive health.
Marine collagen peptides primarily contain only type I collagen, meaning marine collagen benefits skin, hair and nails. It’s also absorbed quickly thanks to its smaller particles - and if your body finds it easy to digest, that means you feel the benefits quicker.
Why do we use bovine collagen in our Beauty Collagen?
Here at Proto-col, our Beauty Collagen supplements are made with bovine collagen, as bovine collagen peptides are the closest match to human DNA. We’ve been studying and using bovine collagen since 2003, and it wasn’t a decision we took lightly. We’ve spent the last 17 years researching which collagen delivers the best results for your skin and body, taking advice from leading physiologists, research facilities and scientists. With their help, we chose to use VERISOL B
® Bioactive Collagen Peptides® in our Beauty Collagen.
Bovine collagen shares some of the same characteristics as human collagen molecules, as we’re genetically closer to mammals than we are to fish. This similarity aids the bioavailability of bovine collagen - in other words, it’s easier for our bodies to use and absorb this collagen. Our bovine Beauty Collagen comes from the hides of German grass-fed cows, ensuring the best quality.
What's the science behind bovine collagen?
We’re committed to offering the very best collagen peptides - collagen supplements that can be firmly backed up by clinical trials - and that’s another reason why we’ve opted for bovine collagen for over two decades. Clinical studies into VERISOL B®, the bovine formulation used in our supplements, have consistently delivered impressive results.
The Bioactive Collagen Peptides® we use in our supplements are a composition of specific peptides targeted for particular physiological benefits. They’re derived from a highly controlled production process determined by hydrolysation conditions. Each one has its own specific molecular weight and stimulates collagen-producing cells in your body.
Scientifically proven to repair and restore levels of collagen in your body, our Bioactive Collagen Peptide® VERISOL B® in our Beauty Collagen has achieved results such as a 20% reduction in wrinkle volume, 15% increase in skin elasticity and even an 11% reduction in cellulite. With science like this to back it up, we’re confident in offering you a superb choice of bovine collagen supplements that do what they promise to do.
Getting started with bovine collagen peptides
Our collagen supplements come in many different forms, meaning it’s easy for you to start incorporating the many great benefits of bovine collagen into your daily routine. Try our easy-to-use daily sachets of Beauty Collagen if your target is a youthful complexion, stronger nails and thicker hair, with 10,000mg of collagen peptides, Hyaluronic acid plus your daily vitamins and minerals. Choose Complete Collagen if your target is an active body with 8,000mg of two collagen peptides. If you’d prefer your collagen in tablet form, try our Pure Collagen capsules and look forward to healthier skin, hair and nails.
Of course, collagen supplements don’t just help you achieve a younger appearance. They’re also great for supporting your joint health, lubricating your joints and keeping you mobile for longer. Again featuring bovine collagen, our Collagen Body and Joint supplement helps support an active lifestyle with optimised collagen peptides, while our Complete Joint Health contains both Joint+ and Osteo+ to help tackle joint pain and rebuild cartilage tissue.
Whatever your goal from starting on your collagen journey, you’ll find a scientifically backed collagen supplement to suit you at Proto-col. Find out more about the many benefits of collagen and have a browse of our quick guide to help you choose the best collagen supplements for your own health and beauty goals.
To recap:
