Hydrolyzed Collagen Peptides vs Gelatin
How hydrolyzed collagen peptides and gelatin differ in potency, absorption, tolerance, and cost.
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Side by Side
| Hydrolyzed Collagen Peptides | Gelatin | |
|---|---|---|
| Absorption | High | High |
| How it is absorbed | Enzymatically cut into small peptides; absorbed as amino acids plus dipeptides such as prolyl-hydroxyproline, which appear in blood after a dose. | Partly hydrolyzed collagen that gels in cold water; digested to the same amino acids and peptides as collagen peptides. |
| Typical dose | 2.5-15 g daily | 10-15 g daily |
| Common uses | skin elasticity, joint pain | tendon and ligament support (small trials) |
| Side effects | Rare GI fullness. | None notable. |
| Cost | Moderate | Low |
| Also called | collagen hydrolysate, Verisol, Peptan, marine collagen | gelatine |
When to Choose Hydrolyzed Collagen Peptides
Choose hydrolyzed collagen peptides when you want the form used in the skin trials. Bovine, porcine, and marine sources supply mostly type I and III. The type number matters little once collagen is hydrolyzed.
Hydrolyzed Collagen Peptides
The form used in the skin trials. Dissolves in coffee or water; tasteless at the right dose.
What to look for: Hydrolyzed collagen peptides, 10 g per scoop, source animal stated. Verisol or Peptan if you want the tested ingredient.
Find on iHerb Affiliate linkWhen to Choose Gelatin
Choose gelatin when cost matters and you can take it as food. The cheapest collagen source per gram. The tendon collagen synthesis study used 15 g gelatin with vitamin C before exercise.
Gelatin
The same protein for less money, in a form that sets.
What to look for: Unflavored gelatin, 10-15 g, with a vitamin C source if you are copying the tendon study.
Find on iHerb Affiliate linkProducts on Titrate
2,296 of the 214,745 labels in the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database list collagen as an active ingredient (1,410 on market). 1,243 are sold as collagen products by name.
Collagen does not have its own search category yet. Each product above links to its full label in the NIH database.
Related
References
Iwai K, Hasegawa T, Taguchi Y, et al. Identification of food-derived collagen peptides in human blood after oral ingestion of gelatin hydrolysates. J Agric Food Chem. 2005;53(16):6531-6536.
Clark KL, Sebastianelli W, Flechsenhar KR, et al. 24-Week study on the use of collagen hydrolysate as a dietary supplement in athletes with activity-related joint pain. Curr Med Res Opin. 2008;24(5):1485-1496.
Proksch E, Segger D, Degwert J, Schunck M, Zague V, Oesser S. Oral supplementation of specific collagen peptides has beneficial effects on human skin physiology: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Skin Pharmacol Physiol. 2014;27(1):47-55.
Lugo JP, Saiyed ZM, Lane NE. Efficacy and tolerability of an undenatured type II collagen supplement in modulating knee osteoarthritis symptoms: a multicenter randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Nutr J. 2016;15:14.
Shaw G, Lee-Barthel A, Ross ML, Wang B, Baar K. Vitamin C-enriched gelatin supplementation before intermittent activity augments collagen synthesis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2017;105(1):136-143.
Paul C, Leser S, Oesser S. Significant amounts of functional collagen peptides can be incorporated in the diet while maintaining indispensable amino acid balance. Nutrients. 2019;11(5):1079.
Oikawa SY, Kamal MJ, Webb EK, McGlory C, Baker SK, Phillips SM. Whey protein but not collagen peptides stimulate acute and longer-term muscle protein synthesis with and without resistance exercise in healthy older women: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2020;111(3):708-718.
de Miranda RB, Weimer P, Rossi RC. Effects of hydrolyzed collagen supplementation on skin aging: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Dermatol. 2021;60(12):1449-1461.