A recent study has confirmed the nourishing and anti-aging effects of collagen in maintaining healthy skin in young and middle-aged women. The study showed significant improvement in various skin parameters and revealed good bioavailability of collagen peptides.
Collagen and aging
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body. Its fiber-like structure is used to make connective tissue. This type of tissue connects other tissues and is a major component of bones, skin, muscles, tendons, and cartilage. It helps make tissues strong, flexible, and able to withstand stretching, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Collagen in food is found naturally only in animal meats such as meat and fish that contain connective tissue. However, a variety of animal and plant foods contain substances that help our bodies produce collagen.
Our bodies gradually produce less collagen as we age, but collagen production declines more rapidly due to excessive sun exposure, smoking, lack of sleep, and lack of exercise. As we age, collagen in the deeper layers of the skin changes from a tightly organized network of fibers to a disorganized maze. Environmental exposures can damage the collagen fibers, reducing their thickness and strength, which leads to wrinkles on the surface of the skin.
Collagen first appeared as an ingredient in skin creams. The effectiveness of this product as a topical preparation was questioned even by dermatologists, because collagen is not naturally found on the surface of the skin, but in the deeper layers. Collagen fibers are too large to penetrate the outer layers of the skin, and research has not supported that shorter collagen chains, called peptides, are more successful at this feat.
Oral collagen supplements in the form of pills, powders, and certain foods are believed to be more effectively absorbed by the body and have become increasingly popular among consumers. They may be sold as collagen peptides or hydrolyzed collagen, which are broken down forms of collagen that are more easily absorbed. Collagen supplements contain amino acids, the building blocks of protein, and some may also contain additional nutrients linked to skin and hair health such as vitamin C, biotin, or zinc.
the study
The study, published in the journal Dermatology and Cosmetic Technology in April and written about by EurekAlert, involved 70 volunteers to evaluate the effects of an oral collagen drink combining collagen tripeptides and elastin peptides on the skin health of young and middle-aged women.
The study’s lead author, Shan Lu, of the WanderLab Healthcare Innovation Center and Shenzhen Purse Health Bioengineering Company, explained that the participants were divided into two groups: one was treated with a collagen-rich drink, and the other received a placebo.
Compared to the placebo group, the collagen drink group showed significant improvements in skin hydration, transepidermal water loss, skin elasticity, dermal collagen content, pore size, wrinkle length, skin smoothness, and decreased skin roughness.
Overall, the study results support the use of collagen tripeptides and elastin peptides as nutritional supplements to effectively combat skin aging in young and middle-aged women.