Does eating collagen really make the skin better? There are a thousand Hamlets in a thousand people’s eyes.

Let’s analyzes it through data research.

Conclusion first:

Oral collagen can improve the skin condition, which is scientifically based;

The principle may be that oligopeptides are involved in regulating the expression of related genes;

The most likely side effect of oral collagen products is allergies. Side effects such as weight gain and menstrual disorders may be caused by other ingredients in the product.

Analysis process:

The skin is the largest organ in the human body, from the outside to the inside: the epidermis, the dermis, and the subcutaneous tissue.

The super popular collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid are distributed in the extracellular matrix of the dermis.

Two amino acids are usually called dipeptides, and three are called tripeptides… The biologically functional macromolecules composed of a large number of amino acids are proteins. Collagen is mainly composed of three amino acids, glycine Gly, proline Pro, and hydroxyproline Hyp. We often see that the “collagen hydrolysate” written in the instructions is actually the product of cutting large molecules of collagen into small peptides.

Collagen is closely related to the elasticity, hydration, wrinkles and smoothness of our skin.

What is frustrating is that we adults lose 1% of collagen every year. Since women’s total collagen is not as much as men, this loss will be more obvious.

Is it possible to reverse such a sad plot?

The answer is yes! It is really not too difficult to retain collagen through instruments (such as radio frequency, ultrasonic knife), injection, exercise, food supplements, anti-aging skin care products, etc., to be 10 years younger than your peers.

Is eating collagen effective?

If you look for answers on the Internet, you will see two completely different statements.

Some people say that their skin has really improved after taking collagen. Some people say that not only the skin is better, but the breasts are also enlarged. Stakeholders (such as manufacturers, distributors, and micro-businesses) are even more exaggerated. They will tell you that eating collagen can make you wrinkle-free, pores smaller, skin moisturized, sleep better, and waist is not sore. The leg is no longer sore… It’s just refreshing!

The views on some popular science platforms is completely different. Articles criticizing collagen are overwhelming. Their mainstream view is:

All proteins in the stomach will be broken down into amino acids and then absorbed;

In the end, these amino acids may be used to synthesize any protein and not necessarily collagen;

The essential amino acids in collagen are pitiful, and they are proteins with low nutritional value;

The cost of withdrawing is very low but the selling price is very expensive…

In short, anyone who buys collagen is wasting their money.

So, how to find the truth in the complicated and contradictory information?

Very simple, the most scientific way is: look at the literature! It is always right to check with data.

The experiment proves:

Taking collagen hydrolysate (also called collagen peptide) can improve skin elasticity, increase water content and reduce wrinkles.

First, let’s take a look at the results of animal experiments given by the researchers:

In 2006, Naoya MATSUDA of Hokkaido Dairyo Gakuen University and others published an article. They divided 9 66-day-old pigs into three groups, one group was fed standardized feed, one group was standardized feed + collagen peptide (from pig skin, molecular weight 3000-5000 daltons, 0.2g/kg per day), one Group standardized feed + whey protein (a common source of protein in milk powder and muscle protein powder).

After continuous feeding for 62 days, the number of fibrocytes (cells responsible for the production of collagen) in the dermis of pig skin, the density and diameter of collagen fibers were observed to evaluate the effects of these three treatments.

As a result, it was found that the number of fibroblasts per unit area of pigs that ate collagen peptides increased significantly, the density of collagen fibers became higher, and the diameter became larger. However, no such changes were found in the dermis of the control group, that is, pigs that ate standardized feed and pigs that ate feed plus whey protein.

Feed standardized feed; B, feed standardized feed + whey protein; C, feed standardized feed + collagen peptide.

The black dots are the cross-sections of collagen fibers. In addition, Chinese researchers published a paper pointing out that oral fish collagen hydrolysate in male rats can inhibit the loss of collagen in aging skin and the breakdown of collagen network. Shimizu J. et al. found that administering collagen dipeptides Pro-Hyp and Hyp-Gly to mice can significantly increase the water content of the stratum corneum and repair the skin barrier function.

Look at the human test results:

In 2014, Proksch E et al. randomly divided 114 women aged 45-65 into two groups for double-blind experiments.

Each group received 2.5g of collagen peptide or placebo, once a day for 8 weeks. After 8 weeks, the collagen peptide group ingested the eye wrinkles area significantly lower than the placebo group (p<0.05), and this effect can continue 4 weeks after stopping the drug (only 4 weeks of this time point) Keep (p <0.05).

In 2015, Asserin J. et al. found in a double-blind experiment that the experimental group of oral collagen hydrolysates observed an increase in collagen density and a decrease in the degree of damage to the collagen network from the 4th week, and the collagen at the 8th week The skin hydration of the group increased significantly. These effects can continue to be maintained 4 weeks after stopping the drug.

In 2016, Inoue N. et al. found in a randomized double-blind clinical study that intake of bioactive collagen hydrolysate can improve facial skin conditions, including facial skin moisture, elasticity, wrinkles and roughness, and reduce facial aging signs. In addition, They also evaluated the safety of these peptides as dietary supplements through blood tests.

Principle of action

Principle 1: Small collagen peptides (oligopeptides) can be directly absorbed by the intestine and sent to the skin.

The general public’s understanding of the digestion and absorption of proteins in the human body has remained at the level of “proteins need to be broken down into peptides, oligopeptides, and amino acids before they can be used by the body.”

Yes, whether you eat chicken breast or pork skin, it will eventually be broken down into amino acids. Part of the amino acids will be transported to the dermis through the blood circulation and then used to synthesize new collagen in fibroblasts. If you ignore the content and ratio of different amino acids, at this level, it is barely acceptable to say that eating collagen is no different from eating other proteins.

So how to explain that in the experiment, the skin of pigs that ate whey protein did not become as good as that of pigs that ate collagen? In fact, both experimental animals and human experiments have found that some small oligopeptides (such as Pro-Hyp\Gly-Pro-Hyp) can be directly absorbed into the blood.

In addition, a report in 2010 pointed out that after administering collagen hydrolysate to mice, the content of tripeptides in the skin increased rapidly, and this high level could be maintained for 14 days after administration. This shows that even though the digestive system has passed numerous barriers, some peptides will still be retained, absorbed and sent to the destination: the skin!

Principle 2: The role of oligopeptides in the dermis

The fact that oligopeptides can be absorbed and enter the dermis is experimentally confirmed.

Studies have shown that oligopeptides derived from collagen hydrolysis can up-regulate the expression of TGF-βRII by activating the Smad signaling pathway, thereby increasing the expression of type I and type III procollagen mRNA (COL1A2 and COL3A1). At the same time, it can also weaken the expression of MMP1, which is the metalloprotein responsible for cutting the collagen network.

To put it simply, oligopeptides can activate the production of collagen and inhibit MMP1, the destroying molecule of the collagen network.

In addition, oligopeptides can also affect the expression of some genes in skin keratinocytes and fibroblasts, and induce the production of collagen and hyaluronic acid. In addition, oral collagen hydrolysate can also stimulate the increase in the number of fibroblasts.

Therefore, the argument that emphasizes that oral collagen is required to waste is obviously untenable.