Your body’s natural production of collagen declines as you grow older, which can impact skin, hair, and nails, so some people choose to take collagen supplements to possibly prevent this decline — though the research in this space is still evolving.
What’s more, liquid collagen does not deliver unique or enhanced benefits, or increase bioavailability, compared with other forms of collagen.
“The fact that collagen is in liquid form does not make it more accessible for the body,” says Wagner. “This is a marketing tactic. The benefit of collagen itself is not independently better because it’s a dry powder or a liquid.”
In general, limited research suggests there may be some benefits to taking collagen supplements.
May Boost Skin and Nail Health
Collagen is perhaps most famously marketed to improve skin appearance — and there is some evidence to back it up. One randomized controlled clinical trial from the United Kingdom of 130 adults ages 40 to 60 found that consuming 8,000 milligrams (mg) of powdered collagen mixed with vitamin C (also helpful for skin health) daily for 12 weeks was associated with a 19.6 percent decreased wrinkle depth.
Other research has also shown some positive results. For example, one meta-analysis from Taiwan of 26 randomized-controlled trials found participants who took an oral collagen supplement for at least eight weeks noticed improvement in skin hydration and elasticity.
“A limitation of this research is that most participants were women, and the dosing of hydrolyzed collagen [a form of collagen that’s broken down into smaller pieces, known as peptides] varied between studies,” says Brittany Brown, RD, the owner of Feeding Babies Nourishing Souls in Nova Scotia, Canada. “Still, the findings were consistent — taking hydrolyzed collagen for at least eight weeks helps improve skin hydration and elasticity.”
Studies on collagen’s effects on nail health are also potentially promising, per a study out of Belgium, which showed that women ages 43 to 65 years old who took collagen supplements had significant improvements in nail color compared with a placebo group.
May Improve Joint Pain and Stiffness
Collagen has been extensively studied as a potential treatment for osteoarthritis. While the quality of the research varies, some evidence out of Brazil suggests collagen supplements may help alleviate joint pain and stiffness and improve function in conditions like osteoarthritis by helping restore and protect cartilage and decrease inflammation, per one review.
One review from Taiwan of four clinical trials and 507 participants with knee osteoarthritis showed that people taking collagen peptides have noticeable pain relief compared to those taking a placebo.
May Increase Bone Density
One review conducted in China found that collagen peptide supplementation significantly increased bone mineral density in the neck and spine.
Another study out of Germany of 131 postmenopausal women found that long-term supplementation with specific collagen peptides appears to counteract bone mineral density losses, potentially contributing to better bone stability.
May Enhance Exercise Benefits
Pairing collagen supplements with exercise may help improve body composition and workout recovery. Four studies in one meta-analysis out of the United Kingdom found that people who performed resistance training and took a collagen supplement saw greater increases in lean body mass and decreases in body fat than the control group.
Other studies included in the meta-analysis also reveal potential benefits for improved recovery and decreased muscle soreness post-exercise.
“In these four studies, the placebo group was provided with a non-protein supplement,” says Jessica Garay, RDN, PhD, an assistant professor in the department of nutrition and food studies at Syracuse University in New York. “That design makes it difficult to know if the benefit seen was from the collagen peptides specifically or simply from having a protein supplement, which we know can help support muscle protein synthesis.”
Another review of eight articles with 286 participants out of Brazil found that collagen supplements may help decrease muscle soreness after hard workouts, but because the studies were all designed differently, more research is needed.
May Protect Heart Health
While skin and joint health are more common reasons to supplement with collagen, it may have a positive impact on your ticker, too. In a review of 12 studies out of the United Kingdom, collagen peptide supplements were found to slightly lower “bad” LDL cholesterol and systolic blood pressure, but had no effect on blood sugar levels. More long-term studies are needed to confirm the link between collagen and heart health.
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