Amino acids have suddenly become big business. Whether you’re shopping for a collagen supplement, bone broth or even more meat and dairy foods, the different amino acids that make up these proteins are what you’re ultimately buying and ingesting, says Dr Mark Moyad, director of preventive and alternative medicine at the University of Michigan in the US.
Your body uses amino acids to build muscle, bone, cartilage, skin, hair, connective tissue and much more. There are many different types of amino acids, but the most abundant kind in your body make up collagen. Collagen is the main structural protein that forms your connective tissues and skin.
Since your body’s collagen production declines as you age and you need adequate collagen for strong bones, joints and skin, adding more collagen to your diet sounds like a no-brainer. That’s why many supplement makers have started selling collagen powders and pills, which Moyad says are made mostly from animal parts, like fish scales or cow bones or skin. (Vegans, take note.)
But do these supplements really do anything? Here’s what you need to know.
What is collagen powder?
There are more than a dozen types of collagen, each composed of different ‘peptides’ or amino acids. Different types form skin and tendons as opposed to cartilage. Figuring out which ones may help your health has proved tricky. (More on that in a minute.) Also, supplements containing collagen vary a lot.
Most collagen-peptides powders on the market contain a ‘hydrolysed’ type-I collagen extracted from hides, bones or fish scales. Hydrolysed simply means that the amino-acid chains have been broken down into smaller units, a process that allows the powder to dissolve in both hot and cold liquids.
This type of collagen has become incredibly popular due to the fact that you can add it to everything from hot coffee and soups to cold-brew coffee and smoothies. It also packs a protein punch, with a two-scoop serving of most collagen peptides delivering about 18g.
What are the benefits of collagen powder?
The research on the side effects and potential benefits of collagen supplements is ongoing, but here’s what we know right now about the potential upsides.
Joints
Right now, the most complete research focuses on joint health. Going back to at least the early 1990s, studies have linked collagen supplementation with reduced symptoms of arthritis. Four out of five osteoarthritis (OA) sufferers who took a daily 40mg dose of undenatured type-II collagen saw their pain drop by an average of 26%, according to a 2009 study in the International Journal Of Medical Sciences. (Type-II collagen is derived from chicken cartilage – not cow bones and hides or fish scales.)
What’s not clear is how the collagen in the supplement actually helped the OA sufferers’ joints. Rather than contributing to the body’s supply of collagen or cartilage, these supplements may reduce inflammation and consequently improve OA symptoms, the study authors write. Moyad says the effectiveness of collagen when it comes to arthritis and joint pain is still questionable, but there’s enough promising research to give it a shot.
Skin and Hair
Talk to nutrition scientists and they’ll tell you one of the biggest mistakes they hear when it comes to food and supplements is assuming that something you swallow turns into the same something in your body. That’s not how digestion and biochemistry work.
So do collagen supplements really offer skin and hair benefits? ‘No way,’ says Dr Adam Friedman, an associate professor of dermatology at George Washington University in the US. ‘The collagen is going to be digested by your gastrointestinal (GI) tract because it isn’t built to survive the massive pH changes in the gut.’
There’s research to back him up on that. A 2002 study found that the gut’s digestive enzymes and acids break down hydrolysed collagen, which is the type found in most powders. But the same study found type-II collagen may slip through the gut without losing its chemical structure.
Of course, we’re still learning about the human gut. More research has linked some collagen peptides to reduced skin wrinkles and healthier skin, so it’s possible some new finding will explain the anecdotal evidence linking collagen powders to nail and hair benefits. But at this point, there are many more questions than answers.
Digestion
There’s some evidence that certain amino acids found in collagen – in particular, one called glycine – may reduce GI inflammation and aid digestion. But again, the evidence is mixed. Most of it didn’t involve collagen powders or supplements, but instead looked at specific amino acids in a lab setting.
How to choose a collagen supplement
It’s always better to choose food over supplements no matter what, says nutritionist Jaclyn London. We know tons about the benefits of eating protein (among all other nutrients) in food, but very little about the benefits of eating it in isolated form.
That said, protein isolates can help you meet higher needs due to disease, injury, sports, skin conditions or appetite loss. It’s crucial to look for the following when buying a collagen supplement:
- Choose ones with as few simple ingredients as possible. Collagen protein powder should just be collagen protein isolate, a.k.a. collagen hydrolysate, hydrolysed collagen or collagen peptides.
- Skip the flavoured versions. These can contain added sugars, which could upset your GI tract or just add kilojoules where you didn’t want them. Go for the plain version and add a sweetener to desserts yourself.
If you want to try a collagen supplement for two to three months, Moyad says the health risks should be minimal and there may be some benefits. For most of us, as long as you’re eating regular meals and snacks made from a combination of different types of protein (from plants, seafood or animals), you’re good to go!
From: Goodhousekeeping.com
Photo: Yulia Lisitsa
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