Magazine
A few things
worth knowing.
Science-based and practical writing on collagen, mushrooms and a thoughtful approach to the body. 59 articles.
Vegan and plant collagen: does it exist? The honest answer
Does vegan or plant collagen exist? The honest answer, what is in vegan ‘collagens’ and which collagen source to choose as a vegan, vegetarian or pescatarian.
Liquid collagen or powder? Forms of collagen: sachet, capsules, gummies
Liquid collagen, powder, capsules or gummies? An honest comparison: how much collagen is in a serving, what else is inside and what studies say about absorption.
Weight loss with GLP-1 and skin: what research says about marine collagen
Losing weight on GLP-1 (semaglutide): why the face changes, what research says on collagen for weight loss and skin, what not to expect. Doctors decide on medicines.
Skin and brain: what stress, sleep and skin have in common
Skin and brain: what do they have in common? What studies have found about how stress and lack of sleep affect the skin barrier and the look of the skin.
Collagen absorption: what happens in the body to collagen you drink
Collagen absorption step by step: what happens to collagen you drink during digestion, which peptides reach the blood, how fast and what studies don't yet know.
Glycine, proline, hydroxyproline: which amino acids collagen is made of
Which amino acids is collagen made of? Glycine, proline and hydroxyproline form 57%. What hydroxyproline is, why so much glycine and what Pro-Hyp in blood is.
Marine collagen for skin: what the science really says
Marine collagen for skin: what randomised studies and meta-analyses showed, how strong the evidence is, whether fish collagen beats bovine and what research did not find.
How to properly combine marine collagen with functional mushrooms
How to combine marine collagen with functional mushrooms: when to take them, fasted or with food, what to do after a missed dose and when to see a doctor.
Collagen-rich foods: which foods contain it and what to eat
Which foods contain collagen and how much per serving? Skin, tendons, gelatine, broth, fish with skin. Why plants have none and what the body needs to make it.
Chaga and sleep: what research says and what really affects sleep
Chaga and sleep: what chaga is, what we know about it from the lab, why human studies are missing, what to watch out for and what really affects sleep.
Collagen bioavailability and daltons: molecular weight made simple
What do daltons and bioavailability on a collagen pack mean? Simply explained: molecular weight, peptide absorption and what studies have actually found.
Collagen in summer: when to start a course and how to take it in the heat
When to take collagen to judge the result in summer? Skin studies lasted 8 to 12 weeks. How to drink it in the heat and why it does not replace sunscreen.
Lion’s Mane vs. Cordyceps: the difference and what studies showed
Lion’s Mane vs. Cordyceps: how Hericium and Cordyceps differ, what has been studied in humans, how strong the evidence is and whether to take them together.
What really happens to collagen in the body? From peptides to skin
What happens to collagen in the body after drinking? Digestion, Pro-Hyp and Hyp-Gly peptides in blood, skin experiments, complexion studies. What we know and don't.
Marine or bovine collagen? Which is better and what studies say
Marine or bovine collagen? An honest comparison of raw material, molecular weight, absorption in studies, fish allergy, BSE and origin, without promises of effect.
Collagen and the sun: what UV radiation does to collagen in the skin
Collagen loss due to sun exposure: how UV breaks down collagen in the skin, why collagen does not replace sunscreen and what studies on tanning examined.
collalloc: the Czech collagen brand that became a ritual
What is collalloc? A Czech brand of marine collagen and functional mushrooms, founded in 2016. Founder Záviš Lacina on the garage beginnings, raw material and name.
collalloc kolagen and collalloc MIND: ingredients and how to take them together
collalloc kolagen and MIND: what they contain, why people take them together, how to take them and what research says about collagen and functional mushrooms.
How to tell if collagen is working: 3 signs to watch
How do you know if collagen is working? Signs that collagen is working in skin, nails and hair, what studies measured, after how long, and how to track it yourself.
collalloc MIND: what it contains and what research says about its mushrooms
collalloc MIND: capsule contents, extract per mushroom, how to take it and what human research says so far about Lion’s Mane, Cordyceps, chaga and maitake.
Spring skin reset: how to get your skin ready for sunny days
How to get your skin ready for sunny days: daily sunscreen in a thick enough layer, water, diet and sleep. And what studies really say about collagen for skin.
Collagen for athletes: what studies showed and what they did not
Collagen for athletes: what studies on tendons, knees and recovery looked at, how large they were and how much collagen was taken in them.
Collagen during pregnancy and breastfeeding: can you take it?
Is collagen OK in pregnancy and breastfeeding? A short answer, your protein needs now, what to watch for with marine collagen and why to always ask a doctor.
Collagen banking: what it is and what in the trend makes sense
What is collagen banking, and is early collagen care worth it? How skin collagen production falls with age, what prevention is and what we know about supplements.
Dana Škorpilová: 4 pillars of a healthy lifestyle
Dana Škorpilová, trainer and nutrition consultant, sums up the 4 pillars of a healthy lifestyle: food, movement, rest and stress. And advises where to start.
Types and sources of collagen: types 1, 2 and 3 (part II of the series)
What contains collagen and what are its types? Collagen types 1, 2 and 3, where it is in the body and what it is made from: fish, beef, pork, egg membranes.
What is collagen and what does it do in the body? Series introduction
What is collagen and what does it do? The most abundant protein in skin, tendons and bone, 28 types, why it declines with age, what studies say on supplements.
Side effects and adverse effects of collagen: what you should know
Does collagen have side effects? What studies show: digestive complaints, fish allergy, kidney stones and ingredients in combination products to watch out for.
Collagen cream vs. collagen in a sachet: what each can and cannot do
Does collagen cream work for skin? Why collagen from a cream does not reach the dermis, what a cream can do and what studies of drinkable collagen showed.
How long does it take for functional mushrooms to start working?
How long does it take for mushroom supplements to work? How many weeks studies of Lion’s Mane, Cordyceps and maitake lasted and what they showed.
What to avoid when taking collagen: 8 common mistakes
What to avoid when taking collagen: hot drinks, fish allergy, double doses, sweeteners and other mistakes. Plus: does collagen make you gain weight or poop?
Collagen for hair: does it help hair growth? What the studies say
Does collagen help hair and its growth? What human studies showed, why hair is not made of collagen, what it needs from food and when to see a doctor about hair loss.
Summer and collagen: Hydrating skin from within, why a cream is not enough
Summer is coming and creams and serums are stepping into the spotlight. Quite literally, in fact. But if you really want to keep your skin hydrated, the sun will not single out only your cosmetics. Hydration starts one level deeper than any cream can reach.
Collagen and skin ageing: what really happens and what can be done
Wrinkles are not just a cosmetic problem. They are a visible sign of a structural process that began long before you noticed them. What supplementation can and cannot do about it.
How to choose a collagen supplement by age and health?
Collagen is not one category. What a woman in her thirties needs differs from a woman past fifty or an active athlete. Three conditions, though, apply to everyone.
Cordyceps: A mushroom for performance, or just a fad from the biohacking world?
Cordyceps shows up in interviews with ultrarunners, on the supplement lists of Silicon Valley CEOs, and in marketing that promises energy “without caffeine”. The question is legitimate: is there something behind it that biologically works, or is it just another mushroom trend?
NANO collagen: Marketing, or a genuine scientific breakthrough?
NANO collagen is one of the most common marketing terms in the collagen supplement category. Some brands present it as a revolutionary breakthrough. Others do not mention it at all. So how does it stand: is NANO collagen a real benefit, or just a label on the packaging?
Menopause and collagen: What happens to your skin and what to actually do about it
After forty, your skin stops cooperating in a way you are used to. It is not your fault, it is biology. But it is not a sentence without a sequel either. What is really happening in the body and what to do about it from within.
Why marine collagen only up to 60 °C: an explanation from collagen chemistry
The rule is clear: marine collagen in a drink only up to 60 °C, never in boiling water. This is not extra caution. It follows directly from the composition of fish collagen, which differs from beef collagen.
Collagen and joints: an honest review of the evidence (including what did not work)
There is a lot of marketing around collagen and joints. Here is a sober overview of what the studies show, where the weaknesses are, and why you should not confuse a hydrolysate with type II for rheumatoid arthritis.
How to support your body's own collagen production?
The body produces collagen for life. The question is what conditions you give it. Sleep, movement and less stress are collagen strategies just as much as a sachet of peptides.
How to take collagen for maximum absorption?
Collagen in the sachet is only half the equation. The other half is how and when you take it. What matters is molecular weight, consistency and vitamin C, not the exact hour.
How to spot a quality collagen supplement
There are hundreds of collagen products on the market. Most will not tell you the most important thing. Here is what to look for on the label and what the warning signs are.
Customer story: Ondřej (45), collagen and functional mushrooms after knee surgery
Ondřej is 45 and has been riding bikes for 30 years. In October he had his anterior cruciate ligament reconstructed after a crash on a trail. The surgery went without complications. What followed was anything but straightforward. Here is his six-month fight to get back in the saddle.
Customer story: Petra (38), 3 months of collagen and Lion's Mane
Petra is 38, works as a project manager, and has two children. In the morning she writes a to-do list for five hours ahead; by the afternoon she finds she has done half of it. Most days are a fight. Three months ago we asked her a simple question: what would you like to change?
5 signals your body needs collagen and sharper focus
Your skin looks different than it did a year ago. Mornings need more time before you feel awake. By afternoon, focus becomes a matter of willpower. These signals usually arrive together. And they are not coincidence.
Lion's Mane
Lion's Mane: what this functional mushroom can do and why the most productive people are taking it.
Can marine collagen improve gut health?
You know collagen as a supplement for the skin. But the amino acids that make it up have one more address in the body: the gut wall. Here is what the science says and when it makes sense to try it.
Collagen and hot coffee: what temperature is okay?
One of the most common customer questions. Short answer: up to 60 °C yes, boiling no. The longer answer, and why the limit sits exactly there, is below.
Collagen without exercise or diet changes: does it work on its own?
The honest answer: it depends on what you expect from collagen. For skin, yes. For muscle and body composition, less so.
Customer results: Before and after 90 days of collagen
Three different women. Three different reasons they started. One common denominator: what happened after three months.
Collagen for women over forty: Why it matters right now
Not because it is a trend. But because after forty specific things happen in the body, and collagen responds to them directly.
Functional mushrooms and immunity: what beta-glucans do
Mushrooms boost immunity, this sentence is repeated everywhere. But the mechanism is more specific and more interesting than the marketing suggests.
Functional mushrooms vs. nootropics: what is the difference?
Both terms circulate in the biohacking community. But they are different categories with different mechanisms, risks and time horizons.
Chaga, Lion’s Mane, Cordyceps: which mushroom for calm, mood and energy?
Not all functional mushrooms act the same. If you are after calm, a better mood or more energy, it matters which one you reach for.
Can you combine different functional mushrooms? A guide to stacking
Different mushrooms target different biological pathways. Not only can you combine them, in many cases it makes scientifically grounded sense.
Functional mushrooms for female athletes: Cordyceps and performance without caffeine
Cordyceps is making its way into sports nutrition. The clinical data are specific and measurable, this is about VO2max, not marketing.
What to expect when you start with functional mushrooms
A guide for those who first heard about mushrooms a week ago. No unnecessary mysticism, just what you need to know.
Energy without caffeine: how functional mushrooms work differently from coffee
Coffee gives you energy borrowed from adenosine. Functional mushrooms optimize how the body produces energy. That is a fundamental difference.
