Collagen powder has made its way into smoothies, yogurt and even your morning cup of coffee. But that’s hardly the end of the road for this nutritional booster. Thanks to some amazing breakthroughs in food and supplements, collagen has taken on many more shapes and forms. By crossing into functional foods, the next generation of collagen food makes what was already a convenient addition to your day even easier – and healthier.
Collagen: The Origin Story
Collagen supplements burst on the scene almost 10 years ago (in capsule form) as a support system for skin and joints. Naomi Whittel, founder of leading collagen supplement brand, Reserveage Nutrition, recalls, “When I walked into stores in 2009 with a collagen beauty supplement, I was met with uncertainty. It was the first they’d heard of it.”
But as the key structural protein found in connective tissue, collagen is vital to maintaining healthy skin, joints, tendons and even bones. This is especially true as you age, because protein synthesis begins to slow down. Plus, environmental factors can affect the integrity of collagen. Making sure your body has healthy amounts of collagen protein can help keep you moving and glowing for years to come. Hence the birth of collagen supplements.*
Collagen in capsule form is still a viable – and sometimes preferred – option, but convenience and variety rule. First, it was the creation of collagen powder that took hold. But with the rise of functional foods, collagen food is expanding. The truth is any protein helps support collagen production. It’s just that food sources of pure collagen are slim. Bone broth, which is made with bone marrow chock-full of collagen, is the real deal. However, roasting and simmering beef bones takes hours and isn’t exactly everyone’s cup of tea.
Collagen Food: Hot, Chilled or Over Ice
To solve for the ever-changing market, Reserveage Nutrition unveiled a set of products that are practically unrecognizable as collagen supplements. For instance, their Collagen BeauTea is a tasty white tea that helps enhance daily collagen intake. The collagen is right inside the tea bag, so you don’t have to take any extra steps. Try the hibiscus flavor over ice for a nice, spring-time refresher.
If you prefer a warming sipper, savory bone broth is now available in ready-to-brew broth bags. These resemble tea bags and can be made the same way. You could also try Bone Broth Boost in powder form, adding it to a homemade soup or pairing it with Collagen BeauTea for even more protein. Both forms of the bone broth boost (powder and bag) come in three hearty flavors for endless recipe creations: chicken and vegetable, beef and vegetable.
Of course, if you’re a collagen powder purist, that’s okay, too. Reserveage Nutrition has a deluxe, patented collagen powder with no taste, odor or flavor. It’ll quickly disappear into your smoothie, matcha or mocha – just how you like it.
