Page 26 - WA_Lifestyle_02/20

NEOLIFE Lifestyle SCIENCE & PRODUCTS
COLLAGEN
PROTEIN
vs
NeoLifeShake
By John Miller
SAB Director, Product Technologist, Researcher
It never ceases to amaze me the way certain nutritional things seem to come out of nowhere every year or so, and promise answers to questions you didn’t even know you had. And
every time a whole bunch of internet users (often the same ones each time) get on its bandwagon promoting it for a wide array of amazing things.
To me, collagen protein fits that descriptor perfectly. There seem to be hundreds of products where few to none existed before. That always makes me wonder. What is it and why would I want it? Is there some new magic about it? Is there some previously unknown component or exciting new research that drives all this interest?
Well, let’s take a look at this stuff and then you decide.
WHAT IS COLLAGEN?
Collagen is a “connective tissue” material in your body. It’s found in your bones, joints, tendons, ligaments, skin, hair and fingernails. It sort of holds everything together, providing flexibility and elasticity.
The word “collagen” is derived from the Greek word “kólla” meaning “glue.” It refers to a time when boiling the connective tissue or the hide of animals was the process by which glue was made. (You might remember the old folk tale about sending the old farm horses to the glue factory when they could no longer work. It was actually more truth than tale). Essentially the same process is used today to extract the collagen; they just don’t make glue out of it anymore.
There are (currently) 28 different types of collagen that we know of. They are divided into a few different groups based upon the structure they are involved in.
The 5 most common are:
Type I – from skin, tendons, organs and bone
Type II – from cartilage
Type III – from organs such as in the liver or lymphatic system
Type IV – from the membranes between the skin and the underlying tissue
Type V – from cell surfaces, hair and placenta
WHAT IS COLLAGEN PROTEIN?
Collagen protein is an animal derived protein. It is literally the protein portion of collagen. In our body it is the primary component of all tissues including skin, the main structural protein of bone, cartilage and tendons. It actually accounts for 25 to 30% of the total protein content within the human body. It is synthesised in the body primarily from a group of four (4) amino acids; glycine, proline, hydroxyproline and alanine, plus vitamin C, zinc and copper and the action of several enzymes.
WHERE DO COLLAGEN PROTEINS COME FROM?
The vast majority of collagen protein on the market comes from the skin, connective tissues (cartilage, tendons, and ligaments), hair and bones of animals. Some comes from eggshell membrane and chicken feet and even fish skin. These sources are usually considered the waste products of the animal based food industry. That doesn’t make them bad, but it is worth knowing.
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According to WebMD1, some types of collagen have known adverse side effects when ingested. For example, type II collagen reported side effects including stomach problems, headache, dizziness, sleep disturbances and hepatic (liver) dysfunction.