Happy Friday!
I hope everyone had a great week! We’ve been at our lake house all week and we couldn’t have asked for better weather…sun, heat, and the water – a perfect combination for relaxing and recharging!
For this week’s Friday Favourite, I want to talk about collagen. Collagen is insoluble protein that accounts for about a third of protein in the body, 70% of which is in the skin. It plays an important role in our skin and hair health, but offers a bunch of other benefits to the body beyond keeping us all beautiful. Just to name a few of the wonders of this useful stuff…
- great for joint mobility and inflammation (key for me and anyone else with RA/OA)
- helps to heal and prevent leaky gut
- bone formation and repair (again, great for OA)
- supports optimal function
- liver support
- weight management
- restful sleep
- better wound healing
- provides a healthy source of protein
Our bodies produce collagen from amino acids, but this process slows down as we get older. It declines gradually, but by age 40, we lose it faster than we can make it. Rats! Besides that, things like nutrition deficiencies, smoking, genetics, extreme sun exposure, and environmental pollutants can also have a negative effect on collagen levels in the body.
There are three types of collagen, aptly named Type I, Type II, and Type III. Type I is found in marine and bovine collagen and is especially good for skin, hair, ligaments, and connective tissue. Chicken bone broth is and excellent source of Type II collagen, which is found in cartilage so is great for joint health. Type III is found in the digestive system, muscles, blood vessels and skin. It’s found in bovine collagen, which makes that one the best “all around” options as a collagen supp (this is the one I use most often).
It’s a drag that we lose this amazing nutrient as we age, but the good news is that there are collagen products available to help us replenish this loss! Products like the one in my spotlight today:
Sproos Premium Collagen Supplements
I actually started using 
collagen daily to help heal leaky gut (a 
key component of healing any autoimmune disease!), but I’d be lying if I didn’t say I’m glad for what it can do for my skin and hair, too! I’ve tried a few different brands before finding Sproos, but it’s now my staple collagen product…haven’t used another one since! I try to get in two scoops daily – I add one to our smoothie. so the kids get some (without a clue that it’s in there!) and also one to my coffee. Both the grass-fed and marine products are tasteless and ordourless and add a wonderful creamy texture to my morning cuppa joe. Besides dissolving easily in liquid, this powdered collagen is very quickly digested and available for the body to use.
Besides the unflavoured options (bovine, marine, and multi-collagen), Sproos also offers a few flavoured options that have more targeted uses. I just ordered the mango turmeric for joints and citrus green tea for skin and hair – used this one in my smoothie this morning and it was delightful! If powdered collagen isn’t your thing, Sproos has the option of collagen bars. I haven’t tried those yet, but they’re on my list to try. This company really does have something for everyone. Oh, and they’re made in Canada, which is another thing I love about them.
Check out their website to find one best for you!
Just a few more positive points to add about them – their customer service is the bomb and shipping is speedy quick (I ordered something on Tuesday this week and it was here by Thursday…a small miracle during COVID-19, IMO!). I usually buy directly from the website, but their full product line is also available on amazon.ca and amazon.com (for my US folks!). You can also find them in the natural foods section of most grocery stores and also in health food stores.
Using a collagen supplement is a recommendation I have for all of my clients – we can all benefit from showing our gut health extra love. I highly recommend you give the Sproos products a try! When you do, let me know which one is your favourite!