By Mark JS Miller
PhD, MBA, FACN, CNS
In an elementary school playground playing marbles … is more is better? Is 10 is better than 3? In that scenario YES. However, as it relates to collagen peptides and the influence of dose on therapeutic outcomes the answer is quite different.
The question seems simple enough. If I want to make more collagen, then the more I ingest the better off I will be. Makes sense on a superficial level but in this scenario the assumptions render the question to be meaningless. In essence, it is a simple marketing tool to beguile the public.
Let’s assess and discuss these assumptions.
Are we comparing the same thing when we claim 10g is better than 2.5g?
Collagen peptides, from various sources, are common in dietary supplements and functional foods, but are they all the same? Sometimes people get caught up in the discussion of source – marine, chicken, bovine, pork etc. but that too, is not the point. What is often not discussed is the knowledge that there are 28 different forms of collagen in humans …. Do you need to ingest each one for the desired effect? No, what you need to do is activate the gene that codes for each collagen form, so they are created locally in the correct amounts for that tissue.
To be clear supplement products contain collagen peptides, which are fragments of the collagen protein. The intact protein is never used as it is a gnarly, tough protein that is too difficult to solubilize or encapsulate.
Are ALL of the peptides that are contained within this peptide soup called Collagen Peptides capable of stimulating collagen production locally? Alternatively, are only some of these peptides possess the desired bioactivity linked to collagen production?
Generic, cheap forms of collagen peptides are a mish mash of collagen peptides: a soup that has not undergone any refinements or selective filtration. It is possible that this soup contains peptides that may stimulate tissue collagen production if they can be absorbed from the gut. However, the amounts, bioavailability and efficacy of these bioactive peptides are unknown and may vary substantially. What we do know is that the vast majority of peptides that are generated from hydrolysis of collagen protein have ZERO impact on the cells that make collagen in tissues. These peptides are devoid of bioactivity and are a simple source of amino acids as would be generated in any protein meal.
Hence, comparing the amounts of peptide e.g., 3g vs 10g vs 15g is not asking the right question. The vast majority of generic collagen peptides are not bioactive.
So a comparison that is based on weight is not the same as a comparison that is based on bioactivity.
There are brands, VERISOL®, being a prime example, which starts with collagen protein and proceeds through a similar hydrolysis and digestion process to collagen protein to collagen peptides. Critically, VERISOL® takes the process further. It filters out the peptides that are devoid of bioactivity or are not absorbable, and it throws them away. The result is that they ONLY RETAIN the peptides that WORK and can be ABSORBED. It is an enriched form of collagen peptides vs the generic version that is commonplace. Only the peptides that possess the desired bioactivity are kept.
For this reason, simply comparing weights eg 3g vs 10g, is not helpful. You are not comparing apples to apples. One could consider that the products with 10g of collagen peptides as having very high levels of inert fillers. Yes, it weighs more but it is most certainly not more effective!
Hence simply comparing weights of collagen peptide doses is not a meaningful representation of desired outcomes.
Bella Grace Elixir is more than Collagen Peptides
Bella Grace uses the premier source of collagen peptides, VERISOL®, where the peptides have been selected for bioactivity, which means that we can get better outcomes at smaller doses (clinical trials were performed at 2.5g, to demonstrate these benefits).
However, ingesting collagen peptides is only part of the story, only part of the science that dictates matrix and collagen health. The other foundational products – astaxanthin and cat’s claw – maximize the benefits in multiple ways.
To be succinct they activate the switches that regulate the genes that code for the enzymes that generate all forms of collagen. In other words, if the gene/enzyme is dormant then no matter what amount of peptide you have ingested, it will not be effective as it cannot yield collagen protein production.
Additionally, the use of astaxanthin and cat’s claw suppress the critical processes that degrade collagen. This is the result of enzymes called MMPs whose job is to cut collagen up into pieces. If these enzymes are not suppressed, then collagen will be degraded and levels reduced.
Neither of these critical process points are influenced by generic collagen peptides no matter the dose.
The other critical aspect of the combination of astaxanthin and cat’s claw is that they also drive the healthy production of other matrix elements - other proteins like elastin, or glycoproteins like the Tenascin family, integrins and laminins as well as polysaccharides like hyaluronic acid. All of these elements contribute to matrix health and only by the direct actions on gene activity can one optimize matrix health.
The optimization of widespread matrix benefits are direct actions of astaxanthin and cat’s claw but not generic collagen peptides evident in 1st Generation collagen products.
The Bella Grace Elixir because it is designed to optimize all of these processes that dictate matrix health. It is this breadth of actions that makes the Bella Grace Elixir a revolutionary breakthrough.
Summary
More can be better if you are talking about the same thing, but in terms of commercial collagen peptides that does not hold up. High doses of collagen peptides from generic stock do not go through additional filtration processes to select ONLY peptides with bioactivity. Hence, these generic versions of collagen peptides will be largely ineffective. They are designed to fool the public by clouding the issue with the assumption that more is better, rather than using known processes of peptide enrichment and the science to control the events that optimize matrix health.
Further, unless one controls cellular decision making that regulates matrix health, one cannot expect the best outcomes. Bella Grace knows, understands and appreciates this critical science. It uses a variety of natural products, at doses that reflect what has been used in supportive clinical studies, to achieve the best possible outcomes.
A better approach for better outcomes.