The benefits of adding collagen supplements to our diet cannot be over-emphasised. However, there is a widespread belief that people who are on a vegetarian diet cannot include collagen supplements in their diet.

This belief is based on the principle that most collagen supplements are sourced from animals. Thus, excluding people on a vegan diet from enjoying the benefits collagen has to offer. Let's find out more about vegan collagen supplements and how they can help. 

Benefits of animal-sourced collagen supplements

• For skin: It reduces skin wrinkling and sagging by helping skin cells stick to one another, giving your skin the strength and elasticity needed to maintain its youthful glow.
• For hair: It promotes healthy hair by building proteins and strengthening the skin containing hair roots. It also prevents hair follicle damage and greying. Vibrant, healthy hair means your body produces enough vitamins and nutrients to ensure it operates at its peak condition.
• For nails: It helps strengthen and grow our nails by preventing brittleness. In addition, keeping nails healthy improves the appearance of our hands and feet.
• For bones: It is a protein essential for building bone mass. Thus, adding collagen supplements to your diet will strengthen your bones significantly. Bone strength is crucial because bones are integral to mobility and protect our brain, heart, and other vital organs from injury.
• For joints: It helps maintain the tissue that protects your joints, allowing your bones to move smoothly against one another. Our joints make us flexible; without them, moving would be impossible. Thus, joint maintenance ensures we avoid mobility discomfort as we age.

Unfortunately, people on plant-based diets could not enjoy these benefits since no vegan collagen supplements were available to consumers. The reason for this is that naturally occurring collagen comes from animals. Traditionally, most of the collagen found in collagen supplements is sourced from the hooves, bones, and hides of cows or fish, in the case of marine collagen.

Thus, until Health Nutrition added the new Alexia Rich products to their range, vegetarians primarily depended on foods such as tofu, black beans, pistachio nuts, peanuts, cashews and pumpkin, sunflower, and chia seeds as well as the body’s natural ability to produce collagen. However, although practical, the reliance on natural collagen production is time-sensitive. As we age, our bodies gradually make less. Additionally, collagen production drops due to excess sun exposure, smoking, alcohol, and lack of sleep and exercise.

To aid collagen production in our bodies and to lessen the effects of time on our bones, joints, skin, hair and nails, we need to include collagen supplements in our diets. Fortunately, with Alexia Rich, including collagen supplements in your diet does not have to compromise your plant-based diet.

Health Nutrition has included four new products to our range of Collagen supplements. These new additions focus on making the essential benefits of collagen available for everyone, including vegans.

What is silica? 

Unlike most collagen supplements, Silica is derived from vegan-friendly natural sources. It is a mineral found in sand, rocks, the earth’s crust, and many fruits and vegetables. No animals or animal by-products are involved in producing Silica and Silica supplements. Yet, they offer the same benefits as other collagen supplements.

Silica benefits

• For skin - It oxygenates the skin, giving you a glow and increasing the transportation of nutrients and oxygen to the skin.
• For hair – It delivers essential nutrients to your hair follicles; these nutrients help strengthen your hair and prevent it from thinning.
• For nails – It feeds your nail beds with all the vital nutrients necessary for encouraging healthy and strong nails.
• For bones – It stimulates the growth of bone cells, which leads to greater flexibility, helps form new bones, and strengthens mature bones.
• For joints – It stabilises and lubricates your joints while also reducing the levels of inflammation in your joint tissues.

ALEXIA RICH SILICA

The Alexia Rich Silica supplements have shown substantial collagen production results, allowing vegans to enjoy the great benefits of adding collagen supplements to their plant-based diet. In addition, they are highly bioavailable for easy absorption and are 400% more bioavailable than other types of Silica.

THE ALEXIA RICH RANGE

1. Orgono Liquid Silica:

Silica is found throughout our bodies: in our hair, skin and nails, joints, muscles and even our skeleton. Alexia Rich Liquid Silica helps your connective tissues perform essential tasks, like providing structured communication information, transporting nutrients, and removing waste. ALEXIA RICH Liquid Silica supports and reinforces every cell in your body, from head to toe.

Alexia Rich is a premium, natural collagen-boosting liquid supplement containing Orgono Silica, a specific brand of Silica clinically proven to be the only form of Silica with almost 400% higher bioavailability than other silica supplements.

2. Beauty Capsules

Silica in the skin nourishes, regenerates, and boosts collagen content, and Silica determines collagen levels. Additionally, it acts on the connective tissue, renewing collagen and elastin fibres and improving joint collagen production. A recent study confirms that the silicon in this formula can significantly decrease the depth of wrinkles, reduce spots caused by UV light, and increase hydration.

Orgono Silica, a quartz derivative, is highly bioavailable for easy absorption. It’s 400% more bioavailable than other types of Silica.

3. Active Capsules

Silica nourishes bone and joint tissue and aids the regeneration and strengthening of articular cartilage. Also, it renews collagen and elastin fibres and improves the production of joint collagen.

Its presence is essential for repairing damaged tissues and enhancing the healing process. It helps regenerate new bone matter and maintains bone thickness and elasticity. Silica is an essential dietary supplement for active people, athletes, convalescents and older people.

Orgono silica active capsules provide four times more bioavailable silicon than other forms, permitting the optimal delivery of essential nutrients to nourish and regenerate skin. A recent clinical study showed decreased wrinkles depth and spots caused by UV light and improved hydration after use - resulting in a smoother-looking complexion with improved collagen content.

4. Smoothie Silica Powder

Alexia Rich Orgono smoothie silica powder is designed to easily add to your morning smoothie to give you the energy boost you may need and to aid your body in staying at optimum health & fight off bacteria & viruses. Silica also assists your body in eliminating heavy metals. Additionally, it boosts the body’s collagen & elastin production and strengthens hair and nails, promoting faster growth.

Alexia Rich Orgono Silica Powder is the perfect addition to your morning smoothie, giving you a natural boost of energy and helping protect your body against bacteria & viruses.

With all these benefits and the varying options of supplements, none of us has a reason not to add collagen supplements to our food, regardless of our dietary preferences. Including Alexia Rich Silica products in our range of collagen supplements dismisses the notion that people who follow a vegan diet cannot use collagen.

Have you been wanting to look younger? How do you stay looking young with a collagen supplement?  Collagen provides extra support to our connective tissues; its rigidity and resistance to stretching give essential support to skin, tendons, bones, and ligaments. However, we can lose collagen components in our bodies due to exposure to ultraviolet light, tobacco, excessive intake of sugar, and ageing. However, there are ways to counter the effects of ageing. In this article, we explore how to stay young with a collagen supplement.

How does Ultraviolet light affect your skin:

Ultraviolet radiation from the sun destroys collagen and elastin. The affected fibres lose elasticity and the ability to contract after stretching, skin is no longer in a good tone. Additionally, research has found that Ultraviolet radiation can cause DNA changes in the skin, leading to premature ageing and skin cancer. Fortunately, there are simple methods you can use to prevent the impacts of UV rays on your skin.

1. Always use sunscreen. But, remember, it wears off. So, put it on again if you stay in the sun for over two hours.
2. Avoid direct sunlight, especially in the middle of the day.
3. Find shade under an umbrella, tree or any other form of shelter.
4. Wearing long-sleeved shirts, pants, and skirts can protect you from UV rays.
5. Sunglasses protect your eyes from UV rays and protect the delicate skin around your eyes from sun exposure.

You may be able to reverse the effects of sun damage and stay looking young with a collagen supplement.

The impact of tobacco on your skin:

The skin absorbs nicotine from cigarettes, causing damaging effects such as premature skin ageing, delayed wound healing, and increased infections. It may also lead to skin diseases such as psoriasis, acne, eczema, and skin cancer. In addition, smoking is toxic and harms nearly every organ in the body.

The benefits of quitting smoking

1. Enhance the quality of life.
2. Add as much as ten years to a person’s life expectancy
3. Reduce health risks, including cancer, respiratory diseases, and heart disease.
4. It reduces the financial burden on families and society.
5. It benefits the health of pregnant people, foetuses, and babies.

It is no secret that tobacco use greatly impacts your health and ageing. That is why you should combat the effects of smoking and stay looking younger with a collagen supplement. 

How does sugar intake affect collagen:

Sugar causes cross-linking of collagen, resulting in stiffening and loss of skin elasticity. Besides damaging collagen, a high-sugar diet also affects your collagen type. The most abundant collagens in the skin are types I, II, and III, with type III being the most stable and longest lasting; glycation transforms type III collagen into type I, which is more fragile. 

Here are five steps to eat right and keep your skin looking its youngest:

1. Cut back on the sweet stuff in your diet.
2. Supplement your diet with at least 1 mg of vitamins B1 and B6 daily.
3. Wear broad-spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen every day.
4. Employ an inside-outside approach to antioxidants.
5. Use new ingredients that protect the skin from sugar.

The inflammation caused by processed sugar can greatly impact your health and overall "look". Not only should you eliminate sugar from your diet, but you can support your body further and stay looking young with a collagen supplement. 

The effects ageing has on your skin:

As you age, your body starts producing less collagen. As a result, the skin becomes thinner, drier, and less elastic. The loss of collagen leads to wrinkle formation. However, we can prevent these effects by taking collagen supplements. Most collagen supplements go through hydrolyzation, which means they are broken down into peptides, making it easier for the body to absorb and use.

Collagen supplements are available in the following forms: tablets, capsules and powders. According to research, oral collagen supplements are more effective than dermal supplements applied directly to the skin. In addition, oral collagen supplements can reach deeper layers of the skin, improving appearance and physiology.

Besides the form of collagen supplements, when deciding to take collagen supplements, you need to consider the available ranges of collagen and their respective benefits. It's no secret that you can stay looking young with a collagen supplement.

Vibrance Collagen

• It contains all the essential amino acids specifically formulated to treat targeted areas in the body, such as skin, hair, and nails. Bioactive Collagen Peptides optimized for beauty applications encourage firmer, smoother skin with fewer wrinkles.
• Specific peptides are recognized by the cells that produce collagen in the skin. This causes an increase in collagen production, which helps to replace lost collagen due to ageing and environmental influences.
• These peptides also influence the skin’s collagen metabolism directly from the inside to increase skin moisture whilst delaying the formation of wrinkles.
• Has beneficial effects on the dermal extracellular matrix of the skin and can help to decrease cellulite.
• Proven effect, backed up by controlled scientific studies.

So, when deciding what kind of collagen supplement to take, it is essential to determine your reasons for taking it. Although collagen supplements have various health benefits, taking the supplement type that best addresses your primary reasons for taking the supplement is beneficial.

Vibrance collagen, for instance, is developed with a focus on beauty-related results. It contains peptides that support specific physiological benefits. People who supplement with the Bioactive Collagen Peptides optimized for beauty applications can have firmer, smoother skin with fewer wrinkles.

They may also see an improved surface structure of their skin, less cellulite, and faster nail growth with less chipping of their nails. This means that you can stay looking young. 

How does Vibrance Collagen help you stay looking younger?

Skin - Improves skin moisture, elasticity, and hydration. Additionally, collagen reduces the wrinkling and roughness of the skin.

Cellulite - Cellulite damages the collagen in your skin; taking a Vibrance collagen supplement can help to repair the damage and stimulate dermal metabolism, thereby reducing the appearance of cellulite.

Nail growth - Collagen contains various amino acids essential for nail growth. These amino acids are responsible for adding nutrients and oxygen to your nails.

Hair - Collagen is known for assisting your hair with becoming thicker and for promoting hair regrowth. It is a rich source of amino acids, which can help your body promote new hair growth.

While you cannot stop the steady hand of time, you can minimize its effects on your looks. With healthy lifestyle choices and a Vibrance Collagen supplement diet, you can keep your invaluable life experience and maintain a youthful look.

What is an alkaline diet and how it supports your health

Your health depends on many factors—one of which is maintaining the right pH balance in your body. A stable pH level supports enzyme activity and cellular function. An imbalance can lead to serious health issues. This is where an alkaline diet may offer significant benefits. But first, what is an alkaline diet?

What is an alkaline diet?

An alkaline diet, also known as the acid-alkaline diet or alkaline ash diet, involves eating foods that help balance your body’s pH level by reducing acid-forming foods and increasing alkaline-forming ones. The goal is to maintain a healthy blood pH level between 7.35 and 7.45, which is slightly alkaline.

Core principles of the alkaline diet:

• Avoid acid-forming foods: meat, dairy, eggs, processed grains, alcohol.
• Focus on alkaline-forming foods: fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts.
• Limit neutral foods: natural fats, starches, and sugars.

Why pH balance matters

Your body’s pH influences everything from enzyme function to oxygen transport. A pH imbalance can result in serious health conditions such as seizures, kidney failure, or chronic fatigue.

How an alkaline diet can help correct low pH levels (acidosis)

A drop in pH level can result in threatening health consequences like seizures, heart arrhythmia, or even coma.

A decrease in pH level is commonly caused by the following:

• Chronic alcohol use
• Heart failure, cancer
• Seizures
• Liver failure
• Prolonged lack of oxygen
• Low blood sugar

Additionally, prolonged exercise can sometimes lead to lactic acid build-up and cause muscle aches, burning, rapid breathing, nausea, and stomach pain. An alkaline diet might help you manage your body’s pH level better.

How an alkaline diet can help a high pH level (alkalosis)

An increase in alkalinity causes pH levels to rise. When acid levels in your blood are too high, it's called acidosis. When your blood is too alkaline, it is called alkalosis.

Alkalosis refers to excessive alkalinity in the blood and can result from:

• Diabetic acidosis develops when acidic substances (ketone bodies) build up during uncontrolled diabetes (usually type 1 diabetes)
• Hyperchloremic acidosis is caused by the body losing too much sodium bicarbonate, which can happen with severe diarrhoea
• Kidney disease
• Lactic acidosis
• Poisoning by aspirin, ethylene glycol, or methanol
• Severe dehydration

In cases of alkalosis, dietary changes should be approached with medical guidance.

Can an alkaline diet help you better control your pH level?

Fortunately, you can take control of your pH level and avoid the resulting health hazards.

Ideally, you must keep your pH level in the 7.35 to 7.45 range. The range goes from 0 - 14, with 7 being neutral, a pH level less than 7 indicates acidity, whereas a pH above 7 indicates a base and can harm your health.

You can control and maintain your pH level by alkalizing your body through an alkaline diet which is referred to as the acid-alkaline or alkaline ash diet.

What an alkaline diet requires:

1. Avoiding acid-forming foods, such as meat, dairy, fish, eggs, grains, and alcohol
2. Consuming plenty of alkaline-forming foods, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes
3. Limiting neutral foods like starches, sugars, and natural fats

The following are the benefits of an alkaline diet:

• Deeper and more restful sleep
• Reduction of candida overgrowth
• Increased mental acuity or alertness
• Enhanced memory and cognition
• Easier weight loss
• Increased energy
• Reduced muscle wasting
• Proper cell functioning
• Mitigation of chronic diseases
• Improved cardiovascular health

Can you include collagen in your alkaline diet? 

Yes, an alkaline diet supports bone and skin health when paired with a high bioavailability collagen dietary supplement. Collagen is a protein that supports skin, joints, bones, and connective tissue health. While it is technically acid-forming, its health benefits may outweigh that aspect—especially when balanced with alkaline foods. Adding collagen dietary supplements to your alkaline diet will therefore help you maintain your diet goals and optimum health.

Whether you’re following an alkaline, keto, or other health-focused diet, collagen can enhance overall wellness. Since Collagen is a protein, taking collagen dietary supplements can increase the feeling of fullness, helping you reduce the number of calories you consume daily, therefore ensuring weight loss. Also read benefits of collagen for keto diets .

Furthermore, adding collagen to your food significantly benefits your body and overall health, whether you are on a diet or not (see collagen food supplements for our range of the best collagen supplements). Collagen is the main structural protein found in the body's connective tissues. It is the most abundant protein in mammals, making up 25% to 35% of the whole-body protein content.

Health benefits of adding collagen to your diet:

1. Promotes healthier skin - Adding an all-natural collagen peptide powder supplement to your diet helps your skin cells repair and renew.
2. Helps reduce the appearance of cellulite - collagen Improves your skin’s elasticity, thus helping your body rebuild and repair the fibres that cause cellulite to appear.
3. Helps reduce arthritis pain - quality collagen peptide supplement increases your joint mobility and reduces arthritis pain.
4. Helps protect your cardiovascular system - having healthy amounts of collagen is one of the best ways to prevent the hardening of the arteries.
5. Detoxifies your liver - Glycine, found in collagen supplements, absorbs toxins that shouldn’t pass through our livers; this helps minimize liver damage.

Many people who want to support the health of their skin, joints, nails, and hair add collagen supplements to their diet. An alkaline diet is not an exception.

By adding collagen to your alkaline diet, you don’t only enhance the impacts of the diet on your body and health, but you gain from its additional benefits. Check out our range of collagen dietary supplements .

Conclusion: should you follow an alkaline diet?

If you’ve been asking “what is an alkaline diet” and whether it’s right for you, the answer lies in its ability to support pH balance and overall wellness.

By choosing nutrient-rich, alkaline-forming foods, you may reduce the risk of chronic diseases, increase your energy, and support healthy aging. For an added boost, consider integrating high-quality collagen supplements into your daily routine.

Explore more about the benefits of adding collagen to your diet by visiting these blog posts:

1. Does collagen help treat inflammation? 
2. The benefits of collagen for a keto diet
3. Which collagen supplement should you use?

Your immune system works to guard against bacteria and viruses. However, it deteriorates with age and starts having challenges differentiating between foreign and domestic cells. This differentiation difficulty causes what is known as an auto-immune disease: wherein your immune system mistakes parts of your body as foreign and tries to defend you from them - it then releases proteins called autoantibodies that attack healthy cells. However, not all auto-immune diseases are due to ageing. Infections or other environmental factors may trigger auto-immune diseases such as lupus, which sometimes runs in families. There are many ways in which you can support your body if you have an auto-immune condition or suffer from inflammation. Let's find out more about whether collagen can help treat inflammation.

Common auto-immune diseases 

• Addison disease
• Celiac disease - sprue (gluten-sensitive enteropathy)
• Dermatomyositis
• Graves disease
• Hashimoto thyroiditis
• Multiple sclerosis
• Myasthenia gravis
• Pernicious anemia

Treatment for these ailments depends on the type and severity of the condition. The correct treatment may provide relief but does not cure the disease.

For instance, Restore Collagen is effective for treating auto-immune illnesses that require the management of inflammation in the body but will not be as effective in alleviating all symptoms of the disease.

Thus, it is crucial to get the correct diagnosis because not all auto-immune illnesses cause inflammation in the body.  Recent research has shown that an abnormal inflammatory response is most common in auto-immune diseases, such as Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), Gout, and Diabetes 1 to 3.

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)  

This chronic inflammatory disorder affects many joints, including the hands and feet. With Rheumatoid Arthritis, the body's immune system attacks its tissue, including joints. In severe cases, it can also attack internal organs. This disease affects joint linings, causing painful swelling. In addition, over long periods, the inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis can cause bone erosion and joint deformity. While there's no cure for rheumatoid arthritis, physiotherapy and medication can help slow the disease's progression. However, fortunately, most cases are manageable.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) 

IBS is a term that encompasses two conditions (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis) characterised by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Prolonged inflammation from these diseases results in damage to the GI tract.

1. Crohn's disease 

Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that affects the lining of the digestive tract. Crohn's disease can sometimes cause life-threatening complications. It can cause abdominal pain, diarrhoea, weight loss, anaemia and fatigue. Some people may be symptom-free most of their lives, while others can have severe chronic symptoms that never go away. However, you can use medications to slow the disease's progression. If those medications are not effective, a patient may require surgery. Additionally, patients with Crohn's disease may need to undergo regular screening for colorectal cancer due to increased risk.

     2.  Ulcerative colitis 

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that causes inflammation in the digestive tract. Ulcerative colitis is usually only in the innermost lining of the large intestine (colon) and rectum. Forms range from mild to severe. Having ulcerative colitis puts a patient at increased risk of developing colon cancer. Symptoms include rectal bleeding, bloody diarrhoea, abdominal cramps and pain.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)  

An inflammatory disease is when the immune system attacks its tissues. Lupus (SLE) can affect the joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart and lungs. Symptoms can include fatigue, joint pain, rash and fever. These can periodically worsen and then improve. Lupus has no cure; existing treatments focus on improved quality of life by controlling symptoms and minimising flare-ups. Primarily lifestyle modifications, protection from the sun and diet are effective treatment options for this condition. Further disease management includes medication such as anti-inflammatories.

Gout 

Gout is a form of arthritis characterised by severe pain, redness and tenderness in joints. Pain and inflammation occur when too much uric acid crystallises and deposits in the joints. Gout symptoms include severe pain, redness and swelling in joints, often the big toe. Attacks can come suddenly, frequently at night. During an acute attack, anti-inflammatory medications can help relieve pain and shorten the length of the attack. Patients with chronic gout can use behavioural modification such as diet, exercise and decreased intake of alcohol to help minimise the frequency of attacks. Patients with chronic gout are also often put on colchicine medications.

Diabetes 1 to 3 

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic, lifelong condition that results from several states and factors. It affects people who have a high blood glucose/sugar level.

1.  Type 1 diabetes, 

It occurs when the body attacks its pancreas with antibodies, thus damaging it and resulting in the inability to produce insulin. Another reason could be the presence of faulty beta cells- which the pancreas needs to produce insulin. These are the reasons as to why Type 1 diabetes is known to be wholly insulin-dependent and can be administered only through injections or insulin pumps.

2.  Type 2 diabetes

It is the most common form of diabetes. Over 95% of adults are diagnosed with this form; it causes significant health issues if not treated properly. With type 2, the pancreas produces insulin but not in a sufficient quantity, or the body cells reject the insulin that the body produces. This condition mainly occurs in people who are obese and have insulin resistance. Type 2 is said to be less complex and aggressive than Type 1, but diabetes in any form can be dangerous if not controlled by medication and can lead to death.

3.  Type 3 diabetes, 

Type 3/Gestational diabetes is another form of diabetes; it occurs in the middle to last term of pregnant women. Causes of Type 3 diabetes include hormonal changes, metabolic demands of pregnancy, and genetic and environmental factors.  The high blood sugars present in the mother get circulated in the placenta and might affect the baby. However, this type of diabetes is temporary and fades away post-pregnancy; studies show that only 10% of women with gestational diabetes develop Type 2 diabetes after childbirth. 

What role does inflammation play? 

Inflammation is a common physiological defence against pathogen infection. Under normal circumstances, the ensuing damage quickly ends. However, in the aforementioned auto-immune diseases, the inflammatory response continues and leads to significant tissue and organ damage. Anti-inflammatory supplements are crucial for treating auto-immune illnesses that require the management of inflammation in the body; a collagen supplement is an effective treatment for the physiological reactions that result in inflammation in the body.

Its contents, proline and glycine, give collagen anti-inflammatory properties. These amino acids help reduce inflammation by inhibiting the production of inflammatory cytokines. Additionally, collagen helps reduce inflammation by blocking the action of enzymes that destroy cartilage.

How does collagen help treat inflammation

• It supports gut lining.
• Its amino acids are renowned anti-inflammatory agents.
• Glutamine, found in collagen, is vital for managing inflammation and inhibiting oxidative stress in the intestines.
• It helps promote balance in our digestive tract; this makes it necessary when controlling inflammation.

Collagen has more uses than its anti-inflammatory effects; as the most abundant protein in the human body, found in the bones, muscles, skin, and tendons. It is an essential component of connective tissue and plays a crucial role in holding the body's cells together.

Health Nut's Collagen is hydrolysed, meaning that the amino acids that make up the collagen are in their most bio-available form. A collagen diet has numerous benefits for your body; whether you need assistance with anti-ageing, joints and mobility, arthritis relief, or treatment against auto-immune diseases, add collagen to your diet.

Remember, collagen supplementation is a preventive measure. Therefore, it is never too soon to start adding a collagen supplement to your diet.

Modern physicians introduced the Ketogenic Diet (KD) as a treatment for epilepsy in the 1920s. Since then, it has evolved into a trusted weight-loss program.

What is a ketogenic diet? 

Ketogenic diets minimise carbohydrate intake and maximise protein intake to induce ketosis. The popularity of this diet is that it allows many people to eat the types of high-fat foods they enjoy, such as red meats, fatty fish, nuts, cheese, and butter, while still losing weight. But is this weight-loss regime effective?

According to research, it is. A Ketogenic Diet can help patients lose about 2 kg more than low-fat diets in 1 year. Researchers from Bethel University in Minnesota endorse this finding.

The researchers discovered that a Keto Diet is effective because it restricts carbs and causes the body to seek energy in stored fat, or ketone bodies, which breaks down through ketosis. The body then relies on ketones for energy until users start eating carbs again.

Its superior weight-loss results are at the fore of the benefits of a Keto Diet. 

The amazing benefits of keto:

•  It improves acne - Eating a diet high in processed and refined carbohydrates can adversely affect skin health. Thus, decreasing carb intake, as with a ketogenic diet, can reduce acne symptoms in some people.
• It may reduce the risk of certain cancers. The ketogenic diet may be a safe and suitable complementary treatment to use alongside chemotherapy and radiation therapy in people with certain cancers because it can cause more oxidative stress in cancer cells than in normal cells, causing them to die.
• It may improve heart health - A keto diet’s reducing effect on cholesterol may reduce a person’s risk of heart complications.
• It may protect brain function - The ketones generated during the keto diet provide neuroprotective benefits; they can strengthen and protect the brain and nerve cells.
• It may improve PCOS symptoms - A keto diet may be advantageous for people with hormonal disorders, including PCOS and type 2 diabetes.

However, there are significant risks and complications to the Keto Diet. Staying on the Ketogenic Diet for a long time can adversely affect your health. 

The associated health risks of following keto

1.     Excess protein in the blood.
2.     Mineral and vitamin deficiencies.
3.     A build-up of fat in the liver.
4.     Constipation.
5.     A low exercise tolerance.

The above risks are chiefly linked to the diet’s propensity to lead to nutrient deficiencies; one such nutrient is protein. Therefore, when comparing the ketogenic diet with other low-carb, high-protein diets, the protein amount in the Ketogenic Diet must be kept moderate because excessive protein intake can prevent ketosis, which is essential in a Keto Diet.

Thus, Collagen peptides are essential to a Keto Diet; people on a keto diet can increase their protein intake by consuming collagen peptides.

Collagen peptides are a more broken-down version of regular Collagen, the most abundant protein in our bodies. 

How collagen supports a keto diet

• Promotes Gut Health.

It helps us heal our gut and maintain gut health, which is essential for keeping us healthy because the intestinal barrier is the gatekeeper between our circulation and the food we consume.

• Improves Liver Health.

Glycine, which is 33% collagen residues, can help reduce alcohol-induced liver damage and other acute or chronic liver injuries.

• Ensures Heart Health.

Type I Collagen is in one of the three walls of your heart. Without Collagen, our myocardium would not have a rigid structural framework for forceful heartbeats.

•       Helping with Type 2 Diabetes and Other Metabolic Disorders.

Glycine supplementation reduces glycated haemoglobin (A1C), a risk factor associated with poor blood glucose management in patients with type 2 diabetes.

• Supports The Brain

Collagen VI helps the brain function properly and prevents neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.

Keto diet statistics:

• 4 in 10 Americans follow a diet or specific eating pattern.
• 12.9 million Americans follow the keto diet each year.
• Scientific evidence suggests that the keto diet is effective for weight loss.
• 46% of keto followers cheat on the keto diet.
• The #1 reason for quitting the keto diet is its strictness.
• 70% of keto dieters don’t track their blood ketone levels.
• The global keto diet market size makes $10.22 billion a year.
• “Keto-friendly” product offerings are skyrocketing in retail and online.

Collagen has various health benefits and is a reliable source of protein. However, collagen supplements and protein supplements are not interchangeable because they are different products with different nutrition profiles, ingredients, and purposes. Deciding on either depends on the benefits you want.

Protein powders are reportedly better for people following a vegan diet or who want to gain muscle. However, for a comprehensive supplement, Collagen is a more viable option.

In addition, Collagen supplements are essential in a Ketogenic Diet as they allow a moderate intake of protein as required, while protein supplements would compromise the effectiveness of your Keto Diet.

Read these articles to find out more about the benefits of taking a collagen supplement: 

1. Which collagen supplement should you use? 
2. Active Collagen Supplement
3. Vibrance Collagen Supplement

The highest temperature recorded in South Africa was 50°C at Dunbrody, in the Eastern Cape, on 3 November 1918. This high temperature is just short of the highest temperature in the world, which was 56.7°C, on 10 July 1913 at Furnace Creek, California. Luckily, we are not reaching these numbers yet, but we are feeling the might of the current hot spell. Your fitness regiment can’t take a backseat. So, how do you exercise safely during a heatwave?

At least eight people have been reported dead in South Africa due to the heatwave, and predictions are that it could worsen. There are warnings that we should prepare for temperatures as high as 40°C in some parts of the country.

There isn't much we can do about the hot weather, but there are numerous ways of keeping cool in a heatwave.

How can you beat the heat? 

The current heatwave conditions have disrupted many; people have to exercise safely during a heatwave. For example, most people who, in normal circumstances, exercise regularly have stopped due to the heatwave. However, there are ways you can keep fit regardless of this heat. So when thinking of exercising on a hot day, here are things you can do to beat the heat:

Stay hydrated

Make sure you're hydrated before you even think about exercising. During exercise, consume fluids in small amounts often, and keep them cool by leaving them in the shade or storing them in an insulated bottle.

Lower exercise intensity

Start your workout gradually and lower your intensity to accommodate the higher heart rate. Consider temporarily swapping your outdoor exercise for indoor activities, train in air-conditioned gyms, or try swimming.

Dress appropriately

Wear loose-fitting, light-coloured, breathable clothing so that your sweat can evaporate more efficiently and quicker, helping your body stay cool. Also, apply strong and water-resistant sun cream (at least SPF 30 or above) 30 minutes before starting to avoid sunburn.

Listen to your body

Be as cautious as possible when exercising on a hot day. Keep an eye on your heart rate and listen to how your body feels.

Plan ahead

Pay attention to weather forecasts before you exercise, and complete your workout in the early morning or late evening when temperatures are low.

Even with these tips, it is crucial to remember that exercising during a heatwave strains your body, and you can risk serious illness. Heat illness can be life-threatening, so it's vital to take extra caution when deciding to work out. 

Regular workouts are beneficial to the human body. Yet, they have risks- even in typical weather. So, extra caution is imperative. Taking notice does not mean you should stop working out; you only need to heed the above tips and find suitable supplements to lessen the impacts of the heat on your body.

Active Collagen: exercise safely during the heatwave

Collagen supplements have many advantages for active men and women. Our joints are susceptible to weather conditions: In cold weather, joint aches increase, and in warm weather, swelling and pain increase. This happens because the pressure and humidity outdoors increase the expansion of joints, tendons, and muscles. Adding Active Collagen to your diet will help relieve the effects of the hot weather on your joints.

Besides the tremendous effects of collagen on your joints, it has many additional benefits that will help relieve the impact of the heatwave on your skin, hair, and nails.

• Skin:

Ultraviolet light from the sun breaks down collagen, so it's important to wear sunscreen daily. Also, hot weather increases water loss from the body, leading to dehydration and causing the skin to feel irritated, red, and dry. Constant heat from a heatwave may result in dry spots, rashes, burns, severe dullness, and oiliness.

Active Collagen can alleviate the impacts of heat on your skin; Collagen helps the skin retain its moisture, elasticity, and hydration.

• Hair:

Hair becomes thinner when it's hot, and people shed hair more quickly. In addition, the hot weather causes hair to remain in the telogen phase more prolonged, making it more likely to fall out.

The amino acids in Active Collagen help the body to build and strengthen the skin that contains hair roots and can also prevent hair follicle damage and greying.

• Nails:

Nails grow slower in cold weather and faster when it's warm; the growth slowdown in cool weather is due to the slow circulation characterised by cold weather conditions. Any disruption to this relationship between nail growth and the temperature will negatively affect nails, resulting in deformity and weakness; they may thicken or become brittle.

Taking Active Collagen feeds nail beds with arginine, an amino acid that helps promote nail growth and health. Collagen is an abundant protein in humans; it is responsible for hydration, healthy joints, skin elasticity, stronger nails, and healthy hair. You may have started neglecting your hair, skin, and nails due to the heat. You don't have to.

With Active Collagen:

• You can get support for your joints if you decide to continue working out in this heat.
• You can ensure your skin's hydration, moisture, and elasticity.
• You can help your body strengthen your hair and prevent breakage and greying.
• You can help promote your nails' health and growth.

The heatwave should not cause you to neglect anything you feel is essential. Instead, you only need to identify methods of doing the things you enjoy doing without putting yourself at risk.

Order your Active Collagen supplements here, and remember that exercising safely during a heatwave is important!

Find out more about the benefits of our Active Collagen here: 

1. Which collagen supplement should you use? 
2. Active collagen supplement - the benefits for fitness fanatics
3. Why is a collagen supplement just as important for men? 

Our range of collagen supplements either contains hydrolysed or bioactive collagen peptides. It is important to choose the right supplement. Let's consider the differences between hydrolysed supplements and bioactive collagen peptides.

Collagen Range Key Differences Table

What are the key differences?

For more information on hydrolysed collagen vs. bioactive collagen peptides please contact Health Nut.

Health Nut Collagen Range

RESTORE COLLAGEN (contains Hydrolysed Collagen)

Short chains of amino acids derived from the simple enzymatic hydrolysis of collagen protein.

• A source of collagen amino acids for protein enrichment.
• A complete protein in the form of hydrolysed collagen that can be used to treat a variety of health concerns.
• Not specifically targeted to focus on a particular health benefit.
• An affordable alternative with fewer scientific studies on success associated with particular beauty or health and fitness goals. 

ACTIVE COLLAGEN (contains Bioactive Collagen Peptides®)

• Different from traditional Hydrolysed Collagen, it contains Bioactive Collagen Peptides that have been synthesized to include selected peptides that provide support for specific psychological benefits required for an active lifestyle.
• Contains specific peptides that help to prevent muscle loss by providing your muscles with the amino acids they need to stay healthy and strong.
• Decreases fat mass, increases lean body mass, and improves muscle strength when combined with resistance training.
• Helps you to maintain a healthy weight because it is satiating (it makes you feel fuller for longer).
• It represents a life science solution for everyday life that has been proven in scientific controlled studies.
• Due to its various technological properties, it is an ideal protein to be supplemented with other food ingredients.

Scientific Study Findings:

1. Several randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded studies demonstrated the efficacy and potential of lean body mass, fat mass, and muscle strength with a daily intake of 15 g in combination with resistance training.
2. 114 healthy, physically inactive men, aged 35-60 participated with the primary outcome to compare 15 g of supplementation with placebo.
3. Changes in body composition were measured by DXA scans. DXA represents the “Gold Standard” in body composition measurement.
4. The results of the study's primary endpoint revealed a statistically significant (p<0.05) increase in lean body mass after supplementation compared to placebo. 

VIBRANCE COLLAGEN (contains Bioactive Collagen Peptides®)

• Different from traditional Hydrolysed Collagen, it contains Bioactive Collagen Peptides that have been synthesized to include selected peptides that provide support for specific psychological benefits required to keep you looking youthful.
• It contains all the essential amino acids specifically formulated to treat targeted areas in the body, such as skin, hair, and nails. Bioactive Collagen Peptides optimized for beauty applications encourage firmer, smoother skin with fewer wrinkles.
• Specific peptides are recognized by the cells that produce collagen in the skin. This causes an increase in collagen production, which helps to replace lost collagen due to aging and environmental influences.
• These peptides also influence the skin’s collagen metabolism directly from the inside to increase skin moisture whilst delaying the formation of wrinkles.
• Has beneficial effects on the dermal extracellular matrix of the skin and can help to decrease cellulite.
• Proven effect, backed up by controlled scientific studies.

Scientific Study Findings:

1. A study with 69 women aged between 35 and 55 years revealed a significantly higher skin elasticity – up to 15 % – compared to the placebo treatment. This effect could be measured after just 4 weeks of treatment.
2. A second study with more than 100 women aged between 45 and 65 years shows that the oral administration of Vibrance (2.5 g/day) significantly reduces wrinkles after 4 weeks and leads to a significant higher skin procollagen concentration.
3. Placebo-controlled study with 105 women aged between 25 and 50 years shows that the daily oral intake of 2.5 g Vibrance significantly decreases the cellulite score.
4. As part of the study, changes in dermal density were investigated. When ultrasound scans of the skin of a participant in the placebo group were compared to the skin of a participant from the Vibrance group, the increase in elastin and collagen is visible.

Now that you know all there is about our collagen range, perhaps you should consider:

1. What is collagen?
2. What's the best time to take collagen?
3. Active collagen supplement - benefits for fitness fanatics
4. Vibrance Collagen - beauty from within

Let's explore the differences between liquid and powder collagen to help you decide which collagen supplement is right for you. 

So... what are the pros and cons of different types of collagen supplements.

Dosage of the collagen 

Liquid collagen contains 10 grams or less of collagen per serving, while powder collagen contains up to 15 grams per serving. To consume more than 10 grams of collagen per day, you need to drink multiple servings of liquid collagen or switch to powder collagen. Research supports a range of 10 to 20 grams of collagen per day. So, if you want to increase your intake of this beneficial nutrient, choose a product that can help you meet your needs.

Origins of the collagen

Liquid collagen is from marine collagen, a protein found in fish and other sea creatures. Marine collagen is high in two types of collagen: type I and type II. Type I collagen is found in bones, ligaments, tendons, skin, hair, nails, and the gut lining. Type II collagen comes from cartilage. Marine collagen is also high in glycine and proline, two amino acids for maintaining healthy skin and joints.

Collagen powder in nutritional supplements comes from animal tissues such as the skin and bones of cattle and pigs, fish scales, and egg shells. By processing the animal protein, they become gelatin and break down further to form a powder. Our range of collagen powder is halal and kosher and is of bovine origin, it is sourced from cows free from antibiotics and hormones. Bovine collagen is high in two collagens: type I (the most abundant type of collagen in the human body) and type III. Type I collagen is found in bones, ligaments, tendons, skin, hair, nails, and the gut lining. Type III collagen is in the skin, muscles, and blood vessels. Collagen powders sourced from bovine origin are particularly well-suited for overall health.

Additives in the collagen supplement

Liquid collagens typically have a longer list of excipients (aka "other" ingredients) than powders, which can include added flavors, sweeteners, and other substances. Additives are not beneficial for your health. Additionally, liquid supplements are often more expensive than powders.

Collagen powder tends to contain no additives, artificial flavours, or sweeteners. You can trust what you are putting into your body and include the powder in drinks or meals of your choice. Another advantage of this is less use of single-use plastics. This makes collagen powder more environmentally friendly.

Bioavailability of different collagen supplements

Liquid collagen brands often tout the bioavailability of their product. They claim that liquid collagen is more efficiently absorbed and usable by the body. However, scientific studies are lacking to substantiate this claim.

Collagen as a protein (aka peptide) compound is large (whether it comes in a liquid or powder form). To enhance its bioavailability and absorption, your body has to break down the protein into smaller peptides and amino acids. However, collagen powders such as our Restore, Vibrance, and Active collagen range contain specially synthesized collagen peptides. These peptides are bioavailable for easy absorption by the body and are scientifically proven to work. 

So, which collagen supplement is more effective?

When comparing collagen supplement types, powdered collagen is preferred (at least by our standards). Powdered collagen is more concentrated and has fewer additives than liquid collagen. It is more versatile - you mix it into any beverage or food. Collagen powders that contain bioavailable collagen peptides have been proven to work. So, when it comes to Liquid vs. Powder Collagen, stick with a powdered collagen supplement if you're looking for the most bang for your buck.

Order your collagen powder supplement today!