Collagen forms head to head
Hydrolysed vs native collagen
Hydrolysed collagen is enzymatically broken into small peptides for gut absorption; it dominates the skin and tendon market. Native (undenatured) collagen retains its triple-helix structure and is used at much smaller doses for joint goals via an oral-tolerance immune mechanism, not nutritional absorption. Different forms for different goals.
| Hydrolysed | Native | |
|---|---|---|
| Processing | Enzymatically broken down to small peptides | Intact triple-helix structure preserved |
| Typical kDa | 3 to 6 kDa (or smaller for marine) | 300+ kDa (whole protein) |
| Absorption | Strong: digested as di- and tri-peptides | Limited: triggers oral tolerance pathway not absorption |
| Typical use case | Type I and Type III, skin and tendon | Type II UC-II, joint comfort |
| Dose unit | Grams (5 to 15 g/day) | Milligrams (40 mg/day for UC-II) |
| Bone broth equivalent | Closest to slow-cooked bone broth | Closer to raw cartilage |
| Label terms | "Hydrolysed", "peptides", "hydrolysate" | "Native", "undenatured", "UC-II" |
Cross-reference: collagen hub.
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