CauseofAgeing

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My name is Michael Thomas and I am the founder and CEO of Hydrolagen, LLC. I was becoming increasingly dissatisfied after reading way too many clinical trials and studies with conclusions stating hydrolyzed collagen (hereinafter referred to as “HC”) was effective, however, further research was needed to figure out why. I guess that is the response I should have expected from someone who is paid to conduct said trials and studies.

The HC trials and studies proved that HC was both beneficial and effective for issues that ranged from skin elasticity to joint flexibility, arthritis, and osteoporosis. I was skeptical and found it difficult to believe that such a wide range of benefits could be achieved with one supplement.

So, I decided to do what I always do when I want to know how something works…I took it apart with the intent of breaking it down to the pieces that make it up to see how it all works together.

In order to do this, I needed to know everything I possibly could about HC. I purchased textbooks in every subject that I thought could possibly hold a piece of the puzzle at used bookstores. The more I learned, the more I realized that the findings were true and there was evidence to prove it.

To understand how this works, we must look at the human body, how it interacts with and uses HC.

I began my research with nutrition. Knowing that HC is a protein, I concentrated on proteins. This led me to study proteins from a bio-chemistry perspective and bio-chemistry, obviously, led me to biology and microbiology. I collected my research from each of these fields and what I found was incredibly surprising!

As I stated, I began my research with nutrition -more specifically, proteins.

The definition of a protein is a series of two or more amino acids. Only once in our lives do we digest complete proteins. When we are newborn, we digest antibodies in our mother’s milk. These help fight sickness and infections. Antibodies are relatively short chains of amino acids.

Types of proteins in the human body:

■ Enzymes - facilitate biochemical reactions, for example, pepsin is a digestive enzyme in your stomach that helps to break down proteins in food.

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■ Antibodies - produced by the immune system to help remove foreign substances and fight infections.

■ DNA-associated - regulate chromosome structure during cell division and/or play a role in regulating gene expression.

■ Contractile - proteins are involved in muscle contraction and movement.

■ Structural - provide support in our bodies, for example, the proteins in our connective tissues, such as collagen and elastin.

■ Hormones - coordinate bodily functions, for example, insulin controls our blood sugar concentration by regulating the uptake of glucose into cells.

■ Transport - move molecules around our bodies, for example, hemoglobin transports oxygen through the blood.

!The order in which the amino acids are placed on the chain differs with every kind of virus, bacteria, or other protein. When we eat protein, the protein is broken down in our stomachs and intestines through a process called hydrolysis. This process uses acid and enzymes (which are proteins) to break down the amino acids that make up that protein. The amino acids are then absorbed into the blood for use by the body to make those amino acids in its own protein. Essentially they travel around a conveyor belt until they reach a place where they are needed at that time. This happens millions and millions of times a day, every day.

Since we know HC is a protein and proteins are made up of amino acids, I shifted my research to the biology of how the human body actually uses proteins. In Biology, we know that every living thing on earth contains DNA which led me to look at proteins from the perspective of DNA.

From infancy to our mid-twenties, our bodies grow to the specifications predetermined by our genetic code. Our DNA is a blueprint for what we will be and look like. This blueprint contains the code for each individual protein.

Once the protein has been ingested, digested, and absorbed into the blood, the broken down amino acids move through the body until they are picked up by the body’s cells to be utilized to create specific proteins per its code.

Each cell only makes proteins for the specific tissue that cell is designed to make. It should also be noted that the only way for your body to make new

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proteins is to have all of the amino acids it needs for that specific protein available at the same time. Since amino acids are water soluble, similar to vitamin C and B vitamins, what is not used is expelled. They cannot be stored by the body and must be consumed daily. The amount of time and amount of amino acids and vitamins used or expelled depends greatly on circumstances like physical fitness, age, environment, air quality, smoking, alcohol intake, illness and recovery from physical injury or surgery.

!This is where things get interesting!

Although each cell contains the body’s entire genetic code, each cell only makes one kind of protein. Kidney cells only make kidney tissue, skin cells only make skin tissue, and so on. However, some cells do work harder than others. For example, skin tissue is replaced every 30 days while small intestine tissue is replaced every 4 days due to the harsh environment in which it exists.

Much like how our hair and nails are constantly replaced, so are the rest of the tissues in our bodies, everything from our heart, arteries, lungs, liver, skin, and bone.

Have you ever taken note of treatment for a broken bone? When we break a bone, we go the emergency room and all they do is put a cast on it to keep it from moving. They hand you some pain pills and your body is left to repair itself. In doing so, broken bones will heal stronger than they were prior to the break. This is the body’s way of modifying itself to better handle similar stresses in the future. Much like how muscles grow when exposed to constant stress of lifting heavy weights, our bodies are constantly in a cycle of breaking down and building back. This cycle, however, does not remain constant our entire lives.

The state in which our bodies are in from conception to our early or mid-twenties is called an “anabolic state”. This just means that our bodies are building more proteins than are being broken down. In this state, we heal faster; our skin is soft and supple; we have energy; we do not struggle to maintain our weight; and, we rarely have joint issues.

Somewhere between the ages of 20 and 30 we spend a few years in a state called “homeostasis”. In these short years the amount of proteins that are created and broken down are nearly the same.

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After homeostasis, we enter a state called, “catabolic”. This simply means that more proteins are being broken down than are being made.

As this goes on, increasing every year, we begin to see signs of degeneration. Later in life we see signs like high blood pressure, stiffening of the arteries, joint and bone degeneration, body fat increases and difficulties in losing weight, lowered immune system, and increased recovery time from injuries, sickness, and surgeries.

However, some of the first signs we notice are wrinkles and joint pain. These two parts of the body also happen to have the highest concentrations of the protein, collagen. Bones, veins, arteries, and organs also have high concentrations, but not at such high levels.

!So what is collagen, you ask? Collagen is a complex triple helix protein - which simply means it is or is made of three bound strands of amino acids.

These three strands bond together to make collagen very strong but also elastic. There are different kinds of collagen. Some are more elastic, like skin for example, and others are less elastic but stronger, like tendons and ligaments.

The only difference is small variations in the amino acid sequences, even though they all have the same amino acid concentrations. The same reason that makes collagen so complex and strong also makes it so difficult to consume in a normal diet. In order to break down collagen, it requires a high amount of heat and time.

Some of the foods rich in collagen that you may be familiar with are chicken soup and pho, or chicken and beef bones that are boiled for long periods of time. This method renders the collagen protein out of the bones, connective tissue, and cartilage of the chicken or beef. At this stage the protein is called gelatin. The problem with gelatin is that it’s still a large and complex protein. In a healthy human digestive tract, food only has 4-6 hours to be absorbed so if it’s not completely broken down into individual amino acids, it is not absorbed into the blood and passes through the body. By hydrolyzing or pre-digesting gelatin, the body is more easily able to absorb the individual amino acids.

As we previously discussed, every living thing is made from DNA. From bacteria to humans, we all have a blueprint. The more complex the organism

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determines the length of the genome or DNA, which again is just a recipe for proteins.

In animals like chicken and beef, most of the proteins like collagen are very similar to those proteins in humans. They are similar in design and concentration of specific amino acids. This specific concentration is what makes collagen so different from a chicken breast or a steak. Chicken breast and steak are muscles which consist of muscle protein. Collagen is a connective tissue protein and contains much higher concentrations of non-essential amino acids.

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Amino acids, from a dietary perspective, are broken down into three groups; essential, conditionally essential, and nonessential.

Essential amino acids cannot be synthesized by the human body unless they are consumed in food.

Conditional essential amino acids cannot be made in sufficient amounts depending on the circumstance like illness, smoking, drinking, recovering from an injury or surgery.

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Non-essentials are called so because they can be synthesized by the body from other amino acids. I find there to be several issues with the name given to these “non-essential amino acids”.

■ It is very energy intensive to convert these amino acids.

■ The trade-off is not a 1:1 ratio. Some require 40 essential amino acids to make one non-essential amino acid. Being the slave to efficiency that I am, that just doesn’t work for me.

■ If the highest concentrations exist in our skin and connective tissue, then why are those the first things affected when we age?

!Which brings me to my theory. At around the age of 25, when you reach your predetermined size and shape, something in our body shuts down the efficient production/synthesis of nonessential amino acids. And if they are not found regularly in the normal foods we eat, then the body is unable to make the proteins that hold us together. This in turn causes a slow degeneration or of our body tissues through the catabolic state. They may be non-essential to life, but they are definitely essential to remaining healthy and young.

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!What interests me most about the chart above is not how different the amino acid profile of HC is. What interests me the most is how similar the proteins in all the other foods are to each other. If all the others are so similar it shows the difficulty in getting the amino acids that most closely resemble our own collagen. It should noted that HC is nearly 100% protein by weight. Beef and

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chicken are around 32% protein. Eggs are around 15%. Vegetables like broccoli around 5%. And “high protein” beans are around 9% protein by weight. Just to put into perspective, you would have to eat 3 pounds of broccoli to get the same amount of protein in an 8 ounce (half pound) steak.

It is only through the use of heat, acids and enzymes that we are able to hack nature’s own design. Nature purposely designed this system to allow the degeneration of tissues to control population sizes. However, nature did not count on fire. Obviously humans are the only species on earth capable of creating fire and using it to cook their food. Fire and heat is the only way to extract non-essential amino acids in high concentrations from food effectively hacking nature by consuming these non-essential amino acids, thereby, significantly slowing the ageing process.

It is very important to note that there was no discussion of medicine or medical conditions. Only biological processes were meant to be discussed. I am not a doctor or a medical professional.

This theory also explains some of the beneficial side effects users of Hydrolagen have noticed.

■ Weight Loss - Hormones are proteins and could be the reason why when we age it becomes harder to keep a constant weight or lose weight.

■ Sick less often or not at all - Antibodies are proteins

■ Stronger Nails - made of a protein called keratin

■ Stronger and softer hair - also made of the protein keratin

■ Less grey hair - unknown why

■ Lower blood pressure - nitric oxide from arginine and increased elasticity of arteries and veins seemed to be the reason

■ Reduction of cholesterol - unknown why

■ Less soreness from workouts - unknown why

!It should also be noted that all the chemical processes that convert amino acids to proteins require vitamins to do so. This is the vitamin’s sole purpose in nutrition. We are not made of vitamins. Vitamins are solely the chemical

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catalyst that provide the energy for these reactions to happen. Taking a high dose of collagen or protein without a high dose of vitamins would be much like buying a Ferrari without any gas in it.

So, what is Hydrolagen?

Hydrolagen is specifically engineered with high doses of HC together with high doses of vitamins to provide that multitude of benefits I was talking about from just one supplement.

It does this by providing exactly what your body needs and uses to constantly rebuild and repair itself.

!Hydrolagen contains:

■ 9 Grams of Hydrolyzed Collagen Protein

High doses of:

■ Vitamin C: 150 mg 250% DV ■ Plays a primary role in the formation of collagen and other

proteins, which is important for the growth and repair of body-tissue cells, gums, blood vessels, bones and teeth. Aid in preventing many types of viral and bacterial infections and generally potentiate the immune system.Helps lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure. !

■ Vitamin D3: 150 IU 40% DV ■ Properly utilize calcium and phosphorus to keep bones and teeth

strong and healthy. ■ Boost immune system. !

■ Vitamin B1: 50 mg 3300% DV ■ It must be replaced daily. Need increases during illness, stress, and

surgery. Beneficial effects on the nervous system and mental attitude. Aids digestion, especially of carbohydrates.Helps promote and keep nervous system, muscles, and heart functioning normally. !

■ Vitamin B2: 50 mg 2940% DV ! 9

■ Like other B vitamins, it is not stored and must be replaced regularly three whole foods or supplements. Increased need during high stress situations.

■ America's most common vitamin deficiency.Promotes healthy skin, nails, and hair by aiding growth and aids protein synthesis. Benefits vision, alleviate eye fatigue, and may help prevent cataracts. Function with other substances to metabolize carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.

■ Works as an antioxidant, reducing cell damage from free radicals. !■ Niacin: 50 mg 250% DV

■ Also known as vitamin B3. Essential for synthesis of sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone), as well as cortisone, thyroxine, and insulin. Necessary for a healthy nervous system and brain function. Helps reduce cholesterol and triglycerides.

■ Aids in metabolizing fats and promoting a healthy digestive system. Promotes healthier looking skin. Helps Increase circulation and aids in reducing high blood pressure.Increases energy through proper utilization of food. !

■ Vitamin B6: 50 mg 2500% DV ■ Excreted within eight hours after ingestion, like the other B

vitamins, needs to be replaced by whole foods or supplements daily.

■ Requirement is increased when high-protein diets are consumed. Must be present for the production of antibodies in red blood cells. Required for the proper absorption of vitamin B12.

■ Necessary for the production of hydrochloric acid and magnesium. Helps strengthen the immune system and aids in protein synthesis.

■ Helps prevent various nervous and skin disorders. Promote proper synthesis of anti aging nucleic acids. !

■ Folic Acid: 100 mcg 25% DV ■ Another member of the B complex family also known as Bc or

vitamin A. Essential to the formation of red blood cells and in

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protein metabolism. Important for the production of nucleic acids (RNA and DNA).

■ Needed for utilization of sugar and amino acids. Promotes healthier looking skin. May delay hair graying when used in conjunction with pantothenic acid and PABA. !

■ Vitamin B12: 50 mcg 830% DV ■ The only environment that contains essential mineral elements.

Increases energy. Helps protect your brain from shrinking with age. Aids in alleviating depression. Maintain a healthy nervous system.

■ Needed to properly utilize fats, carbohydrates, and protein. Improves concentration, memory, and balance. !

■ Biotin: 50 mcg 15% DV ■ Essential for the normal metabolism of fat and protein. Synergistic

with B2, B6, niacin and folic acid in maintaining healthy skin. Aids in keeping hair from turning gray.

■ Helps to alleviate eczema and dermatitis. The prevent and heal cracked, split, and brittle nails !

■ Pantothenic Acid: 50 mg 500% DV ■ Also known as vitamin B5. Helps build and normal growth and

development of the central nervous system. Vital for the proper functioning of the adrenal glands. Essential for the conversion of fats and sugars to energy.

■ Necessary for the synthesis of antibodies, and for the utilization of PABA and choline. Fights infection by building antibodies. Reduce adverse and toxic effects of many antibiotics. Helps lower cholesterol and triglycerides. !

■ Boswellia Serrata Gum Resin Powder: 300 mg ■ Found to have anti-inflammatory anti-arthritic properties, this a

ayurvedic herb derived from the resin of Indian frankincense acts much like NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents) to treat pain. But unlike NSAIDs, such as aspirin and ibuprofen, Escuela

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extract can be used for significant periods of time without causing stomach upset. !

■ Inositol: 50 mg ■ Another member of the B complex group and a lipotropic, which is

a compound that helps metabolize fats and cholesterol. Combines with choline to form lecithin. Has been found to be important in nourishing brain cells. Helps lower cholesterol levels. Promotes healthy hair and aids in preventing loss. Aids in redistribution of body fat. !

■ Choline Bitartrate: 50 mg ■ A member of the B complex family and a lipotropic (fat emulsifier).

Works with inositol (another B complex member) to utilize fats and cholesterol. One of the few substances able to penetrate the so-called blood brain barrier, which ordinarily protects the brain against variations in the daily diet, and go directly to brain cells to produce a chemical that aids memory.

■ Seems to emulsify cholesterol so that it doesn't settle on artery walls or in the gallbladder. The utilization of choline in the body depends on vitamin B12, folic acid, and the amino acid L carnitine. Helps eliminate poisons and drugs from your system by aiding the liver. !

■ Para Amino Benzoic Acid: 50 mg ■ Post form folic acid and is important in the utilization of protein.

Helps in the simulation – and therefore the effectiveness – of pantothenic acid. Helps keep skin healthy. Helps in delaying wrinkles. Helps to restore natural color to your hair. !

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

!Mike Thomas Founder and CEO of Hydrolagen, LLC [email protected]

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909-HYDROLAGEN 909-493-7652

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