Introduction
If you want to understand collagen, look at Madonna. Once a plump and natural face, it has been ravaged over time to reach a level of gauntness that a vulture at a buffet could only dream of. Then one day, abruptly, it has been added back (presumably with a shotgun or firehose) in the form of filler. The result is halfway between a water balloon and a swollen corpse.
If you want to avoid looking like Madonna, then look after your collagen; this article is your best chance.
OR
All of us truly desire to look fresh and youthful. Key to the plumpness of young flesh is collagen. It fades quietly and viciously in the background as time ravages our supply. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the west. Our diet of highly processed packaged foods is remarkably low in collagen. This is especially so compared with the rich and varied diets of the Mediterranean and Han Chinese culinary cultures.
Bone broths, tendons, chicken feet; they may seem eccentric and agrarian compared with the Bohemian tastes of western café dwellers. Yet, in the collagen race, the bony middle aged Karens of the west play second fiddle to the collagen eaters. Not only do those foods provide fantastic collagen for the facial structure, but they also play a grand role in healthy fats for skin, tendons and general longevity.
For too long, fat has been a dirty word in dietetics. This should not be. A diet rich in animal proteins is not only delicious but a great alternative to looking like Keith Richards. You can’t always get what you want; but 3g of collagen goes a long way to stopping you looking like Dracula after menopause.
Collagen Supplements
What is collagen?
Collagen is one of the body’s main structural proteins. It is found in skin, gut, eyes, cartilage, bones, tendons; 30% of the body’s protein store is collagen. Collagen is a tough structural protein; in fact, sausage skins are often made from it.
Where do we get our dietary collagen from?
The body will make collagen from amino acids and other cofactors. As we age, the rate of collagen production reduces. Also, we obtain collagens from our diet such as bone marrow broth, animal skins to name a few. Collagen comes from animal products only.
What happens as we lose collagen?
The collagen loss in aging is well known; there is a general loss of connective tissue and firmness in the face leading to sagging. Also, the healing of tendons after injury can be slower as we age.
Are collagen supplementations useful?
Recently, there has been an increase in taking collagen supplements. In some instances, this is for cosmetic aging repair and is similar to how people might take Hyaluronic Acid which is another connective tissue molecule.
A systematic review has been conducted by Choi et al (2019) showing generally positive data in the following way:
“Preliminary results are promising for the short and long-term use of oral collagen supplements for wound healing and skin aging. Oral collagen supplements also increase skin elasticity, hydration, and dermal collagen density.”
Furthermore, studies have shown that oral collagen supplementation is associated with:
- greater bone healing,
- brittle nail repair,
- Greater wound healing
- Less skin aging
- Better skin elasticity, hydration and dermal collagen density
How effective are collagen supplements?
Research in this area is limited compared with many other treatments and you should not regard collagen as a panacea, but rather a supplement.
Collagen and Skin
The best studies are on skin and do show a benefit. The extent of this is hard to pinpoint. Some studies such as on skin only had follow up until 4 weeks but did show an improvement in skin indices by 10-30% and subjective patient satisfaction well over 50%. However, the improvements reduced by 45% after time had elapsed. This margin of improvement may matter more for older people rather than young.
Collagen supplementation should not be regarded as the only way to look after your skin; seek professional advice and do not forget your nutrition, zinc oxide chemical free sunlight and moisturisers.
Muscle gain and fat loss
Apart from skin, collagen has been used for muscle gain and fat loss; the change was only about a 5% reduction in fat mass and this was in an older population who generally have less muscle than the young. This study was done in the setting of resistance training so we cannot generalise the findings. Furthermore, collagen is an important source of many amino acids that are generally useful for building protein and may be responsible for the benefits seen.
Collagen for Joint Pains
Collagen supplementation has been studied for joint pains in athletes and found to have a benefit; however it should be remembered that this population uses their joints substantially more than most people. It should be noted that glucosamine has been studied more extensively and it actually increases Hyaluronic Acid, a connective tissue protein as well.
As always, speak to your general or orthopaedic doctor, nutritionist, physiotherapist before embarking on self treatment as there may be a better way to deal with your problem that you are missing out on.
How to take collagen?
In general, diet is always the first place to start. Have a good vegetable diet, minimise processed food and obtain bone broth, ligament and animal skin foods. Only take a supplement after discussion with your health care provider and optimising your diet and lifestyle first.
Those who may benefit from collagen will generally be those with more reason to take it such as skin laxity, joint pains, older and reduced muscle mass. It should also be noted that many studies were on western populations who have a different diet to other populations.
Oral collagen should be taken about 3g per day. It should be continued. Skin based Hyaluronic Acid is also an important adjunct to collagen preservation as well as a Zinc Oxide chemical free sun cream. However, remember the importance of natural sunlight which is best obtained before 9am and after 5pm so that you receive the vitamin D and mental benefits of this.
REFERENCES
Benito-Ruiz P, Camacho-Zambrano MM, Carrillo-Arcentales JN, et al. A randomized controlled trial on the efficacy and safety of a food ingredient, collagen hydrolysate, for improving joint comfort. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2009;60 Suppl 2:99-113. doi:10.1080/09637480802498820
Bolke L, Schlippe G, Gerß J, Voss W. A Collagen Supplement Improves Skin Hydration, Elasticity, Roughness, and Density: Results of a Randomized, Placebo Controlled, Blind Study. Nutrients. 2019;11(10):2494. Published 2019 Oct 17. doi:10.3390/nu11102494
Choi FD, Sung CT, Juhasz ML, Mesinkovsk NA. Oral Collagen Supplementation: A Systematic Review of Dermatological Applications. J Drugs Dermatol. 2019;18(1):9- 16.
Clark KL, Sebastianelli W, Flechsenhar KR, et al. 24-Week study on the use of collagen hydrolysate as a dietary supplement in athletes with activity-related joint pain. Curr Med Res Opin. 2008;24(5):1485-1496. doi:10.1185/030079908×291967
Hexsel D, Zague V, Schunck M, Siega C, Camozzato FO, Oesser S. Oral supplementation with specific bioactive collagen peptides improves nail growth and reduces symptoms of brittle nails. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2017;16(4):520-526. doi:10.1111/jocd.12393
König D, Oesser S, Scharla S, Zdzieblik D, Gollhofer A. Specific Collagen Peptides Improve Bone Mineral Density and Bone Markers in Postmenopausal Women-A Randomized Controlled Study. Nutrients. 2018;10(1):97. Published 2018 Jan 16. doi:10.3390/nu10010097
Zdzieblik D, Oesser S, Baumstark MW, Gollhofer A, König D. Collagen peptide supplementation in combination with resistance training improves body composition and increases muscle strength in elderly sarcopenic men: a randomised controlled trial.
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