Recently I became certified as a Collagen Nutrition Specialist through the Skin Nutrition Institute, and I am so excited to bring that knowledge into my coaching practice. That being said, there is alot of misinformation out there about collagen and protein in general.
So I want to take a minute to talk about how protein synthesis really works, and how that collagen supplement isn’t getting you the results you think.
” Protein isn’t just something we eat, it’s a family of molecules that we create.
-Star Kechara– Founder of the Skin Nutrition Institute
The Protein Myth
There’s alot of debate on “complete” vs “incomplete” proteins in the nutrition world. Whether from the gym bro mentality that thinks meat is the only credible source of protein, or the opposite view from those who promote the vegan diet, you will get varying opinions no matter what side you are on. The truth is that protein comes down to one thing. AMINO ACIDS.
Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Without those you have nothing to build cells, bones, tissue, immune system….etc. And the true fact of the matter is that all foods contain these amino acids in some degree and the only incomplete protein that exists is actually collagen supplements/ gelatin because they are missing tryptophan.
Types of Amino Acids
There are 20 amino acids that form protein. Plants can actually synthesize all of these amino acid, but humans can only synthesize 11, which are referred to as non- essential amino acids.
The other 9 cannot be made by our bodies so we must consume them in our diet.
Non-Essential Amino acids
These are the amino acids that we can synthesize from food.
- Alanine
- Arginine
- Asparagine
- Aspartic Acid
- Cysteine
- Glutamic acid
- Glutamine
- Glycine
- Proline
- Serine
- Tyrosine
9 Essential Amino Acids
These amino acids have to be consumed from the diet
- Valine
- Phenylalanine
- Tryptophan
- Threonine
- Isoleucine
- Methionine
- Histidine
- Leucine
- Lysine
We have heard in the past, and I saw in a recent video from a sports dietitian shockingly- that you have to combine two different plant foods to make a “complete” protein since some are missing one or more of these amino acids. That has been debunked many years ago, and it turns out that this myth started from a Vogue magazine article in the 1970s and the writer has since retracted her view. Thank you Star for that information!
The Amino Acid Pool
The body doesn’t store protein like it does fat or glycogen, but what it does do is really interesting. The body creates a reservoir or “pool” of free circulating amino acids that it uses to essentially fill in the gaps from the food we have eaten.
The free amino acids come from 3 different places:
- The food we eat
- Autophagy ( the removal and breakdown of waste from the cells)
- Biosynthesis of all of the remaining non-essential amino acids
I am not going to go into detail about each process, but there are many things that have to go on for all of these processes to take place. In the end though, the body is very efficient, and has ways to make sure we get the amino acids we need.
Protein Is Species Specific
What does this mean? Proteins differ between species, meaning that the proteins we need are different than the needs of an animal
Proteins are also organ specific.
The proteins that make up the organs are different from the ones that make up the muscles or skin or even hair.
Research indicates that dietary proteins are species-specific, meaning
they possess unique, organism-specific structures and amino acid profiles. This specificity means that proteins from different sources (e.g., plant vs. animal) have different impacts on human health, digestibility, and gut microbiota composition.
Science Direct
Types Of Collagen
Type I– Most abundant collagen in the body and makes up 90% of collagen. Found in bones, skin and dentin
in the teeth.
.Type II– Found in elastic cartilage, which provides joint support.
Type III– Found in muscles, arteries and organs.( 20% of skin is made from this type)
Type IV– This type is found in the basement membrane of the skin. This type acts like support between the dermis and epidermis.
Are Collagen Supplements Worth The Hype?
There is no reliable evidence to suggest that orally ingested collagen becomes preferentially localized in the dermis as opposed to other parts of the body.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology 19.4
According to the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology and other scientific resources, the amino acids in collagen supplants can easily be found in the diet.
Collagen at the end of the day is just another protein that the body has to break down into amino acids, and send into the amino acid pool for use later. Since it will be broken down into free amino acids, there is no guarantee that those particular ones will be reconstructed in to the skin to provide the effects promised on the packaging of collagen supplements.
What Really Builds Collagen
For collagen production to well..produce, and to protect your collagen you already have, you need the right nutrients.
The nutrients the help build collagen in the skin are
- Amino acids: Proline, Glycine, Lysine, Serine and Threonine
- Vitamins: Vitamin C and B6
- Minerals: Copper and Manganese
All of these nutrient are found in plant foods, especially fruit, nuts and seeds. Adding these foods will help boost your own natural collagen, and actually protect what you have as well. Of course these are not the only things we need to focus on for collagen production and protection. We also need to consider the rest of the diet, lifestyle factors such as smoking, alcohol, fried foods etc, but when making changes toward healthier skin this is a great starting point.
Foods For Collagen
All of the nutrients we just talked about are abundant is foods you probably already have at home!
- Lysine– Lysine makes up 3-4% of the amino acids in collagen, so we need to make sure we get enough.
Foods high in lysine: spirulina, pistachio nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, edemame, almonds, garlic, avocado, spinach.
- Threonine– We need threonine to synthesize proline, glycine and serine
Foods high in threonine: spirulina, goji berries, nuts, sweet potato. seeds
- Vitamin c- we need vitamin c for the hydrogen bond it creates with proline and lysine
Foods high in vitamin c: All fruit, many vegetables
- Vitamin B6– I’m not sure of the importance of B6 directly studies show a deficiency in B6 can cause negative effects on collagen and protein synthesis
Foods high in B6: Spinach, banana, avocado, peanuts, garlic, peppers, pistachio nuts, coconut, pineapple
- Manganese– activates an enzyme called prolidase, that helps amino acid, proline, for collagen formation in the skin
Foods high in manganese: Pineapple, almonds, spinach, sweet potato, green tea.
- Copper– Copper is essential for collagen production as a cofactor for lysyl oxidase (LOX), an enzyme that cross-links collagen and elastin fibers to provide skin structural integrity, strength, and firmness
Foods high in copper: Pineapple, chia seeds, seaweed, sesame seeds, potatoes, radishes, sun-dried tomatoes, kale
Takeways
From the food list above, you will seed foods that repeat for each nutrient. I have highlighted the ones that are the most abundant in the lists and pineapple, spinach, sweet potato, nuts and seeds all come up the most.
Adding more of these foods into the diet can help boost your natural collagen without added supplements.
Ways to incorporate these foods
- Try adding pineapple to smoothies, on top yogurt, or even on top of salads ( adding spinach will be a bonus!)
- Spinach is super versatile. You can add it to a tofu or egg scramble, smoothies, on a sandwich, into pasta…the list goes on
- Sweet potato is also another versatile food because it can be used sweet or savory. Try it roasted on the side or mashed. Sweet potato fries, baked with almond butter (another bonus), and berries for a sweet breakfast. Again, the list could go on.
- Nuts and seeds can be use in so many ways it will be hard to list them all! Nut butters on toast or a sweet potato, blended in oats, trail mix, sauces, topping on a salad…etc
Boosting your collagen an be easy and affordable using the right foods instead of pricey supplements. Whether you eat meat or not, adding these foods can not only boost your collagen production, it will also add micronutrients for overall health and vitality.
If you want to go deeper into collagen nutrition and learn the specific ratios to make a real impact on your collagen, intake do offer 1:1 coaching! You can read more here:
I hope you found this helpful! I love sharing what I learn and I hope that it gives you some ideas to boost your own nutrition.
See you next time
Shauna