Ep. 306: Can Collagen Affect My Digestion for Good or Ill?

In this episode, Stacy and Sarah talk collagen and digestion!
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The Paleo View (TPV), Episode 306: Can Collagen Affect My Digestion for Good or Ill?
Intro (0:00)
News and Views (0:40)
Sarah has had her nose to the grindstone, wrapping up her new book draft.
It is a microbiome book!
She has had to learn a lot of new things and expand her knowledge base.

We're doing something new!
We're going to be working with and sharing with you more brands here that we use and love.
To kick off, we have our favorite products from Vital Proteins, available in bundles with a discount.
Sarah and Stacy have both been using Vital Proteins Collagen for 4-5+ years.
Stacy doesn't go a single day without collagen and liver pills.
She can tell a difference if she misses even one day.

Sarah goes through a big tub of collagen every month.
She can feel the difference it makes in her joints.
Sarah also loves Dr. Sarah Ballantyne's Veggie Blend, for obvious reasons!
Sarah also loves the Cartilage Collagen and Gelatin.




Question from a listener about Collagen.
Cindy asks, "Hi ladies: Thank you for your amazing podcast and all of the wonderful information the both of you share. You both have inspired and motivated me to focus on real foods and look at healing through lifestyle and nutrient density. Here's the question- with Sarah's new Vital Proteins product (Collagen Veggie Blend), I'm curious about reactions to collagen. I have noticed that I can have 1/2-1 scoop of VP collagen in my coffee or smoothie or water and feel fine. However, if I go over 1 scoop, I find that I get bloated, gassy, and sometimes "everybody out" moments. Everyone talks about all the benefits to adding collagen to their diet, but I can't seem to find a good explanation for those of us who seem to react to it. Can you discuss why some of us may be reacting to collagen? Is bone broth enough to get all the benefits of added collagen? Thanks so much for all you do!"
What is Collagen and why is it important?
Collagen is the main structural protein in our bodies.
It is found in the space between our cells, the glue that holds our cells together.
Collagen is the most abundant protein in mammals, making up from 25% to 35% of protein in our bodies.

Supplementing with collagen is helpful because it provides us with the raw materials to make collagen in our bodies.
Collagen is made up of amino acids that we can be deficient in if our main source of protein is muscle meat.
Collagen has a unique balance of amino acids compared to protein from muscle meat.


Collagen Peptides versus Gelatin.
Both are considered hydrolyzed versions of collagen.
It is broken apart more and easier for us to digest.

Gelatin will make something "gummy" or gelatin.
Collagen peptides are broken down even further and will dissolve easily, and won't solidify or gel.
The amino acid profile is the same in gelatin and collagen peptides.
They just react differently in food preparation.


Collagen is considered almost a complete protein.
20% of the protein in collagen is glycine.
It is phenomenally important!
Needed for sleep quality, memory, synthesis of bile acids, synthesis of several extremely important proteins, immune regulation, etc.

Glutamic acid is important for neurotransmitters and cellular metabolism.
It also may add an umami quality to food.

Collagen is high in Proline and Hydroxyproline, at 11% each.
It is essential for skin, joints, tendons, and cardiac muscle.

Alanine is 8% of collagen.
It increase exercise capacity, help build lean muscle mass, and improve immunity.

Arginine is also found at 8% in collagen.
Important cell division, wound healing, hormone release, and immune function.

Aspartic Acid is 6% of collagen.
Involved in the citric acid and urea cycles in the body and plays a role in gluconeogenesis.

All of the other amino acids make up about 24% of col