A Vegans Guide to Collagen: Is There Vegan Collagen?
The big question is, “Is there vegan collagen?”. Yes! Collagen is a protein in your hair, skin, nails, bones, and ligaments. It provides many essential functions for the human body, including skin structure and strengthening of your bones, and makes up connective tissues, including tendons, ligaments, and muscles.
Collagen is derived from sources such as beef or fish, leaving Vegans with few options for boosting their collagen production. To meet the demand for animal-free alternatives, brands like PlantFusion are introducing plant-based collagen builders. But what exactly is a plant-based collagen builder, and what benefits does it provide?
How is Vegan-Friendly Collagen Sourced?
Vegan-friendly collagen is sourced from genetically modified yeast and bacteria (the good kind). Bacteria P (scientifically known as “pastors”) is the most effective and commonly used for genetically engineering high-quality collagen.
To produce high-quality collagen, four human genes coded for collagen are added to the genetic structure of microbes. Once these genes are in place, the yeast or bacteria start to produce building blocks for human collagen.
Add in some Pepsin (a digestive enzyme), which aids in the structure of turning those building blocks into collagen molecules with the exact form of human collagen, and you have vegan collagen!
Benefits of Vegan Collagen
Lower Maintenance Costs
Consuming collagen directly from the fruit source will be less expensive than a brand.
Lower the Risk of Potential Disease and Allergies
There are some concerns over the risk of animal-sourced collagen-transmitting illnesses. Because it is generated in a controlled environment where common allergies or other dangerous compounds can be eliminated, collagen produced by microorganisms would avoid this possible problem.
Supports the Vegan-Friendly Lifestyle
Since most collagen supplements on the market are made from animal products, those who follow a vegan diet cannot purchase them.
You may now take collagen to promote joint and digestive health and wrinkle appearance reduction and encourage your body to create more collagen naturally, thanks to vegan choices.
With science still working on these products and applications, you may have a more challenging time finding vegan-friendly collagen.
Other Vegan-Friendly Collagen Options
To satisfy your amino acid requirements, incorporate these vitamins, minerals, and dietary sources into your diet instead of depending solely on supplements. Glycine, lysine, and proline are the amino acids that are most prevalent in collagen. Some plant-based foods are rich in all three amino acids.:
- Soy Products: Tempeh, Tofu, and Soy Protein
- Black Beans
- Kidney Beans
- Many Other Legumes
- Seeds: Pumpkin, Squash, Sunflower, and Chia
- Nuts: Pistachio, Peanut, and Cashew
“If you want beautiful skin and nails, it doesn’t mean you must eat skin and hooves from animals. We can make several lifestyle and dietary changes to increase the collagen in our skin.
We don’t have to resort to taking these collagen products and worry that we’re missing out.” – Kimberly Snyder, Solluna.
Common Questions and Answers
Q: Is there vegan collagen?
Yes!
Q: How do vegans get collagen?
The easiest way for vegans (and vegetarians) to achieve this is to eat fruits and vegetables high in components that promote collagen synthesis, such as proline.
The amino acids proline and hydroxyproline, which account for 23% of collagen, have been discovered to be precursors to maintaining collagen formation.
Q: Is there plant-based collagen?
Plant-Based collagen-building protein peptides are now available from Sunwarrior! No hooves, no horns, no hides!
Q: What is vegan collagen made of?
As mentioned before, collagen comes from connective tissues in the body. There are various sources of collagen, but all collagen comes from animals.
Most collagen supplements on the market are commonly derived from beef or fish. This makes a “vegan” collagen product impossible. Vegan collagen is genetically modified from yeast and bacteria (the good kind).
Q: Do vegans lack collagen?
The best way for vegans (and vegetarians) to support collagen production is to eat fruits and vegetables that are plentiful in collagen-boosting nutrients.