Liquid collagen is touted as a solution to increase pores and skin well being, however does it work? Here is what to learn about this collagen complement.
ⓘ
What’s liquid collagen?
Liquid collagen is the dietary complement du jour, because of an inventory of potential advantages that features healthier-looking pores and skin, more-flexible joints, stronger bones, and weight reduction. Is it attainable that one complement can do all that? Perhaps.
Collagen—the fibrous protein made by your physique, not essentially the complement—is type of superior, says Robin Foroutan, RDN, an integrative medication dietitian on the Morrison Middle in New York Metropolis and a spokesperson for the Academy of Vitamin and Dietetics.
“It’s probably the most plentiful protein in our physique and offers construction and lubrication,” she says. “We’re made principally of collagen, and by the ripe previous age of 25, this nutrient simply falls off of a cliff.”
Positive indicators that you simply’re in collagen-loss free-fall are wrinkles and sagging pores and skin. Although you should still be consuming collagen-boosting meals (like meat, fish, soy, and quinoa), your physique may have hassle utilizing the protein to make collagen. It is smart that you simply’d search for methods so as to add it again into your physique. That’s the place collagen dietary supplements are available (and why their reputation is on the rise).
Collagen dietary supplements are primarily offered as powders, capsules, or liquids. Typically the protein is added to meals like bars or butter-like spreads. (Try this Important Proteins collagen creamer overview.) Alternative of liquid, capsules, powder, or fortified meals is mostly a matter of non-public choice, says Foroutan.
Liquid collagen–whether or not flavored or unflavored—is present in premade collagen drinks, collagen-infused waters, pictures, and bone broths. They’re excessive in protein and low in energy, claiming to construct up your collagen shops from the within out, Foroutan says. However do they really work?
Right here’s what you have to learn about liquid collagen, and whether or not it’s price your cash.
Varieties of liquid collagen
There are three primary facets of collagen to think about: its sort, its supply, and the way it’s damaged down.
There are 16 varieties of collagen within the human physique, however the 4 most typical varieties of collagen are Varieties I, II, III, and IV. The massive majority of liquid collagen dietary supplements available on the market include Kind I, says Tod Cooperman, MD, president of ConsumerLab, an impartial supplement-testing group in White Plains, New York. This sort is present in your pores and skin, tendons, ligaments, and bones.
Though vegan collagen powder has been cropping up extra as of late, most liquid collagen dietary supplements are extracted from animal sources, akin to hides, bones, or fish scales. (Right here’s what you have to learn about marine collagen.)
You may additionally discover some technical phrases in your collagen complement labels—issues like “hydrolyzed” and “undenatured.” These relate to how the collagen is damaged down, which impacts absorption. They embody:
- Hydrolyzed: Most collagen liquids available on the market are hydrolyzed, which implies the collagen has been damaged down into fundamental amino acids that function constructing blocks of proteins, says Foroutan. This offers you the uncooked supplies your physique must construct its personal collagen.
- Gelatin: That is additionally damaged down from massive proteins however much less so than hydrolyzed collagen.
- Undenatured: Comprising very small bits of Kind II collagen, this way stops the breakdown of your pure collagen shops. It’s not damaged into amino acids.
Liquid collagen advantages
Liquid collagen could assist enhance pores and skin well being and elasticity, lubricate joints, strengthen bones, and spur weight reduction, however extra analysis is required to again up and bolster all of those claims, Foroutan says. Listed here are a few of the touted advantages of this type of collagen.
Could increase pores and skin well being
Sipping a collagen complement would possibly assist your pores and skin, in keeping with a examine printed in 2019 in Vitamins. Within the examine of 72 wholesome girls age 35 or older, half drank Elasten, a liquid collagen that comprises 2.5 grams of collagen peptides plus vitamin C, zinc, biotin, and a vitamin E complicated, and half consumed a placebo. On the finish of the 12-week examine, pores and skin scores recommended that the drink improved pores and skin hydration, elasticity, roughness, and density in contrast with the placebo. Better pores and skin density is an indication of more healthy and extra plentiful collagen. However massive disclaimer: this analysis was funded by the producer of Elasten.
In a 2018 Vitamin Analysis examine, individuals who drank a liquid collagen complement for 90 days reported an enchancment of their pores and skin texture and elasticity. (This examine was additionally performed by the producer.) The complement contained different components, together with nutritional vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, chondroitin sulphate, and glucosamine.
Along with being industry-funded, a draw back to each of these research is the truth that contributors didn’t take collagen alone. With out learning liquid collagen by itself, we will’t know whether or not the skin-health advantages occurred because of the collagen, one (or all) of the opposite vitamins, or a mix.
But the analysis holds promise.
“Primarily based on the restricted variety of research out there, preliminary outcomes are promising for the short-term and long-term use of oral collagen dietary supplements,” says Adam Friedman, MD, professor and chair of dermatology at George Washington College of Drugs and Well being Sciences in Washington, D.C. “They’ve proven some potential to extend pores and skin elasticity, hydration, and dermal collagen density, although choosing which one is actually troublesome.”
Foroutan suggests selecting a collagen complement with added vitamin C, which is believed to assist your physique soak up collagen.
Could scale back joint ache
The Vitamin Analysis examine additionally discovered that contributors who drank the collagen complement reported a 43 p.c discount in joint ache and a 39 p.c enchancment in joint mobility. At present, osteoarthritis, the wear-and-tear type of the illness, is handled with over-the-counter or prescription painkillers, which all have their fair proportion of negative effects.
Collagen dietary supplements, nevertheless, look like secure, with a really low threat of negative effects, says Mark Moyad, MD, the Jenkins/Pokempner director of preventive and various medication on the College of Michigan Medical Middle in Ann Arbor. If something, you would possibly expertise some abdomen signs, a headache, dizziness, or a rash from collagen liquids.
Against this, overuse of the over-the-counter painkiller acetaminophen could cause liver harm. And the usage of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicine (NSAIDs) akin to ibuprofen and naproxen has been linked to bleeding ulcers. All issues thought of, liquid collagen could also be price a attempt to see if it makes a distinction in your joint ache and performance, Dr. Moyad says.
Could improve bone power
Throughout menopause, manufacturing of the feminine intercourse hormone estrogen drops, and consequently, the danger for the brittle bone illness osteoporosis goes up. In a 2020 difficulty of the Journal of Musculoskeletal and Neuronal Interactions, researchers gave collagen powder together with calcium and vitamin D to a bunch of postmenopausal girls with weakened bones. They discovered the complement would possibly assist construct and strengthen bones after three months of use. Word, nevertheless, that the examine was funded by a collagen producer.
The identical advantages may additionally happen with liquid collagen, Foroutan notes.
Could promote emotions of fullness
Can collagen actually make it easier to reduce weight? Liquid collagen could be very excessive in protein, which might make you are feeling fuller longer, doubtlessly limiting how a lot you eat. This might result in weight reduction, says Moyad. Consuming a bowl bone broth between meals could be one solution to curb your urge for food.
When selecting liquid collagen, it’s necessary to match energy, protein, and sugars per serving. With powdered collagen, you may simply add water. Liquids, alternatively, could have extra energy resulting from different added components, Dr. Moyad says.
Collagen liquid vs. serum
There’s the liquid collagen that goes in your mouth, and there’s the liquid collagen that goes in your pores and skin. What’s the distinction? Not like the collagen liquid you eat or drink, collagen serums declare to stimulate the manufacturing of this structural protein from the skin in.
“Making use of collagen serums can moisturize and plump the pores and skin, however that doesn’t imply they’ll truly stimulate the physique’s personal synthesis of collagen,” says Deanne Mraz Robinson, MD, an assistant scientific professor of dermatology at Yale New Haven Hospital. “Collagen molecules are too massive to penetrate the pores and skin, so search for peptides that are formulated to penetrate extra successfully.”
For topical merchandise that stimulate your physique’s personal collagen creation, look to retinols, retinoids, or the plant-based various bakuchiol, she says. (That is the retinoid rule that dermatologists need everybody to comply with.)
Potential dangers of liquid collagen
They might not have many seemingly negative effects, however liquid collagen merchandise are nonetheless dietary supplements. And people include a caveat. Dietary supplements aren’t regulated with the identical scrutiny as pharmaceutical merchandise, so it’s key that you simply select a product from a good model that stands behind its complement, Dr. Friedman says.
ConsumerLab examined collagen merchandise to see in the event that they actually had the quantity of collagen promised on the labels. Excellent news: merchandise contained collagen within the quantities said on their labels, starting from a couple of 3-gram to 25-gram serving per day amongst powders and liquids.
Many collagen dietary supplements are constituted of animal carcasses, so poisonous heavy metals could also be current, says Foroutan. The truth is, a examine of 28 best-selling collagen peptide dietary supplements on Amazon by the Natural Shoppers Affiliation discovered that:
- 64 p.c examined optimistic for measurable ranges of arsenic
- 37 p.c examined optimistic for measurable ranges of lead
- 34 p.c examined optimistic for hint ranges of mercury
Don’t panic. “Minimal to low publicity is at all times anticipated,” Dr. Moyad says. “It’s publicity above these ranges, particularly for lengthy durations of time, that might improve the danger of well being issues.” (Listed here are the secrets and techniques that vitamin producers don’t need you to know.)
The easiest way to chop down your threat is to be selective in the case of the producer. “When taking a look at a collagen complement product, search for high quality assurance experiences. And even ask the corporate for them,” Dr. Friedman says. “This may give perception by way of purity and stability testing.” A 3rd-party seal of approval from ConsumerLab, NSF Worldwide, or U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) can also be a vote of confidence.
The final phrase
Liquid collagen dietary supplements could have some deserves, however extra analysis is required earlier than specialists say for certain they fulfill all of their guarantees. “If the claims sounds too good to be true, they seemingly are, and the advertising jargon is probably going overcompensating,” Dr. Friedman says.
Not all merchandise are created equal. Be certain that to decide on a good and clear model, and examine the label to see if a product comprises different components that might doubtlessly contribute to or sabotage your objectives. All the time comply with the dosing directions on the product’s label, and let your physician learn about any dietary supplements that you’re at the moment taking.
What Is Collagen Powder?
Does Vegan Collagen Powder Actually Work?
Important Proteins Collagen Creamer—A Assessment
Sources
- Robin Foroutan, RDN, integrative medication dietitian, Morrison Middle, New York Metropolis
- Tod Cooperman, MD, president, ConsumerLab, White Plains, New York
- Vitamins: “A Collagen Complement Improves Pores and skin Hydration, Elasticity, Roughness, and Density: Outcomes of a Randomized, Placebo-Managed, Blind Examine”
- Vitamin Analysis: “Every day oral supplementation with collagen peptides mixed with nutritional vitamins and different bioactive compounds improves pores and skin elasticity and has a helpful impact on joint and common wellbeing”
- Adam Friedman, MD, FAAD, professor and chair, dermatology, George Washington College of Drugs and Well being Sciences, Washington, D.C.
- Mark Moyad, MD, MPH, the Jenkins/Pokempner director of preventive & various Drugs, College of Michigan Medical Middle, Ann Arbor
- Journal of Musculoskeletal and Neuronal Interactions: “Impact of calcium and vitamin D supplementation with and with out collagen peptides on bone turnover in postmenopausal girls with osteopenia”
- ConsumerLab: “Collagen Dietary supplements Assessment”
- Natural Shoppers Affiliation: “The True Content material and Faces Behind America’s Greatest-Promoting Collagen”
- Deanne Mraz Robinson, MD, assistant scientific professor, dermatology, Yale New Haven Hospital, Connecticut
- Journal of Medication in Dermatology: “Oral Collagen Supplementation: A Systematic Assessment of Dermatological Purposes”
Medically reviewed by Elizabeth Bahar Houshmand, MD, on April 12, 2021
