Undenatured Collagen vs. Collagen Peptides

What is the difference between undenatured collagen and collagen peptides?

Undenatured collagen is collagen that has been preserved in its native form, the way that it naturally exists in a living organism, versus collagen peptides are various fragments of the protein that have been broken down.

Undenatured Collagen has its triple helix form intact, which means different active sites on the protein are preserved that the body can recognize.

Collagen peptides are broken down fragments and the original triple helix structure of the protein as well as its active sites are not preserved.

What are the benefits of undenatured collagen?

Undenatured Type II Collagen derived from salmon has shown in human studies to be effective in reducing knee pain in healthy adults at a dose as small as 10mg a day. Undenatured Type II Collagen and undenatured proteoglycan are the two building blocks of our joint cartilage. In its native form, undenatured type II collagen contains two active sites on the protein that are recognized by our body when we orally ingest it. When our gut recognizes these active sites it initiates oral tolerance, which in this case means our immune system learns to stop incorrectly attacking the joint cartilage. This signal to stop the autoimmune attack on the joint cartilage may help reduce inflammation, which many times is the cause of joint pain and discomfort. Collagen peptides do not initiate this oral tolerance response since the active sites of the protein have been broken down.

Undenatured Type II Collagen contains active sites that initiate oral tolerance to stop inflammation in the joint cartilage

Collagen peptides do not contain active sites, and therefore no signal is detected to initiate oral tolerance

While both undenatured type II collagen and collagen peptides may have health benefits, undenatured type II collagen is differentiated by its ability to initiate oral tolerance, which can lead to reduced inflammation and pain in the joints.