The wellness trade has an obsession with youth. So naturally, collagen has change into and continues to be an enormous pattern for anti-aging and total well being.
There was some new analysis on collagen within the years since I wrote my first assessment on collagen dietary supplements, so I’m bringing it to you right here, together with my ideas (have they modified?) on taking oral collagen dietary supplements.
The problem with numerous the research on collagen and pores and skin is that they’re executed on animals, they’re sponsored by makers of collagen dietary supplements, or they’re simply poorly executed usually.
What’s collagen?
Collagen is a protein that’s made up of the amino acids glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline. It’s discovered within the pores and skin, bone, tendons, and ligaments of people and animals. Collagen is a inflexible structural protein, like scaffolding for our pores and skin and different physique elements.
We don’t must devour collagen to provide it – our our bodies produce collagen from the vitamins we eat, particularly vitamin C, copper, zinc, and meals which can be excessive in protein like hen and fish.
Collagen may also assist our pores and skin look plump and hydrated, which is why, as we age, our pores and skin tends to sag and isn’t as elastic. Pores look bigger due to the lack of firmness.
Different elements, reminiscent of smoking, stress, genetics, solar publicity, and poor weight loss program,additionally have an effect on the standard and fee at which we lose collagen within the pores and skin.
Collagen manufacturing begins declining within the mid-twenties by round 1% per yr.
In keeping with the American Academy of Dermatology, ladies lose as much as 30% of their collagen manufacturing within the first 5 years of menopause, which is simply sh*t luck. This results in crepey pores and skin, weakened muscle tissue, and stiff ligaments and tendons.
It’s simply a part of getting older. Nothing – apart from surgical procedure – can repair these indicators of growing old.
What occurs after we take collagen?
Once we devour collagen, what occurs is similar as after we devour any protein.
Protein meals are made up of chains of amino acids. Once we digest these meals, the amino acid chains get damaged down into particular person amino acids.
The physique then takes these particular person amino acids and reassembles them into configurations that swimsuit its wants, then sends them the place they’re wanted. It’s not a certainty that the amino acids will likely be despatched to your pores and skin as collagen. We are able to’t management the place the proteins we eat, find yourself in our physique.
Though there are particular amino acids in our diets that construct collagen, these will also be utilized in processes aside from collagen.
For instance, proline – which we will devour in collagen dietary supplements however will also be made by our physique out of one other amino acid known as glutamic acid – is utilized in pores and skin and joints, but additionally in muscle, in addition to the formation of different amino acid chains. So all the proline you eat doesn’t essentially change into collagen.
The opinions and science of how collagen in our weight loss program impacts our pores and skin are pretty combined. If collagen breaks down into its elements with digestion, how then will consuming collagen lead to improved pores and skin look?
That is the place I left my final collagen assessment. Nonetheless, I typically change my opinion when the science adjustments and will get up to date. This could be the case with collagen dietary supplements.
Drumroll, please!
Do collagen dietary supplements enhance pores and skin?
Let’s check out the latest analysis round collagen and pores and skin.
Firstly, the best collagens seem like derived from fish and cows (aka bovine collagen).
A number of opinions and meta analyses (right here), (right here), (right here), have been launched displaying that hydrolyzed collagen aka collagen peptides, improves the looks of pores and skin, rising hydration and elasticity. Nonetheless, the problem is the meta analyses are sometimes solely pretty much as good because the research they use – and needs to be taken with a grain of salt.
Different latest research on collagen (right here), (right here), (right here) additionally discovered beneficial outcomes when it comes to pores and skin look/hydration, though we now have to acknowledge the battle of curiosity in one of many research with a researcher working for a collagen complement firm. All three research had been additionally very small, with underneath 100 topics whole.
The dosages in these research weren’t constant, and the ratio of glycine to proline and hydroxyproline had been distinctive. Some research used collagen merchandise that additionally had different elements. All of that is problematic if you happen to’re utilizing this analysis to show that collagen works, or if you happen to’re trying to discover the optimum dosing for a collagen complement.
There simply doesn’t appear to be any consistency throughout research.
What we now have right here, is a number of research which can be a combined bag of sponsored, small, and probably flawed. Nonetheless, because the years have passed by, I haven’t seen many research on collagen which have not discovered beneficial outcomes the place pores and skin look is worried.
It’s a basic case of, ‘the place there’s smoke, there’s hearth.’
If collagen dietary supplements assist with pores and skin hydration, it’s a logical rationalization for the looks of fewer wrinkles. Extra hydrated pores and skin is much less crepey and wrinkly.
On condition that collagen dietary supplements seem like protected, right here’s my backside line about collagen and pores and skin:
Extra analysis must be executed. I’m speaking, bigger research with consistency in product and dosing and much more individuals, together with no sponsorship.
Ensure you get the precise sort of collagen. Watch out for useful meals like popcorn and protein bars that include elements like collagen extra for advertising and marketing than anything.
Guarantee your collagen complement that has third-party testing for security. There have been points with heavy steel contamination of some collagen dietary supplements. Don’t simply purchase stuff off of Amazon; get a good model from a good retailer.
Hydrolyzed collagen is the very best type of collagen to take, because it has already been damaged down.
Lastly, be practical about growing old. No complement or weight loss program goes to stop growing old or make it easier to ‘age in reverse.’ All of us age, and all of us present indicators of growing old. Sadly, we’ve been fed a dangerous narrative round ladies and growing old that stokes insecurity and sends us in search of the holy grail of youth.
The Galveston Eating regimen ebook assessment – learn it right here.
Is collagen protein powder?
Collagen protein powder isn’t the very best supply of protein. For one, it has a limiting amino acid – tryptophan – which prevents collagen from being a whole protein. Whey remains to be the gold commonplace for protein powders, because it has essentially the most beneficial bioavailability and absorption fee.
Nonetheless, if you happen to’d like to make use of collagen as a protein powder, simply make sure that your weight loss program is full. That may be certain that you get that tryptophan from one other supply.
How about plant-based collagen?
This doesn’t exist. Collagen is current solely in animals. ‘Plant-based’ collagen dietary supplements include nutritional vitamins and minerals which can be wanted for collagen manufacturing within the physique. Calling these dietary supplements ‘collagen’ is deceptive, which is why numerous them are named ‘collagen increase.’
Most of us get sufficient of what we have to make our personal collagen. I wouldn’t suggest vegan collagen merchandise until your weight loss program is severely missing.
What about a number of the different claims round collagen?
Collagen and joint ache
One of many collagen advantages that appears fairly stable when it comes to analysis (right here), (right here), and (right here) has been using collagen sort II for joint ache. It is a totally different sort of collagen from sort I, so in case you are all for making an attempt it, you’ll wish to search for undernatured or sort II collagen.
Collagen and intestine well being
Does collagen repair leaky intestine?
A number of different well being practitioners appear to assume so. Bone broth does include collagen, though the quantity can differ throughout merchandise.
The GAPS weight loss program assessment: does leaky intestine trigger illness?
Whereas bone broth could also be soothing, to say that the collagen in it may ‘seal up’ leaky junctions in intestine cells is a gross oversimplification. That’s a standard theme with these types of claims: the physique is much more complicated than how they make it appear. The cells of the intestine aren’t like bricks which have simply misplaced their mortar; to assist with elevated intestine permeability (that’s the precise analysis, not ‘leaky intestine’), it’s necessary to take away the trigger, no matter that’s in every case.
I wrote about leaky intestine right here.
Do you have to take collagen on your pores and skin?
It might be price a strive, however don’t anticipate miracles. There appears to be numerous optimistic analysis round hydrolyzed collagen for pores and skin hydration and look, however the preponderance of that analysis appears to be decrease in high quality.
Nonetheless, possibly there’s something to it?
What I don’t suggest you do is take heed to individuals or corporations making enormous guarantees about collagen and the way it may help you ‘age in reverse’ or any of that nonsense. We have to normalize growing old and never use it as a advertising and marketing device.
