Source comparison
Marine, bovine, or "vegan" collagen?
UK collagen supplements come in three formats: marine (sourced from fish skin and scales, predominantly Type I, with smaller peptide size and faster reported absorption), bovine (sourced from cow hide and bone, mixed Type I and Type III), and "vegan collagen" (which contains no actual collagen, only amino acid precursors like lysine, proline and glycine plus vitamin C cofactors, on the premise that the body builds its own). Marine and bovine are collagen products. Vegan formulas are precursor stacks. PeptideClear compares all three on source, dose, sustainability and price.
Marine collagen
- · Mostly Type I. Sourced from fish skin and scales (often North Atlantic cod or wild Pacific snapper).
- · Smallest molecular weight typically. Often 1-3 kDa hydrolysed. Strong absorption profile.
- · Best fit for skin and tendon goals. Often the choice in beauty-positioned UK brands (Ancient + Brave, Bare Biology, Vital Proteins Marine).
- · Cost premium over bovine.
Bovine collagen
- · Type I and III combined. Sourced from cow hide.
- · Typically 3-5 kDa hydrolysed. Fine absorption profile.
- · Best fit for skin, gut, and combined-goal use. Often the best price per gram.
- · Most affordable UK option (Vital Proteins original, MyProtein, BulkPowders).
"Vegan collagen"
- · Does not contain collagen. Contains amino acids (lysine, proline, glycine) plus vitamin C and sometimes silica or biotin.
- · The pitch: your body synthesises collagen from these building blocks if they are available.
- · The reality: protein from a normal diet already provides the precursors. Adding extra precursors does not reliably increase collagen synthesis above baseline.
- · Vegan precursor blends suit ethical preference, not biochemical superiority. ASA has flagged misleading "vegan collagen" claims; honest brands now call it a "collagen builder" or "vegan beauty blend".
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10 UK collagen brands compared. Marine, bovine, vegan precursor. Type, dose, kDa, price.