Collagen has been the new vogue for a while now in both the health and beauty industry and seems it is not ready to budge from that number one spot.
Most information on collagen supplements talks about the benefits but I sat there this evening and thought how much can we believe. At GEN Collagen we too are making bold claims so I feel it is only right that we do our own literature search and identify the evidence base; starting with the effect on skin.
In medical school we were always taught that the skin is the largest organ in your body. It literally is the face of your body and what is exposed to the world on a daily basis. So of course we want to maintain it and collagen does just that by improving skin hydration and elasticity.
There are several papers out there to prove this including a systematic review and meta analysis (the top of the ladder in evidence based medicine) written by Pu et al in 2023.
Ageing occurs because there is a decrease in collagen synthesis with increasing age (which can occur as early as 25 years of age) and a decrease in skin vascularity leading to reduced elasticity and formation of wrinkles. There is also regressive changes with age including skin dehydration.
There is a lot out there on the market but topical forms have limited absorption. Papers have shown that ingesting collagen in a hydrolysed, liquid form provides the best absorption-effects have been highlighted in studies one hour post ingestion in the blood. Papers have been conducted globally and they show that marine collagen has the best bioavailability alongside the best safety profile.
Studies have shown that taking oral collagen stimulates enzymes to produce hyaluronic acid which is key for skin moisture. Furthermore, papers highlight that type 1 collagen plays a role in structural integrity and strength in the organisational matrix of the skin.
The evidence suggests that you need at least 8 weeks of collagen in order to see maximal effects. This is why GEN Collagen uses 8 grams of marine collagen and comes as a tasty on-the-go can making it easy for you to achieve those 8 weeks and more.
Look out for the next post on the evidence for hair and nails!
Dr B on behalf of GEN Collagen