Collagen benefits: Should I take a supplement?

You may have heard that collagen helps your skin look younger and your hair look healthier.

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But what is collagen, what does it do to your body, and can it really reverse the effects of aging and improve your health? Here, I’ll answer these questions and more.

What is collagen?

Collagen is a group of proteins. They make up about one-third of the protein in your body and provide the structure for tissues like cartilage, skin and tendons.

Your body produces collagen from the amino acids that you take in through food. However, this ability starts to decline after age 20.

What are collagen supplements?

Collagen cannot be absorbed unless it’s broken down into smaller amino acids. So, collagen supplements are not actually collagen. They are components of collagen already broken down into absorbable form.

Collagen supplements come in pill or powder form. The powder form will not turn into a gel when it hits liquid, so it can be mixed with food or beverages. 

Is collagen good for you?

There are several reasons people say you should take collagen supplements, such as building muscle and reducing wrinkles in the skin.

And while collagen supplements probably won’t hurt you, they may not help you either.

Collagen is the building block of protein in the body. Collagen is going to help your body in the same ways that eating protein would help your body. So, you don’t have to take collagen supplements to get those benefits; you can eat other sources of protein.

Foods that contain collagen 

Any edible source of protein has the amino acids you need to build protein, including collagen. That includes animal- and plant-based proteins. Collagen can be found in all animal muscle tissue (not organ tissue), bone broth, egg whites and spirulina. These sources provide the same benefits as collagen supplements.

What happens to your body when you start taking collagen?

Your body makes collagen and other proteins by combining various amino acids. In order for your body to do this, though, you must eat a healthy diet that includes all the amino acids. Taking collagen may give you extra amounts of some amino acids, but not all. The key is eating a healthy, balanced diet that gives you a variety of amino acids to meet your body’s needs. This ensures that you have the nutrients you need to produce collagen and other proteins, without the trouble, expense and uncertainty of relying on a supplement.

In order to access amino acids and other nutrients in your food, your body breaks that food down. So, eating foods rich in collagen doesn’t give your body collagen. It just gives your body amino acids that it will reassemble into whatever protein it needs.

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It’s also important to remember that it doesn’t work to take collagen for a specific issue like getting rid of skin wrinkles, relieving joint pain or growing your hair. We don’t get to decide how our body will use the amino acids in food or supplements. So, there is no reason to believe that taking a supplement works better than healthy eating.

Should you take collagen every day?

It depends on what your goals are. Similar to how you eat various sources of protein daily to help meet your body’s needs, it’s the same with collagen supplements.

A supplement is meant to be supplementary to your normal diet and enhance the things your diet is already doing for your body. If your goal is to get the maximum benefit that is proposed, you should take it daily.

Are there any health risks to taking collagen supplements?

Collagen supplements are generally made from connective tissue, bones and other parts of cows, pigs, chicken and fish. They can contain toxins and heavy metals that could be harmful. As with all supplements, collagen is not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). So, the purity of their active ingredient is not standardized.

Collagen supplements do not have to be proven effective or safe. The studies that have been done on the safety and effectiveness of collagen supplements are limited and most were funded by the supplement industry, creating concerns of bias.

If you choose to take a collagen supplement, make sure that it has been third-party tested for safety and efficacy. If it contains toxins and heavy metals, the risks may outweigh any potential benefits.

Collagen supplements can also be expensive. And while you may be able to find more affordable options online, exercise caution. If they’re less expensive, they’re less likely to be third-party tested and have that safety verification.

Should cancer patients take collagen supplements?

While there is some research looking into the relationship between collagen and cancer, there is not enough evidence to recommend taking supplements after a cancer diagnosis or during cancer treatment. Patients should always consult with their doctor before taking any supplement, as some can interfere with treatment.

How can you boost your collagen?

Your lifestyle plays a role in how much collagen you produce and how well collagen works in your body. Aside from eating a healthy diet that has plenty of protein, there are steps you can take to preserve collagen. All of these healthy lifestyle choices have the added benefit of reducing your cancer risk:

• Protect your skin against UV rays. Sun exposure damages your skin’s collagen and results in wrinkles and loss of elasticity that can make you look older. UV exposure also raises your risk for skin cancer.
• Don't smoke. If you do smoke, stop. Smoking is hard on every part of your body, including your skin. Smoking also raises your risk for several types of cancer.
• Avoid added sugar. Sugar reacts with the collagen in our skin to make skin stiffer and less elastic. A diet high in added sugar can also cause weight gain and increase your cancer risk.
• Get plenty of rest. Sleep supports healthy skin and reduces stress.

The bottom line: The body needs amino acids to build collagen. Collagen supplements may provide these nutrients, but there is limited evidence that they are effective in improving skin, hair or overall health. There are several healthy lifestyle choices that are proven to do that.

Lindsey Wohlford is a wellness dietitian at MD Anderson.

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