Can Collagen Supplements Help Reduce Signs of Aging?
There are benefits to getting older and wiser, but aging and gravity can also take a toll on our bodies. So is there anything you can do about it? If you're experiencing saggy skin, wrinkles, and aching joints, then it may be time to look into how collagen supplements can help reduce the effects of aging.
When you think about treating wrinkles, the first thing that comes to mind is probably buying an expensive facial cream or visiting a dermatologist for a procedure. But the truth is, how you fuel your body can help you transform your skin from the inside out. Collagen supplements are an easy way to reduce the effects of aging, and there's quite a bit of research that proves they're effective. We'll dive into all that below!
Why is Collagen Important?
Your skin is the largest organ in your body. Its structure is made up of an intricate network containing three layers: the epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis.
Collagen is found in the dermis and serves as a structural protein, helping tissues maintain their strength and shape. In addition to strengthening the skin, collagen is a critical component of connective tissues in our body. It's found in tendons, ligaments, skin, blood vessels, eyes, and the digestive tract.
Collagen is the most abundant protein in your body, making up about 30% of total protein mass. Unfortunately, as you age, your body naturally produces less collagen, which leads to dry skin and the formation of wrinkles. Other factors that inhibit collagen production over time include
poor diet
excess sun exposure
smoking
Collagen is made up of the amino acids glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline. Your body naturally forms its own collagen, but it needs an adequate supply of these amino acid "building blocks" – that's where collagen supplementation can be helpful.
Your body also needs nutrients like vitamin C, copper, and zinc to produce collagen.
There are 28 forms of collagen in the body; however, the most common forms are types I, II, III, and IV.
Type I is the most abundant form of collagen and is found in tendons, ligaments, skin, bones, teeth, hair, muscles.
Type II is found primarily in cartilage.
Type III is found in the muscles, blood vessels, and organs.
Type IV is found in "basement membranes" of epithelial cells.
Although we're mainly talking about skin health and aging in this post, research has shown that collagen has numerous health benefits, and we have to at least mention them.
According to a Healthline article, some of the benefits of collagen include:
Relieving joint pain
Preventing bone loss
Boosting muscle mass
Promoting heart health
Other proposed wellness benefits of collagen supplements include: strengthening hair and nails, improving gut health, improving mood, and weight loss.
What Are the Anti-Aging Benefits of Collagen Supplements?
Since collagen helps tissue maintain its strength and shape, it makes sense that our skin will start to sag as we age and produce less of it. Unfortunately, the decline in collagen can begin as early as our 20s.
Collagen helps the skin retain moisture and elasticity. So, as collagen supplements help increase moisture and elasticity, that has a positive effect on improving fine lines and wrinkles, reducing the appearance of pores, and reducing the appearance of cellulite.
Although collagen supplements aren't an immediate fix to reduce the signs of aging, studies have shown that results can be seen in as little as 8-12 weeks.
Here are some highlights of the research on collagen supplementation.
A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial compared digestion of two collagen hydrolysate supplements. After eight weeks, subjects taking supplements with a higher content of bioactive collagen peptides had more improvement in facial skin moisture, elasticity, wrinkles, and roughness than those taking a placebo or supplement with a lower content of bioactive collagen peptides.
A systematic review and meta-analysis by Miranda and colleagues narrowed results down to 19 studies that included 1,125 participants. Results showed, "ingestion of hydrolyzed collagen for 90 days is effective in reducing skin aging, as it reduces wrinkles and improves skin elasticity and hydration."
Another systematic review that included 11 studies with a total of 805 patients showed that oral collagen supplements "increase skin elasticity, hydration, and dermal collagen density." Eight studies used a 2.5g to 10g per day collagen hydrolysate supplement for 8 to 24 weeks. Two studies used a 3g per day collagen tripeptide for 4 to 12 weeks.
What Are the Best Foods Sources of Collagen?
Collagen isn't just the most abundant protein for humans; it's also found in mammals like cows, pigs, chickens, and fish. But you don't necessarily get more collagen from eating meat because, as we discussed above, collagen is primarily found in the skin and connective tissues.
For example, fish scales, skin, and bones are a much better source of collagen than "meat." In addition, chicken necks and cartilage may be a great source of collagen, but most people are not fond of eating these particular body parts.
With those disclaimers in mind, here are a few of the best foods to help boost collagen production:
Bone broth
Fish with skin or bones
Chicken necks or feet
Vitamin C rich foods like citrus, berries, tropical fruits, broccoli, leafy greens because vitamin C plays a role in producing the body's precursor to collagen
Related article: How to Combat the Nutritional Decline of Fruits and Vegetables
What Should I Look For in a Collagen Supplement?
It's fairly simple to add collagen-rich foods to your diet, but many people don't have time for that. Or...they simply can't stomach the thought of eating meat or drinking bone broth every day. So for these folks, a supplement is often an easy solution.
First, it's important to find a supplement containing hydrolyzed peptides. This means long collagen chains are broken up into smaller pieces, so they are more easily digested and have greater bioavailability.
Our favorite collagen supplements include Amandean's marine collagen and bovine collagen peptides. Each serving contains 10 grams of hydrolyzed collagen protein for just 35 calories.
Some other things to consider about Amandean's manufacturing process are that the products are:
Sustainably sourced from wild-caught cod and pasture-raised, grass-fed cattle
Free of gluten, sugar, soy, and carbs
Non-GMO
Odorless and tasteless
Hot and cold soluble
How do you take collagen peptides?
One scoop a day contains 10 grams of hydrolyzed collagen protein, which aligns with the research. Because it has no taste or smell, you can dissolve collagen into coffee, tea, or smoothies or use it in other recipes. When you’re adding to a beverage, make sure to add the powder, then the liquid, and mix well to avoid clumping.
Collagen supplements are a great way to improve your skin health, but they also offer numerous other benefits for gut health, bones, muscles, and joints. So if you’re looking to improve your complexion or want to start taking better care of yourself overall, we recommend giving collagen supplements a try.
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470464/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23949208/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3003457/
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/jsfa.7606
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ijd.15518
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30681787
Disclaimer
Disclaimer: The content on our blog is created to inform, but should never be taken as professional medical advice. The content of our articles is not intended for use as prevention, diagnosis and/or treatment of any health complications. Before making any lifestyle changes that include diet, using supplements or exercise regime, always consult your doctor or nearest health care specialist.
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