Collagen is the most abundant structural protein in the human body — it is the material of skin, bone, tendon, cartilage and connective tissue. Collagen supplements have become one of the fastest-growing categories in the UK, and almost all of them are sold as hydrolysed collagen peptides rather than as whole collagen.
This guide covers what that processing actually is, how marine and bovine collagen differ, and what is worth comparing on a label. It does not tell you what collagen will do for you: no health claims are authorised for collagen under UK or EU law, and JeaKen makes none.
1. What “hydrolysed” actually means
Whole collagen is a large, tightly wound triple-helix protein that will not dissolve in a cold drink. Hydrolysis uses enzymes to cut those long chains into much shorter fragments called peptides — typically a few thousand daltons, against roughly 300,000 for intact collagen.
The differences that follow from this are physical, and they are the reason the category is sold the way it is:
- Solubility: hydrolysed peptides dissolve in cold water, coffee or juice without setting into a gel. Gelatine and unprocessed collagen do not.
- Amino acid profile: collagen is unusually high in glycine, proline and hydroxyproline compared with everyday dietary proteins such as whey or casein. It is not a complete protein — it contains no tryptophan.
- Serving format: because it is soluble and close to tasteless, it is normally sold as an unflavoured powder rather than in capsules, which makes servings of 5–10 g a day practical. Reaching the same amount in capsules would take a great many of them.
2. Marine and bovine: the real differences
The two sources on sale are not interchangeable, and the distinction is about material and suitability rather than quality:
- Marine collagen is extracted from fish skin and scales and is predominantly Type I. It is suitable for pescatarians. It contains fish and must be avoided by anyone with a fish allergy.
- Bovine collagen is extracted from cattle hide and bone and supplies Types I and III. “Grass-fed” describes how the cattle were raised, not the potency of the finished powder.
- Neither is vegan or vegetarian. Collagen is an animal protein by definition, and products advertised as “vegan collagen” are not collagen — they are other ingredients sold alongside the word.
3. What to compare on the label
Collagen powders vary far more in what surrounds the collagen than in the collagen itself. Worth checking:
- Grams of collagen per serving, and servings per tub. This is the only fair way to compare price. A 400 g tub at a 10 g serving is 40 days; the same tub at 5 g is 80.
- What else is in it. Some powders are mostly collagen; others carry flavourings, sweeteners, anti-caking agents or bulking agents that are not listed on the front of the pack.
- Source and type, as above.
- Where it was manufactured, and to what standard.
JeaKen collagen powders
Both are unflavoured 400 g powders, manufactured in the UK to GMP and HACCP standards, with no fillers or bulking agents:
-
Marine:
JeaKen Marine Collagen Peptides — hydrolysed Type I collagen from fish. Contains fish. -
Bovine:
JeaKen Bovine Collagen Peptides — hydrolysed Types I and III from grass-fed cattle. Unflavoured, no added sweeteners.
4. How to use it
Hydrolysed collagen powder dissolves in hot or cold liquid, so it can be stirred into coffee, tea, water, juice or a smoothie without changing the texture. Unflavoured powder can also be mixed into porridge, soup or yoghurt.
Follow the serving size on the label and do not exceed it. Food supplements are not a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication or under medical supervision, speak to your doctor or pharmacist before starting any new supplement.
