Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body: it accounts for about 30% of our proteins. It is found in the skin, bones, cartilage, tendons and ligaments, where its fibres form a kind of flexible, resistant framework. There are around thirty types; type I is by far the most widespread.

Its structure is unusual. Three long chains of amino acids wind around one another to form a triple helix, rather like a braided rope. This architecture relies on a repeating pattern in which glycine comes back at every third position, together with proline and hydroxyproline, two amino acids that are rarely found elsewhere.

In our diet, collagen hides in the cuts we cook less and less often: skin, rind, cartilage, bones simmered for hours, trotters and shanks. Gelatine is a form that has already been partly broken down. Collagen peptides take this breakdown further, which completely changes the way they behave in a glass of water.

Peptan® is a registered brand of hydrolysed collagen produced by Rousselot, a company that has specialised in gelatine and collagen for more than a century. Nutripure uses the Peptan® B version, of bovine origin: the peptides come from type I collagen, with a share of type III, found in bovine hides. The origin stated by Nutripure for the unflavoured version is European.

Hydrolysis is the key step. Native collagen is a very large molecule, around 300,000 daltons, and it does not dissolve in water. Gelatine, obtained by separating the three chains, comes down to about 50,000 daltons and only dissolves when heated. By continuing the breakdown with enzymes, you obtain peptides, in other words short fragments of the chains.

The average molecular weight chosen here is 2000 daltons, at the lower end of the usual range for collagen peptides, which runs from about 2000 to 5000 daltons. This figure explains the texture: a fine white powder that dissolves in cold water without lumps or gel, where gelatine would set.

The composition fits on one line: hydrolysed collagen of bovine origin. There is no flavouring, sweetener, bulking agent or anti-caking agent. A 10 g dose provides 10 g of collagen, including 9 g of protein; across the whole product, that is about 90% protein, with no carbohydrate or fat.

The amino acid profile published by Nutripure lists eighteen amino acids. Glycine comes first with 1,850 mg per dose, followed by glutamic acid, proline and hydroxyproline, each at around 1 g. Next come arginine, alanine and aspartic acid. This profile is very different from that of a whey or a plant protein, which are rich in leucine and essential amino acids.

That is why collagen does not replace a complete protein source: it contains no tryptophan and is low in leucine. It is best seen as a specific addition alongside a varied diet. The product is manufactured in line with the EN 17444 anti-doping standard, a reference valued by athletes subject to testing. Nutripure also provides halal and kosher certificates.

The unflavoured version is the most versatile in the range. It has almost no taste and can barely be noticed in a plain glass of water. In a fruit juice, a smoothie or a coffee, it becomes undetectable.

Nutripure suggests dissolving it in a glass of water with a squeeze of lemon, in a plant milk, a vegetable juice, a gazpacho or straight into a whey shaker. It also works in hot preparations: a soup, a porridge or a tea. Unlike gelatine, it does not turn liquids into jelly as they cool.

The choice of an unflavoured version has another logic. The brand offers natural flavourings sold separately, so you can change flavour from one day to the next instead of being stuck with a single taste for a whole pouch. In our shop in Paris 12th, it is often the version we suggest to people who want to add it to their morning routine without changing their habits.

Nutripure recommends 10 to 20 g a day. The 30 ml scoop supplied in the pouch serves as a guide: 10 g corresponds to about 80% of the scoop, in other words a slightly levelled scoop. A dose can be taken in the morning, at lunch or in the evening with a meal, or after training for athletes.

The powder format comes down to quantity. Ten grams of collagen would mean around fifteen capsules a day, a number that is hard to keep up over time. As a powder, one simple gesture is enough, and you can adjust the dose to your needs.

The 310 g pouch contains 31 doses of 10 g, i.e. one month at one dose a day, or about a fortnight at 20 g. Nutripure also offers it in a 1.2 kg tub and a 4 kg bucket for those who have adopted it. Many of our customers in Paris simply take it in the morning, in their coffee or juice. If you are unsure about the format, our advisers in Paris 12th will help you choose according to how you plan to use it.

Nutripure offers two hydrolysed collagens that look alike on paper but do not have the same origin. Peptan® is a bovine collagen, made from bovine hides. The brand’s marine collagen comes from fish skins. Both are broken down into low-molecular-weight peptides and dissolve in cold water.

The choice is mostly a matter of personal criteria. People who are allergic to fish or do not eat it naturally turn to the bovine version; those who do not eat beef but do eat fish prefer the marine one. Both have their place on our shelves, and we do not recommend one over the other on principle: it all depends on your eating habits.

Our collagen section in Paris brings together both families, as powders and capsules, from several brands. No collagen, bovine or marine, is suitable for vegetarians or vegans, however: it is always an animal protein.

Nutripure presents its Peptan® as the natural companion to its crystallised glycine. The idea is simple: glycine is the most abundant amino acid in collagen, and some athletes like to combine a dose of peptides and a dose of glycine in the same glass. Both products are neutral or nearly so and mix without any difficulty: it is a combination we are often asked about in Paris.

The other common combination is vitamin C. For vitamin C, the effect is established and recognised: vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of bones, cartilage, gums, teeth, skin and blood vessels. The unflavoured Peptan® does not contain any; an orange juice, a kiwi or some vitamin C powder added to the glass will do the job.

To be clear: these claims relate to vitamin C, not to collagen itself, which has no authorised health claim in Europe. If you are taking medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, ask your doctor for advice before taking any supplement.

Is this collagen of marine origin?

No. The Peptan® B used by Nutripure is a collagen of bovine origin. If you are looking for a collagen made from fish, Nutripure offers a separate marine product.

How long does a 310 g pouch last?

The pouch contains 31 doses of 10 g, i.e. one month at one dose a day, or about fifteen days at 20 g a day.

Can it be mixed into a hot drink?

Yes. The peptides dissolve just as well in cold water as in a coffee, a tea or a soup, and they do not form a gel as they cool.

Where can I find it in Paris?

At Herba Barona, 10 rue Théophile Roussel, Paris 12th, from Tuesday to Saturday, 9:30 am to 6:30 pm, between Ledru-Rollin (line 8) and Bastille (lines 1, 5, 8) metro stations.