Everything You Need to Know About the Health Benefits of Collagen

Collagen is associated with many health benefits. The most important health benefits of collagen include prevention of bone loss, improvement in skin health, and relief of joint pain. It means collagen is the main component of skin, bones, and muscles. Collagen is a special protein that makes your skin, bones, and muscles strong. It also ensures the joint’s health. As you get older, it becomes harder for your body to make collagen in enough quantity, and then the stored collagen in your body starts to break down. In this condition, you may need collagen supplements to get help for making up for the deficiency of collagen in your body.

This article may help you to discover the health benefits of collagen with a scientific basis.

What is Collagen?

Collagen is the key component of connective tissues present in several parts of your body. It is found in your muscles, skin, ligaments, and tendons in abundance. It serves as structural support to your bones and skin. 

You can get collagen in natural ways such as from bone broth or pork skin but the most easy and authentic way to get collagen is in supplements. These supplements are mostly hydrolyzed so that collagen may be broken down easily to get absorbed by your skin, bones, and muscles. You can take supplements in powdered or capsule form. Based on forms of collagen supplements of various types. For example, some supplements contain a single type of collagen while others have two or more and sometimes up to five types of collagen.

Health Benefits of Collagen Supplements

Collagen supplements are associated with several health benefits, including:

Improving Skin Health

Collagen is best known for the major component of your skin that also helps in strengthening of skin with a balance in its hydration and elasticity. With progressive age, your body loses its ability to produce enough collagen which leads to the appearance of wrinkles and dryness of your skin. 

Studies prove that collagen contains peptides that reduce wrinkles and dryness during your skiing. The supplements containing collagen also do the same function and help slow the aging of your skin. 

An experimental study involving women of different ages found that taking 5 to 15 grams of collagen per day for at least 3 months leads to promoting the hydration and elasticity of your skin. These supplements also help stimulate the production of collagen and other proteins in your body that support your skin’s structure.

Some anecdotal evidence is found that claims collagen supplements help improve skin’s health and prevent acne and wrinkles. However scientific research is needed to prove these theories. 

Relief Joint Pain

As you age the risk of joint disorders such as osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis increase. This is because of the decrease of collagen in your body. However, studies show that taking collagen supplements can help improve joint pain and reduce the symptoms of osteoarthritis and other joint disorders. 

Research also supports the theory that people with osteoarthritis feel improvement in their condition by taking collagen supplements. The supplements also help reduce joint stiffness but they are not useful for preventing functional limitations or pain. Studies also suggest that taking collagen supplements helps in the accumulation of collagen in your cartilage leading to a more rapid formation of collagen in your tissues that leads to a reduction in pain, and a lowering of inflammation. According to studies collagen also performs the function of joint support but more scientific evidence is required to recommend collagen as a treatment for osteoarthritis of rheumatoid arthritis. 

Strengthening of Your Nails and Hair

Taking collagen supplements has many health benefits including an increase in the strength of your nails. It is also effective for the health of your hair. It reduces hair and prevents hair loss.

Maintenance of Brain Health

Along with other health benefits, collagen is also important for brain health. Collagen supplements help reduce anxiety and improve your mood. 

Support weight Loss

Collagen supports metabolism and promotes weight loss. However, more scientific research is needed to claim the potential effects of collagen for managing a healthy weight. 

Prevent Bone Loss

The most abundant component in your bones is collagen. With the aging process, the collagen deteriorates leading to a decrease in your bone mass. This can lead to joint disorders including osteoarthritis. These disorders are characterized by low bone density that can cause bone fractures. 

Taking collagen supplements help inhibit bone breakage to prevent osteoporosis.

An experimental study on postmenopausal women has shown that taking vitamin D  and calcium supplements with 5 to 7 grams of collagen daily improves the health condition of those women with a significant drop in blood protein levels that promote bone breakdown. The women also feel better bone health due to less loss of mineral bone density than those who didn’t take collagen. 

Another study suggested that postmenopausal women got the health benefits of collagen by using collagen supplements daily for one year. Participants who took collagen had a significant increase in their bone mineral density. However, the evidence is not enough to claim that collagen is essential for improving the symptoms of osteoporosis. 

Boost Muscle Mass

Collagen is found in your skeletal muscles in abundance and it is the key protein in your body that helps maintain your nose and body structure. 

In an experimental study, 30 old men with sarcopenia were involved. They were given 10 grams of collagen supplements for 3 months daily with a routine of exercise. They were compared to men who took regular exercise without collagen intake. The results showed that the men who took collagen gained significantly increased muscle mass and bone strength. However, the evidence is not enough.

Promote Heart Health

A theory came into being recently that collagen supplements are also beneficial for reducing heart disease risks. It provides support to maintain the actual structure of your arteries to maintain the smooth flow of blood from your heart to the other parts of your body. Due to the deficiency of collagen, sometimes arteries become less elastic and flexible which may lead to arteriosclerosis or atherosclerosis. These conditions show the narrowing and reshaping of the blood vessels that may lead to heart attack. 

Research suggests that taking 10 to 15 grams of collagen daily for 6 months can help reduce stiffness of arteries. In addition, collagen supplements also help raise good cholesterol (HDL) levels in your blood. This can increase the risk of heart conditions including arteriosclerosis. However, more research is needed. 

Improve Gut Health

Some healthcare professionals support the theory that collagen is good for treating gut syndrome. However, there is no scientific evidence to prove the effectiveness of collagen supplements for the treatment of intestinal permeability. Individual opinions are in favor of this theory but research didn’t support it. 

Side Effects of Taking Collagen Supplements

Few side effects of collagen supplements are also reported. The collagen supplements made from common food items such as eggs, fish, or shellfish, contain food allergens. Such collagen supplements are not suitable for people who have allergies. People with allergies should avoid collagen supplements made of such ingredients. 

Talking of collagen supplements made of these ingredients may cause heartburn, nausea, and bloating in people who suffer from allergies. However, research doesn’t support the theory of such side effects of collagen supplements. 

Foods Rich in Collagen

Foods that are derived from animal products are rich in collagen. Such foods include:

  • Fish.
  • Chicken skin.
  • Bone broth.
  • Gelatin.
  • Beef.
  • Pork skin.
  • Connective tissues of animals.

Foods high in vitamin C such as citrus fruits, strawberries, and broccoli are also considered as great reservoirs of collagen, as collagen is synthesized with vitamin C.

What are the Alternative Foods for Animal-Based Collagen?

The possible alternatives for animal-based collagen are limited because the collagen’s amino acid composition is greatly different from other proteins. Vegan collagen can be prepared from genetically modified bacteria and yeast. They are similar to collagen proteins. Researchers are trying to investigate them as potential collagen resources. 

According to studies, foods containing plant-based collagen such as fruits and vegetables can help boost the production of collagen in your body. 

Is Taking Collagen Supplements or Drinks Good for You?

We still don’t have enough proof to claim that taking collagen supplements, pills or drinks can be beneficial for maintaining the health of your skin, nails, hair, bones, or heart. Collagen is not absorbable in its whole form. T is digestible in broken form therefore to enter the bloodstream the collagen is broken down into peptides so that they may be absorbed through your gut.

These peptides are further broken down into smaller molecules called keratin that are considered beneficial for your skin, nil, and hair.

Often these peptides combine to form collagen again that is stored in the different parts of the body such as tendons, ligaments, muscles, cartilage, and bone. However, no study supports these features of collagen. 

Therefore, if you want to minimize your wrinkles, improve your bone health, or promote elasticity in your skin, you should pay attention to using topical retinoids for sun protection. Search has proved that these measures can help you in achieving your goals regarding the health maintenance of your skin, hair, nails, and bones.

Always check the protein profile and ingredients list when choosing to try collagen supplements or drinks. Don’t use supplements abundant with fillers or food additives. Choose the products that contain more quantities of prolyl hydroxyproline and hydroxyphenylglycine so that these chemicals may help you improve moisture content in your skin and reduce wrinkles. 

However, in every case, consultation with your healthcare provider matters a lot. Especially if you have a risk of developing or are affected by any medical condition like got that requires limiting the protein content, avoid collagen supplements or drinks. 

Scientific Findings About Collagen Supplements and Drinks

The International Institute of Health and Food published an analysis and review in their journal that explained the effectiveness of collagen and its supplements for the improvement of skin health with a reduction in wrinkles and acne and an increase in moisture content. The article also supported the benefits of collagen for the improvement of fitness and suppleness of the skin. That sounds good and potentially beneficial but it is still not clear that all ski’s health benefits are associated with collagen. Most of the trials involve available collagen supplements that also had other health-supporting elements such as hyaluronic acid, coenzyme Q10, minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants. 

Some other researchers also suggested that the use of collagen supplements with high amounts of hydroxy prolylglycine and prolyl hydroxyproline can help improve elasticity and mixture in the skin while their use also reduces the roughness and wrinkles in the skin. However, high-quality proven scientific research is needed to know whether available products are safe to use as collagen supplements.

It is a matter of concern that you would hardly find any evidence in support of collagen use for the improvement in the health of your hair or nails. However, a few small studies have reported in their review that taking a measured amount of collagen helps in nail growth and lessens the brittleness of nails as well. But these small studies were performed without any control group which means taking a placebo to compare with the group that received collagen supplements. Hence there is no proof to strongly claim the health benefits of collagen for the improvement of hair growth. No medical research supports the use of commercially available products such as collagen supplements or drinks to improve hair shine, thickness, or growth.

Conclusion

The health benefits of collagen are well-known nowadays. In addition, very few risk factors are associated with its use. Collagen supplements are considered best for improving skin health, reducing dryness and wrinkles, increasing muscle mass, preventing bone loss, and relieving joint pain.

Moreover, collagen use is also linked with gut health, brain health, and weight loss but no scientific evidence supports these benefits of collagen. Several foods are rich in collagen but it is unclear whether their foods offer the same health benefits supplements do.

Large-scale experiments and analytical studies have been made to investigate the health benefits of collagen supplements for the skin, hair, bone, or heart health. But still, more research is needed to claim all these benefits as effective and real.

Talk to your doctor before using any collagen supplement or drink for the improvement of your skin, hair, bone, or nail health because unchecked use of collagen may cause side effects, especially for people who have allergies.

Hira Shabbir

Hey, I'm Hira shabbir. An experienced content writer who is providing quality SEO content to clients, from the past 2 years. I have been a biology and English teacher from the past 20 years, which gives me an edge in providing quality content.

Hira Shabbir
Hey, I'm Hira shabbir. An experienced content writer who is providing quality SEO content to clients, from the past 2 years. I have been a biology and English teacher from the past 20 years, which gives me an edge in providing quality content.