April 8, 2024 — When Mary Claire Haver, MD, got interested within the potential of collagen supplementation a couple of decade in the past, she struggled to seek out many gold-standard research that confirmed main enhancements within the points that mattered most to her sufferers, comparable to cellulite, wrinkles, and bone well being.
Now the information appears to be extra plentiful, although nonetheless murky. Collagen dietary supplements seem like protected to take and considerably efficient, relying on what drawback you’re attempting to unravel, what kind of complement you’re taking, and which elements are included.
“I all the time say to search for the proof,” Haver mentioned. “I noticed randomized managed trials with a specific kind of collagen complement — known as VERISOL — that confirmed enchancment. Because it helped and positively wouldn’t damage, I started taking it, and it grew to become a part of my routine.”
Haver, an OB/GYN in Texas who has drawn a significant following on social media below the model The ’Pause Life, speaks concerning the challenges of menopause and the adjustments in diet, train, and supplementation which will assist. Haver sells collagen dietary supplements with VERISOL below her model, however she nonetheless cautions her sufferers and followers to watch out about what they select to make use of since dietary supplements aren’t regulated by the FDA.
“Corporations can slap a label on something and promote it, and a part of why I created my model is as a result of it’s so onerous to seek out respected merchandise,” she mentioned. “On high of that, you additionally see ‘meno-washing,’ the place firms market merchandise as menopause-related and mark up the costs.”
Basically, Haver recommends in search of complement firms that use third-party testing, checking the manufacturing location and date for freshness, and being conscious of unrealistic claims. If something appears too good to be true, it in all probability is.
“I obtain DMs from followers with screenshots from Instagram or TikTok adverts, asking if a product is nice or if the claims are actual,” she mentioned. “Purchaser beware: Nothing cures menopause, however there are issues we will do to assist our our bodies, together with the right dietary supplements.”
What Is Collagen?
Collagen serves as a significant structural protein in connective tissues and supplies assist to pores and skin, hair, nails, bones, tendons, and cartilage. Collagen can also be a constructing block for proteins comparable to keratin, which varieties pores and skin, hair, and nails. Different substances, together with hyaluronic acid and elastin, work with collagen to take care of pores and skin elasticity and moisture.
Greater than two dozen varieties of collagen exist, with kind I making up 90% of the collagen discovered within the human physique. Though the physique naturally produces collagen via amino acids present in protein-rich meals, manufacturing decreases over time as a result of getting older, alcohol consumption, smoking, and solar injury, which may result in widespread points comparable to wrinkles, joint ache, and dry pores and skin.
Collagen dietary supplements usually use sorts I, II, and III, with sorts I and III being good for pores and skin, hair, and nails and kind II being good for joints and cartilage. Probably the most bioavailable varieties — or most available for digestion — are bought as hydrolyzed collagen, or collagen peptides which might be damaged into smaller molecules that the physique can soak up.
However collagen isn’t thought of a “full protein” as a result of it doesn’t include the entire important amino acids wanted to assist the physique perform, so supplementation can’t change protein powders or different dietary supplements with all 9 important amino acids.
What Do Research Present About Collagen Dietary supplements?
New research about collagen supplementation have emerged previously decade, with a notable enhance lately. As an illustration, a 2021 systematic assessment of 19 research that examined hydrolyzed collagen dietary supplements amongst 1,125 individuals confirmed favorable outcomes for pores and skin hydration, elasticity, and wrinkles. In 2023, one other assessment of 14 research with 967 individuals discovered encouraging outcomes for pores and skin moisture ranges and elasticity. But one other 2023 assessment of 26 research with 1,721 individuals additionally confirmed improved pores and skin hydration and elasticity. Extra research have famous potential advantages for joint stiffness and ache, bone density, and brittle nails.
“The excellent news with collagen is that, until the product is adulterated or doesn’t observe good manufacturing practices, it usually gained’t hurt you to take,” mentioned Mahtab Jafari, PharmD, a professor of pharmaceutical sciences on the College of California, Irvine. Jafari and her analysis workforce take a look at botanical extracts and dietary dietary supplements for his or her anti-aging properties and long-term well being results.
With collagen merchandise, Jafari suggests paying shut consideration to elements. She lately acquired a name from somebody who began taking collagen and developed a rash. After trying on the product, Jafari noticed that it used marine-based collagen, and the particular person was allergic to fish. Collagen dietary supplements might use fish, rooster, cow, pig, eggshells, or different sources of protein, she famous, but firms generally make it troublesome to be taught concerning the sources or elements of the product.
As well as, Jafari mentioned, firms might use research or information to again up their claims, however that won’t inform the entire story. Most collagen-related research use self-reported measures from research contributors, who might look within the mirror and write down what they see. This will skew the outcomes since a number of the measurements are subjective, together with the looks of wrinkles, superb traces, pores and skin hydration, or elasticity.
“Think about the entire different variables that aren’t measured: Did the entire research contributors use sunscreen? What are their stress ranges?” Jafari mentioned. “If you happen to don’t use sunscreen to forestall solar injury, as an illustration, then oral collagen isn’t essentially going to assist.”
Complement-related research additionally are likely to have main limitations. A lot of the research are observational, which suggests they don’t instantly take a look at the product as a part of an experiment, and so they usually embody a small variety of individuals. In collagen-related research, practically all have included solely girls, most centered on pores and skin (fairly than hair, nails or joints), and lots of are funded by complement firms.
“There are a couple of research that counsel collagen dietary supplements could also be useful, however extra rigorous analysis is required to verify that that is true,” mentioned Temitayo Ogunleye, MD, an affiliate professor scientific dermatology on the College of Pennsylvania’s Perelman College of Drugs.
Though research are bettering, few make clear the proper dosing or the opposite elements, comparable to vitamin C or hyaluronic acid, which will enhance the optimistic results of collagen, she says, in addition to doubtlessly much less useful elements comparable to added sugars or synthetic flavors.
“Lots of the research make the most of dietary supplements with different elements, making it troublesome to tease out which ingredient could also be contributing to perceived adjustments,” she mentioned. “There may be additionally a scarcity of standardization for measuring enchancment or enhance in collagen synthesis to objectively assess response to remedy.”
What Else Ought to I Think about With Collagen Dietary supplements?
Collagen dietary supplements are typically protected to make use of, however different strategies could also be simply as efficient, comparable to consuming a balanced eating regimen with sufficient protein, Ogunleye mentioned.
“Because it’s damaged down as different proteins, I don’t see why ingesting collagen could be extra useful than consuming different types of protein,” she mentioned. “Lotions aren’t definitely worth the effort.”
For anti-aging properties specifically, Ogunleye recommends solar safety and retinoids over dietary supplements, in addition to life-style modifications comparable to getting sufficient sleep and lowering stress.
“My takeaway is that each one the information may be very weak,” mentioned Robert Anolik, MD, scientific assistant professor of dermatology on the NYU College of Drugs. “Because it stands now, I don’t suggest that my sufferers eat collagen supplementation as a result of I consider it in the end wants extra information for a medical suggestion just because there is no such thing as a sturdy proof of efficacy.”
Anolik factors to the easy bodily nature of consuming meals or a complement: You’ll be able to’t dictate the place the collagen goes within the physique after being digested, so should you resolve to take a complement, it must be p
artwork of an general strategy fairly than a particular resolution.
“Simply because we eat collagen doesn’t imply that it’s going emigrate proper into the pores and skin layers the place we would like it,” he mentioned. “Moreover, simply because we eat one thing doesn’t imply it would act in that particular perform in our physique. I’d like to have a stronger hairline, but when I swallowed some hair, it sadly gained’t go proper to my scalp.”
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