Glaxon Wonder Collagen Protein Amplifies Collagen Production

Glaxon is a brand that doesn’t put out weak supplements, even in the seemingly benign collagen protein powder space!

If you’re looking for an advanced collagen supplement, then you’ve come to the right place, because the innovators at Glaxon have done it again.

After storming the dietary supplement industry in late 2019 and creating some incredibly powerful and unique health formulas like the Tranquility sleep aid, the Serenity stress reducer, and Super Greens, Glaxon has taken their talents to a new niche: collagen protein powder.

With the brand’s first protein powder supplement, they chose to release an amplified collagen protein that’s beneficial for soft tissues like joints, hair, skin, and nails, calling it Glaxon Wonder Collagen.

Collagen Protein Amplified

Glaxon has released an amplified collagen protein powder named Glaxon Wonder Collagen that is far more than the usual powder.

Wonder Collagen includes 10 grams of PeptiPlus hydrolyzed collagen — already of great quality — but takes it even further:

1. Boosts the collagen’s absorption and bioavailability using ioCollagen technology from Ingredient Optimized
2. Adds a little-known ingredient named Moldavian Dragonhead to increase skin moisture
3. Includes Hyaluronic Acid for further skin hydration and joint lubrication
4. Boosts gut uptake with NuLiv Science’s AstraGin
5. Tops it off with three crucial vitamins and minerals for collagen production – Vitamin C, Vitamin B12, and Biotin

This is how you throw everything you’ve got at a quality collagen supplement, and at this point, we expect nothing less from these supplement industry innovators. When they decided to go in on collagen, they went all in.

The science is below, but first, check PricePlow’s coupon-powered prices and sign up for our Glaxon news alerts:

Glaxon Wonder Collagen Ingredients

Every 12 gram scoop of Wonder Collagen yields the following:

• Hydrolyzed Bovine Collagen I and III (as PeptiPlus ioCollagen) – 10000 mg

  

  Glaxon boosted their collagen with io technology and several collagen-boosting ingredients, including key vitamins

  The star of the show, Glaxon has combined forces with two other technologies to create an extremely unique collagen ingredient here, touting supremely high bioavailability.

  Before diving into what makes Glaxon’s selection and technology so novel here, let’s do a quick refresh on collagen itself:

  What is collagen protein?

  When you discount water from the equation, our skin is about 80% collagen. It composes the primary structure or scaffolding of our skin (and various other soft tissues as well) — the extracellular matrix.^[1] You can think of collagen as the glue that binds it all together.

  Collagen makes skin flexible thanks to the abundant amino acids inside — there’s an incredible triple helix structure of glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline shaped in a way that it can bond and fold easily.^[1] Through various bonds, they form collagen peptides, and our cells are able to generate them and put them into the extracellular matrix to hold our tissues (and bodies) together.

  Having enough of these amino acids is important, but in today’s society, where we’re not eating as much animal skin, bone broth, or meat off the bone, we might not have as much as we should. To help with this situation, we can supplement more.

  

  Collagen Improves the Perception of Joint Pain when walking^[2]

  Collagen protein benefits

  Adding more collagen protein to the diet then brings the benefits of collagen that most of us know, such as:

  • Improvements to joints and connective tissues^[2,3]
  • Better hair, skin, and nail health^[4,5]
  • Cardiovascular health benefits^[6]

  Start with high-quality collagen

  To get these benefits, Glaxon started with PeptiPlus, which is a trusted and tested collagen protein ingredient that touts world-class purity, bringing better solubility, taste, texture, stability, and even brilliant color.^[7]

  However, that alone wasn’t good enough for the brand, who then went and made PeptiPlus even better:

  Optimized with io’s plasma treatment!

  

  The masterminds behind Ingredient Optimized Technology are using a natural atmospheric plasma treatment to modify the protein molecules to make them more bioavailable!

  To go further, Glaxon used io technology from Ingredient Optimized, which uses a natural atmospheric plasma treatment to increase the protein’s surface area, improving the solubility, dispersibility, and ultimately the bioavailability and absorption of the protein!

  We’ve covered this technology with regards to pea protein and whey protein (in our ioPea and ioWhey articles, respectively), and have been fascinated by the technology put forth.

  Shifting the protein to make it more bioavailable

  The general gist is that proteins or amino acids treated with cold atmospheric plasma undergo functional and structural changes that more prevalently expose the protein peptide’s binding sites. This makes it easier for our body’s enzymes to cleave them and process them – thus improving the entire protein powder’s bioavailability.^[8,9]

  

  How Ingredient Optimized Technology compares to enzymes. Image courtesy of Plasma Nutrition.

  It turns out that the structural changes actually expose more hydrophobic pockets in a protein,^[10,11] and more hydrophobicity enhances the ability for enzymes to degrade the molecules, which has led to improved digestibility when done using other technologies.^[12]

  Although we don’t have any research on this process with collagen protein specifically, Ingredient Optimized has shown this in several studies on whey protein isolate and pea protein.^[13,14] Both studies showed significantly improved plasma essential amino acid levels 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes after consuming, far outperforming standard standard whey protein isolate,^[13] standard pea protein, leucine, and BCAAs.^[14]

  Given the research behind the underlying technology and how it seems to work on nearly all amino acids, we’re confident that Glaxon has put together a top-tier collagen that is worthy of trying.

  Use it for the right purposes!

  As always, we like to note that collagen should not be used or marketed as “muscle building protein” — even if you see protein counted on the label.

  With collagen, the amino acid ratios are different from something like beef or whey. Here, the powder is higher in glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline, all of which are great for the benefits discussed in the top. However, it’s not the highest in the anabolic, mTOR-stimulating amino acids that drive muscle protein synthesis.^[15] We’re perfectly fine with this as long as nobody’s promising that you’ll build muscle with it.

  Glaxon’s of researchers and formulators continue pushing the supplement science envelope, and the inclusion of the next ingredient demonstrates that further:

• Moldavian Dragonhead (Dracocephalum moldavica) [Aerial Parts] Extract (as DracoBelle Nu) – 200 mg

  

  The DracoBell Nu skin results – we’ve requested the source here. Image courtesy Nutricosmetics.^[16]

  The Moldavian Dragonhead plant is more formally known as Dracocephalum moldavica, and is a member of the mint family that has cardioprotective and anti-aging properties due to its antioxidant profile. However, it’s a difficult plant to properly isolate due to the plant genus’ wild diversity and limited supply.^[17]

  DracoBelle Nu is a branded ingredient designed to standardize the plant’s extract, which targets at least 150 micrograms per gram of flavonoid glucuronides.^[16] According to its manufacturer, it’s able to increase a AMPK activity 4x and FOXO activity 3x.^[18,19]

  AMPK stands for ATP-Activated Protein Kinase, and in layman’s terms, we consider AMPK the “we need energy now” enzyme that gets so many metabolic functions moving.^[20] FOXO, on the other hand, stands for Forkhead box protein O, which signals improved collagen and DNA repair, amongst other cellular benefits – many related to skin health.^[21]

  

  Looking at the Moldavian Dragonhead study,^[19] we can now see why it’s so beneficial — there are some incredible constituents inside like luteolin and apigenin!

  In a recent research study published in 2021, 200 milligrams of the ingredient was tested in a clinical trial performed on 32 white female volunteers with sun-damaged skin (average age 50.8 years, phototype I-III) for eight weeks. They reported the following effects:^[18,19]

  • Skin moisture increased by 14.4%
  • Skin elasticity increased by 6.7%
  • Skin density increased by 2.5%

  Additionally, 94% of the volunteers “felt better in their skin” and 75% were satisfied with the product’s performance, while 72% felt that their skin was more hydrated.^[18,19]

  Several anti-aging constituents

  Looking at the constituents found in Moldavian Dragonhead per the manufacturer’s study,^[19] it’s unsurprising that the ingredient is so beneficial. Inside, they’ve found luteolin, apigenin, talianin, diosmetin, and acacetin.^[19] We’ve covered the first two — luteolin and apigenin — in other articles, and have found potent health and anti-aging benefits from them.

  One last note is that Moldavian Dragonhead has a sweet (but weak) lemon balm-like taste and odor, which may improve the flavor profile too!

  While we await the data, we remain focused on the high quality collagen content, but are very hopeful that Glaxon further boosted it with this unique plant extract.

• Hyaluronic Acid (as Sodium Hyaluronate) – 45 mg

  We see Hyaluronic Acid in several joint and skin care supplements, but it’s not frequently put into collagen supplements, making for a common-sense inclusion that further differentiates Glaxon Wonder Collagen from the pack.

  

  What a label we have on this tub!

  Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a glycosaminoglycan produced and found alongside collagen in the extracellular matrix (ECM). Its chemical composition allows it to attract and retain water molecules throughout the body, which is incredibly important to skin health (where about 50% of all HA is found).^[22]

  While the compound is incredibly important nearly everywhere (such as in the eyes, muscle tissues, heart, lungs, etc), we generally focus on skin care or joint health when discussing its use, which is primarily in the context of lubrication. Hyaluronic acid leads to better water balance, osmotic pressure, and overall skin stability.^[22]

  Some dietary supplement ingredients help us produce more, while Glaxon is simply providing more. A detailed review published in 2014 concluded that orally ingested hyaluronic acid can work with skin cells to help them retain more moisture, with one study finding significant increases in skin moisture with an even lower amount of the ingredient!^[23]

  For those looking into joint health, there are numerous ingredients that can be added, but the dosage in those studies is generally a bit higher than what we have here. Regardless, this is a fantastic inclusion in a dietary supplement category that should have this more often – and Glaxon is the brand to bring it to us.

• AstraGin (Astragalus membranaceus [Root] and Panax Notoginseng [Root]) Extract – 25 mg

  As if the ioCollagen and Moldavian Dragonhead ingredients weren’t enough, Glaxon wants to amplify the collagen uptake even more — and the most common way to do that in the supplement industry is to include NuLiv Science’s AstraGin.

  

  Increase the absorption and effectiveness of your supplements with AstraGin from NuLiv Science!

  This bioavailability booster uses bioactive astragalosides and ginsenosides from Astragalus membranaceus and Panax notoginseng in order to increase nutrient uptake, boosting the bioavailability of the supplement’s other ingredients.^[24]

  It works by boosting gut function and gut permeability, while upregulating key mRNA transporters (such as SGLT1, GLUT4, and CAT1), the last of which improves amino acid shuttling.

  While we don’t have any data regarding AstraGin specifically with collagen protein, we have seen astragalosides protect collagen from degradation,^[25,26] which may be the best reason to include AstraGin!

• Added Vitamins

  Wonder Collagen also has a few vitamins that are soundly dosed:

  • Vitamin C (as Ascorbic Acid) – 250 mg (278% DV)

    

    You’ll wonder how you got along without this collagen for so long!

    Most everyone knows that vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that’s important for immunity, as its supplementation generally reduces the length of sickness a bit.^[27-29]

    However, it’s also used by several other enzymes for things such as neurotransmitter production and tissue repair.^[30] A 2018 meta-analysis on 10 relevant studies concluded that “vitamin C has the potential to accelerate bone healing after a fracture, increase type I collagen synthesis, and reduce oxidative stress parameters”.^[31]

    Another review published in 2017 covers the entirety of vitamin C’s known benefits on skin, and discusses how it is a cofactor for enzymes (sucha s proline and lysine hydroxylases) that stabilize collagen and promote collagen production.^[32] Inside, it cites several studies and benefits, including two demonstrating improved collagen synthesis.^[33,34] That same year, another study was published demonstrating how potent the vitamin C + collagen combination is.^[35]

    Long story short, there’s a reason why you see Vitamin C in nearly every collagen supplement, and you should probably question the ones that don’t, given how easy and inexpensive it is for brands to include.

  • Vitamin B12 (as Methylcobalamin) – 1000 mcg (41667% DV)

    In addition to vitamin C, we have vitamin B12 in the form of methylcobalamin, which is the higher quality form of the metabolism- and neurological-boosting vitamin. We always point out that numerous research studies have shown that this is a superior form to less expensive cyanocobalamin, and less taxing for the body to process.^[36-39]

    

    Glaxon Serenity V2 is here, upgrading an already-incredible formula that provides improved stress support and cortisol-controlling calm

    But why include it in such copious amounts in a collagen supplement? Research as far back as 1970 shows that Vitamin B12 deficiency leads to extremely poor collagen production.^[40] It is likely very important for both collagen and bone loss prevention.^[41]

  • Biotin – 5000 mcg (16667% DV)

    You won’t find many hair, skin, and nail supplements without biotin, also sometimes known as vitamin B7. Like other B vitamins, it supports the metabolism, but here, we focus on preventing deficiency to protect the skin. When biotin-deficient, the end result could lead to dermatitis^[42] and hair loss.^[43,44]

    Worth noting but we can’t hang our hat on it here: in the case of an extraordinarily high dose of biotin (2.5 grams, far more than this supplement provides), women with brittle nails had significantly less splitting.^[45]

    In general, however, we’re looking to prevent any chances of deficiency, which can wreak havoc on the very thing we’re trying to protect here.

Wonder Collagen Flavors Available

Wonder Collagen Dovetails Great Skincare into One Supplement

For all the goons that don’t eat enough greens, fruits, or mushrooms!

All in all, this is a fantastically well-formulated collagen protein supplement that ties up several loose ends into one very powerful supplement, going beyond what we’ve seen so far in this rapidly-growing space.

We’ve long been believers in Ingredient Optimized‘s technology, having used both ioPea and ioWhey in the past (and ioPea on a relatively regular basis). We’re excited to see it get moved into the collagen space, where it can improve powders for an entirely different demographic.

Hyaluronic acid is a common sense addition, and while the dosage isn’t huge, there are studies showing it still has effects at the levels Glaxon has used. AstraGin makes sense as well, especially given what we know with astragalosides. It’s worth noting that uLiv Science also has a specific skincare ingredient named Astrion that we’d consider as well, but as long as we’re getting astragalus in some shape or form, we’re excited for the boost.

Over time, we hope to see more research on Moldavian Dragonhead (Dracocephalum moldavica), and will just consider that icing on the cake. As for the flavors… stay tuned to PricePlow, and sign up for our Glaxon news alerts below!