The Collagen Diet: Benefits, Sources, and Scientific Insights

Collagen, the most abundant protein in the human body, serves as the foundational building block for various connective tissues, including skin, joints, bones, and ligaments. Think of it as the "glue" that holds your body together. As we age, our natural collagen production declines, leading to a decrease in skin elasticity, joint problems, and other age-related issues. This has led to the rising popularity of collagen supplements and collagen-rich diets, promising a range of health and cosmetic benefits. In these coming winter months drink your bone broth and eat some fish. It will serve you well to ensure dietary sources of collagen in your diet.

What is Collagen?

Collagen is a fibrillar protein that forms the connective tissues in the human body including the skin, joints, connective tissues and bones. The word collagen comes from the Greek word "kolla" which means glue. Collagen plays a key role in joint health, maintaining skin elasticity and maintaining the microscopic villi of the intestines for gut health. As we get older our body produces less collagen and with the passage of time the thickness and strength decrease.

Collagen Types

There are over 28 types of collagen, each with a specific role. Type I collagen makes up 90% of our hair, skin, nails, organs, bones, ligaments and is most notable for anti-aging properties. Type II collagen helps build cartilage, joint health, maintain our gut lining therefore supporting digestive health and support immune function. All types of collagen are most efficiently supported with vitamin-C rich foods or hyaluronic acid supplements. Tomatoes, red bell peppers, strawberries and citrus fruits are an abundant source of vitamin C. Be sure your diet includes high vitamin C sources to get the best benefit from collagen.

The main five types of collagen and what they do are:

• Type I: Provides structure to skin, bones, tendons, and ligaments.
• Type II: Supports joint health by providing support in elastic cartilage.
• Type III: Found in muscles, arteries, and organs.
• Type IV: Found in the layers of your skin.
• Type V: Found in the cornea of your eyes, some layers of skin, hair and tissue of the placenta.

Food Sources of Collagen

The best sources for collagen include fish, egg whites, beef, gelatin, chicken and beef/chicken/fish bone broth. Marine or fish collagen is known to have the most efficient absorption of all collagen types. Eating salmon with the skin is an excellent way to include more collagen in your eating plan.

Read also: Does Collagen Help with Weight Loss?

• Bone broth: A liquid containing brewed bones/connective tissues cooked 10 or more hours and is one of the most popular sources of collagen. Bone broth has a rich history of being used as a digestive tonic, is rich in specific amino acids and collagen to support healing of the gut lining. It also contains nutrients such as amino acids, glucosamine, calcium and magnesium and that support joint mobility and reduced inflammation. To make bone broth, save animal carcasses in the freezer and use as a base for stews or to add to other recipes for flavor and nutrients. Using bones from animals that were raised without steroids, antibiotics or growth stimulants ensures the best safety.
• Fish with the skin on: Fish is an excellent source of collagen from food, as long as you leave the skin on. That's because much of the collagen found in fish is stored in the skin. Other benefits of fish include omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D.
• Chicken: If you've ever prepared a whole chicken, you know there's quite a bit of connective tissue in the meat. This makes chicken a good option for adding more collagen to your diet. Chicken feet, in particular, while not a common food in some parts of the world, are a good source of collagen.
• Red meat: Tougher cuts of meat like pot roast, chuck steak, and brisket, which are full of connective tissue, are good sources of collagen. But keep in mind that red meat gives you other nutrients you may not want, like saturated fat.
• Fruits and vegetables: For vegetarians and vegans, consider eating foods high in vitamin C. Eating foods rich in this nutrient encourages your body to make its own collagen and keep you healthy and strong.
• Aloe vera: Low doses of aloe vera can boost the collagen in your dermis (which is the middle layer of skin). A study found that taking a 40-microgram aloe supplement a day can help with skin barrier function, elasticity, and moisture.
• Other high-protein foods: Foods high in protein help collagen production because they have a lot of amino acids. These include eggs, dairy, and beans.

Collagen Supplements

Collagen can be purchased in supplement form. However, as with any supplement, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) do not evaluate any claims that a company makes on how well their collagen product works. If a supplement has been reported to be causing serious adverse events or reactions, the FDA has the authority to pull it from the market. However, no safety testing or FDA approval is required before a company can market their supplement. The best advice is to obtain collagen from whole foods, as nutrients are the most synergistic and powerful in the form they come from nature.

Most collagen supplements contain types I, II, and III, which account for most of the collagen found in your body. They contain a digestible form of collagen called collagen peptides or hydrolyzed collagen. These supplements are made from the tissues of cows, pigs, chickens, or fish. You can also buy vegan collagen powder made of bacteria and yeast. But scientists don't know whether they have the same possible benefits as collagen from animal sources.

Collagen supplements come in various forms:

• Collagen peptides (hydrolyzed collagen): Because collagen can't be absorbed in its whole form, it has to be broken down into smaller amino acids or peptides. Collagen peptides are tiny pieces of animal collagen. It's what's in the collagen supplements you take and can come in many forms, including pills or powders. When you buy collagen, it'll be sold as collagen peptides or hydrolyzed collagen. Collagen peptides are soaked up through your gastrointestinal tract.
• Collagen powder: Collagen powder has the same active ingredients as collagen capsules and gummies. But the dosages will vary depending on what form you use. Some people find it easier to add collagen powder to drinks or foods than to swallow several capsules. And you may not want the added sugar that's in collagen gummies.
• Collagen liquid: You can also buy premade collagen drinks or packets of collagen to put in your choice of beverage. There are a variety of flavors and types to choose from. Many also have other beneficial ingredients.

Fourteen grams of collagen peptide powder contains:

• Calories: 50
• Protein: 12 grams
• Fat: 0 grams
• Carbohydrates: 0 grams
• Fiber: 0 grams
• Sugar: 0 grams

The same amount of collagen peptide also contains 29 milligrams of calcium, 44.9 milligrams of sodium, and 0.98 milligrams of potassium.

Read also: Keto Collagen Peptides Explained

Benefits of Collagen

Several double-blind, placebo-controlled studies published from 2000 to 2017 show evidence of the power of collagen from helping to fight infection through inhibiting killer T-cell attack, increasing skin elasticity, repairing gut lining and reducing cellulite in normal and overweight women. Slowing the aging process by use of collagen supplements has become a driving force in the field of dermatology and cosmetics.

Here are some commonly cited benefits of collagen supplements:

• Stronger bones: As you age, your bones become less dense and more brittle, breaking more easily and taking longer to heal. Some research has found that taking daily collagen powder could help make your bones denser, slowing the aging process that makes them brittle and helping your body produce new bone. Research suggests collagen supplements may help inhibit the bone breakdown that leads to osteoporosis. In a 12-month study of postmenopausal women, some took a calcium and vitamin D supplement with 5 grams of collagen and others took a calcium and vitamin D supplement with no collagen daily. Those taking the calcium, vitamin D, and collagen supplement had significantly lower blood levels of proteins that promote bone breakdown and less loss of mineral bone density than those who took only the calcium and vitamin D. Another study found similar results in 66 postmenopausal women who took 5 grams of collagen daily for 12 months. Participants who took the collagen had an increase of up to 7% in their bone mineral density (BMD), a measure of the density of minerals in bones. However, more human studies are needed.
• Skin elasticity and hydration: Collagen supplements have been shown to improve skin hydration and elasticity in older people. They might also help lessen wrinkles. One review of 26 studies focusing mostly on women found that taking 1–12 grams of collagen per day for 4–12 weeks led to improvements in skin elasticity and hydration.
• Thicker hair: While more men go bald, many women also have hair loss or thinning as they age. In one study, a group of women with thinning hair saw significant increases in their hair's quantity, scalp coverage, and thickness while taking daily collagen supplements.
• Healthier nails: Some people's nails break more easily than others and don't grow as fast. One study in a group of women showed faster nail growth and fewer broken or chipped nails after only 4 weeks of daily collagen supplements.
• Reduced osteoarthritis pain: For people with knee osteoarthritis, collagen supplements might act as a mild pain reliever and improve joint function. It may take about 3-5 months of daily treatment before you see these improvements. Some studies suggest that collagen supplements may help improve symptoms of osteoarthritis and reduce overall joint pain. A review of studies in people with osteoarthritis found that taking collagen led to significant improvements in joint stiffness but not pain or functional limitation. Researchers suggest supplemental collagen may accumulate in cartilage and stimulate your tissues to make collagen which may lead to lower inflammation, better joint support, and reduced pain. But evidence is needed to recommend collagen as a treatment for osteoarthritis.
• Increased muscle mass: One small study found that men who took collagen peptide supplements during a 12-week strength training program saw more increases in muscle mass and strength than those who didn't. As the most abundant protein in the body, collagen is an important component of skeletal muscle. In a 12-week study, 26 older men with sarcopenia took 15 grams of collagen while participating in an exercise program. Compared to men who exercised but didn’t take collagen, they gained significantly more muscle mass and strength. However, more research is necessary to prove collagen’s potential to boost muscle mass.
• Improved heart health: Collagen helps keep the shape of your arteries and blood vessels. When you lack collagen, your arteries may weaken. Fragile blood vessels increase the risk of atherosclerosis, which can lead to a heart attack or stroke. A small study done on healthy people found that collagen powder kept arteries healthier and helped reduce the risk of atherosclerosis. Researchers have theorized that collagen supplements may help reduce the risk of heart conditions. Collagen provides structure to your arteries, the blood vessels that carry blood from your heart to the rest of your body. Without enough collagen, arteries may become less flexible and elastic, which may lead to atherosclerosis, a disease characterized by the narrowing of your arteries. This condition may cause heart attack and stroke. In a 6-month study, 30 healthy adults took 16 grams of collagen daily. They had experienced a significant reduction in measures of artery stiffness from the study’s beginning to its end (18). Additionally, their levels of HDL (good) cholesterol rose by an average of 6%. HDL is an important factor in the risk of heart conditions, including atherosclerosis, though more research is needed.
• May improve gut health: Although no randomized controlled trials support this claim, some health professionals report that collagen supplements can treat leaky gut syndrome, also called intestinal permeability. Individuals report collagen helps, but research is needed.
• May strengthen your hair and nails.
• May help maintain brain health: While no studies have examined the role of collagen supplements in brain health, some people claim that they improve mood and reduce anxiety symptoms.
• May help support weight loss: Proponents believe that collagen supplements may promote weight loss and faster metabolism. However, no studies support these claims.

Collagen and Skin Aging

Aging of the skin is a continuous process related to a depletion in the physiological function of the skin [1]. Both natural and unnatural factors cause human beings and animals to experience physiological alterations in different organs as time passes [2]. Cutaneous aging is a multifactorial activity dependent on both inherent (genetic, hormonal, and metabolic), and extrinsic factors (perennial exposure to UV rays, smoking, air pollution, chemicals and poor nutrition) [3,4]. Aging has a detrimental effect on connective tissue in the skin, leading to declines in elastin and collagen fibers and thus resulting in fine lines and wrinkles [3]. Furthermore, aging reduces the production of proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycan (such as hyaluronic acid) in the skin, as well as cartilage [4]. As a result, skin tissue weakens, losing its integrity, and the skin becomes dry, unable to retain enough moisture. Although multiple intrinsic processes can affect the aging process, factors such as exposure to sun, liquid intake, lifestyle, and pollution can exacerbate the aging process [1].

Most of the collagen supplements recommended by experts are enriched with peptides containing amino acids - including proline, glycine, and hydroxyproline - considered to be essential components of collagen [7–9]. Beyond this, researchers have claimed that increasing peptide production of hyaluronic acid in skin fibroblasts induces fibroblast migration and strengthens collagen, thus raising the amount of moisture in the stratum corneum [10]. Hence, the existing data suggest that the presence of these proteins in the body helps to maintain the amount of collagen in the skin [10]. Furthermore, collagen is considered crucial for skin health because both photo-aging and intrinsic aging decrease its presence in the body [11].

In recent years, collagen supplements have been increasingly used, as they are advertised as a potential remedy against the aging process [13]. Current research reveals that collagen use could result in a reduction of wrinkles, rejuvenation of skin, and reversal of skin aging [16], which may improve skin hydration and elasticity [17]. However, the available evidence regarding types of collagen or its mechanism of action, duration to produce desired results and side effects have not been rigorously reviewed or synthesized. This could create controversy in using collagen to reverse the aging process. Moreover, it is yet unclear which type of collagen (topical or oral) needs to be used to produce these coveted effects.

Read also: Weight Loss with Collagen Smoothies

Topical vs. Oral Collagen

Generally, there have been fewer studies assessing the effect of topical collagen on the aging process when compared with the studies conducted for oral collagen supplements. For instance, one conducted by Sanz et al in 2015 revealed that those women who were asked to apply a product containing collagen performed better than those in the control group [27]. More specifically, around three quarters of the treated women showed anti-wrinkling effects and substantial increases in the dermal density and elasticity of their skin after 7 days of treatment [27]. Similarly, Matthias et al conducted a retrospective study in Germany and South Africa on 480 patients with wrinkles, lax skin, scarring, and stretch marks [28]. These patients were administered percutaneous collagen after preparing their skin with necessary vitamins and creams for at least 1 month [28]. The findings demonstrated that patients were found to have skin 60% to 80% improved from before the treatment. Furthermore, researchers carried out a histologic examination on a subset of patients that demonstrated a substantial upsurge in collagen and elastin deposition. Similarly, Campos et al evaluated the consequences of topical and oral collagen additions in the skin enhancement of 60 healthy female subjects. The findings showed that females who were given a topical product demonstrated a substantial rise in skin hydration and elasticity at the end of 1 month. On the other hand, the group with oral supplementation showed more noticeable results in dermal echogenicity and decreasing pore size at the end of 3 months without any adverse effects [29]. In addition, the anti-wrinkle activity of the topical triple peptide complex (3%) has been reported by a clinical research conducted by Byrne et al in 2010. Their findings suggested that topical application significantly improves the photo-damaged skin by the end of 1 month when compared with the placebo group [30]. One of the proteins found in abundance in human beings is collagen, and it helps to maintain the structure, stability, and strength of the dermal layers [31]. The studies have shown antioxidant and established reparative actions of collagen in wrinkled or damaged skin. Skin experiences the double action of collagen: first, it provides the skin essential components for both elastin and collagen, and second, it is attached to the fibroblast receptors in the dermis to initiate the production of elastin and hyaluronic acid [32].

So far, oral collagen has been studied to a greater extent than topical collagen. The available literature suggests that the topical application of collagen improves both skin elasticity and texture. However, topical collagen does not infiltrate the skin completely owning to its high molecular weight [33]. In contrast, oral collagen ingestion has been found to improve mechanical properties by increasing both the density and the diameter of collagen fibrils [34]. Orally consumed collagen bioactive peptides are absorbed relatively quickly because such collagen products have lower molecular weights, distributing these peptides easily across several tissues [35]. Additionally, evidence from the animal models suggested that oral administration of collagen reduces the intensity of skin hydration caused by UV radiation and also reduces hyperplasia of the epidermis caused by UV rays [36]. Furthermore, oral intake of collagen enhances the moisture content of the skin, especially the stratum corneum, as well as the elasticity of the skin, reducing wrinkling and roughness [37]. Overall, collagen causes an increase in fibroblasts and extracellular matrix proteins and a decrease in metalloproteinase.

Dosage and Safety

Research has shown that adults can safely consume between 2.5 and 15 grams of collagen a day. Read the label on your supplement to see how much it contains. Many people take 1-2 tablespoons of collagen powder per day. You can take collagen powder by mixing it into smoothies, shakes, baked goods, soups, or even your coffee or tea.

Generally, no adverse effects of oral and topical collagen have been observed in any of these studies [39]. There have been no side effects such as vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, or constipation reported in the treatment or control groups of any of the studies [40]. For example, trials conducted in 2019 and 2020 found no adverse effects of collagen until they observed their participants [39,41]. These findings were also confirmed by a research by Inoue et al in 2017, where they conducted a RCT to assess the effect of high versus low doses o…

Side effects of collagen powder, capsules, liquids, or gummies are rare. If you're pregnant or breastfeeding, you may want to hold off on taking a collagen supplement for now because there isn't yet enough research to come to any conclusions about their safety.

Factors That Damage Collagen

Reduce your risk of collagen damage by avoiding these lifestyle habits.Avoid these factors, which can decrease collagen levels in your body:

• Smoking: Smoking decreases collagen production. It damages collagen and elastin, leading to wrinkles and slow wound healing. Nicotine constricts blood vessels near your skin’s surface, preventing the delivery of oxygen and nutrients.
• Eating too much sugar and refined carbs: Sugar attaches to proteins to form advanced glycation end products. These molecules damage nearby proteins and cause collagen to become weak, dry and brittle.
• Exposure to ultraviolet light: Too much sunlight reduces collagen production and causes collagen to break down more rapidly. Ultraviolet sunlight causes wrinkles. Avoid excessive sun exposure and always wear sunscreen (SPF 30 and higher) when you’re outside.

Diseases and Other Factors That Damage Collagen

Autoimmune diseases (your body’s immune system attacks its own tissue) can damage collagen. Rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, dermatomyositis and scleroderma are autoimmune, connective tissue diseases known to damage collagen. Genetic mutations can also damage collagen. Collagen construction errors result in conditions such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and osteogenesis imperfecta. Collagen levels also decline naturally with age.

Improving Skin Collagen Loss

To slow the effects of skin aging, wear sunscreen every day. Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light damages collagen. Use products with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher. Wear a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses with UV protection, and lightweight long-sleeved shirts and pants while outside. Look for clothing with an ultraviolet protection factor label for extra protection. Avoid tanning beds. Eat a well-balanced diet, like the Mediterranean diet, which is loaded with vegetables, beans, whole grains, nuts and fruits, and a moderate amount of seafood, meats, poultry, dairy and eggs. Get adequate sleep. Control stress. Although the exact connection between exercise and skin quality is unclear, some studies have found that exercise slows down cell activity involved with aging skin.

Collagen and Exercise

Collagen peptide supplementation (COL), in conjunction with exercise, may be beneficial for the management of degenerative bone and joint disorders. This is likely due to stimulatory effects of COL and exercise on the extracellular matrix of connective tissues, improving structure and load-bearing capabilities.

Collagen also contributes ~ 65–80% dry weight of tendons, with collagen crosslinks aiding the tendon structure to endure resistance from high-impact stresses and shear forces (Kannus 2000). Thus, collagen plays a vital role in maintaining tendon health and mitigating potential injury-risk in sport (Goes et al. 2016).

It is likely that exercise would aid the benefits of COL due to the ‘mechano-transduction’ hypothesis, which proposes that mechanical loading of tendon tissue during exercise creates a signalling cascade in the tissue cells that increases production of matrix proteins and subsequent tendon hypertrophy (Svensson et al. 2016). In addition, collagen synthesis is likely to increase with of the co-ingestion of vitamin C, through its role in the hydroxylation of proline and lysine, both of which are essential in creating the collagen helix formation and intermolecular cross-linking (Paxton et al. 2010).

Caveats and Considerations

Keep in mind that after you take a collagen supplement, your digestive system breaks it down into amino acids. Your body then puts these amino acids together to form new proteins. They may not contain the same amino acids that were in the supplement you took. So, no matter what the label may say, you can't target their benefits to certain areas like skin, hair, or joints.

The FDA doesn't regulate collagen powder or any other type of dietary supplement. So, there's no guarantee that your collagen supplement contains the type or amount of collagen the label says it does. There's also a chance it could be contaminated with pesticides, bacteria, or other substances. Because collagen powder and other supplements are usually made from animals, they might contain heavy metals or other toxins that can collect in animals' bones. Always make sure you buy supplements from a reputable source.

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