Nowadays, collagen supplements are becoming more and more popular. Most of the popular faces are talking about the benefits of collagen supplements. But, now the question here that does the collagen supplements are actually beneficial? or the supplement industry is just fooling you?
Do you know? Collagen supplements or any other supplements do not require any approval from FDA (Food and Drug Administration). But, the good thing is that the safety and efficacy of the supplement are actually detected based on scientific research and clinical trials. So, let’s know more about collagen supplements in detail bases on scientific research.
Table of Contents
What is Collagen?
Collagen is the most abundant protein found in the joints and skin. As the skin is the largest organ in the body and is composed mainly of collagen, which provides strength and hydration to the skin.
As we grow older, the production of collagen decreases in our bodies. Not only collagen production gets affected but the quality of collagen which helps to build skin, joints or muscles also gets worsens. Hence, leads to fines lines, wrinkles, dull and saggy skin. Unhealthy skin is the result of radiation, accelerated aging process, non-balanced diet, deficiency of micronutrients, dehydration, stress, chemical makeup use, sun exposure, and age-related collagen loss in the skin.
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Habits that damage collagen in the body
1. Eating too much refined sugar: Collagen plays a major role in skin repair and glow. Eating refined sugar in the form of sugar drinks, sweet desserts, and tea can interfere with collagen production2 of the tissues which in turn could accelerate the aging process. Low collagen levels in the skin cells can cause dullness and acne breakout in the skin.
2. Too much sun exposure: Exposure to direct sunlight for more than 20 minutes a day can lower collagen production 3 in the skin leading to fine lines, wrinkles, and skin damage. Therefore, it is recommended to always apply sunscreen before going outside.
3. Eating junk/ oily/ processed food: Processed food such as packaged wafers or many more does not contain anything nutritional but unnecessary carbs and oil. These increase the level of harmful free radicals in the body which promotes skin aging and dullness. The free radical interferes with collagen production and the skin repair process, hence decreasing the amount of collagen in the body. 5
4. Smoking: Smoking adversely affects collagen production 4 and causes skin dehydration and increases free radicals in the skin which in turn can cause the skin to look unhealthy.
Benefits of consuming collagen supplements
1. Improve skin health
Many studies 5 have shown that consuming collagen protein daily can increase skin health, reduce fine lines, and can provide a radiant glow to the skin.
Also, a study published in 2013 on women with dry and flaky skin was given 2.5–5 grams of collagen for 8 weeks. The result showed that there was a significant improvement in their skin hydration and also their skin looked much healthier.
Collagen plays a role in keeping your skin strong and elastic. It helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles, but it may also be important for preventing stretch marks.
But remember, your diet and exercise also play a role along with supplements.
2. Relieve joint pain
Osteoarthritis is the most common arthritis which develops with age which affects millions of people worldwide. As we age, the synovial fluid present between the joint decreases, and friction between two bones increases, which causes a lot of pain while doing common activities.
Both aging and a poor diet can affect the level of collagen in the body. These changes are not noticeable in the early stages of life but become evident in the mature phase, in which food intake does not meet the recommended requirements as effectively, in terms of energy and macro and micronutrients. A systemic review was published in 20166, which reviewed the results of various studies performed on the patient suffering from osteoarthritis. The patients who were started on collagen supplements showed a positive therapeutic response and their pain was significantly reduced.
3. Prevents osteoporosis
As we all are aware that women’s body goes a lot of hormonal imbalances throughout their life, which causes a great impact on their bone health. Women face a lot of issues when they reach menopause. The most common issue face by women is osteoporosis which is most commonly defined as a decrease in bone mass due to low estrogen in the body.
A study published in 2018 7 showed that when post-menopausal women were supplemented with 5g of collagen every day, showed significant improvement in the bone mass in the spinal and femoral region.
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4. Increase muscle mass
A very common condition known as sarcopenia, which is basically the loss of muscle mass with age can be prevented by taking collagen supplements. A study8 was published in 2016, on 27 men suffering from muscle mass due to aging process were given 15 g of collagen every day along with resistance workout for 3 months regularly showed significant improvement in their muscle mass.
Most trusted brands of collagen supplement available in India
Here I am providing the list of the most common collagen supplements available in India.
1.Cureveda Plant-Based Collagen Builder Glow Powder for Women & Men
2. OZiva Plant Based Collagen Builder for Anti-Aging Beauty, Skin Repair & Regeneration
3.Himalayan Organics Plant-Based Collagen Builder for Hair and Skin
4. Olena Plant-Based Collagen for Skin Elasticity
5. Palak Notes Beauty Care Organic Plant-Based Collagen
Collagen, Collagen Peptides, and Hydrolysed collagen: Which one is better?
Our skin, connective tissue, and joints are made up of a long chain of amino acids (proline, hydroxyproline, and glycine) which combine together to form collagen. This long chain of amino acids known as collagen is twisted too tightly to provide strength. So, the whole collagen when consumed in its non-hydrolyzed form (unbreakable form) is difficult to digest in our intestine and is non-effective as an oral supplement.
Collagen Peptide is the hydrolyzed form of collagen, long-chained collagen is chemically hydrolyzed into shorter molecules to make absorption easier and faster. Collagen peptides, once absorbed can travel through the bloodstream faster. During various cellular reactions, and fulfill the requirement of collagen in the body. Collagen peptides and hydrolyzed collagen are the same things.
Types of collagen
Here’s a closer look at the four main types of collagen and their roles in your body:
- Type I. This type accounts for 90% of your body’s collagen and is made of densely packed fibers. It provides structure to skin, bones, tendons, fibrous cartilage, connective tissue, and teeth.
- Type II. This type is made of more loosely packed fibers and found in elastic cartilage, which cushions your joints.
- Type III. This type supports the structure of muscles, organs, and arteries.
- Type IV. This type helps with filtration and is found in the layers of your skin.
As you age, your body produces less and lower-quality collagen.
My experience with Oziva plant collagen
I tried collagen supplement for 30 days and was amazed by the results. Here I am sharing the real review of the Oziva collagen supplement.
The texture of the collagen is powder-like but, it does not mix in water well. While drinking the mixture, I can actually feel some granules in my mouth. If you talk about the smell and taste, it was good and quite refreshing. After taking collagen I could actually see a little glow on my face, my skin feels smooth and I felt some reduction in my dark circles too. I am sharing a 30 day before and after picture with you, without a filter effect. Also, I tried to keep the lighting same in both the pictures to let you decide that you should purchase the product or not.
Is the supplement industry actually fooling you?
Well, as I told you earlier, the safety and efficacy of the supplement are actually detected based on scientific research and clinical trials. I have read more than 100 research papers on a similar topic and tried to share some of them in this article too. There is no side effect or adverse effect reported by people till now after taking collagen supplements. So, taking collagen supplements from a good brand could actually be beneficial for you. I also shared the name of some of the good brands above. You can also share your experience with the protein supplements and share it in the comment box.
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