Natural Marine Collagen - Berry

What collagen supplementation is doing

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body and a major structural component of skin. Production declines with age.

Ingested collagen is digested like any other protein. It does not travel intact to your skin and become collagen there. The proposed mechanism is that certain collagen-derived peptides survive digestion in small quantities and may act as signals to fibroblasts, alongside supplying the amino acids used to build collagen.

Hydrolysis and molecular weight

Hydrolysis breaks collagen into shorter peptide chains before you take it. Native collagen runs to around 300,000 daltons. Ordinary hydrolysed collagen typically sits between 3,000 and 5,000. Innour state theirs at 2,000, which places it at the lower end of the range.

The argument is that smaller peptides cross the intestinal wall more readily, so more reaches circulation as peptides rather than being broken down entirely into individual amino acids.

There is reasonable support for this. Specific short peptides, particularly prolyl-hydroxyproline, have been detected in blood after ingestion of hydrolysed collagen, and these are the fragments proposed to act as signals rather than simply as protein.

Worth knowing that molecular weight is an average across a distribution rather than a single value, and that most brands do not publish a figure at all. Quoting one is a point in Innour's favour regardless of the number.

Why marine

Marine collagen is predominantly type I, the type most abundant in skin. Its peptides are smaller than bovine collagen's. Both are cited as reasons for better absorption.

Vitamin C

Included because vitamin C is an essential cofactor for the enzymes that stabilise collagen during synthesis. Without adequate vitamin C, collagen cannot form properly. This is established biochemistry rather than a marketing addition.

The flavouring

Freeze-dried raspberry and stevia. Each serve contains 5g of collagen regardless of flavour, with the flavouring added on top rather than displacing the dose. That is why the flavoured tubs weigh more than the unflavoured for the same number of serves.

What's in it

Premium French Marine Collagen, Raspberry Fruit Powder, Natural Raspberry Flavour, Stevia, Vitamin C.

Every batch is independently tested in a NATA-certified laboratory for stability, nutritional accuracy, and the absence of heavy metals and contaminants.

Anyone looking to support skin, hair and nail appearance as part of a balanced diet. The berry flavour suits mixing into water or smoothies; the unflavoured version is better in coffee or food.

Not suitable if you have a fish allergy, or if you avoid animal-derived products. Marine collagen is derived from fish skin.

Speak to your doctor before starting any supplement, particularly during pregnancy or breastfeeding, if you take regular medication, or if you have a medical condition. Innour's own position on pregnancy is to consult a healthcare professional, and we agree.

Combine one scoop with 250 to 500mL of food or drink and stir. Some freeze-dried fruit may not fully dissolve, which is normal.

Dose. Innour recommend 10g daily, either two scoops at once or one scoop twice a day. If you are new to collagen, start with one 5g serve and build up over eight to twelve weeks.

Consistency matters more than dose. Studies reporting effects generally use daily intake over eight to twelve weeks. Intermittent use is unlikely to show anything.