Why I Skip Collagen Powders & Make This Instead

 

Spring Collagen & Potassium Power Broth 🍲

Everyone's obsessed with collagen supplements, but here's the truth: your body doesn't just need collagen - it needs the FULL spectrum of amino acids AND cofactors to actually BUILD healthy tissue.

When the temps dropped to the 40s overnight here on the East Coast, my body was calling for something warming and deeply nourishing. What started as a simple kitchen experiment turned into a powerful reminder of why real food beats supplements every time.

The Spring Broth That Started It All

Sometimes the most healing foods are born from pure intuition. Yesterday, I found myself drawn to make what I'm calling my Spring Collagen & Potassium Power Broth - a combination that's perfect for these chilly spring days and exactly what my body was craving.

What I simmered up:
- Chicken feet (collagen powerhouse!)
- Celery (~260mg potassium per cup)
- Dandelion stems (wild nutrition, ~218mg K per cup)
- Scallion bulbs (flavor + minerals, ~276mg K per cup)
- Burdock root (earthy goodness, ~308mg K per cup)
- Bay leaves, peppercorns, sea salt
- Splash of vinegar (helps extract those minerals)
- Pure spring water

This is a complete gut healing ecosystem in a bowl. The combination works magic because we're getting real collagen (not powdered supplements!), plus a potassium powerhouse that's perfect for slow oxidizers who need more potassium to balance their systems.

The Collagen Powder Truth Nobody's Telling You

Everyone's obsessed with collagen supplements, but here's what the supplement industry doesn't want you to know: your body doesn't just need collagen - it needs the FULL spectrum of amino acids AND cofactors to actually BUILD healthy tissue.

The collagen powder problem:
- Isolated amino acids without cofactors (no vitamin C, silica, or minerals)
- Missing the glycine-to-methionine balance your body craves
- No bioavailable minerals for actual utilization
- Your cells don't recognize isolated nutrients the same way

Real food collagen wins because:
- Complete amino acid profile in natural ratios
- Built-in cofactors for actual utilization
- Adrenal support through glycine's nervous system calming effects
- Improves insulin sensitivity (crucial for HTMA patterns)
- Includes the minerals needed for actual collagen synthesis

Modern diets are methionine-heavy (muscle meat) and glycine-poor, creating oxidative stress. Traditional bone broth naturally balances this ratio - something powders can't replicate.

But What About Histamine?

 Here's the truth about histamine and bone broth that nobody's telling you:

The fear: "Bone broth = long cooking = high histamine = mast cell trigger"

The reality: It's not the broth - it's HOW and HOW LONG you cook it!

Traditional bone broth problems:
- 24+ hour cook times (histamine accumulates)
- Stored for days before consuming
- Made with aged/questionable bones

My Instant Pot method:
- 1 HOUR cook time - minimal histamine formation
- Fresh ingredients only
- Consumed immediately or frozen right away
- Higher glycine content actually HELPS clear histamine by supporting DAO enzyme function

The plot twist: Many collagen powders are processed at high heat for extended periods, potentially creating MORE histamine than fresh, properly-made bone broth.

 

Why This Matters for Your HTMA Results

If you're working with Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis, this broth is particularly powerful for common patterns:

High Calcium/Potassium Ratio: The potassium-rich vegetables help balance this ratio while glycine supports mineral utilization.

Slow Oxidizer Types: Need more potassium for metabolic support, and glycine calms an overactive nervous system while supporting adrenal function.

Poor Mineral Utilization: When your mineral ratios are off, your body can't properly utilize isolated supplements. But a mineral-rich, slow-simmered broth? That's therapeutic nutrition your cells can actually USE.

Anxiety from Magnesium Glycinate? 😰

When Supplements Backfire But Food Works

"I get anxiety from magnesium glycinate - should I avoid glycine in bone broth too?"

This comment on my collagen post highlights something so important about isolated nutrients vs. whole food nutrition!

Why Magnesium Glycinate Might Cause Anxiety:

Possible Underlying Factors:
❌ Methylation pathway variations (MTHFR, COMT, etc.)
❌ Isolated glycine AND magnesium without cofactors can disrupt pathways
❌ GABA/glutamate imbalances making isolated amino acids tricky
❌ High toxic body burden already overwhelming detox pathways

Why Broth Glycine is COMPLETELY Different:

Nature's Perfect Package:
✅ Complete amino acid spectrum - glycine balanced with proline, hydroxyproline, glutamine
✅ Built-in cofactors - B vitamins from veggies, bioavailable minerals
✅ Natural ratios - your body recognizes the food matrix
✅ Synergistic support - other compounds help glycine metabolism work properly

The Reality:

Our ancestors didn't have isolated amino acids OR isolated magnesium, but they also didn't face our modern toxic burden. Today's bodies often need extra support - but isolation isn't the answer.

Your reaction to isolated nutrients doesn't predict your response to food-form nutrition. They're completely different experiences for your body.

Trust Your Body's Wisdom:

If supplements cause issues, listen to that intelligence - even when your mind is full of confusion or overwhelmed. Often your body is trying to tell you something your logical mind can't catch up to yet.

Start where you feel safe. Your body's wisdom runs deeper than your thoughts. 🍲

The Deeper Truth About Healing

Sometimes the simplest foods are the most healing. This spring broth represents something our supplement-obsessed culture has forgotten: **real nourishment comes from whole foods, prepared with intention, consumed with awareness.**

When your body is calling for something, trust that wisdom. When supplements cause issues, listen to that intelligence too - even when your mind is full of confusion or overwhelmed. Often your body is trying to tell you something your logical mind can't catch up to yet.

Start where you feel safe. Your body's wisdom runs deeper than your thoughts.

The Simple Recipe

Ingredients:
- 1 lb chicken feet (or alternatives mentioned below)
- 4 stalks celery
- 1-2 bunches scallion bulbs
- 1/2 cup dried burdock root
- 1 cup dandelion stems
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tsp whole peppercorns
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- Pure spring water to cover

Method:

- Instant Pot: 1 hour high pressure, natural release
- Slow cooker: 4-6 hours on low
- Stovetop: 3-6 hours gentle simmer

The goal: A broth that gels when cooled, providing real collagen with natural cofactors your body can actually use.

Basic Recipe Template

Collagen Source: 2-3 lbs mixed bones/cartilage
Vegetables: 4-6 cups chopped high-potassium vegetables
Aromatics: Bay leaves, peppercorns, salt to taste
Acid: 2 tbsp vinegar
Water: To cover by 2 inches
Time: 1-6 hours depending on method

Addressing the "Chicken Feet Factor"

One reader perfectly captured what many people feel: "The mental image of chicken feet covered in barnyard gunk just doesn't appeal to me."

I totally get it! But here's the thing - chicken feet sold for broth-making are cleaned and processed. That said, if it doesn't feel right to you, there are amazing alternatives:

Best chicken alternatives for collagen:
- Chicken necks & backs - incredibly collagen-rich and gel beautifully
- Wing tips - tons of cartilage and connective tissue
- Chicken frames (after you've used the meat) - still packed with collagen

Other amazing options:
- Beef knuckle bones - cartilage powerhouse
- Oxtail - collagen gold standard
- Lamb bones with joints - excellent gel factor

The collagen test: Your broth should gel like jello when cooled. If it doesn't gel, you need more cartilage/connective tissue parts, not just marrow bones.

Moving Forward

Stop letting supplement marketing keep you from one of the most healing foods on the planet. Your cells are craving this nutrition - the complete amino acid profiles, the bioavailable minerals, the natural balance that only whole foods can provide.

Sometimes returning to ancestral wisdom is the most revolutionary act we can take for our health.

*What's your experience with bone broth vs. collagen supplements? Have you noticed different responses to isolated nutrients vs. whole food sources? Share your story in the comments below.