Should You Drink Collagen for Healthy Skin and Joints?
Miscellaneous / / January 19, 2022
Supplements can help, but don't expect miracles.
What is Collagen and What are Supplements Made of?
Collagen is the main protein in the human body and isA. Leon‑Lopez, A. Morales-Penaloza, V. M. Martinez-Juarez. Hydrolyzed Collagen - Sources and Applications / Molecules into the composition of the skin, bones, teeth, tendons, ligaments and organs (type I), articular cartilage (type II), muscles and blood vessels (type III).
The body creates different types of collagen from amino acids obtained from foodbut gets worse with ageM. Bonta, L. Dana, G. Mutiu. The process of aging reflected by histological changes in the skin / Romanian Journal of Morphology & Embryology with this task.
Dietary supplements with this protein make 1. D. L Vollmer, V. A. West, E. D. Lephart. Enhancing Skin Health: By Oral Administration of Natural Compounds and Minerals with Implications to the Dermal Microbiome / International journal of molecular sciences
2. T. H. Silva, J. Moreira-Silva, A. L. P. Marques. Marine Origin Collagens and Its Potential Applications / Marine drugs
3. H. Song, S. Zhang, L. Zhang. Effect of Orally Administered Collagen Peptides from Bovine Bone on Skin Aging in Chronologically Aged Mice / Nutrients from bones, tendons, cartilage and other tissues of livestock and poultry. Marine collagen is made from skin, scales and cartilage fish. It is believed that such a protein is better absorbedP. M. b. Campos, R. S. b. Franco, L. Kakuda. Oral Supplementation with Hydrolyzed Fish Cartilage Improves the Morphological and Structural Characteristics of the Skin: A Double‑Blind, Placebo‑Controlled Clinical Study / Molecules due to the lower molecular weight.
To further increase the bioavailability of an animal-sourced supplement, it is broken down into peptides, small molecular weight amino acids bound together. Collagen that has undergone this treatment is calledA. Leon‑Lopez, A. Morales-Penaloza, V. M. Martinez-Juarez. Hydrolyzed Collagen - Sources and Applications / Molecules hydrolyzed, or hydrolyzate, and now most dietary supplements contain it.
Once in the body, the peptides are absorbed in the small intestine, enter the bloodstream and serve asA. Leon‑Lopez, A. Morales-Penaloza, V. M. Martinez-Juarez. Hydrolyzed Collagen - Sources and Applications / Molecules building material for its own protein, and also stimulate its production and synthesis of elastin and hyaluronic acid.
Supplement manufacturers claim that they help improve skin and joint health. And these statements have some scientific basis.
Can Collagen Improve Skin Condition?
Collagen makes upM. Evans, E. D. Lewis, N. Zakaria. A randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel study to evaluate the efficacy of a freshwater marine collagen on skin wrinkles and elasticity / Journal of cosmetic dermatology 75 to 95% of the skin and determines its appearance, elasticity and humidity.
Protein fibers become thinner as we age.M. Bonta, L. Dana, G. Mutiu. The process of aging reflected by histological changes in the skin / Romanian Journal of Morphology & Embryology and change their structure. In the long term, by increasing its amount, it is possible to reverse some age-related changes.
In studies involving women aged 35 to 60, they found 1.M. Evans, E. D. Lewis, N. Zakaria. A randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel study to evaluate the efficacy of a freshwater marine collagen on skin wrinkles and elasticity / Journal of cosmetic dermatology
2. P. M. Campos, R. S. b. Franco, L. Kakuda. Oral Supplementation with Hydrolyzed Fish Cartilage Improves the Morphological and Structural Characteristics of the Skin: A Double‑Blind, Placebo‑Controlled Clinical Study / Molecules
3. E. Proksch, M. Schunck, V. Zague. Oral intake of specific bioactive collagen peptides reduces skin wrinkles and increases dermal matrix synthesis / Skin pharmacology and physiology
4. J. Asserin, E. Lati, T. Shioya. The effect of oral collagen peptide supplementation on skin moisture and the dermal collagen network: evidence from an ex vivo model and randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials / Journal of cosmetic dermatology
that supplementation with 2.5–10 g of hydrolyzed collagen daily for 8–12 weeks improves skin hydration, density, and elasticity, and reduces the appearance of wrinkles.
Came to the same conclusionM. Barati, M. Jabbari, R. Navekar. Collagen supplementation for skin health: A mechanistic systematic review / Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology both in a review of 10 scientific papers and in a recent meta-analysisR. b. Miranda, P. Weimer, R. C. Rossi. Effects of hydrolyzed collagen supplementation on skin aging: a systematic review and meta‑analysis / International Journal of Dermatology 19 studies with data from 1,125 participants aged 20 to 70.
Thus, three months of taking hydrolyzed collagen can actually improve the condition of the skin. But since for the quality of a particular additives no one can guarantee, miracles are not worth waiting for.
Do Collagen Supplements Help Protect Joints?
Articular cartilage is formedL. Rieppo, L. Jansen, K. Rahunen. Histochemical quantification of collagen content in articular cartilage / PLoS One predominantly water and type II collagen. It also includes chondrocyte cells and proteoglycans - molecules that retain water and ensure the transport of substances.
Damage to the collagen network or a decrease in the number of proteoglycans destroysJ. Ying, Y. Xia, M. Lu. Concentration Profiles of Collagen and Proteoglycan in Articular Cartilage by Fourier Transform Infrared Imaging and Principal Component Regression / Molecular and biomolecular spectroscopy dense connective tissue and is seen in degenerative conditions such as osteoarthritis.
One study foundT. E. McAlindon, M. Nuite, N. Krishnan. Change in knee osteoarthritis cartilage detected by delayed gadolinium enhanced magnetic resonance imaging following treatment with collagen hydrolysate: a pilot randomized controlled trial / Osteoarthritis cartilagethat in people with this disease, after six months of supplementation, the number of proteoglycans in cartilage increased, while in the control group, the composition of joint tissues only worsened.
And the analysis of seven scientific papers also cameA. E. Bello, S. Oesser. Collagen hydrolysate for the treatment of osteoarthritis and other joint disorders: a review of the literature / Current Medical Research and Opinion concluded that the use of collagen hydrolyzate stimulates chondrocytes to produce more molecules of intercellular substance. This, in turn, protects tissues from destruction and even promotes regeneration.
In addition, collagen protect joints during serious exertion, for example during sports activities. The International Olympic Committee even includedR. J. Maughan, L. M. Burke, J. Dvorak. IOC Consensus Statement: Dietary Supplements and the High‑Performance Athlete / International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism it to the list of useful supplements for athletes as a way to improve the condition of cartilage, reduceK. L. Clark, W. Sebastianelli, K. R. Flechsenhar. 24‑Week study on the use of collagen hydrolysate as a dietary supplement in athletes with activity‑related joint pain / Current medical research and opinion pain on movement and provideG. Shaw, A. Lee‑Barthel, M. Ross. Vitamin C - enriched gelatin supplementation before intermittent activity augments collagen synthesis / The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition injury prevention.
However, it is still too early to declare supplementation as an effective measure to protect the joints. For example, in a meta-analysisJ. P. J. Van Vijven, P. A. J. Luijsterburg A. P. Verhagen. Symptomatic and chondroprotective treatment with collagen derivatives in osteoarthritis: a systematic review / Osteoarthritis Cartilage 2012 reviewed eight studies on the use of collagen or gelatin to treat osteoarthritis and concluded that the evidence is insufficient: research is scarce and of poor quality. wish for the best.
More optimistic results have been obtained in recent scientific papers. A 2018 meta-analysis foundJ. M. G. Coronado L. Martinez‑Olvera, R. E. E. Omana. Effect of collagen supplementation on osteoarthritis symptoms: a meta‑analysis of randomized placebo‑controlled trials / International Orthopedicsthat taking collagen significantly reduces joint stiffness and pain, according to patients, and in the reviewG. Hongvo, L. Lengele, A. Charles. Role of Collagen Derivatives in Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Repair: A Systematic Scoping Review With Evidence Mapping / Rheumatology and therapy 2020 concluded that this protein is beneficial for cartilage repair.
Although at the end, the authors nevertheless noted that the scientific community cannot yet recommend the supplement as an effective treatment method and more high-quality experiments need to be done.
Thus, 10 g of collagen type II per day for 3-6 months can positively affect the condition of cartilage, although the topic requires further research.
Should You Take Collagen Supplements?
Despite numerous studies in this area, the website of the Harvard School of Public Health notedCollagen / Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Healththat most of the scientific work was carried out in whole or in part at the suggestion of manufacturers of dietary supplements.
Therefore, it is difficult to say whether supplements are really effective and is it worth spending money on them, especially considering the high price.
In addition, the article noted that the Food and Drug Administration US Medicines does not test collagen capsules and powders before they are sold and does not evaluate their effectiveness and safety.
Thus, no one can guarantee that supplements will improve skin condition and protect joints. Try them or not - it's up to you.
In any case, before ordering an expensive jar of hydrolyzate, consider other ways to take care of your skin and joints:
- Quit smoking.
- Get enough sleep and deal with stress.
- Switch to a healthy diet with enough the amount of protein, vitamins and minerals.
- Close the WHO recommended amount of physical activity: 150 hours of light cardio per week or 75 hours of intense + two strength training.
Trying to replace healthy lifestyle taking collagen, you are likely to waste your money.
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