Many people with HPU are familiar with this situation: They pay attention to a protein-rich diet, eating meat, fish, or legumes – and yet they don’t feel energized afterward, but rather bloated, tired, and heavy. Often, there’s a biochemical reason behind it: the vitamin B6 deficiency that is typical for HPU.
Vitamin B6 is needed to produce sufficient hydrochloric acid in the stomach. Without it, protein remains difficult to digest and reaches the intestines without being properly broken down. The consequence: although protein is ingested, the amino acids are missing from the metabolism – and thus the actual “building blocks” for energy, muscles, and connective tissue.
Collagen type I – structure in an easily digestible form
This is where type I collagen Kollagen Typ I comes into play. Collagen is the most important structural protein in our bodies – it stabilizes skin, bones, tendons, ligaments, and connective tissue. In its natural form, however, collagen is difficult to access. Collagen hydrolysate: is different : here, the protein is already broken down into small peptides and therefore much easier to digest.
Fish skin collagen is particularly interesting for people with HPU, as it is characterized by several properties:
- Very small peptide size → high bioavailability and rapid absorption
- Purity → almost exclusively type I collagen, exactly the type we need for skin and connective tissue
- Scientifically proven → Studies show an improvement in skin elasticity, moisture and wrinkle depth after just a few weeks.
- Sustainability → derived from fish skin, a by-product of the food industry, resource-efficient and without a typical aftertaste
Another advantage: Collagen naturally contains glycine, which is also involved in the formation of heme and the main detoxification substance glutathione.
But is collagen even necessary if you’re already supplementing with essential amino acids?
Essential amino acids – the functional building blocks
Essential amino acids (EAAs) are the building blocks of proteins that the body cannot produce itself. They are necessary for:
- muscle building and regeneration
- energy production in metabolism
- the formation of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine
Their advantage for people with HPU: EAAs don’t require extensive digestion. They pass directly into the bloodstream and are immediately available to the body. This makes them particularly valuable for people with impaired protein digestion.
EAAs are particularly useful during the day – when muscles, concentration and energy are needed.
Structure + function – the combination makes the difference
Collagen type I → strengthens the foundation: skin, bones, connective tissue. Ideal in the evening – also to support sleep.
Essential amino acids → provide energy and building blocks for muscles and neurotransmitters. Optimal during the day when performance is required.
Many people with HPU benefit from precisely this combination: collagen in the evening, EAAs during the day . This covers both the structural and functional needs of the body – despite the difficulty in protein digestion.
Without cofactors, there is no stable connective tissue.
In order for collagen to be incorporated into functional fibers, the body needs certain vitamins and minerals:
- Vitamin C → necessary for the hydroxylation of proline and lysine; only in this way can the stable triple helix of collagen be formed.
- Copper → activates lysyl oxidase, the enzyme for cross-linking collagen fibers.
- Iron → Cofactor of hydroxylases, without which the collagen structure remains unstable.
- Zinc → supports gene expression and enzyme activity of collagen-forming fibroblasts.
- Manganese → important for prolidase, which recycles proline and makes it available again for collagen production.
- Vitamin B6 → important for the production of cross-links in the collagen network.
Also Magnesium and sulfur-containing compounds also play a key role in amino acid metabolism.
Magnesium stabilizes enzymatic reactions, and sulfur compounds such as methionine and cysteine contribute to stability via disulfide bridges and antioxidant protection (glutathione).
Silicon, finally, links collagen to elastin and supports the incorporation of glycosaminoglycans. This makes the tissue not only firmer but also more elastic.
✨ In summary:
Collagen type I is the most important building block for the structure.
Essential amino acids are the readily available functional building blocks.
Cofactors determine whether both are actually converted into strong and stable connective tissue.
This explains why people with HPU are often deficient despite protein intake – and how a targeted combination of collagen, EAAs and micronutrients can bring the body back into balance.