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Collagen: The Important Differences Between Types 1, 2, and 3

by Retail Staff NF January 31, 2022

As more collagen powders pop up on the market, you might be wondering: what are the differences between collagen types 1, 2, and 3? And which type of collagen is right for you?

Here's a quick summary of these different types of collagen:

  • Type 1 Collagen: Minimize fine lines and wrinkles and improves skin elasticity and hydration. Not only does it help rebuild your muscles, eyes, bones, and spine, it’s also good for strengthening your nails and helping you grow stronger, thicker hair. Type 1 collagen is most abundant in Marine Collagen.
  • Type 2 Collagen: Makes up a majority of the protein molecules in your cartilage, the connective tissue that protects your bones at the joints, in your spinal disks, and your eyes, making it a potent way to support joint health. One of the best sources is Organic Bone Broth Protein.
  • Type 3 Collagen: Is found in large quantities in your intestines, muscles, blood vessels, and the uterus. It’s most often used with type I collagen for gut healing and to improve skin elasticity and hydration. Bovine Collagen Peptides is a great source of type 1 and 3 collagen.

Read on to get the scoop on the benefits of types 1, 2, and 3 collagen, and which sources are best for your skin, your gut, and your joints.

In this article you will learn:

How Collagen is Different from Other Proteins

Collagen is the most abundant protein in your body, making up about 30% of your body’s total protein molecules. This makes sense – collagen is connective tissue, meaning it makes up the things that hold your parts in place – bones, tendons, ligaments, and skin.

Your body makes its own collagen molecules, but this production starts to slow down as you age, resulting in the breakdown of tissues we associate with getting older – wrinkled, sagging skin and weaker, painful joints.

The good news is, you can maintain and replenish collagen with certain foods and high-quality collagen supplementation.

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How to Make New Collagen

Your body makes collagen proteins from the amino acids proline, glycine, and hydroxyproline. All of these amino acids come from food, but some are harder to come by than others. Hydroxyproline, for instance, is found almost exclusively in collagen from animal sources. So, if you want to make new collagen, you have to make sure you’re getting these specific amino acids from food or supplements.

It turns out that there are at least 16 different types of collagen, but 80-90% of the collagen in your body is made up types 1, 2, and 3. Each of these three types of collagen has a slightly different job in the body and may come from slightly different sources.

Type 1 Collagen Benefits and Where to Find It

Type 1 collagen is the most abundant in the human body. You can find type 1 collagen in your eyes, skin, tendons, bone, and teeth. Even though it’s great for rebuilding your muscles, eyes, bones, and spine, it’s famous for minimizing fine lines and wrinkles and improving skin elasticity and hydration. It’s also good for strengthening your nails and helping you grow stronger, thicker hair.

There’s a lot of overlap when it comes to the benefits of type 1 and 3 collagen so you’ll often find products that contain both. However, Natural Force Marine Collagen, which is sourced from wild-caught cod, is particularly rich in type 1 collagen making it the best choice for those specifically seeking the benefits of type 1.

Types 1 and 3 are best for healing the gut lining, and type 1 collagen from marine sources is especially good for healing the tight junctions of your intestinal tract.

The best sources for types 1 collagen:

Check out the detailed difference between marine collagen and bovine collagen here.

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Type 2 Collagen Benefits and Where to Find It

Type 2 collagen makes up a majority of the protein molecules in your cartilage – the connective tissue that protects your bones at the joints. You also find type 2 collagen in high amounts in your spinal disks and your eyes.

Cartilage deterioration causes a lot of joint pain, so this is the collagen type known for helping with joint health.

Don’t wait until your joints hurt! Type 2 collagen may help with activity-related joint pain and inflammation.

The best source for type 2 collagen:

Type 3 Collagen Benefits and Where to Find It

Type 3 collagen is the second most abundant type in your body. You can find it in large quantities in your intestines, muscles, blood vessels, and the uterus. It’s most often used with type 1 collagen for gut healing and to improve skin elasticity and hydration.

Which Type of Collagen is Right For You?

Choosing the best type of collagen for you can be broken down into two simple steps:

Step 1: Identify Your Specific Health Goals

  • To maintain skin elasticity and hydration and for healthy eyes, bones, and wound healing: Try 1-2 servings daily of Marine Collagen, which is high in type 1 collagen or Bovine Collagen for high amounts of both types 1 and 2.
  • For joint pain and inflammation: Add 1-2 servings daily of type 2 collagen from Organic Bone Broth Protein or Bovine Collagen.
  • For gut health: Aim for 1-3 servings daily of Organic Bone Broth Protein.

Step 2: Choose Collagen from High-Quality Sources

Sourcing the highest-quality collagen is the key to using maximizing nutrient intake and building stronger hair, skin, nails, bones, and joints. We recommend looking for collagen products that come from grass-fed, pasture-raised (in the case of bovine collagen) or wild-caught sources (for marine collagen). Luckily for you, all of our collagen products fit this bill!

The human body does require all three types of collagen, so it's important to use a variety of high-quality collagen sources regularly to ensure you're supporting your body as a whole!

UP NEXT: Collagen Peptides: How Much Should I Take Per Day?

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