Collagen supplements are often part of the discussion when exploring nutrition options that may support skin health. Decades ago, the debate was more theoretical. While more research is almost always needed, we are now at a point where there is a substantial body of evidence on this topic.
In this post, arguments for and against the use of collagen for this purpose will be explored. After that there will be a section looking at the outcomes in the research, followed by a practical interpretation of all this information.
Theoretical Reasons Collagen Could Help Skin Health
The oversimplified version is that because collagen makes up a large portion of the dry weight of skin, supplementing collagen could help.
But obviously, that’s not enough to make a compelling argument.
As people age, collagen in the skin becomes fragmented. Fibroblasts which normally produce and maintain collagen tend to become impaired too.
These changes and others contribute to signs of aging such as sagging skin and wrinkles.
There is potential that collagen supplementation could help offset these changes.
Arguments Against Collagen Helping Skin Health
There are many reasons why people argue against using collagen supplementation for these purposes. To keep things brief, three of these will be explored, with counterarguments also included.
A large percentage of our body is made up of collagen. How do we ensure it goes where we want it to?
While it’s true that collagen is found in many areas of the body, it doesn’t necessarily mean it won’t be distributed to the skin.
But this is easy to unpack just by highlighting that research has found that collagen synthesis in the skin appears to be increased by collagen production.
Collagen peptides break down into amino acids in the blood. Can’t we just eat enough total protein?
If hydrolysed collagen peptides were completely digested into single amino acids, this argument would make more sense. But some also remain as dipeptides and tripeptides.
Some of these peptides are unique to collagen, such as hydroxyproline. These levels have been measured in the blood, highlighting that they are not all broken down into single amino acids.
We also have animal research where they have specifically found that these peptides have remained in the skin for up to 14 days after supplementation.
The studies are funded by collagen companies.
It’s in the best interest of collagen supplement companies to fund research, especially if the product proves to be genuinely beneficial, there’s a clear financial incentive.
One thing that is reassuring is that in a 2021 systematic review containing 19 studies, 7 of them were not industry funded. And the ones that were not industry-funded appeared to have similar findings on average as those that were industry funded.
What Does the Research Show?
Surprisingly, this section can be kept relatively brief, for a good reason.
In 2023 another systematic review was done which included 26 studies. This covered 1721 participants.
The dosages and durations used were generally between 1-12g and 4-12 weeks.
They found that collagen supplementation consistently helped with skin elasticity and hydration, compared to placebo. There was also a perceived reduction in wrinkles.
Longer durations of taking collagen tended to be linked with larger improvements in outcomes.
This is a basic summary of the findings, but it’s also important to consider the interpretation points outlined below.
Dosage and How to Take
Research looking at collagen and skin health has found benefits from using surprisingly low amounts of collagen. For context, when looking at injury recovery, the standard dosage is 15-25g.
The dosages for skin health where benefits have been found are typically 2.5-10g per day, taken at any time.
It’s difficult to determine whether higher doses provide additional benefits without further research.
Practical Interpretations
In many cases, it is common to say, “More research is needed.” But it is a lot easier to interpret stuff when we already have 26 RCTs.
One thing that DOES make it harder to interpret is that a lot of these studies used multi-ingredient products.
It is worth acknowledging that it is hard to separate how much of these improvements were due to collagen, rather than other ingredients. This is arguably even more relevant in studies where quite low dosages of collagen have been used.
The main interpretation though is that so far the research looks promising. If you have the money and inclination to want to take collagen, it is worth considering.
It also does not necessarily need to be in supplement form either, since there are also food-first options that you could choose.
