What Is Collagen Type 1, 2 & 3

Collagen Types: Discover the Differences

There’s so many types of collagen on the market….. Type 1 Collagen, Type 2 Collagen, Type 3 Collagen, Collagen Drinks, Collagen Powder, Collagen Tea, Marine Collagen, Bovine Collagen, the list goes on…. But do you know the differences between these different types of Collagen? And which type of collagen is in the product you’re consuming? Maybe you didn’t even know that there were different collagen types? Educating yourself about the different types of collagen and learning the specific functions each type of collagen plays in your body, will help you get the most out of your collagen drink supplement.

Why Do I Need Collagen?

If you didn’t already know, the body makes 5 different types of its own collagen for different bodily tissues - actually, the collagen in human skin is comprised of 90 per cent Type 1 Collagen, which is also present in bones and blood vessels, joints, ligaments and muscles. From our Mid-20s, we start to lose about 1% to 2% of our natural collagen production per year. In fact, the quality of collagen produced in our skin diminishes rapidly from about the age of 30 – this includes natural ageing, DNA, diet, lifestyle, exposure to pollution, smoking, lack of sleep, stress, fatigue and environmental factors will all impact the production of collagen in our skin. This leads to loss of structure and the visible signs of ageing such as fine lines and wrinkles, sagging or dull skin, loss of skin elasticity, and dehydrated skin, and as we age, our collagen fibres can also become weak and fragmented, resulting in increased oxidative stress, thinning of the skin, impaired wound healing and reduced oxygen supply to the skin structure.

Supplementing with collagen not only provides the amino acids the body requires to produce more, better quality collagen, but certain types of collagen supplements – such as the Type 1 or Type 3 hydrolyzed Collagen Peptides can help stimulate our fibroblasts to produce more, better quality collagen as we age.

What is the Difference between Collagen Types 1, 2, and 3?

There are 3 main Types of Collagen ( Type 1, Type 2, and Type 3) – and they all do different things for our body. Understanding their differences and functions will help you achieve your skin, hair, nails, joints, and gut health goals. So read on….

What is Type 1 Collagen? 

Type 1 Collagen is the most prevalent in the body, and is responsible for providing structure to the skin, tendons, ligaments, soft tissue and connective tissue. Collagen Type 1 is abundant in the skin, and along with elastin, plays a significant role like glue that keeps everything together, keeping the skin tight and firm, like a "scaffolding structure", or like the building blocks of the skin, and helps to keep skin supple, healthy, radiant, plump, and bouncy in general. This is the Type of Collagen found in most Collagen drinks and Collagen powder. It also helps enhance skin elasticity and hydration, giving that healthy glow from the inside, and it’s also good for strengthening your nails and helping you grow stronger, thicker hair. When you supplement with Type 1 Collagen it benefits your skin, (and the inner dermal layers) to help with a more supple, smoother and firmer looking complexion, that appears more hydrated and ultimately glowing, helping delay the signs of ageing like wrinkles, fine lines, dull or dry skin, or loose, sagging skin, stretchmarks, pigmentation or poor wound healing.

What is Type 2 Collagen? 

Type 2 Collagen is great for a healthy body, and even though it’s less commonly found in our bodies, it’s essential for cartilage in your bones, nose, ribs and spinal disks – and assists with improving joint health and stiffness! Therefore, it should be noted that Collagen Type 2 isn’t super beneficial for skin, but it’s highly beneficial for ligaments and mainly bones and joints, keeping us flexible and moving.

What is Type 3 Collagen? 

Now you know about Collagen Type 1 and how it has crucial benefits to our skin, but this is where Collagen Type 3 comes into play, as it works perfectly with Collagen Type 1 - together. Collagen Type 3 can be found in your skin, ligaments, blood vessels, and joints….  and it needs to be noted that Type 3 Collagen performs almost the same as Type 1 Collagen in that it helps promote better skin health and elasticity but Collagen Type 3 is the main component of reticular fibers which make a supporting mesh in soft tissues and organs. That said, it's worth noting that Type 3 Collagen is found in large quantities in your intestines (gut), muscles, blood vessels, and also the uterus. It's most often used with Type 1 Collagen for gut healing, wound healing and it helps to improve skin elasticity and hydration when combined – think a more powerful force, working within your body.
Also, Type 3 Collagen helps reduce the rapid decrease of collagen loss we all see – leading to the visible signs of ageing like skin pigmentation, sagging skin, wrinkles, fine lines and that dull, dry, flaky and drab complexion.

 

What’s the Best Type of Collagen to Take? 

So, now you maybe slightly confused as to which collagen you should supplement with – but as each collagen type performs slightly differently within the body with their own functions and roles – your next step is to ask yourself, which collagen will support my goals better – that is, if you’re looking to plump up your skin, ensure that you’re consuming Collagen Type 1 and 3 together, and if you’re only concerned with joint health, look at Collagen Type 2 and 3.  

How to Improve My Collagen Supplementation?

So, we now know that Collagen is essential to good skin and good health, and that there are many factors, aside from general ageing, which can impact its production and influence the healthy functioning of collagen-producing fibroblasts.  An important factor in collagen drinks and supplements is the bioavailability of collagen (how much of it gets absorbed in your body) and which can be highly affected by your gut health. So, we must remember that a nutritious, healthy and balanced diet, wearing sunscreen daily, getting a good nights sleep and exercising regularly all help play a role in your Collagen production and absorption into your fibroblasts. So reducing stress, getting enough sleep, protecting yourself from UV rays and avoiding sugar, smoking, and pollution, as well as encouraging good gut health by maintaining a healthy, balanced diet, will all encourage increased collagen production and better absorption in your body.

What Collagen Type is in Fusspot Tea?

We use premium, bioavailable, bovine Type 1 and Type 3 hydrolyzed collagen peptides in our Collagen Tea range, that will support your skin, hair, nails, joints, gut health and soft tissues. This collagen is bovine, grass-fed, pasture-raised and is odourless, colourless and flavourless, and also heat-stable, so it’s perfect as an ingredient in our beauty teas, you won’t taste it, and it won’t change the delicate flavours of our teas, and it won’t clog or clump in your tea, in fact you won’t notice it at all.

How much Collagen Do You Need Per Day?

The Collagen peptides that we blend into our teas are concentrated and only require you to consumer up to 2.5 grams of collagen daily to reap the benefits of collagen and support your body’s collagen supplementation.

So if you’re looking for high quality, sustainably sourced bovine collagen supplementation and you love tea – then you can find the best range of collagen drinks for your daily collagen boost right here. You'll find a great collagen tea for your specific needs out of the 11 blends we offer - so go on.... sip away those wrinkles and drink the benefits! Your skin will love you!