When most of us think collagen, we think skin and for good reason. Much of the dry weight of our cutaneous covering is composed of this resilient fibrous protein, which keeps skin firm, taut and youthfully plump. There’s not an adult female in America that doesn’t want more of it.

But collagen is much more than an anti-wrinkle fiber. It acts as a type of biological scaffolding that makes up a third of a typical body’s weight. Collagen tissue is matrix that gives support, shape and bulk to the internal viscera, which are embedded in collagen like fruit in a jello-mold. It is by far the most abundant protein in the body and a key component of eyes, bone, blood vessels, the digestive tract and teeth.