First of all collagen is a protein that in its original form is a by-product of the animal industry, such as poultry, bovine and marine.
The reason why these are the main sources of collagen is due to general availability of these sources e.g. chicken, cow, fish and also bio-compatibility, which is the body’s acceptance and absorption of the collagen building blocks (essential amino acids).
This is important to know for those with religious, dietary or certain ethical requirements.
Now, the raw by-product goes through an extraction process to extract what would then be called hydrolysed collagen. This is essentially smaller chains of amino acids (that the body uses to create collagen) in one form or another, which is deliberately extracted to have low molecular weight so that it improves absorption and ultimately increases the potential for results.
Now the reason we have covered all of this is that whether you go for powder, tablet or liquid collagen, they all are extracted in the same way with the same structure. Which is all the amino acids your body needs to create collagen in a convenient form factor.
You will read across the internet the view that liquid collagen is seen to be more effective because of how it delivers the collagen supplement based on molecular weight, however, this is yet to be proven by research.
Regardless, as liquid collagen is made up in the same way powder, tablet or pills are, you can be confident in the benefits as long as it is taking regularly and part of a balanced diet.
Benefits of liquid collagen
Instead of doing a direct comparison between liquid and powder collagen, it is important to see why one may be more practical, suitable or useful for you – this is more of a what suits my lifestyle question rather than “because collagen is in liquid form it is better than powder form”.
The table below walks through some of the reasons why you may want to try liquid collagen over the powder version:
| BENEFIT | EXPLANATION |
| Convenience | Liquid collagen, as it is already pre-mixed, makes transporting and consuming collagen very easy. You have little to no additional or extra work to do, or things to carry, other than having the liquid collagen pouch – perfect for those who travel light. |
| Taste | Compared to powder, which is almost always tasteless, liquid collagen has the option of being tasteless or having additional flavouring added to it to suit your preferences. These additional perks can help some people with long-term commitment. |
| Allergies | One which is often missed, but liquid collagen can be a great alternative to collagen powders for those with allergies. |
| Additional vitamins, minerals or nutrients | Another benefit of the liquid collagen form is the ability for producers to add in additional vitamins such as B12, C and minerals, without impacting taste, quality or the ease of consumption e.g. it is still nice and smooth to drink. This means you technically get more bodily benefits for your money. |
| Absorption | This is still contested, however, liquid collagen is toted as being more easily digestible and absorbed into the bloodstream than solid supplements due to the smaller molecular make up. Essentially your body has to work harder to extract the collagen from solid substances versus liquid. This can impact how long it takes to see results, how long it takes to absorb and how much is absorbed. |
Side effects of liquid collagen
Side effects are rare with any collagen form e.g. liquid, tablets etc. at the moment. However, when supplementing collagen you may experience following discomfort:
- Stomach pain
- Constipation
- Nausea
- Vomiting
If any of your symptoms prolong, you are concerned or they are increasing in severity, please contact your GP.
