Total Body Collagen

Product Notes:

Collagen supplements have come a long way over the past 20 years or so. Time was, when they were offered with a minimum of processing, the principal debates were how much to take and whether they should marine-, bovine-, or chicken-sourced or some combination of Types I, II, or III, to be more effective for a given purpose.

Nowadays, when the science behind it all is better understood* and most forms (sometimes even the naturally smaller-sized collagen molecules from fish scales) are consequently being "hydrolyzed" or broken down into far more efficient 'peptides' with smaller molecular weights with the use of enzymes to enable them to enter our bloodstream intact instead of being completely broken down by our digestive systems first, the debates are primarily over which molecular weights and 'shapes' should be taken for which purposes, and what ingredients those should be paired with to best achieve those goals. 

In this case, where the desired outcome on which type of connective tissue to help is basically 'All of the Above,' Natural Factors has opted for a combination of Types I & III collagen sourced from the hides of pasture-raised, grass fed cattle hydrolyzed to an average molecular weight of 2,000 Daltons: the ideal size to fit the receptors in the fibroblast cells in our dermis that produce collagen and elastin. That's been paired with Vitamin C, which our bodies need to cross-link or knit together the various types of amino acids available to it, to create and stabilize new collagen fibres; and with Biotin, which is needed to produce keratin, the main structural protein providing strength to the hair, skin, and nails. And to assist both the anti-aging and joint pain reduction goals, bear in mind, the tendons and ligaments which stabilize our joints are actually made of Type I collagen, and the 18 types of amino acids in these highly bioavailable Type I and III peptides do provide building blocks for regenerating skin, muscles, tendons, and bones even in the absence of Type II collagen, plus HLA (Hyaluronic Acid) has been added to help retain moisture in both the skin and in the shock-absorbing synovial fluid of the joints, and L-glutamine and L-tryptophan have been added to help rebuild the muscles, which also help with shock-absorption and stability.

Related Products: Enhanced Liquid (Verisol) Collagen, from Genestra, to maintain healthy skin, hair, and nails; and several other proprietary types of collagen produced by Verisol's developer (Gelita) in CanPrev formulations targeted primarily at more specific areas: Forti-bone; Tendo-forte (for tendons); and Forti-gel (for joints & cartilage).

* (Previously, the collagen we ingest was regarded as simply being a hearty source of protein our digestive system breaks down into constituent parts - amino acids - which then serve as 'building blocks' are bodies can use to rebuild our cartilage, tendons, ligaments, muscles, skin, bones, nails, gums, teeth, and hair.  After studying how the types with lower molecular weights operated, the scientific understanding has evolved. We now realize that when largely intact collagen peptide molecules of certain sizes and shapes are circulating in the bloodstream, they can function as signals to stimulate the relevant tissues to start repairing themselves -- as if they are keys floating around until the they find the right locks or slots (the receptors) to fit into. In essence, the receptors interpret the presence of all those free-floating collagen fragments as evidence that some sort of traumatic injury or tissue death due to aging or UV damage has occurred, so our bodies better start producing more of that type of tissue to compensate.)