I can recall the day I woke up and looked in the mirror and said … hi mom.  It seemed like I had aged over-night.  It is a multi-billion dollar industry targeting wrinkles on the face and believe me I am looking for things just like you are.  Since I am not a botox fan, I want to do everything else I can do that is possible for the best looking skin, as long as possible.  I do have to stop and remind myself of something my Greek grandmother told me one time.  She said the Americans view wrinkles the wrong way.  We shouldn’t be fighting our wrinkles.  She was proud of her wrinkles as she felt like they told a story. So, she decided her story was a happy one and she made an effort to smile so when she wasn’t her wrinkles would smile for her!

Our skins dermal layer is important for the elasticity and firmness of our skin and has a high concentration of collagen (70-80% of the dry weight).  Therefore, collagen has been getting a lot of social media press for years.  I had looked into this years ago but decided to revisit the literature since half the posts are contradictory on social media – take this, no don’t take that, this one is best, etc.  I was pleasantly surprised with the volume of studies on collagen supplements.

You may have lower levels of collagen if you have

  • Skin that is crepey, lax or increased wrinkles
  • Decreased joint mobility
  • Hair that appears thin or flat
  • Brittle and weak nails
  • Aging (we lose collagen as we age)
  • Have increased exposure to sunlight
  • Smoke
  • Lack of sleep
  • High stress

READ ON to learn more about collagen….

External forces like sunlight and pollution as well as internal forces like poor diet, medical conditions, stress, smoking, alcohol and natural aging all decrease the production of collagen.  Besides the obvious things of eating right, exercise, sunscreen and cutting back on stress, I wanted to know if taking a collagen supplement would actually help boost the production causing visible improvement in your skin.

There are 28 different types of collagen but the first three are going to be the primary focus especially since Type I collagen is the most common found in 90% of the bodies connective tissues.

Type I:  This is present in skin, tendons, blood vessels, lungs, heart and is the main component of the calcified tissue of teeth and bone.  Sources include marine, bovine and pork. Chicken has a small component of Type I.

Type II:  This is abundant in cartilage.  Deficiencies or genetic issues may be associated with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis as well as skeletal malformations.  Chicken has the most abundant Type II but bovine and marine do have some.

Type III:  Works alongside type I in the skin, ligaments, tendons, bones and vessels.  Deficiencies or genetic issues with this can play a role in aortic and arterial aneurysms and a condition called Ehlers Danlos syndrome.  Sources are mainly bovine and pork.

When we are talking about improving skin and bones you want to have types I and III.  Type II is a very important for cartilage health and joint mobility.

Sources of collagen vary widely from fish, fish scales, chicken, beef, pork and even vegetarian sources.  These come in liquids, powders and capsules.  Here is what I learned:

  • Fish collagen is similar to ours and bioavailable to us crossing the gut easily. Fish byproducts like skin and scales added to the fish collage profile improved outcomes.
  • Sources from beef, chicken and pork all showed some type of improvement in skin with some showing more than others. Pork is the most similar to human and chicken seems to have the best capability for joint health.
  • Results are often seen within the first 12 weeks and may persist for an additional 4 weeks after stopping
  • Vegetarian options provide the amino acids that your body needs to make collagen and are not actually collagen.
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So, which one is best?  Good question.  I could not find a head-to-head study comparing products.  All the studies I reviewed showed positive improvement, just some more than others depending what parameter they were evaluating.

Here are some things to consider when choosing a collagen supplement:

  • Choose one that has at least type I and type III collagen but ideally all three (I, II, and III) because if you are going to take it get the added bonus of joint mobility!
  • If marine – look for the added byproducts of skin or scales – you want those! Yes, marine based products did show improvement. Keep in mind this is predominately Type I collagen.
  • If animal based – look for Hydrolyzed Collagen which means the amino acids have been broken down and will be more absorbable especially with added ingredients like vitamin C.
  • Look at how many grams of collagen are in the product. Studies show safety from 300mg to 5 grams daily.  If your product isn’t helping you might need to increase the dose.
  • Does your product have any studies reported? Choose one that has at least attempted to evaluate the effectivity.
  • Give your product 12 weeks and if you notice no improvement try a different product. But be realistic.  This is not going to erase your wrinkles.  Studies show improvement in elasticity, softening of wrinkles, increased hydration and brightness by about 12% up to 30% depending on the product. Some might have a higher percentage in some areas and not others.

Key products that I found of interest:

Total Collagen which is our privately labeled version of Whole body Collagen by Designs for Health due to their requirements.  Has clinically studied Fortigel, Fortibone and Verisol which when combined include Type I, II and II!  These three are patented ingredients that have some nice studies backing their efficacy for skin, joints and bone health.  We carry this one in our office! Bovine source.

BioCell hydrolyzed collagen – predominantly Type II from chicken but a study demonstrated improved joint health as well as improvements in skin elasticity and hydration.

Elasten liquid collagen – bovine source which is predominantly Type I and III and has a collagen complex combined with Vitamin C, biotin and zinc.

AlgaeCal – Also has the patented ingredients Fortigel, Fortibone and Verisol which include Type I, II and III collagens and is a bovine source.

Keep in mind, these work on the inside so the more damage you have the longer it will take to work and if you haven’t made changes to your diet, stress and environmental factors you will not have as much benefit.  Look for skin hydration, improved skin density and elasticity but not until at least 12 weeks after consistent use.

To your health,

 

Laura