Amino Acid Profile

Amino acids are molecules that interact to form proteins. Amino acids and proteins are the building blocks of life. Proteins are long chains of amino acids. Your body has thousands of different proteins that each have important jobs. The amino acid profile of a supplement can vary depending on the source & quality of the protein used.

A human body requires a total of 20 amino acids to produce all the proteins it needs to function and grow. Nine of these amino acids are called "essential" amino acids. Your body needs these to function and thrive but can't produce on its own, so you need to get them from food and/or supplementation. They are involved in numerous processes in our bodies, including giving cell structure, organs and muscle formation, tissue repair, and energy production. 

• Arginine: A variety of physiological processes rely on it, including the synthesis of proteins and the regulation of blood flow.
• Aspartic acid: One of two acidic amino acids. Besides being a crucial amino acid for enzyme activity centers, it is also essential for maintaining protein solubility and ionic character.
• Glutamic Acid: Plays a crucial role in muscle recovery and immune function.
• Glycine: Stimulates the production of serotonin, the "feel-good" hormone. It is also a major component of collagen, which provides structure for bones, skin, muscles, and connective tissues.
• Histidine: An essential amino acid for the growth and repair of tissue, particularly for the maintenance of myelin sheaths that protect nerve cells and enable them to communicate.
• Hydroxylysine: An amino acid unique to collagen-like peptides. Essential for collagen molecules to form stable interactions with one another in the spaces between cells.
• Hydroxyproline: A major component of protein collagen, accounting for close to 13.5% of mammalian collagen. Hydroxyproline plays an important in collagen stability. 
• Isoleucine: In the process of recovering from blood loss or anemia, this amino acid plays a key role. Physiological responses to stress, energy production, as well as normal metabolism and muscle health depend on them.
• Leucine: One of three branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) that the body uses for muscle repair and growth.
• Lysine: Essential for enzyme and hormone production, as well as collagen synthesis and tissue repair.
• Methionine: Important for the synthesis of other amino acids and is a source of sulfur in the body. 
• Phenylalanine: An essential amino acid that plays a vital role in creating tyrosine and other amino acids.
• Proline: Used to synthesize proteins by the human body. Its major function is the production of collagen, which is essential for skin and cartilage repair.
• Serine: Essential to the development of the brain and contributes significantly to the production of proteins, neurotransmitters, nucleotides, and lipids.
• Tryptophan: A precursor to serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates mood and sleep.
• Tyrosine: An amino acid that the body synthesizes from phenylalanine. It helps make thyroid hormones, such as thyroxine and melanin, as well as neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine.
• Valine: One of three branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) needed to maintain and grow muscles.

What is Collagen?

Collagen is a type of protein naturally made by the body. In fact, collagen is the most predominant protein found in the human body. It is present in bones, connective tissue, muscles, skin, and tendons. The structure of your cells and tissues are made up of collagen and collagen consists mainly of amino acids.

Collagen is essential to your body's health and appearance, maintaining proper levels of collagen in your body becomes more difficult as you age. In addition to its effects on physical appearance, my collagen peptide molecules have additional potential health benefits. It can boost collagen levels that influence the overall youthfulness of your body including hair, nails, bones, joints, and connective tissues. The use of my Silk Collagen supplement goes beyond skin care. Maintaining proper levels of collagen in your body becomes more difficult as you age. During youth, your body produces enough collagen to keep your tissues young and supple. Consequently, as you age, you may notice more sagging, folds, and wrinkles on your face and neck.

Since a person's collagen becomes degraded as they age, their fibroblast function slows down, and their collagen output decreases. Fibroblasts are cells that produce and maintain collagen in connective tissue. These changes and the fact that our production of the elastin protein also decreases as we age are what lead to wrinkles and sagging skin. As we age, collagen becomes increasingly necessary to help maintain strong bones and connective tissue, as well as cushion our joints to provide comfort and function. Certain collagen levels start to become compromised after your mid-20s.

Did you know that on average:

• 25% of your body's collagen is lost by the age of 40.
• 50% of its juvenile production is lost at 60 years of age.
• 75% of collagen levels are lost by the age of 80.
• Collagen can't be produced by your body, so it must be obtained from your diet and supplements.

Are you aware that collagen is the most common protein in your body? It's involved in almost everything you do in your day-to-day lives. Achieving tight, radiant skin requires the proper protein building blocks from within the body. 

In addition to helping you to look and feel more youthful, collagen actually helps your body run smoothly by aiding the joints, bones, and connective tissue for optimal functioning. This structural protein is essential for all the organs in the body, including bones, skin, and blood. It provides functional support to tissues and plays a pivotal role in cellular processes. 

Healthy collagen levels contribute to:

• Communication between cells
• Migration of cells
• Healthy joints
• Organ protection
• Elasticity of the skin
• Repair of tissue
• The immune system's response
• Cardiovascular health

Low collagen levels can be caused by a variety of factors, including:

• Aging
• Changes in hormone levels
• Low levels vitamin C
• Sun overexposure
• Oxidative stress

Collagen production and maintenance require other dietary components besides amino acids. Vitamin C, for instance, is necessary for collagen synthesis. Having insufficient amounts of it can interfere with collagen production. It is therefore imperative to consume plenty of vitamin C-rich foods and/or supplements to promote a healthy collagen production process.

Here are some strategies that may help prevent collagen loss:

• Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.
• Dietary supplementation.
• Sun exposure should be avoided.
• Avoid smoking.
• Avoid processed foods.

Silk Collagen VS. Brightening Molecular Collagen

Both are amazing products and work to achieve anti-aging results. However, there are some differences between my Brightening Molecular Collagen Powder and my Silk Collagen products.  Both formulas contain my super-concentrated molecular collagen. However, each formula contains different key ingredients. For example, the Brightening formula contains vitamin c, biotin and glutathione, a powerful antioxidant that helps brighten the skin, while Silk Collagen contains Sericin extract and Silk Cocoon amino acids which focuses on smoothing the skin surface from the inside out.