PART 1: What is collagen, how do you recognize a deficiency and what collagen types are there?

Nancy janssens
Sep 14
8 min read

Foreword

The knowledge shared here comes from highly qualified naturopaths who conduct extensive research. You can also watch their videos for more information on natural healing.

-Dr. Josh Axe

-Dr. Jordan Rubin

-Dr. David Jockers

-Dr. Ken Berry

-Dr. Eric Berg

-Dr. Alan Mandell

-Dr. Jin W. Sung

What is collagen

Collagen is made of amino acids

It is often called a 'complex protein' as it contains as many as 19 different amino acids.

These include a mix of both non-essential and essential types . It is a particularly good source of arginine, glutamine, glycine, and proline.

Collagen protein consists of three chains, wound together in a tight triple helix. Each chain is over 1,400 amino acids long.

Collagen is the most abundant protein in your body, making up about a third of its protein composition. 70% to 75% of your hair, nails, skin, bones, and intestinal lining are made of collagen. About 30% of the proteins in your body are collagen proteins.

Collagen is a structural protein. It forms connective fibers in tissues such as skin, ligaments, cartilage, bones, and teeth.

It also gives volume, shape and support to bones, blood vessels and organs such as the heart, kidneys and liver.

You can think of it as the "glue" that holds all these things together. In fact, the word comes from the Greek word "kólla ," which means glue.

Your body contains more collagen than calcium. Many people take calcium supplements because they think calcium strengthens their bones, but your bones contain several minerals and also need collagen.

Where in the body is collagen found?

Collagen is the most abundant protein in our body, especially collagen type 1.

It is found in:

-Bones

-Joints

-Tendons

-Ligaments

-Teeth

-Skin

-Nails

-Her

-Blood vessels

-Digestive system

-Intestinal walls

-Muscles

What causes collagen loss?

1- Growing older

As we age, we produce less collagen. Our body's collagen production naturally slows down as we age. We can recognize this degenerative process through signs of aging, such as wrinkles, sagging skin, and joint problems due to weaker or reduced cartilage.

You can definitely slow down this process by:

-Eat alkaline (plenty of vegetables and fruit)

-Nourishing your body with sufficient nutrients.

-Do strength training regularly

-By avoiding toxins as much as possible

And by consuming enough collagen. So you can follow a collagen diet.

-Eat enough healthy fats

-Eat enough pure proteins

Do an annual detox. Your skin will rejuvenate by detoxing a lot of waste from your body. Read our blogs about detoxing.

2-Because your diet doesn't contain collagen

Collagen isn't found in many foods, which is why many people have a collagen deficiency. You can eat foods that contain collagen, but you can also eat foods that boost your collagen. See the blog on collagen nutrition.

3-Too many toxins in your lifestyle

A lifestyle heavy on chemicals and synthetics robs you of your nutrients and fluids. Chemicals and synthetics are found in medications, vaccines, food, drinks, supplements, additives, sugar, hormone disruptors, and so on.

4-Water shortage

Dehydration prevents toxins from being properly removed and nutrients from being absorbed. Dehydration also makes it difficult to produce collagen. Avoid drinks that dehydrate your body, such as sugary drinks, excessive coffee, energy drinks, alcohol, etc.

Preferably drink organic coffee. It doesn't contain pesticides. Drink coffee in moderation. Drink plenty of water, vegetable smoothies, fruit contains a lot of water, herbal tea, etc.

5- Nutrient deficiency

For example, Vitamin C contributes to the formation of collagen.

Antioxidants play a protective role against free radical damage. They also support the formation and absorption of collagen in various tissues. The most important antioxidant is vitamin C.

Coenzyme Q10 and vitamin E are also important players.

6-Chronic stress

Chronic stress produces large amounts of acid, which damages tissues and cells. Chronic stress causes all the cells in your body to function more slowly.

7-Combination of different causes

It has been found that collagen related diseases usually arise from a combination of low collagen food intake, nutritional deficiencies, toxins and digestive problems that affect the production (synthesis) of the protein.

MYTH: The sun does NOT cause collagen loss!!!

Collagen loss has to do with your diet.

The idea that you lose collagen from the sun is a pharmaceutical industry myth, designed to make you avoid the sun. Avoiding the sun leads to vitamin D and light deficiencies.

Vitamin D and light deficiency cause all sorts of chronic conditions. There's a lot of money to be made in pharmaceuticals. We actually need the sun and light.

These symptoms indicate that you have a collagen deficiency

Bones and joints

-Hernia

-Joint pain

-Weakened bone

-Back, shoulder, neck and knee pain

-Problems with the vertebrae (vertebrae are made of collagen, so there is a shortage of collagen

gives spinal pain)

-Stiffness when walking

-Stiff joints and stiff muscles (Stiff posture)

-To be bent or crooked

-Osteoarthritis

-Osteoporosis

-Regular injuries

Skin/hair/nails

-More wrinkles

-Face looks more tired and ages faster

-Skin spots

-Weakened nails

-Thinning hair

NOTE: Conventional doctors like to tell patients that their joints or bones are worn out and that they can't do anything about it anymore. They're given pills for the rest of their lives. People copy these terms blindly. Then people say, "The doctor said my knee is worn out."

Conventional doctors haven't learned anything about nutrients and toxins. That's been said enough and proven. If you don't know about vitamins and minerals, how can you know something is worn out? Conventional doctors never look for the cause. A naturopath will never say something is worn out; they're more likely to look for the cause.

Watch two videos where doctors admit they don't learn anything about nutrients and nutrition.

See video 1 on Rumble

See video 2 on Rumble

Jordan Rubin (naturopath) says: My grandmother made roasted chicken with the skin still on. And she gnawed on the bones she used in her dishes. If you didn't eat those bones, you didn't eat, she always said.

We're now eating less collagen and making fewer dishes with it. As a result, our health is suffering both internally and externally.

Why our ancestors ate more collagen and were less deficient.

Our ancestors consumed a lot of collagen as a natural way of life, because earlier traditional diets included whole animals. Simply put, they ate a lot of animal parts, such as skin, tendons, and ligaments, which we now typically avoid or discard.

In the past she didn't throw away the bone, she boiled the bone in water with vegetables and so they had a bone broth soup that was rich in collagen.

Since extensive research on collagen has been conducted, it's been discovered that people no longer eat collagen, and that we therefore have a massive deficiency. Never before has a generation eaten so little collagen. Our ancestors instinctively knew how to keep their bodies healthy.

That's why bone broth soup is making a comeback. You can make it fresh, or you can also buy bone broth powder these days.

Dr. Josh Axe (naturopath) has done a lot of research on collagen and even wrote a book about it: "Collagen Diet".

He's also designed his own line of collagen supplements. It's 100% natural and free of any toxins. There are many collagen supplements on the market, but I recommend this doctor's because he specializes in them.

You can buy his bone broth and collagen powder via this link.

See Dr. Josh Axe's webshop

Supermarkets process meat with all sorts of toxic substances, and they even remove the skin from chicken and fish. But the skin actually contains a lot of collagen. Therefore, buy your fish fresh at the fish market or fishmonger. Get your meat from your local farmer or organic store, or buy it HALAL.

Why Vitamin C is Important for Collagen.

Collagen is produced by specialized cells called fibroblasts. These cells are capable of incorporating amino acids into the distinct strands that make up this molecule.

The primary amino acids found in collagen are glycine, lysine, and proline, which account for approximately 50% of its amino acid content. Lysine and proline are converted into hydroxylysine and hydroxyproline before being incorporated into the structure.

Vitamin C is required for this important conversion. Additional amino acids involved in the process include arginine, leucine, glutamine, and tyrosine. See article

Collagen types

There are said to be 28 types of collagen. See article

There are at least sixteen different types of collagen in the human body. The most common types are Type I, II, III, IV, V, and X.

Type I is made of eosinophilic fibers. Over 90% of the collagen in the human body is Type I.

According to some findings, type 1 collagen specifically accounts for nearly 90 percent of the body's stores. There are also different types of collagen found in certain foods or used to make collagen products and supplements.

Different collagen types:

Type 1/Type I:

This is by far the most abundant and considered the strongest type of collagen found in the human body. It consists of eosinophilic fibers that form parts of the body, including tendons, ligaments, organs, and skin (dermis).

Type 1 collagen also helps form bones and can be found in the gastrointestinal tract. It's crucial for wound healing, making the skin stretchy and elastic, and holding the tissue together to prevent tearing.

Type 2/Type II:

Type 2 collagen primarily helps build cartilage, which is found in connective tissues. The health of our joints depends on cartilage made from type 2 collagen.

So, collagen type 2 is beneficial in preventing joint pain or various symptoms of arthritis.

Type 3/Type III:

Type 3 collagen is made of reticular fibers and is a key component of the extracellular matrix that makes up our organs and skin. It's most commonly found in type 1 collagen and helps give skin elasticity and firmness. It also forms blood vessels and tissue in the heart.

For these reasons, a deficiency of type 3 collagen has been linked to an increased risk of ruptured blood vessels and even premature death, according to the results of certain animal studies. See article

Type 4/Type IV:

Type 4 collagen plays a crucial role in forming the basal lamina, which is found in endothelial cells that form the tissue surrounding organs, muscles, and fat. The basal lamina is essential for various nerve and blood vessel functions. It lines most of our digestive organs and respiratory surfaces.

The basal lamina is located in the spaces between the top layer of skin/tissue and the deepest layer. It is a thin, gel-like fluid that provides cushioning for the tissue above.

Type 5/Type V:

This type is needed to make the surface of cells, as well as hair strands and tissue in women's placentas.

Type 10/Type X:

Type 10 helps with the formation of new bone and articular cartilage. It is involved in the process of endochondral ossification, the way bone tissue is formed in mammals. It has been shown to be beneficial for the healing of bone fractures and the repair of synovial joints.

Dosage and use of collagen

If you are looking for an oral collagen supplement, choose a hydrolyzed collagen peptide product.

Look for terms like "collagen peptides," "collagen hydrolysate," or "hydrolyzed collagen" on your supplement's ingredients label to make sure you're getting the real deal.

Some sell types 1 and 2 together, while others sell a mix of different types. It's ideal to choose a mix of different collagen types.

Dose of collagen

Research has shown that adults can safely consume between 2.5 and 15 grams of collagen per day. Many people take 1-2 tablespoons of collagen powder per day. You should weigh a tablespoon yourself.

Taste

Collagen is nearly odorless and tasteless.

You can mix collagen in

-Water

-Smoothie

-herbal tea

-coffee

-Protein shake

-Soup (add at the very end. Do not boil)

We sell fish collagen (types 1 and 3) in the Healthy World News webshop. See webshop .