There have been numerous reports on the health benefits linked to taking collagen consumption with demand expected to rise by 6.4% annually globally The problem is that there are so many choices out there it is difficult to differentiate between fake and genuine collagen fake collagen.
Fake collagen products can contain harmful additives or fillers, even heavy metals and bacteria and can cause allergic reactions, digestive problems, and other health issues. The additives can be a health risk but may also reduce the effectiveness of the collagen, negating any potential benefits. Worse still they might not actually contain collagen or may contain very low levels of it which means that you won’t experience the benefits associated with collagen supplementation.
So how can you assess whether your collagen product is genuine?
Brand reputation: Unfortunately, many brands do not disclose the full ingredient list. This happens most often when a premium is being charged for something pure, but it has been diluted with filling agents. It is not easy to navigate this as brands will not share their manufacturing methods however there is nothing stopping you contacting the brand and asking them for certification from their suppliers.
Ingredients: Genuine collagen products should only contain collagen, but they often have additional ingredients such as vitamins and minerals which are beneficial. Avoid products that have long ingredient lists with hard-to-pronounce chemicals. Carefully check the list of ingredients on the packaging. Dosage: Research has indicated that adults can safely consume between 2.5 to 15 grams of collagen per day. So if a product label is telling you to take more per day this can be a clear indication of whether a brand has bulked up their collagen with fillers or other bulking agents.
Price: High-quality collagen is expensive to produce, so if the price seems too good to be true, it probably is. Be cautious of collagen products that are priced too low but having said that don't assume that expensive collagen products are always genuine.
Molecular Weight: One of the very best ways to test if a collagen is superior is to check the molecular weight of the product. Almost all collagen producing brands will not have this on their label or in their marketing literature. If you are serious about quality, you can request the molecular weight (measured in Daltons) directly from the brand. The lower the weight the higher the quality. 2000Da is the highest weight to look for so anything under this is excellent quality. Anything higher than 2000Da will mean less absorption and more work for your body to assimilate and produce its own collagen.
Liz and Michelle hosts of the podcast Two Women Chatting are no experts but we both take Kollo the UK's leading liquid marine collagen and really have noticed the benefits on our skin and joints.
If you would like to learn more about the benefits of collagen listen to Collagen to 5 K where Liz & Michelle chat with Jenni Falconer, Smooth FM breakfast show presenter, host of RunPod and co-founder of Kollo Health.
Use the this link https://myrefl.ink/v/AB72BA6 to receive a 30% discount for Kollo Health collagen.
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