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Collagen · Structural Integrity · Pillar 02
The Five Types of Collagen and How to Read a Collagen Label
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body, and it is not a single molecule. It is a family of related proteins, each built from a triple helix and each concentrated in different tissues. Which types a collagen powder contains follows directly from which food sources it was made from, which is why the source list on a label carries more information than the front of the pack.
What Collagen Is
Collagen is a structural protein found throughout the human body. It occurs in skin, bone, cartilage, tendon, ligament, blood vessel walls, and the connective tissue that surrounds organs and muscle. Its defining feature is its shape: three protein chains wound around one another into a triple helix, a geometry that allows individual molecules to assemble into larger fibrils and networks.
Because collagen is distributed so widely, it is more accurate to think of it as a construction material the body uses in several different formats than as a single ingredient. The same underlying chemistry appears in the cornea, in the load-bearing matrix of bone, and in the flexible cushion of a joint. What changes between those tissues is which collagen type is present and how it is arranged. That relationship is explored further in Codeage's guide to collagen and the architecture of the body.
How Many Types of Collagen Are There
A review published in Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology describes the collagen family as comprising 28 members, each containing at least one triple-helical domain. Most are deposited in the extracellular matrix, where they form supramolecular assemblies, and some have a restricted tissue distribution rather than appearing throughout the body.
Ricard-Blum, S. The Collagen Family. Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology, 2011;3(1):a004978. This research was independent and did not involve the specific Codeage product.
Of those 28, a smaller group accounts for most of the collagen present in the human body by mass, and a smaller group still is what appears on the labels of collagen supplements. The five below are the types most commonly named on a multi source collagen label. For a closer look at the three most abundant, see what sets Type I, II, and III apart.
Type I collagen
The most abundant collagen in the body. It is concentrated in skin, bone, tendon, and ligament, where it forms densely packed fibrils. Bovine hide and marine sources are both associated with Type I.
Type II collagen
The predominant collagen of cartilage, where it forms a network within a hydrated matrix. Chicken-derived sources, including chicken bone broth and chicken sternal cartilage, are associated with Type II.
Type III collagen
Found alongside Type I in skin, blood vessels, and the walls of hollow organs. It tends to be present in tissues that accommodate stretch as well as tension.
Type V collagen
Present in smaller quantities and associated with the assembly of Type I fibrils, as well as with placental tissue and the cornea. Eggshell membrane is associated with Type V.
Type X collagen
Associated with cartilage undergoing mineralization, the process by which cartilage becomes bone during growth. Eggshell membrane is also associated with Type X.
What Hydrolyzed Collagen Peptides Are
Whole collagen molecules are large, and in that state they dissolve poorly in liquid. Hydrolysis is a processing step that breaks collagen into shorter chains, called peptides. The result is a powder that disperses in hot or cold liquid rather than clumping on the surface, which is why almost every collagen powder sold as a drink mix is hydrolyzed.
Hydrolysis is also the form that has been studied most directly in humans. In one study, researchers gave volunteers gelatin hydrolysates derived from porcine skin, chicken feet, and cartilage, then measured their blood. Collagen-derived peptides containing hydroxyproline appeared in plasma after ingestion, reaching a maximum after one to two hours, with proline-hydroxyproline identified as the major constituent.
Iwai, K. et al. Identification of Food-Derived Collagen Peptides in Human Blood after Oral Ingestion of Gelatin Hydrolysates. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2005;53(16):6531-6536. This research was independent and did not involve the specific Codeage product.
Terminology on labels varies. Collagen peptides, hydrolyzed collagen, and collagen hydrolysate all describe collagen that has been broken into shorter chains. Gelatin describes collagen that has been denatured but not hydrolyzed, which is why gelatin sets into a gel and collagen peptides do not.
How Collagen Changes With Age
The relationship between collagen and age has been measured directly. In a study of forearm skin in a large group of subjects, researchers reported that skin collagen decreased with age, and was lower in females at all ages measured, alongside a direct relationship between skin collagen content and dermal thickness.
Shuster, S., Black, M.M., McVitie, E. The influence of age and sex on skin thickness, skin collagen and density. British Journal of Dermatology, 1975;93(6):639-643. This research was independent and did not involve the specific Codeage product.
Dietary collagen is not the only variable in the body's own collagen synthesis. Vitamin C functions as a cofactor in the enzymatic steps that hydroxylate proline and lysine residues during collagen formation, which is why the two are frequently formulated together and frequently discussed together. That relationship is covered in Codeage's guide to vitamin C and collagen synthesis.
How to Read a Collagen Powder Label
Four things on a collagen label carry more information than the front-of-pack copy, and all four can be verified in under a minute.
Whether the sources are named
A label may list collagen peptides without saying what the collagen was derived from. A label may instead name each source: bovine, marine, chicken, eggshell membrane. Named sources are what let you infer which collagen types are present, because type follows source. Source terminology carries its own definitions, which Codeage's guide to grass-fed and pasture-raised terms sets out.
Whether the collagen is hydrolyzed
Look for the words hydrolyzed, collagen peptides, or collagen hydrolysate. This determines how the powder behaves in liquid, and it is the form used in the human absorption research described above.
Servings per container, not container size
Container weight and serving count are different numbers. A container weight tells you nothing on its own until you divide it by the scoop size. Servings per container is the figure that tells you how long a daily habit will last.
Whether verification is independent
In-house testing and independent certification are different things. A certification mark from an outside organization indicates that a third party has assessed the product against a published standard, rather than the manufacturer assessing itself.
Codeage Multi Collagen Peptides at a Glance
Codeage Multi Collagen Peptides is a hydrolyzed collagen powder formulated from five food sources so that five collagen types are represented in one scoop. The details below are drawn from the product's Supplement Facts panel and ingredient list.
NSF certified and third-party tested
A closer breakdown of how the five sources map to the five types is set out in a body of many collagens. Collagen sits within Structural Integrity, the second pillar of The Longevity Code. The full Supplement Facts panel is on the Multi Collagen Peptides product page.
How to Use Collagen Peptides
One scoop mixed into liquid is the standard serving format. Because the powder is hydrolyzed and unflavored, it disperses in coffee, tea, water, smoothies, broths, and batters without contributing a flavor of its own, and it does not require a blender to dissolve.
Timing is a matter of habit rather than a matter of the formulation. Collagen peptides are a food ingredient, so there is no fasting requirement and no separation from meals. The practical consideration is consistency: the reason many people attach the scoop to a morning coffee is that a fixed cue is easier to sustain than a floating one.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is collagen?
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body, and a structural protein found in skin, bone, cartilage, tendon, ligament, blood vessels, and connective tissue. Its molecules are built from three protein chains wound into a triple helix.
How many types of collagen are there?
A 2011 review in Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology describes 28 members of the collagen family, each containing at least one triple-helical domain. A much smaller group, led by Types I, II, and III, accounts for most of the collagen in the body.
What does hydrolyzed collagen mean?
Hydrolyzed collagen has been broken into shorter chains called peptides. This is what allows the powder to dissolve in hot or cold liquid rather than clumping, and it is the form used in published human absorption studies.
What is the difference between collagen and collagen peptides?
Collagen peptides are collagen that has been hydrolyzed into shorter chains. Gelatin is collagen that has been denatured but not hydrolyzed, which is why gelatin gels and collagen peptides do not.
What does multi collagen mean?
A multi collagen formula draws from more than one food source so that more than one collagen type is represented. Because collagen type follows source, a single source powder is limited to the types that source supplies.
Which collagen types are in Codeage Multi Collagen Peptides?
Types I, II, III, V, and X, drawn from five sources: grass-fed bovine collagen, organic chicken bone broth, organic beef bone broth, wild-caught white fish collagen from cod and snapper, and eggshell membrane collagen.
When should collagen peptides be taken?
Collagen peptides are a food ingredient and do not require a specific time of day, a fasted state, or separation from meals. Consistency matters more than timing.
Can collagen powder be mixed into hot coffee?
Hydrolyzed, unflavored collagen peptides are formulated to disperse in both hot and cold liquid, including coffee, without contributing a flavor.
References
Ricard-Blum, S. The Collagen Family. Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology, 2011;3(1):a004978. PubMed 21421911
Iwai, K., Hasegawa, T., Taguchi, Y., Morimatsu, F., Sato, K., Nakamura, Y., Higashi, A., Kido, Y., Nakabo, Y., Ohtsuki, K. Identification of Food-Derived Collagen Peptides in Human Blood after Oral Ingestion of Gelatin Hydrolysates. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2005;53(16):6531-6536.
Shuster, S., Black, M.M., McVitie, E. The influence of age and sex on skin thickness, skin collagen and density. British Journal of Dermatology, 1975;93(6):639-643. PubMed 1220811
The research cited on this page was conducted independently and did not involve the specific Codeage product.
