Some people will be familiar with collagen as an ingredient in facial creams that promise firmer skin. But what happens when you take collagen powder? Does it really do anything noticeable for your skin, hair and nails? This is the effect that collagen has and what you should pay attention to when purchasing products to take!
In brief
You can use collagen as a safe nutritional supplement for stronger nails, longer hair and against wrinkles (more about this later). The best-selling powder by Vitamines.com is from the well-known collagen brand Herbolist.
What is collagen?
First of all, it is important to know what collagen actually is, and that there are different types of it. Collagen is a structural protein, so a protein that occurs in different variants in the body, depending on whether the collagen is in the skin, cartilage or other tissues.
Biochemically, there are 28 different types of collagen. Human skin is composed primarily of type I collagen, while cartilage contains type II collagen. The respective tissue cells themselves produce the correct collagen.
Collagen molecules consist mainly of the amino acids proline and glycine. These two amino acids are also non-essential, so they do not need to be taken with food, but can be produced by the body itself.
What is collagen powder?
In collagen powder, collagen is usually used as water-soluble collagen hydrolyzate, which is obtained from offal such as the skin or bones of pigs and cattle. During hydrolysis, the collagens are already broken down into smaller fragments, so-called collagen peptides. However, there are also collagen powders with additives on the market that are made from poultry and fish remains.
What does collagen powder do in the body?
But if the body produces collagen itself, what else can collagen powder do? Well, age-related breakdown of collagen structures in the deeper layers of the skin leads to loss of stability. The collagen-containing cartilage tissue in the joints is also subject to natural wear and tear.
Products such as collagen powder, which can be mixed into foods such as yoghurt or consumed as a smoothie or shake, promise that the collagen they contain will be used as a building block for repair in ‘faulty’ parts of the body (such as the skin or joint cartilage) .
In the digestive tract, collagen is broken down into its components, just like other proteins that we consume in the form of food. The body absorbs these amino acids, dipeptides and tripeptides, which on paper is good for your skin (think: fewer wrinkles), hair and nails.
There are also studies that show an improvement in wrinkle depth and skin elasticity through the intake of hydrolyzed collagen. It cannot therefore be ruled out that nutritional supplements such as collagen powder may have an effect.
Some dietary supplements containing collagen hydrolyzate are often promoted as remedies that can alleviate damage to articular cartilage and osteoarthritis-related complaints. However, such disease-related advertising claims are prohibited for nutritional supplements, so we should not assume that collagen supplements can support cartilage in humans.
Is collagen dangerous?
Collagen is normally harmless. However, as with all supplements, there is a small chance of side effects. Products containing collagen can trigger allergic reactions and intolerances, especially for people with a fish allergy if the collagen is made from fish skin, such as fish collagen. Such allergens must be labelled.
And: vegan collagen does not exist. Products labeled as vegan usually contain a mix of the amino acids glycine, proline, hydroxyproline and L-lysine and no collagen.
Herbolist collagen powder
One of the most popular collagen powders is that of Herbolist. The supplement contains bovine collagen hydrolyzate. So bovine collagen. The company itself explains the success: “The peptide size of the collagen determines whether it can be absorbed by the body. The collagen powder must pass through the stomach acid into the intestine. Only there can the body benefit from it.”
The size of Herbolist is 2.5 to 5 kDa (kilodaltons) and is therefore particularly soluble. It is also heat-resistant, neutral in taste and goes well in your morning coffee, making it easy to use.
Conclusion
If you want to take collagen powder against wrinkles, for example, you can do so without any problems if you follow the instructions for use. However, you should never exceed the amount recommended by the manufacturer. The chance of side effects is very small.
Getting collagen from food is of course also a smart option. Several authors have explicitly listed in books, such as Collagen – The 28-Day Diet, which foods you can consume collagen through your diet.
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