Summary
Katie from Wellness Mama is joined by Christina McKay of Everbella to discuss the warning signs of collagen deficiency and how to address it. Christina shares her personal story of experiencing hair loss, fatigue, and premature aging in her late 20s, which she traced back to collagen depletion. They explain that collagen production begins declining by about 1% per year after age 25, and that modern factors like poor diet, sun exposure, smoking, and depleted soils accelerate this decline. The episode covers six key warning signs of collagen deficiency: premature skin aging, slow muscle recovery, digestive problems and leaky gut, hair thinning and loss, joint pain, and slow injury recovery. Christina explains that when collagen levels drop low enough, the body prioritizes sending remaining collagen to vital organs rather than skin and hair. She outlines strategies for restoring collagen including vitamin C-rich foods, adequate protein and zinc intake, hydration, sun protection, and supplementation with a bioavailable collagen that uses micelle technology for improved absorption. A key theme is that not all collagen supplements are created equal. Christina explains three critical issues with most products: the collagen molecules are too large for the body to absorb, many contain fillers and added sugars that impair absorption, and most lack micelle technology that packages nutrients for transport through the gut lining. She notes that micellized collagen can be up to 800% more absorbable than conventional powdered or pill forms.
Key Points
- Collagen production declines approximately 1% per year after age 25, accelerated by poor diet, sun exposure, and smoking
- Six warning signs of deficiency: premature skin aging, slow muscle recovery, digestive problems, hair thinning, joint pain, and slow injury recovery
- When collagen is depleted, the body prioritizes vital organ functions over skin, hair, and nails
- 70-80% of skin is made up of collagen, and 60% of joint cartilage is collagen
- Vitamin C, protein, zinc, and copper are essential cofactors for collagen production
- Most collagen supplements are too large molecularly for the body to absorb effectively
- Micelle technology can make collagen up to 800% more absorbable than conventional powdered collagen
- Modern soil depletion means you would need to eat roughly 10 oranges today to get the vitamin C content one orange provided 50 years ago
Key Moments
Collagen production drops 1% per year after age 25 and your body triages what's left
Christina explains that collagen production starts declining about 1% per year after age 25. When levels drop low enough, the body stops prioritizing skin and redirects remaining collagen to vital organs and wound healing, which is why skin aging accelerates.
"Beautiful. Okay, so let's just jump right into it. So somehow, one way or another, as we age, right, you start losing your collagen. Why is that? Well, your body's ability to create new collagen start"
Six warning signs that your body is running low on collagen
Christina outlines six key warning signs of collagen deficiency: premature skin aging, slow muscle recovery from normal activities, digestive problems including leaky gut, hair thinning and loss, joint pain, and slow injury recovery. She notes that 70-80% of skin and 60% of joint cartilage is made of collagen.
"So despite the fact that, you know, your skin, like I said earlier, is primarily collagen, it's 70 to 80% made up of collagen. If you have low levels of collagen, your body will actually stop focusing"
Most collagen supplements are too big to absorb and full of fillers that block absorption
Three facts about most collagen products that consumers should know. First, most collagen molecules are too large for intestinal absorption. Second, many products contain fillers and additives that destroy the collagen's effectiveness. Third, added sugars cause the body to process sugar before collagen, reducing its benefits.
"Number one, most collagen is actually too big for your body to absorb. So earlier I was talking about leaky gut and how things have to go through your intestine to be absorbed."
Micelle technology makes collagen 800% more absorbable than conventional forms
Christina explains micelle technology, where nutrients are wrapped in tiny packages that can pass through the gut lining into the bloodstream. Without micelles, most collagen is destroyed by stomach acid. Micellized collagen is claimed to be up to 800% more absorbable than conventional powdered or pill forms.
"It travels through your digestive system and it gets broken down in your stomach. And your body has to create these little packages to wrap around the nutrients so it can actually travel through your"
You would need 10 oranges today to match the vitamin C of one orange 50 years ago
Due to industrialized farming practices and depleted soils, the nutrient density of modern produce has dropped dramatically. Where one orange once provided around 500mg of vitamin C, you would now need roughly 10 oranges to get the same amount, making supplementation increasingly important for collagen production.
"Our food system is so depleted and it's very sad because it's due to... And I have no hate on farmers because I grow my own vegetables and stuff, but it's more of this industrialized farming practices"
