Join Dr. James Odell for Season 2 of the Science of Self-Healing Podcast! He's the medical and executive director for BRMI, as well as a practicing naturopathic doctor for over 35 years, and he's here to share with you his extensive knowledge of medicine from a different perspective.
Discover the science behind collagen supplements in this enlightening episode! Join Dr. James Odell as he discusses what collagen is, how it impacts your body, and why it might be the anti-aging secret you've been looking for. Learn about its benefits for skin, joints, and overall health, plus critical tips for choosing high-quality supplements safely.
Transcript: The Supplement Your Future Self Will Thank You For
Welcome to the Science of Self-Healing Podcast where we explore health and wellness from a different perspective. Produced by the Bioregulatory Medicine Institute, that's BRMI. We provide valuable insights on how to naturally support your body's ability to self regulate, adapt, regenerate, and self heal.
I'm Dr. James Odell, your host and the executive and medical director of BRMI with over 35 years experience as a naturopathic doctor. Please note that this podcast is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for personalized medical care.
In recent years, collagen supplements have become very popular as a potential remedy against the aging process. From social media influencers to healthcare professionals, everyone seems to be talking about these supplements and their supposed benefits for our skin, joints, and overall health. But what exactly is collagen, and should you be taking it?
So, today, we'll address those questions along with what happens to our natural collagen as we age, why supplementation might help, what the latest scientific research tells us about its effectiveness, and what you need to know before taking it.
So, let’s begin by talking about what collagen is.
Collagen is your body's most abundant protein, found throughout your body including muscles, bones, skin, and organs, and even your eyes. While there are actually around 28 different types of collagen, types I, II, and III make up 80-90% of all the collagen in your body.
Type I collagen, the most common form, creates strong fibers that strengthen your bones, teeth, skin, tendons, and ligaments. Type II collagen is crucial for joint health, forming the cartilage in your nose, ears, and joints that provides flexibility and strength. Type III collagen helps with healing and blood clotting, and is found in your skin, muscles, blood vessels, and bone marrow.
In the skin, collagen plays multiple vital roles: it helps create new skin cells, maintains proper hydration, provides elasticity and strength, speeds up wound healing, and forms scar tissue. It also nourishes hair follicles with essential amino acids and helps rebuild connective tissue.
In your cardiovascular system, collagen is essential for blood vessel health, providing the perfect balance of elasticity and strength in vessel walls.
In your skeletal and muscular systems, collagen serves as a crucial connector between cells and creates a flexible protective framework around your internal organs. It's particularly important for cartilage health, where it stimulates cartilage cell activity, maintains proper shape and flexibility, and helps produce synovial fluid (the lubricating fluid in your joints) which allows smooth movements. In bones, it creates a flexible scaffold for minerals to attach to, preventing brittleness. Collagen also makes up the majority of tendons and ligaments, which connect muscles to bones and bones to other bones, forming strong, slightly stretchy rope-like fibers. Within muscles, collagen creates a connective tissue framework that helps maintain muscle structure and function.
Collagen is an important structural component of your digestive system, forming part of the gut's connective tissue and barrier. The amino acids in collagen may help support gut health by contributing to the maintenance and repair of the intestinal lining. The amino acids found in collagen, particularly glycine, may help support gut health by contributing to the maintenance of the intestinal lining. Early research suggests these amino acids might play a role in gut barrier function, though more studies are needed.
When we think of collagen, we often don’t hear about the other benefits of it throughout the body. So, let’s quickly go over these for a moment.
Collagen plays a key role in wound healing. When you get a wound, your body naturally produces collagen to help repair the damaged area. As a wound heals, collagen fibers weave together to create new skin tissue and blood vessels. Studies show that applying collagen directly to wounds or taking collagen supplements can speed up this healing process by giving the body extra building blocks it needs for repair. This is why collagen is often found in advanced wound dressings and why doctors sometimes recommend collagen supplements for people recovering from surgery or injuries.
Another interesting application is in brain health. Recent research indicates that collagen might help protect brain cells and could potentially play a role in preventing neurodegenerative diseases. Scientists are investigating how collagen peptides might help maintain the blood-brain barrier and support neuronal health.
Additionally, some researchers are exploring collagen's potential in dental health, using it to develop new materials for tooth repair and gum regeneration.
Research is also exploring collagen's role in eye health, with some studies suggesting that collagen supplements might help prevent certain eye conditions by maintaining the structure of the cornea and retina.
Let's talk about how your body creates and maintains collagen next. Your body manufactures collagen using amino acids (primarily glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline) from protein-rich foods like meat, fish, poultry, eggs, legumes, and soy along with several key nutrients, especially vitamin C, zinc, and copper. Special enzymes called metalloproteinases help manage this process by breaking down damaged collagen so new proteins can be formed. Because this process relies heavily on proper nutrition, poor diet is one of the main reasons people may have insufficient collagen levels, second only to natural aging.
Speaking of aging, collagen production begins to decline around age 20, possibly decreasing by about 1% to 1.5% each year. By age 50, most people have lost about half of the collagen in their skin – but this can vary significantly in individuals based on several factors, including genetics, diet, stress levels, sun exposure, inflammation, hormonal changes, and even intense physical activity over long periods.
As collagen levels decrease with age, people often experience various effects. The most visible change occurs in the skin, where collagen fibers shift from a tight, organized network to a disorganized maze in the deeper layers, leading to reduced elasticity and structure. Other common issues include movement problems, joint pain, weakening bones, brittle and excessive hair loss (which can contribute to premature baldness), and overall decreased mobility. These widespread effects help explain why many people are interested in collagen supplementation.
So, let’s talk about what the research shows regarding collagen supplementation.
Scientific research supports the benefits of collagen supplementation for skin health and appearance. Multiple studies, including a comprehensive review of 12 studies from 2010-2020, show that taking collagen supplements can help reverse age-related decline by improving skin moisture, elasticity, and hydration while reducing wrinkles and roughness. The supplements work from the inside out, reaching deeper skin layers and creating lasting improvements in skin structure and appearance. Studies have found that older women may see benefits particularly quickly, sometimes in as little as one month. These benefits appear to be consistent across studies, with no reported side effects from oral supplementation.
The effectiveness of collagen isn't limited to just skin health. One notable study focused on nail health, where participants took 2.5g of collagen peptides daily for 24 weeks. The results were impressive: nail growth increased by 12%, breakage decreased by 42%, and 88% of participants reported improved nail condition even four weeks after stopping treatment.
Interestingly, collagen can be effective both when taken orally and when applied topically as a cream. In studies of topical collagen, especially micronized marine collagen, researchers found it could penetrate the outer skin layer and improve skin texture and elasticity.
For those with specific skin conditions, collagen shows promise as well. Research indicates that both oral and topical collagen can help people with atopic dermatitis by reducing itching and improving skin hydration through its anti-inflammatory properties. The research suggests that both oral supplements and topical applications can be effective in combating skin aging, with neither method showing clear superiority over the other.
The research on collagen supplements for arthritis and osteoporosis shows promising results as well, though scientists are still working to fully understand the benefits. For arthritis, particularly osteoarthritis, several studies have found that collagen supplements can help reduce joint pain and improve daily function. One notable review of studies showed that people taking collagen reported less joint pain during daily activities like walking or climbing stairs. The improvements were most noticeable in people with knee osteoarthritis, where participants experienced significant pain reduction after taking collagen supplements for 3-6 months.
For osteoporosis, the research is encouraging but still developing. Studies suggest that collagen supplements might help improve bone density, especially when combined with calcium and vitamin D. This makes sense because collagen makes up a significant portion of our bone structure, providing the framework that calcium and other minerals attach to. Some studies have shown that women taking collagen supplements alongside their usual calcium and vitamin D supplements had better bone mineral density compared to those taking just calcium and vitamin D alone.
The dosage used in most successful studies ranged from 8 to 12 grams daily for arthritis and 5 to 10 grams for bone health. They work best as part of a comprehensive treatment plan that includes proper nutrition and exercise too. The research also suggests that consistency is key - benefits typically start appearing after 3-6 months of regular use.
While the science behind the optimal timing for collagen supplements isn't definitive, many experts recommend taking them on an empty stomach or at least 30 minutes before meals for better absorption. However, if this causes stomach discomfort, taking it with food is perfectly fine.
As for dosage, research suggests taking between 2.5 to 10 grams daily is effective and safe. While some people take more, it's generally recommended not to exceed 15 grams per day. As with any supplement, it's wise to start with a lower dose and see how your body responds before increasing the amount.
It's worth mentioning that the type of collagen might matter. Type II collagen appears to be particularly beneficial for joint health, while Types I and III might be more helpful for skin and bone health. However, many supplements contain a mix of different types, and research is still ongoing about which combinations work best for specific conditions.
Beyond supplementation, several lifestyle factors can help preserve your body's natural collagen production. Avoid smoking, protect your skin from excessive sun exposure, get enough sleep, manage stress levels, stay hydrated, eat a balanced diet rich in vitamin C and amino acids, limit sugar intake, and get regular exercise.
Moving along, I’ll explain how collagen supplements work and what types are available, and then I’ll finish up with some precautions.
Collagen supplements don't work by directly adding collagen to your skin or joints. Instead, they trigger your body's own collagen-making process. When you take a collagen supplement, your body breaks it down into smaller peptides and amino acids.These collagen peptides then enter your bloodstream, where they serve two important functions: they provide the amino acids, which are the building blocks needed for collagen production, AND the specific peptides, which act as biological signals. These signaling peptides interact with fibroblast cells in your skin, joints, and other tissues. When stimulated by these peptides, fibroblasts increase their production of new collagen as well as other important proteins that support tissue structure. This process happens gradually throughout your body, which is why consistent supplementation over several months is typically needed to see results.
The science shows that these collagen supplements, particularly the "hydrolyzed" kind (meaning they're already broken down into smaller, easier-to-absorb pieces), can successfully enter your bloodstream. This typically happens within 1-2 hours of taking them, and researchers have tracked these collagen pieces traveling to different parts of the body, including the skin and joints.
When shopping for collagen supplements, you'll find several types. The most common sources are fish (marine collagen), cow (bovine), pig (porcine), and chicken. Each has a slightly different makeup, but they all contain mainly types I, II, and III collagen. There's even vegan collagen now, made from bacteria and yeast.
Let’s talk about the precautions of taking collagen supplements
Collagen supplements, like other dietary supplements in the US, are less regulated than pharmaceutical products. The FDA regulates them under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), which means they're essentially regulated after-the-fact – the FDA doesn't verify safety or purity before products hit the market, but can take action if problems are found.
This lower level of regulation does create potential risks. Manufacturing processes can vary significantly between companies, and there's no mandatory standardized purification protocol that all manufacturers must follow. While reputable companies use extensive purification methods including high-temperature processing, acid hydrolysis, and filtration to break down and purify the collagen, less scrupulous manufacturers might cut corners. This could theoretically leave traces of contaminants or, in a worst-case scenario, disease-causing agents in the final product.
The risk is particularly concerning with prion diseases (like BSE) because prions are notoriously difficult to destroy – they can survive some standard sterilization processes. While proper processing methods should eliminate this risk, without strict regulation and oversight, there's no guarantee every manufacturer is following these methods correctly.
This is why third-party testing and certification become crucial. Look for supplements that have been tested by independent laboratories and carry certifications from organizations like NSF International, USP, or ConsumerLab. These organizations verify that products contain what they claim and are free from harmful contaminants. Also important is choosing products from companies that clearly document their sourcing and processing methods, and ideally, have their own testing protocols in place.
For marine collagen, the regulatory gaps create several concerning issues such as heavy metals, microplastics, and other ocean-derived contaminants. Marine collagen is usually sourced from by-products and waste materials such as skins, bones, fins, heads, and scales, that would otherwise be discarded. Secondary sources include sharks, jellyfish, sea urchins, starfish, and sea sponges.
Some manufacturers might use whatever marine sources are cheapest or most available at the time, potentially mixing different species without proper documentation. This mixed-source approach could be problematic because different marine species can accumulate different types and levels of contaminants. For example, larger predatory fish tend to accumulate more mercury and other heavy metals than smaller fish.
The lack of strict regulation means manufacturers aren't required to specify exactly which marine species they're using or to maintain consistency in their sourcing. A product labeled simply as "marine collagen" could contain collagen from different species in each batch. This inconsistency makes it difficult to predict or monitor potential contamination risks. Each marine species might also require different processing methods for optimal safety and efficacy, but without proper documentation, there's no way to know if appropriate species-specific protocols are being followed.
Additionally, different ocean regions have varying levels of contaminants. Without rigorous sourcing documentation and testing requirements, manufacturers might source from contaminated waters or mix sources from different regions. While reputable companies conduct thorough testing for these contaminants, less scrupulous manufacturers might perform minimal testing or none at all, potentially leaving harmful substances in the final product. This is particularly concerning given that marine environments globally are increasingly affected by pollution, industrial waste, and microplastic contamination.
So while the risk of disease transmission from properly manufactured collagen supplements remains low, the lack of strict regulation means consumers need to be diligent about choosing products from trustworthy manufacturers who voluntarily maintain high standards and undergo independent testing. So, when selecting a collagen supplement, it's also advisable to choose grass-fed sources for bovine-derived products or wild-caught sources for marine-derived products.
Also, it’s important to think about allergens. Collagen supplements are sometimes made from shellfish or eggs. If you have an allergy related to these, you'll want to double check you can still use the supplement.
Another consideration is that people who are prone to developing kidney stones should avoid taking collagen. That is because collagen contains a type of amino acid called hydroxyproline. It increases the amount of oxalate in the body. Excess oxalate later converts into kidney stones.
It's important to note that collagen supplements might interact with certain medications, particularly those used to treat osteoporosis and some antibiotics, so always check with your healthcare provider if you're taking any medications.
And lastly, pregnant and breastfeeding women should also check with their doctor before taking collagen supplements too. Some types of collagen are safe during pregnancy and others are not.
So, in conclusion, the current evidence suggests that collagen supplements are generally safe and provide a host of anti-ageing benefits, particularly for skin health and joint function. However, results can vary significantly between individuals – and quality really matters significantly - looking for products with third-party testing and transparent sourcing is crucial.
So, thanks for joining me today. I hope you found today’s episode interesting and helpful. I’ll be back in two weeks. Be well. The Supplement Your Future Self Will Thank You For
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