There seems to be a lot of confusion surrounding the topic of hydrolyzed collagen, also commonly called collagen hydrolysate. This is especially true with regard to how it compares with a closely related food known as gelatin.
For example, I’ve had an increasing number of emails from people who have attempted to make homemade jello, mousse or similar recipes and inadvertently used hydrolyzed collagen instead of gelatin.
As a result, the recipe ended up being a total fail because hydrolyzed gelatin does not congeal liquids at all. This compares with a single tablespoon of gelatin which is enough to firmly set 2 cups of liquid.
This mistake is very easy to make because gelatin and hydrolyzed collagen look and taste almost exactly the same. This is due to a very similar amino acid profile.
Part of the confusion is a simple case of semantics. Let’s clear that up first.
The Many Names of Hydrolyzed Collagen
The names used to refer to hydrolyzed collagen are many. So that you don’t ever confuse it with its similar cousin, gelatin (aka collagen protein), and mess up a recipe (real food ingredients are expensive!), be sure to make a mental note of these commonly used aliases:
Common Names for Hydrolyzed Collagen
- Collagen hydrolysate
- Hydrolyzed gelatin
- Hydrolyzed gelatine (the UK and Australia)
- Hydrolyzed gelatin(e) collagen
- Collagen peptides
- Peptides
- Hydrolyzed Collagen Protein
- Hydrolyzed Collagen Peptides
Have you come across other nicknames for hydrolyzed collagen? If so, please let us know in the comments section.
What Exactly -IS- Hydrolyzed Collagen?
The benefits of gelatin as a traditional food are many. To start with, it has powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-aging qualities (vetted sources). It does an amazing job of helping to fill in the missing amino acids (the building blocks of proteins) in the diet. This is especially important if you don’t include much (or any) bone broth in your diet, are vegetarian, or have a lifestyle which makes it difficult to eat a balanced, ancestral diet that makes a point of prioritizing “nose to tail” eating (using the whole animal for food and not just the muscle meat) like traditional cultures frugally practiced out of necessity.
Gelatin has a unique amino acid profile, primarily consisting of glycine, glutamic acid, proline, and alanine. It is derived from the connective tissues of animals, either cattle, pigs or fish. In bovine gelatin, the collagen comes from the tissue just underneath the hair found on the hide of the animal.
Although the amino acids in gelatin are non-essential (meaning your body is able to make them), many nutritionally deficient and overly stressed people are not able to manufacture them in the amounts demanded by the body for optimal health. The liver needs an abundance of these amino acids to keep functioning at a high level, particularly to fuel detoxification which has the benefit of reducing inflammation.
As a food, hydrolyzed collagen is very similar to gelatin, but there are critical differences.
This is because the manufacturing of hydrolyzed collagen is more intensive than the processing of gelatin. Hydrolyzed collagen manufacturing breaks up the amino acid chains (protein) into smaller units than the processing of gelatin.
Thus, while the amino acid profiles and health benefits between hydrolyzed collagen and gelatin are similar, the chemical properties such as the ability to set liquid, are quite different. In addition, the digestibility of hydrolyzed collagen appears to be superior for some people due to the less complex structure.
Hydrolyzed Collagen in the Research
Consumer interest in hydrolyzed collagen has exploded in recent years due to a growing body of research that suggests it has powerful anti-aging properties for skin, bone, and joints.
It is well known that collagen is an important building block for the body’s connective tissues, helping them maintain strength and elasticity (1).
The Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry built upon this foundational research showing that when a person orally consumes collagen hydrolysates, blood levels of the peptide form significantly increased and reached maximum levels after 1-2 hours. After that, blood levels decreased to half of the maximum level 4 hours after ingestion (2).
Does this increase in blood levels of collagen peptides actually benefit connective tissues, however? Again, research suggests this is so. The Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology published a study where researchers demonstrated that the ingestion of collagen peptides beneficially affects the size and composition of collagen fibrils in the Achilles tendon thus potentially improving its mechanical properties (3).
What about bone health? Animal studies on collagen peptides suggest that oral consumption of hydrolyzed collagen may benefit bone health in both males and females even in a calcium-deficient state (4).
Another clinical study published in the periodical Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism examined the ingestion of 10 grams of collagen peptides per day for a period of 30-90 days. A positive effect on knee joint comfort was noted and the effect was even more pronounced in patients suffering more severe symptoms (5).
The most compelling research of all?
The journal Skin Pharmacology and Physiology published a “gold standard”, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in 2014 which demonstrated a causal relationship between a 12-week daily regimen of orally consumed hydrolyzed collagen and significantly improved skin elasticity, structure, and moisture (6).
This study gives concrete evidence as to the likely reason why ancestral peoples maintained such a youthful countenance into middle and old age. It wasn’t just less stress and lots of fat-soluble vitamins (especially vitamin K2) although this certainly helped. It was also at least partially due to the collagen in their diet from the traditional practice of nose to tail eating. This has been de-prioritized in the modern diet as the popularity of processed foods and a disposable, throw-away mentality steadily advanced since World War II.
Which Type of Hydrolyzed Collagen is Best?
There are two different types of hydrolyzed collagen currently on the market.
One type is derived from pasture-raised beef and the other from sustainable, wild-caught marine sources verified to be GMO-free.
I have tried both types of hydrolyzed collagen and can honestly say that I have a hard time telling the difference between them except for the slightly off white color of the pasture-raised peptides, which you can see in the picture above.
Quality Collagen is Tested for Purity
I’m going to give you a critical piece of advice when buying peptides.
Do not buy ANY brand unless it is tested for purity and glyphosate residue. I have personal knowledge of some collagen brands testing very high in glyphosate. Thus, making sure the one you use is certified pure is very important.
Please note that the brands I suggest are tested to ensure no toxic residues are present!
Using Peptides
Both the marine collagen and pasture-raised collagen peptides blend nicely in hot or cold foods like a smoothie, have a similar nutritional profile and digest very well.
It is very important to ONLY buy from brands that have independently tested and verified that their grass-fed collagen is free of glyphosate residue, a huge problem for these types of products that concentrate animal tissue.
Currently, only this brand is independently tested/verified to be residue-free.
Ultimately, the brand you choose to use in your home can be based on budget and food philosophy. If you are vegetarian, for example, you will likely prefer a marine sourced collagen peptide. This stuff is amazing … it has no fish smell. Even my daughter who is very averse to anything fishy tasting or smelling couldn’t tell the difference when I stirred some into a glass of fresh OJ.
As for me, I have both types of collagen hydrolysate in my pantry and rotate them.
Why?
Well, I don’t eat beef or fish 7 nights a week, and I would guess that your family probably doesn’t either. So why not use both of the available types of collagen peptides too if they are available?
Of course, I have no scientific basis for this personalized approach. It’s just what I do in my home, and I share that with you for what it’s worth.
The point is, hydrolyzed collagen is a beneficial food to health and incorporating it into your diet is helpful and supported by scientific research.
Contraindications
As with anything, remember not to get too carried away with hydrolyzed collagen if you choose to use it in your diet. It’s not a silver bullet for everything that ails you! Go slow when introducing your body to this wonderful food. Like with probiotics, kefir, kombucha and other traditional foods you may not be used to, adding too much too quickly can cause digestive issues like bloating or stomach ache.
If you’ve already tried hydrolyzed collagen, which type do you prefer, pasture-raised or marine? Can you tell a difference and how do you use it?
Did you actually recommend a brand of either type? I can’t find one in the article but you mention the brands you recommend in the purity testing section. Do you have a particular brand you recommend that is a non-GMO and relatively “pure” brand? Thanks
Yes, listed on my resources page. https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/resources/#6
My doctor recently prescribed collagen powder, but when I tried taking it as part of a bedtime tonic, I ended up with a migraine the next day. I repeated this a number of times, suspecting and eliminating other elements of the tonic, but finally arrived at the culprit. So, I started searching for information about hydrolyzed collagen powder. Apparently, in the hydrolization process, the glutamate amino acid is stripped of its normal “partners” and becomes free…free to inflame the GI tract, damage the immune system, disrupt glucose blood sugars, but worst of all, cross over the blood brain barrier causing accumulative damage….and migraines! This *free* glutamate is often called monosodium glutamate (MSG), and while manufacturers truthfully trumpet “No ADDED MSG” on their products, they know full well that MSG is present, because it was created during the intense processing. These popular hydrolyzed protein powders are especially dangerous due to their high levels of free glutamate and one of the reasons for the alarming decline of cognitive function, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in America. Even victims of autism are showing amazing results when free glutamates are removed from the diet. Dr. Russell Blaylock, a neurosurgeon wrote, Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills, highlighting his research findings. Naturally, his efforts to bring the truth to light has garnered him great hostility from those who want the information kept from the public. But isn’t that always the case?
I see no listing anywhere of Vital Proteins Marine Collagen being hydrolyzed. Not on their packaging nor on their website.
I would suggest giving the company a call. It is my understanding from talking to them in the past that the marine collagen is definitely hydrolyzed. It would not dissolve in cold liquids if it was not.
The Vital Proteins Marine Collagen doesn’t seem to be hydrolyzed. Doesn’t this limit its benefits?
It is hydrolyzed.
Sarah,
For bone and gut health after the age of 65, is it ok or safe to take both bone broth and hydrolyzed collagen in the same day? Or should you rotate them and just take one of them a day?
I frequently have bone broth at some point during the day and hydrolyzed college in a smoothie for breakfast. No worries! That is fine.
Sorry, forgot to mention I boil the fish bones and fins in the soaking water before I run them in the mixer…just get the water boiling and give it a few minutes…
Jon, Please clarify the word “mixer”, Do you mean Food Processor?. I am Greek and we make a Gelatin by boiling Pigs Feet w/ skin in very salted water and a LOT of Garlic cloves until cooked. Pour feet and liquid into bowls and refrigerate over night. It’s not the most appealing looking dish, but the salty garlicky gello and meat are so very tasty! I Wonder if Sarah can confirm this is a good way to make gelatin?
I should probably start to mention I’m a former chef with many yrs in many restaurants.
I make these stuff myself. I buy whole pork belly, which I like and use a lot. Take off the skin, and salt it a little bit and let it rest for some hrs. Then I boil it, first on stove and later in oven for around 2.5 hrs. Then let it cool off, normally during night, and day after heat it up again and run it in the mixer. Then you pour it in whatever you want to keep it in.
I also use whole fish a lot, most often cod. I normally eat the skin on the fillets, but the fins and the bones I salt and dry, after that you can keep them eternally.
I use it like this: I soak them over night, then run them in my mixer, and strain the liquid from not thoroughly mixed bones. This is a real glue, and it will gelatinize while it cools off.
I often mix these both together, the marine source and the bovine source, in a single gel. I eat this often, most everyday, often to breakfast, or before going to sleep. You can feel how good it is to your stomach, and how filling it is.
I don’t do this for looking young or beautiful, I do it for health benefits, I’m 65 yrs, and train quite a lot, and my body needs good collagen sources to be able to repair itself.
One thing I realized, when I noticed I started to like nibble on bone and cartilage, is that old people need this more than young people, and older people often tend to like stuff with more collagen, like pig feet, and sucking the cartilage out of a joint from a broth bone. There are always stories about what old people like to eat. My grand father, for instance, liked to eat pike skull. Now I understand why. We should respect what out bodies tries to tell us…
Rgrds Johan
Where do you purchase this?
Links to vetted brands are in the article.
Tammy, I have been using Puritan’s Pride products for over 20 years. I just realized most of their regular supplements are NOT non-GMO certified. They do have a lot of newer formulas that I really like and work well. I am going to write to them about getting their ‘home’ brand certified or I won’t be purchasing from them again. As they are over-all…I like them, but now I know better 🙂
Dear Sarah,
I am interested in purchasing Hydrolyzed Collagen. I was taking a Collagen supplement BIOCELL which has hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate in it as well. My skin got very dry and scaly which surprised me because the Hyaluronic acid is supposed to retain water to plump your skin . Is Collagen as effective without the HA and will the collagen supplement actually help with the anti aging process ? Its confusing…I actually thought yuou needed both supplements together to have any effects… Look forward to hearing back from you… :Laurel Russo
I would use only the recommended brands in this post which are vetted for quality and subjected to testing. Please don’t use any with additives even if marketed as healthy.