Is Plant Based Collagen a Thing?

Hands down, the most frequent text question or label check I get is for a protein powder.  Back in the day, protein powders were for the bodybuilders alone.  The frat guys all had these enormous containers promising bigger biceps and bigger wieners.  Now it seems almost everyone and their mom has some sort of protein powder in the panty and these days it’s all about the collagens, baby.  So why this shift?  What’s the real with collagen?  Do we really need it and can vegetarians use it?

I’ll start by saying that regardless of your diet preference, the majority of people are getting enough protein in their diet.  With that said, the most abundant sources of protein we can ingest are from animals.  There are now outstanding protein alternatives for plant based eaters as well.  Collagen, is the most abundant protein in our bodies.  It lives in our connective tissues supporting our bones, joints, teeth, skin, hair and nails.  After the age of 20, our collagen production slows down and unfortunately it breaks down quicker than we can replace it.  This leads to achy joints, skin elasticity and hair loss, weaker nails, etc.  Luckily, we can fight the fight against aging with collagen food supplements.

Since collagen is a protein, it is comprised of amino acids.  These amino acids can be hydrolyzed (broken down) so that we can readily ingest them.  This is what a collagen protein powder is made of.  The amino acids are taken from the connective tissues from fish or animals and made into a powder that we can add to our smoothies or coffees, feeding us the amino acids we need to build more collagen.

When the trend blew up, plant based companies everywhere jumped on the bandwagon.  They couldn’t create true “plant based collagen” since the collagen comes from animals, so they created “collagen building” protein powders.  These use proteins from peas, hemp and soy along with Vitamin C and other nutrients that support our body’s ability to make collagen naturally.  Newer science has been able to pull collagen from plants for topical skincare products, but an ingestible form is still in the making.

Bottom Line?  I will always recommend real food over any supplement, but even I incorporate a clean smoothie into my diet on a regular basis.  If you want a convenient meal replacement with adequate protein, I am all for a high quality powder. I beg you to just be mindful of the ingredients in yours.  The market is flooded.  Steer clear of industrial seed oils, artificial sweeteners and “natural flavors” and look for “grass fed, grass finished”.  I’ll link to my favs below.

Furthermore, I am a huge proponent of a collagen protein powder if you are not a vegetarian.  It’s a twofer in my mind giving you a solid protein source along with amino acid building blocks for your joints, skin, hair, gut, etc.  If you are plant based, opt for clean and simple plant based protein powders that also have nutritional benefits (especially Vitamin C) to help support your collagen production.

Lastly, I’ll just quickly add that if you are among most women turning to a protein powder for weight support and nutrients, I would prefer you choose one of these options over a whey protein.  Whey is a dairy source of protein that can be awesome for bulking or muscle building but in most cases, a collagen or plant based choice will absorb better, be kinder to your digestion and give you added benefits.