Nowadays, there are many types of collagen available. But which one is more suitable for consumers to take? There are two professional terms that everyone should be aware of: collagen polypeptide and collagen oligopeptide.
When I saw advertisements for collagen products online, there were two types mentioned: collagen oligopeptide and collagen polypeptide. I'm not very clear about these terms, so I would like to ask what the difference is between oligopeptides and polypeptides? Which one is better absorbed by the body?
Below is an excerpt from an expert in Beijing explaining the differences between collagen oligopeptides and polypeptides. I hope this will help women who care about beauty have a deeper understanding of collagen.
Firstly, Dalton is the molecular measurement unit for collagen, with its English abbreviation being "D." When the molecular weight of collagen is less than 130D, it belongs to amino acids rather than proteins (collagen is a type of protein), so the molecular weight of collagen must be above 130D. Collagen with a molecular weight between 130-1000D is classified as an oligopeptide, while those between 1000-8000D are classified as polypeptides. Collagen with a molecular weight over 8000D falls under large molecular proteins. Both collagen oligopeptides and polypeptides can be absorbed by the human body, but their absorption rates differ.
Scientific research shows that if the molecular weight of collagen is too large, it is difficult for the human body to absorb it. For example, in our daily lives, foods like pig's trotters contain collagen with excessively large molecular weights, so the amount of collagen absorbed by the human body is very limited. This is why dietary supplementation of collagen often yields poor results. Often, supplementing collagen does not produce ideal effects, leading instead to excessive nutrition and weight gain. Therefore, collagen powder containing smaller molecular weight collagen is easier for the human body to absorb. However, it is not necessarily true that the smaller the molecular weight, the better. If the molecular weight is too small, the structure of collagen easily breaks down, the peptide chain becomes unstable, and collagen may deteriorate, causing side effects. Scientific validation has shown that collagen with a molecular weight around 3000 Daltons is the easiest for the human body to absorb and also maintains good stability. Nowadays, many merchants exploit the misconception among consumers that smaller molecular weights are better, falsely labeling products as having 1000 or even 500 Dalton so-called oligopeptide or micropeptide collagen, sometimes even contradicting common sense in a laughable manner. Especially in closed markets such as certain beauty salons, consumers are often misled by claims about collagen with smaller molecular weights, leading them to spend exorbitant amounts on inferior collagen products.
In fact, collagen with a molecular weight less than 1000 is generally used in skincare products, such as collagen masks, which can be directly absorbed by the dermal layer of the skin. For oral consumption, 3000D collagen is easier for the gastrointestinal tract to absorb, and the collagen absorption conversion rate is relatively higher.
By now, I believe everyone should have a clearer understanding when purchasing collagen powder—whether smaller or larger molecular weights are better. You can go to professional websites to learn and understand more about collagen polypeptides and oligopeptides!
Article sourced from: Collagen Protein Network