The key difference between bovine and marine collagen is that bovine collagen comes from the bones and other by-products of cows, while marine collagen comes from the scales and bones of fish.
Collagen makes up around 30% of the total proteins in the body. It is found in the human skin, nails, hair, bones, muscles, and blood vessels. Collagen loss is a natural process, and it happens pretty quickly for women. Collagen loss leads to aging signs such as wrinkles and cellulite. Therefore, people tend to consume collagen supplements. Collagen in supplements comes from two main sources: bovine and marine.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Bovine Collagen
3. What is Marine Collagen
4. Similarities – Bovine and Marine Collagen
5. Bovine vs Marine Collagen in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Bovine vs Marine Collagen
What is Bovine Collagen?
Bovine collagen comes from the bones and other by-products of cows. It is naturally found in the connective tissue, cartilage, bones, and hides of cows. Generally, bovine collagen supplements in the stores are derived from cowhides. There are different types of collagens, such as Type I, Type II, and Type III collagens, with different amino acid compositions. 90% of all the collagen in the human body comprises Type I, Type II, and Type III. Bovine collagen supplements usually contain Type I and Type III. Type I and Type III are found together in the human body and serve similar functions. Both of them help maintain the health and structure of the skin, muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments, blood vessels, and other organs. Moreover, they are also found in the intestine, suggesting that they play a pivotal role in gut health.
Bovine collagen has 18 amino acids. However, it is important to know that bovine collagen does not contain all nine essential amino acids. Therefore, it is not a complete protein. Furthermore, bovine collagen has different benefits, such as alleviating osteoarthritis, decreasing visible signs of aging, and preventing bone loss.
What is Marine Collagen?
Marine collagen or fish collagen comes from the scales and bones of fish. It can also come from the skin of fish. It helps people to bring collagen levels up. People may take supplements or use cosmetics with collagen in them. However, in most products, collagen comes from pig or cow skin. However, in recent times, more people have started to prefer fish collagen for different reasons. Marine collagen delays the signs of aging, such as wrinkles, joint issues, and weakness.
Figure 01: Marine Collagen
Only Type I and Type II collagen can be found in marine collagen. While 18 amino acids are present in marine collagen, it is characterized by the presence of a high amount of glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline. Furthermore, marine collagen has numerous health benefits, such as supporting skin health, promoting quality sleep, promoting gut health, supporting the effect of workout, promoting bone strength, and helping nail and hair growth.
What are the Similarities Between Bovine and Marine Collagen?
- Bovine and marine collagen are two forms of collagen.
- Both forms contain 18 amino acids and are characterized by the presence of high amounts of glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline.
- They are incomplete proteins.
- Both forms have Type I collagen.
- They provide similar benefits, such as anti-aging benefits.
- Both forms have side effects.
- Moreover, they may cause ethical concerns in communities that have pure vegetarians.
What is the Difference Between Bovine and Marine Collagen?
Bovine collagen comes from the bones and other by-products of cows, while marine collagen comes from the skin, scales, and bones of fish. Thus, this is the key difference between bovine and marine collagen. Furthermore, bovine collagen contains Type I and Type III collagen, whereas marine collagen contains Type I and Type II collagen.
The below infographic presents the differences between bovine and marine collagen in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.
Summary – Bovine vs Marine Collagen
Collagen is the main structural protein in the extracellular matrix found in the various connective tissues of the human body. With aging, collagen level declines, causing wrinkles and cellulite. Hence, people consume collagen in the form of supplements. Bovine and marine collagen are two forms of collagen that can be taken as supplements. Bovine collagen comes from the bones and other by-products of cows, while marine collagen of fish collagen comes from the scales and bones of the fish. So, this summarizes the difference between bovine and marine collagen.
Reference:
1. MS, Cheri Bantilan. “Bovine Collagen: Benefits, Forms, and Uses.” Healthline, Healthline Media.
2. “What Is Marine Collagen?” WebMD.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Nature’s Island Hydrolyzed Marine Collagen” By Nature Island – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia