If you are concerned about aging gracefully, then chances are good you know all about collagen. Collagen is connected to the protein in our bodies and acts like a glue that keeps things pulled together and working properly. Collagen makes up our muscles, tendons, intestines, skin and joints. Unfortunately, as we get older our bodies create less and less collagen. By 35 is when it begins to slow. By age 60, you naturally have about half the collagen you had in your twenties and early thirties.

Thanks to the marriage between the beauty and medical industries, collagen replacements are a thing. Collagen supplements can help increase muscle strength, reduce signs of aging, help reduce joint pain, help manage osteoarthritis and more. The bad news is collagen supplements are made of animal parts. Animal bones, hooves, hides of animals are common ingredients. I had no idea about this before becoming Vegan.

Vegan Collagen Exists

The best news is that Vegan collagen exists. It is made primarily from plants and foods that naturally create collagen. There are several brands on the market that typically come in powder or pill form. Most research reveals that Vegan collagen has the same benefits as the collagen from animals. Which makes sense because some of the main foods that help your body create its own collagen is chickpeas, beans, quinoa and nutrient dense fruits and vegetables.

What I Take

I use myKind Organics Plant Based Collagen supplements. This company caught my attention because long time Vegan and actress Alicia Silverstone is a co-founder. She is the star from the 1995 movie Clueless, who puts much of her energy and time into health and wellness. myKind offers a powder, coffee creamer and a pill. I take the pill version. Here’s what the company has to say about their collagen products:

myKind Organics Organic Plant Collagen Builder is a whole food formula with Biotin and Silica that’s certified organic and Non-GMO Verified made from over 30 powdered organic fruits, vegetables and botanicals. Specialized ingredients help restore and maintain youthful levels of Collagen, Keratin and Elastin, three proteins responsible for promoting your body’s healthy, natural glow. 
For beautiful hair, skin and nails, Organic Plant Collagen Builder is made only from organic plant foods that can build the body’s own natural production of collagen.

Bottom Line

There is a lot of information out there about plant based collagen and whether it is better than animal collagen. I have personally seen enough information to convince me that plant based collagen is just as, if not more, effective as the animal based one. But I encourage you to do your own homework. I will do whatever it takes naturally to age gracefully… except harm animals. The good news is that there are great options available.