Often you hear that Vitamin C is the perfect adjunct to ingestible Collagen, but few understand its utility and limitations. Often it is touted as a stimulant for natural Collagen production. In that regard, it is quite limiting, and most people have adequate amounts of Vitamin C, so supplementation brings minimal value.
Vitamin C is useful for strengthening Collagen (as opposed to making it). In this situation it helps with Proline (an amino acid that is enriched in Collagen) cross-links. This is how Collagen has so much structural strength, resisting tearing. However, it also limits its elasticity.
By contrast, Astaxanthin has a greater variety of actions, is more potent and brings superior value in promoting skin health. At Bella Grace we still use Vitamin C as we respect its role in Proline cross-linking but Astaxanthin just brings more to the table for skin health. One of the best ways to describe this difference was in a publication using human skin Fibroblasts (the cells that make Collagen and other matrix elements). The provocation was UV light to mimic sunlight exposure. The results are graphically detailed below (used with permission of AstaReal).
When exposed to UV radiation (here noted as free radicals) skin Fibroblast production of Collagen drops to ZERO. Adding Vitamin C has no effect, Collagen production remains ZERO.
However, when Astaxanthin is included the production of Collagen in the presence of UV radiation-induced free radicals is almost normalized (80% of baseline). When Astaxanthin is combined with Vitamin C, there is a full restoration of Collagen production even in the presence of UV induced free radicals.
BOTTOM LINE
Everyday stressors – environmental, sunlight, inflammation can produce free radicals which then compromises the ability of Fibroblasts to make Collagen. Vitamin C really has limited potential to restore Collagen production under these stressors, whereas Astaxanthin is truly effective in maintaining normal Collagen health.
If you want optimal Collagen health, then Vitamin C alone will not suffice, but its combination with the Carotenoid Astaxanthin is remarkably superior.
This is why Bella Grace uses the combination of Astaxanthin and Vitamin C. Superior science leads to better outcomes.
Click here to learn more about the Bella Grace Elixir.
Additional Information
AstaReal Astaxanthin for skin health: https://youtu.be/bJpqygL5EWg
Tominaga et al Food Style 2009: 21; 13(1); 25-29.
Yoon et al. J Medicinal Food, 2014: 17 https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/jmf.2013.3060
Li et al. Biomedicines 2020: 8 https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/8/2/18
Yamawachi et al J Oleo Science 2021: 70 https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jos/70/5/70_ess20193/_article