What has a Leather Motorcycle Jacket in common with Collagen?

I was reminiscing with an old pal the other day re growing up in Sheffield in the 70’s.
The burning ambition was to get off the bus (even though the 2p fare anywhere was pretty amazing) and into/onto your own wheels.

In the 70’s a running car with an MOT could be snapped up for £30 – but…
It was likely being consumed - out of sight - by ‘Tin Worm’ (rust).
The advantage with two wheels was they were easier to fix/push and bikes were cheaper and more macho.

If you had a motorcycle in Sheffield you needed a leather jacket from Lewis Leathers.
I made a mistake selecting mine – as a gullible 17 year old - I was fast talked into the ‘Astronaut’ lining, and it was hopeless – not warm. At £80 it was a month’s wages but it looked great!

So reminiscence aside - what has a leather motorcycle jacket in common with collagen?
In short: they start as the same thing—cow skin—but diverge at the point of processing. Leather preserves the structural, fibrous network; collagen extraction breaks it down to functional peptides for consumption or medical use.

Collagen has become a marketing phenomenon catching a double bounce of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out)
First from consumers – fearing if they don’t take collagen they will be the ugly ducklings
Second from manufacturers – realising if they don’t jump on the wagon they will miss out on spondoolies.

Is collagen all hype?
Human proteins require 20 amino acids, 11 can be made inside the body, 9 are termed ‘essential’ as they must be eaten. Collagen is a protein and is composed largely of three non-essential amino acids.
You don’t magically insert intact collagen into your skin. Collagen is broken down in the stomach and small intestine into peptides and amino acids—your body doesn’t absorb it as intact fibres.
Collagen powder provides building blocks that may support collagen synthesis, but it cannot replace general dietary protein – as it is incomplete.

Whey protein – a better choice?
The importance of protein is receiving increasing attention. Grass-fed, organic whey powder provides a full spectrum of amino acids, undergoes minimal processing, and has excellent provenance with respect to contaminants.
Trouble is – neither is cheap.