Collagen: The Science-Based Benefits

Collagen is the most abundant protein in your body, playing a vital role in maintaining skin, hair, nails, joints, and even gut health.

With age, natural collagen production declines, leading to visible signs of aging and reduced tissue strength. However, science has revealed that collagen supplementation can significantly counteract these effects.

From promoting youthful skin and strong hair to enhancing muscle recovery and joint health, collagen has a multitude of evidence-based benefits. Dive into the research and learn how this remarkable protein can support your overall well-being!

Collagen in the Body (adapted from Campos, L. D. et al., 2023)

😍 Skin Health & Youth

The skin is the body’s largest organ.

Collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid — are the 3 main components of the skin. They are produced by fibroblast cells in the skin. [1]

Structure of young, health skin and the effect of aging on its structure (adapted from Campos, L. D. et al., 2023)

Oral collagen supplementation restores collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid synthesis by stimulating fibroblast cells, and by providing them building blocks. [2]

This process [1, 2]:

• supports the skin's structural integrity,
• improves skin hydration and elasticity,
• reduces the appearance of wrinkles,
• and promotes overall skin health.

Human Studies

• The 2020 Review of 10 randomized placebo-controlled human studies has concluded that 10/10 studies have shown improved skin health, such as moisture, elasticity, wrinkle number and dryness. Studies ranged in duration from 8 weeks to 12 months, with results apparent as soon as 6 weeks, and used doses up to 10 g/day. [3]
• A 2021 review of 19 clinical studies, with a total of 1125 participants aged 20-70 years, has concluded: "...collagen peptides can delay and improve the signs of skin aging by decreasing facial wrinkles and improving skin hydration and elasticity, while the supplementation is maintained. The time required to delay skin aging in most studies was 90 days, and the result was maintained for 4 weeks after the end of supplement administrations... Supplement intake is effective and safe because no adverse effects were reported in any of the analyzed studies..." [4]
• The most recent 2024 randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study of 80 women aged 30 years and older has concluded: "After 6 weeks, participants that received collagen had significant improvements in biometric skin wrinkle parameters from baseline, with a reduction in volume by 46%, in area by 44%, and in depth by 9%, along with a greater increase in skin moisturization (by 34%) than those in the placebo group" [5]

Changes in Skin parameters (on crow’s feet) after 6 weeks of Collagen Peptides intake in healthy women aged 30-65, in the 2024 clinical study (adapted from Carrillo-Norte, J. A. et al., 2024)

🤩 Hair & Nails Glow

Cell & Animal Studies

• "...collagen peptides may help to prevent hair loss and maintain healthy hair by preserving epithelial HF stem cells and/or improving the generation of stem cells progenies." [6]
• "...collagen peptides could be used as food supplements and nutraceuticals for hair loss prevention as well as hair regrowth during alopecia." [7]
• "...collagen peptides has the potential to increase hair growth via activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway." [8]

Human Studies

There were 3 human studies regarding collagen effects on hair health [9, 10, 11], and 1 on nails [12]:

• "An oral supplement containing hydrolysed fish-origin collagen, taurine, cysteine, methionine, iron, and selenium has demonstrated to improve the clinical efficacy of specific anti-hair loss treatments in subjects with androgenic alopecia or telogen effluvium." [9]
• "It was observed after 56 days that therapy with SRC (the mix of 5g Collagen Peptides, vitamins C and E, Hyaluronic Acid, and Biotin), compared to placebo, produced a substantial effect on reduction of wrinkle depth and fine lines by 48.11% and 39%, respectively. There was a 15.69% improvement in skin hydration observed and 28% reduction in hair fall." [10]
• After 12 weeks [hydrolyzed collagen and vitamin C] vs. placebo, skin hydration was increased by 13.8%, R2 elasticity index was increased by 22.7%...an average 11.0% improvement in scalp scaling and a 27.6% increase in the total number of hairs counted vs. placebo. This was associated with a 31.9% increase in clinical grading score for hair healthy appearance." [11]
• "Bioactive collagen peptides treatment promoted an increase of 12% nail growth rate and a decrease of 42% in the frequency of broken nails. Additionally, 64% of participants achieved a global clinical improvement in brittle nails, and 88% of participants experienced an improvement 4 weeks post-treatment." [12]

💪 Body Composition & Recovery

Collagen is the main protein of skin, bones, tendons, ligaments, and joint cartilages. [13]

A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis of 19 studies with 768 people has concluded: "The findings indicate significant, though of low to moderate certainty, evidence of improvements in fat-free mass (FFM), tendon morphology, muscle mass, maximal strength, and recovery in reactive strength following exercise-induced muscle damage." [14]

Body Composition

• 12 weeks of hypertrophy resistance training with 15 g collagen peptide or placebo in young men: "results in a more pronounced increase in body mass, fat-free mass, and muscle strength than resistance exercise training alone" [15]
• 12 weeks of resistance training in young men with 15 g of collagen peptides or placebo: "showed a significant increase in fat-free mass [in collagen group] compared with the placebo group...Body fat mass was unchanged in collagen group, whereas a significant increase was observed in placebo group" [16]
• "Our data demonstrate that compared with placebo, collagen peptide supplementation in combination with resistance training further improved body composition by increasing fat-free mass, muscle strength and the loss in fat mass. [17]
• "...resistance training in combination with supplementation of [collagen peptides] induced a significantly higher increase in fat-free mass and hand-grip strength than resistance training and placebo supplementation." [18]

Muscle Recovery

• "After 12-weeks, [collagen group] had a higher increase in running distance (1,034 ± 643 m) compared to the [placebo group] (703 ± 356 m)...collagen group had a higher increase in fat-free mass (0.8 ± 0.9 kg) compared to the placebo group (0.3 ± 1.0 kg)." [19]

🦵 Joint Health

There were at least 14 randomized clinical studies on the efficiency of hydrolyzed collagen peptides in improving joint health (8 in people with osteoarthritis and 6 on healthy people), and all except one have shown improvements. [20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27; 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33]

Some examples:

• "...the results suggest that athletes consuming collagen hydrolysate can reduce parameters (such as pain) that have a negative impact on athletic performance..." [28]
• "These findings suggest 10 to 20 g/d of collagen peptides supplementation over 6 to 9 months may improve activities of daily living, pain, mental component scores, and physical component scores in middle-aged active adults." [32]
• "In conclusion, the daily intake of 5 g of specific collagen peptides...resulted in...decrease in functional joint pain at rest, during walking and when climbing stairs... Furthermore...resulted in...reduction in pain when kneeling down and restrictions when squatting..." [33]

🦴 Bone Health

Bone is approximately 10% water, 30% organic, and 60% inorganic. Collagen makes up almost 9/10 of the organic part. [34]

A couple of studies on animals [35, 36] and 3 human clinical studies [37, 38, 39] have shown the benefits of collagen intake for bone health.

Human studies

One study investigated the effects of solely collagen peptides:

• "In the specific collagen peptides group, bone mineral density of the spine and of the femoral neck increased significantly compared to the control group...a favorable shift in bone markers, indicating increased bone formation and reduced bone degradation." [37]

Another study — in combination with Calcium and Vitamin D:

• "The loss of whole body bone mineral density in women taking [collagen, calcium, vitamin D] was substantially lower than that of the control group at 12 months" [38]

The third study compared Collagen peptides, Calcium and Vitamin D vs just Calcium and Vitamin D:

• "The addition of collagen peptides in a calcium and vitamin D supplement may enhance its already known positive effect on bone metabolism" [39]

❤️ CardioVascular Health

A 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis of 12 randomized, placebo-controlled trials has concluded:

"Our outcomes indicate that collagen peptides supplementation reduces fat mass, LDL (low-density lipoproteins) and systolic blood pressure while increasing fat-free mass." [40]

🍏 Gut Health

1 human study and a couple of cell and animal studies have shown that collagen peptides may also provide benefits for your gut health:

• "The findings indicate that 93% (13/14) of those who completed the study experienced a reduction in digestive symptoms, which included bloating...The use of a 20 g daily collagen peptide supplement may reduce bloating and improve mild digestive symptoms in otherwise healthy female adults..." [41]
• "...the collagen peptide co-administered with a high-fat diet...increased specific bacterial taxa...known for their anti-obesity effects. Consequently, alterations in the gut microbiota resulted in the activation of metabolic pathways..., which are associated with obesity inhibition. In addition, collagen peptide also effectively reduced all obesity signs caused by a high-fat diet, such as abdominal fat accumulation, high blood glucose levels, and weight gain." [42]
• "...collagen peptides can exhibit a prebiotic activity by interacting with gut microbiota, which can reduce symptoms associated with metabolic diseases through production of short-chain fatty acids and branched-chain fatty acids...." [43]

Conclusion

Collagen supplementation isn't just a trend — it's a science-supported approach to enhancing your health from the inside out!

Whether you're looking to rejuvenate your skin, strengthen your hair and nails, boost muscle recovery, or improve joint and bone health, collagen offers a natural, effective solution.

Backed by numerous clinical studies, regular collagen intake can help you feel stronger, look healthier, and maintain vitality as you age. Embrace the benefits of collagen and unlock a more youthful, resilient you!