Lose It! — November 01, 2017

chicken drumsticks and chicken skin every day, but if
this doesn’t appeal to you, the fastest way to increase
collagen is by taking a good supplement.

Types of collagen
There are nearly 30 different types of collagen in the
body. The most common are:

• Type I: found in skin, muscles, hair, nails, tendons,
  bone, vascular ligatures and organs


• Type II: the main component of cartilage


• Type III: found with type I in all connective tissue.
  Types I and III occur together naturally in bovine
  collagen, which comes from the inner hide of the
  cow, as well as from cartilage and bone, and it’s the
  closest to what we make in our own bodies. It contains
  a high level of the amino acid proline, which plays a
  critical role in prompting the body to produce its own
  collagen. The other amino acids in it that do the heavy
  lifting are glycine, alanine and hydroxyproline.
  Type II, which is found in chicken collagen, should
  be taken separately from types I and III to ensure
  adequate absorption. It’s particularly helpful for joint
  problems, osteoarthritis, stiffness and joint pain.
  I recommend supplementing types I and III
  collagen from a grass-fed bovine source, and type II
  from chicken. The supplement should contain no
  preservatives, E numbers, added flavouring, or
  stabilisers – and it should be in powder form.
  Avoid fish collagen (sometimes called marine
  collagen) as you don’t know which kind of fish is used
  and there is the potential for allergic reactions. I’d also
  avoid porcine collagen, unless it’s from free-roaming
  pigs. I prefer to stick to bovine and chicken sources,
  and I’d rather eat eggs than use egg collagen.
  Because collagen is pure protein, there are no
  carbohydrates – taking a supplement won’t interfere
  with ketosis or stall weight loss. In fact, as a protein,
  it encourages weight loss. It’s also
  a ‘complete’ protein so it has all the
  essential amino acids. The supplement
  is soluble in both cold and hot liquids,
  so it’s versatile as you can bake with
  it or add it to hot or cold food. I stir
  mine into my morning coffee for extra
  creaminess because it’s tasteless.
  Many people are lactose or casein
  intolerant and can’t take whey
  protein powders. Collagen is the ideal
  substitute, but it’s not recommended
  for pregnant women due to the high
  levels of amino acids.

health

• Reduce fine lines and
  wrinkles, and slow
  their onset


• Improve the elasticity
  of the skin


• Increase skin
  hydration


• Reduce stretch marks
  and cellulite


• Improve weak
  nail beds and
  strengthen nails


• Thicken fine, thinning
  hair while slowing
  hair loss


• Improve circulation


• Increase muscle,
  tendon and
  ligament strength


• Improve the health of
  teeth and gums, eyes
  and blood vessels


• Balance hormones
  
  
  • Prevent or
    lessen cellulite
  
  
  • Promote deeper sleep
    
    
    • glycine increases
      serotonin, which
      improves sleep
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • Burn fat and
    build muscle while
    you sleep
  
  
  • Improve digestion
    and the health of
    the digestive tract
  
  
  • Increase wound-
    healing time
  
  
  • Provide excellent
    muscle recovery
    time pre and post
    workout, supporting
    tendons, ligaments
    and muscles
  
  
  • Build muscles and
    repair tissue
  
  
  • Boost metabolism
  
  
  
  

Benefits of collagen

supplementation

MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

I decided to experiment (secretly) with collagen around a year ago

to test the claims. My skin is smoother, my hair is thicker and I no

longer have back problems. I am generally healthy and I don’t have

aches or pains, but I broke my toe, I get bruises from my huge dogs

bashing into me, and I have a dodgy back from many

horse-riding falls as a teenager. The healing process

in each case was better than expected.

Initially, I bought grass-fed collagen from

Australia and the USA as the collagen available

locally was full of additives. I wanted to keep using

quality collagen, but I didn’t want to go broke on

the price of overseas products, so I decided to bring

in my own grass-fed collagen that met my high

standards. I have had excellent results across the

board, I’m pleased to say, and so have my clients.

There is no magic bullet, however. The benefits of

collagen come with time and regular use. Q

Collagen types I and III are generally

beneficial to bones, nails, hair and

skin, but more specifically fulfil

these functions:

RECIPE: PIA-ALEXA DUARTE. PHOTOGRAPHS: LIZA VAN DEVENTER, ANÈL VAN DER MERWE

Readers can order this special grass-fed bovine collagen via

http://www.sallyanncreed.co.za.