Collagen Hydrolysate
Collagen is the most plentiful protein in the human body. It supports our skin, bones, tendons and connective tissues but production naturally declines along with the ageing process. The consequence is diminished skin elasticity and wrinkles.
I have added collagen hydrolysate to my drinking water for more than ten years. I started adding it to my daily water intake after reading about a Norwegian double blind placebo controlled study. The 100 participants were awaiting new knees or hips, and because of my damaged knees the article caught my attention. The outcome after 12 months intake was that many joint replacement surgeries were cancelled because new cartilage was formed!
Of course I was taking a maintenance dose of Carnosine Komplex so the collagen hydrolysate was an addition.
I showed Dr. Kucera the study and looked at the various collagen brands. I decided to import Great Lakes collagen hydrolysate from the USA. One scoop daily was sufficient, although compared to capsules, I was taking a horse’s dose. I wrote to Great Lakes querying the import duty because it increased the cost so much. Their response was that they had licensed a company in Germany to produce the same product. This of course was £10 cheaper to buy and without import duty so a win win. It took me 12 months to feel that my damaged knee from years of playing squash was sufficiently repaired. I delayed planned knee replacement for the next eight years!
Collagen hydrolysate is just collagen that has been broken down into smaller peptides so it is easier to dissolve and digest. Research suggests that supplementation may offer positive impacts on our skin and our nails. There’s some evidence for improved hair health too.
Skin Hydration, Elasticity and Wrinkles
The best collagen evidence relates to healthy skin
In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, Proksch and colleagues gave 69 women aged 35–55 either 2.5 g or 5 g of collagen hydrolysate daily for eight weeks. The researchers found significant improvements in skin elasticity in the women taking collagen compared with the placebo.
Another study by Proksch et al. found that specific collagen peptides reduced eye wrinkle volume and were associated with increased production of components of the skin’s extracellular matrix, pro collagen extension peptides, and elastin that gives the skin the spiring back effect.
A 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis examined 26 randomised controlled trials of 1,721 participants and concluded that collagen hydrolysate supplementation significantly improved both skin hydration and elasticity, compared with placebo.
I have seen clever marketing for topically applied collagen skin creams but I struggle to accept claim of how deep the collagen reaches. Collagen is produced inside the body, so for me it makes sense to replace declining levels. I use Dr Kucera’s CK Skin Cream on my face. The bright yellow colour shows the richness of CQ10 content. CQ10 is bright yellow and I have never found any face cream containing Cq10 to be bright yellow in colour.
Stronger, Healthier Nails
Collagen peptides may also be helpful for people with weak and/or brittle nails.
In a small brittle nails clinical study, participants took 2.5 g of specific collagen peptides daily for 24 weeks. Nail growth increased by approximately 12%, while the frequency of cracked and chipped nails decreased by 42%. Most participants in the study noticed an improvement in the appearance of their nails too.
Hair
Collagen provides amino acids, notably glycine, proline and hydroxyproline, which the body uses as building blocks for connective tissues.
Claims that oral collagen hydrolysate directly makes human hair grow faster or thicker is not as strong as benefits seen for skin. Hair is primarily produced from keratin, not collagen, so collagen supplements should not be thought of as a treatment for hair loss.
A nutritious diet containing adequate protein, iron, zinc, B vitamins, and other essential nutrients remain important for normal hair growth.
Red Light Therapy has shown to be supportive for hair growth stimulation. Randomised studies have demonstrated improvements in hair density/count.
You can also massage the scalp with essential oils of tea tree, eucalyptus, rosemary, mint/peppermint. My hair thinned around five years ago and so I did this for two nights before sleep prior to washing my hair and I noticed new growth starting after just a few weeks.
Hair is slow growing so noticeable growth cannot be realised for around six months,
The Bottom Line
My Great Lakes Collagen USA Great Lakes Grass Fed Bovine Collagen Peptides £20.32 (Amazon USA)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005KG7EDU?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback&th=1
My Collagen Hydrolysate source UK/EU Natures Cure Pure Collagen £16.98 (Amazon UK)
Published research: Proksch E. et al., Skin Pharmacology and Physiology (2014), doi:10.1159/000351376; Proksch E. et al., Skin Pharmacology and Physiology (2014), doi:10.1159/000355523; Pu S-Y. et al., Nutrients (2023), 15:2080; Hexsel D. et al., Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology (2017), 16:520–526.
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