The great collagen rivalry: Marine vs Bovine collagen.

Touted as a supplement that will aid in healthy and strong hair, skin, and nails, collagen is actually a protein that's found throughout your body. It's especially concentrated in connective tissues, including skin, tendons, and ligaments, in the form of collagenous fibres composed of densely packed amino acid chains. 

So why do so many people take this supplement? People often take collagen in supplement form because, even though your body naturally produces it, as you age, your natural production vastly decreases. 

In supplemental form, collagen comes in two main varieties: bovine and marine. In this article, we will discuss the difference between the two, which form is better for certain health concerns and goals, and what to look for when purchasing a quality collagen supplement.

What is Collagen?

Before we can compare marine to bovine collagen, it’s important to understand what collagen is. Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body, making up 30% of your body's protein content. It’s also a key component that provides structure and strength to all connective tissues, including skin, tendons, and ligaments.

The main functions of collagen are:

• To provide support for your bones and joints
• To help maintain flexibility in your joints
• To provide elasticity to your skin

Types of Collagen: Marine vs Bovine Collagen

You may have heard of the three main types of collagen before: types I, II, and III. However, there are actually at least 28 types of collagen. When it comes to marine collagen and bovine collagen, it's important to know which types of collagen each one contains.

Types I, II, and III comprise about 90% of the collagen in the body, which is why they are the most well-known. 

• Type I is most highly concentrated in bone, skin, and connective tissue such as ligaments and tendons. It is also found in the gut lining.
• Type II is mainly found in the cartilage tissue that cushions our joints.
• Type III is found in the skin, muscles, and blood vessels.

Marine collagen contains types I and II collagen, while types I and III are found in grass-fed beef.

The combination of types I and III makes grass-fed bovine collagen superior for overall health because it's these two types that are most abundant in your body. 

Amino Acids and Collagen

To understand more about the differences between marine collagen and bovine collagen, we must look at how collagen is broken down and absorbed by the body.

The body doesn't simply absorb collagen in its entirety and deliver it directly where it needs to go. The individual amino acids in the collagen are absorbed and utilized by the body.

Bovine collagen contains more of the amino acids glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline. These amino acids are used by the body as building blocks for protein synthesis. Bovine collagen contains less of the amino acid arginine, which is necessary for wound healing and tissue repair.

Marine collagen contains more of the amino acid arginine. It also contains more of the amino acids aspartic acid and glutamine, both of which are known to be vital for tissue repair.

Dietary Preferences

Diet choice is a personal decision, so it's important to choose wisely. If you don't eat meat, you may want to consider marine collagen. But if you do eat animal products, you might choose bovine, depending on your health concerns. 

How To Choose Marine vs Bovine Collagen

When to Use Marine Collagen

Marine collagen is a type of collagen that comes from fish. Most marine collagen supplements are made from the skin, cartilage, and bones of fish. But what else makes it different from bovine collagen?

There are many different uses for marine collagen supplements because this type may be able to support hair health, joint health, and skin recovery from signs of aging. Marine collagen is used for skin care products as well.

Studies have shown that marine collagen can help reduce the appearance of wrinkles on your face, improve the texture of your skin, reduce redness and inflammation around blemishes or acne scars, and even out your skin tone.

When to Use Bovine Collagen

Bovine collagen is extracted from the tendons, cartilage, and bones of cows, and it's rich in types I and III collagen. You can choose bovine collagen if you are interested in treating your skin health, bone health, or joint health.

Marine vs Bovine Collagen: Which is Better? 

So, which one is better? When it comes to choosing the best collagen supplement and comparing marine collagen to bovine collagen, It really comes down to your personal preferences and what you’re looking for in a supplement. If you want something that’s easier on the stomach, then bovine collagen may be a good choice for you. But if you have joint pain or other health issues that require marine collagen, it may be worth trying. You can also note that those without dietary preferences often alternate between these two collagens on a daily basis to reap the maximum benefits.

When shopping for a collagen supplement, regardless of type, it’s advised to look for a hydrolyzed formula because this enhances digestibility and absorbability. Here are a few key things to look out for when shopping for a collagen supplement: 

• When choosing bovine collagen, you will want to make sure it’s sourced from grass-fed cattle, organic when possible, and doesn’t contain contaminants such as hormones or antibiotics.
• If you prefer marine collagen, make sure you look for one that’s wild-caught and third-party tested to make sure it’s free from contaminants and mercury. On the plus side, marine collagen is often considered one of the cleaner forms of collagen.