What collagen actually is – and what to look for on the label
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In recent years, collagen has hit store shelves in almost every form: powder, capsules, liquid shots, and mixed into ready-to-drink beverages. There are dozens of jars available, and prices range from ten to fifty euros.
The differences are not visible on the front of the label. They are found on the side – and in what has been done to the raw material inside the jar before it was packaged.
This article goes through what collagen is, what the body uses it for, what the word hydrolyzed means, and how to honestly compare two different jars.
Collagen is the body's most abundant protein
About 28 different types of collagen have been identified in the human body. Together, they make up about a third of all protein in the body, making collagen the most abundant single protein in the human body.
Structurally, it is a fibrous protein. It is present wherever the body needs both tensile strength and elasticity at the same time: in the skin, bones, tendons, articular cartilage, and blood vessel walls. Collagen fibers are the scaffolding upon which other tissue is organized.
The amino acid composition of collagen is unusual. It contains an exceptionally high amount of glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline—amino acids that are relatively scarce in common protein sources such as muscle meat, milk, or eggs. This is why collagen is treated as a protein in its own right rather than just another protein powder among the rest.
Where collagen has traditionally been sourced
Humans used to obtain collagen from food in a completely different way than they do today.
When an animal was used in its entirety, skin, cartilage, tendons, and bones ended up in the diet. Long-simmered bone broth is effectively a collagen extract—which is exactly why it gels in the refrigerator.
The modern diet is built around muscle tissue. A piece of fillet is high in protein but very low in the connective tissue that collagen comes from. It is a change in food culture, nothing more.
What "hydrolyzed" means
This one word differentiates products the most—and is most often misunderstood.
In its natural state, collagen is a large, dense molecule. It does not dissolve in water. When collagen is heated, it becomes gelatin—the same substance that sets meat jelly and gummy candies. Gelatin dissolves in hot liquid but gels as it cools.
In hydrolysis, protein chains are broken down into short peptides using enzymes. The end result behaves in a completely different way:
- dissolves in both cold and hot liquids
- does not gel or leave clumps
- does not change the texture of the drink
- is practically tasteless and odorless
The practical difference is here. Hydrolyzed collagen peptide mixes into morning coffee without changing the coffee at all. Gelatin does not.
If the packaging does not say hydrolyzed or collagen peptide, it is worth checking what is actually in the jar.
Pure hydrolyzed collagen powder contains no carbohydrates or fat. It is effectively nothing but protein.
How to use collagen
Collagen powder is not a "course" of treatment but an everyday product. The only correct way to use it is the way you remember to do every day.
- In morning coffee. Add a dose to the cup and stir. The coffee tastes like coffee.
- In porridge. Stir in after cooking.
- In a smoothie or yogurt. It disappears completely into other flavors.
Because the powder does not change the taste or texture, it can be attached to a routine you do regardless. This is effectively the only way a dietary supplement becomes a regular habit—a jar forgotten at the back of the cupboard does nothing.
The time of day does not matter. The morning is the most popular time because making coffee is a routine that doesn't get skipped.
Three things to check when buying
- Does the package say "hydrolyzed"? If not, it likely won't dissolve properly.
- How many ingredients are in the list? Every extra line—sweeteners, flavorings, fillers—is something you are paying for at the price of collagen.
- What is the price per serving? The price of the jar tells you nothing. Divide the price by the number of servings and compare that number instead.
TopShape100
TopShape100 is 100 percent hydrolyzed collagen peptide. There is one line in the ingredient list. No sugar, no sweeteners, no flavorings, no fillers.
The raw material is porcine-derived collagen peptide, country of manufacture: Germany
Dissolves in cold and hot liquid, mixes in seconds, does not change the taste of the drink.
All three points above are met at a glance.