When you hear the word ‘collagen’, you’re probably thinking of Hollywood; of duck lips and smoothed foreheads. In fact, collagen is all of that, and so much more—particularly a wonderful superfood. We are huge proponents of drinking collagen and eating collagen-rich foods. In fact, we carry Vital Proteins’ collagen products, plus Pop and bottle vanilla oat milk lattes—ready for pickup or same-day delivery.
Here at Snap, we use collagen peptides in our drinks. The technical term is grass-fed hydrolyzed collagen. It’s drinkable, it’s easy to digest, and it’s healthy. But how does it work, and what are the true benefits of drinking collagen?
You’ve probably heard that you should supplement with and consume collagen, and you may know that it’s a source of protein, but what is it? It’s a group of proteins made up of specific amino acids: glycine, proline, hydroxyproline, and arginine.
Collagen peptides, just like any other protein, functions as the building blocks of your body. Proteins provide structure to your body’s connective tissues, blood vessels, muscles, the digestive system, and even your nails, bones, and teeth. Collagen production decreases as we age and is also dependent on diet and lifestyle choices.
Why hydrolyzed collagen?
Our collagen (like most on the market these days) is hydrolyzed, meaning its molecules are small enough to be absorbed by the intestine and bloodstream. The protein in hydrolyzed collagen peptides is more bioavailable and easier to digest than normal collagen. This is because the hydrolysis process breaks collagen down into shorter chains of protein.
Though certain amino acids can help with absorption, collagen peptides don’t need fat or any other vehicle for proper absorption, so they can be mixed directly into water or other beverages.
Why should you consider drinking collagen?
Collagen has a superfood reputation, and for good reason. Regular consumption of collagen (which can also be found in foods like eggs, bone broth, & salmon) can lead to improved gut health & digestion, improved skin health, decreased inflammation & improved hair, nail & joint health. No small feat!
Some of the reasons we love collagen:
- Keeps skin firm and glowing – as we age, collagen production declines in our bodies. Regular consumption of collagen helps your skin cells to renew & repair normally.
- Improves gut health – collagen helps soothe the gut lining & repair damaged cells, helping your gut and your digestion function optimally.
- Strengthens hair and nails – do you suffer from cracking nails or split ends? A lack of collagen may be to blame! Supplementation can improve the strength of your hair & nails.
- Helps joint pain – collagen can help your joints move more easily and can even help prevent joint deterioration.
- Builds muscle and burns fat – collagen (and protein in general) helps add lean muscle mass. Glycine, one of the components of collagen, converts glucose (a simple sugar) into energy that feeds your muscles!
- Promotes heart health – collagen helps provide structure to your arteries and may help raise HDL cholesterol.
Collagen truly is a superfood, and we’re proud to offer it via our third-party products!
We’re all for easy ways to improve your health and live your best life. But the best way to live a healthy lifestyle is by creating healthy habits and sticking to them. Whether that means setting small goals and achieving them in little bits at a time, or reaching large milestones, we want to be your partner in positive change.
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Grass fed collagen is not vegan or is there a vegetarian option
Hi there! The collagen we use in our products and sell in stores is derived from grass-fed cows, and therefore isn’t vegan or vegetarian. There are marine collagen and vegetarian/vegan ‘collagen builder’ products on the market, but we do not offer them at Snap Kitchen.