Collagen Supplements...worth it or not?
Christine Hale CCP
B.S. Exercise and Sports Science
A.A.S Clinical Paramedic Science
Pn1 Nutrition Certification
December 14, 2020
B.S. Exercise and Sports Science
A.A.S Clinical Paramedic Science
Pn1 Nutrition Certification
December 14, 2020
Recently collagen supplements or collagen peptides, as you may have heard them called, have been popping up all over TV and social media. I have been asked what my take is on collagen and what I recommend.
First, some SCIENCE background, specifically anatomy and biochemistry!
Collagen is the most abundant protein found in your body. It is a major component of connective tissue, specifically, muscles, tendons, ligaments, skin, cornea, cartilage, bone, blood vessels, gut, dentin, and intervertebral discs.
There are at least 16 identified types of collagen in the human body, however, 80-90 percent of collagen in the body consists of type I, II, and III. Skin, tendon, organs, bone, and vasculature contain Type I. Cartilage consists of Type II. And, Type III is reticulate, which is commonly found with type I.
The body makes collagen naturally by combining certain amino acids (from consuming protein) in conjunction with certain vitamins and minerals in a biochemical process which goes on throughout your life. Unfortunately, as you age, your body naturally makes less collagen and/or may not be able to absorb nutrients as efficiently. Other reasons why collagen can be depleted or damaged are from excessive sun/UV exposure, smoking, and eating too much added sugar and refined carbohydrates.
Where there is much more biochem, anatomy, and physiology behind collagen and the body, that is all you need to know for now. If you want more SCIENCE on collagen you can go here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collagen
Next, I have some articles for you to read that give a great idea of the benefits and risks of collagen supplements, from science-based evidence. They are worded extremely well and cover everything I would want to discuss for collagen supplementation. These articles list the studies at the end of the read, so if you choose to dive deeper into the science, you can!
Here are the articles, which are quick reads, and have good information. They all say relatively the same things, but with some variations.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/collagen
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/collagen#what-it-does
https://www.verywellhealth.com/collagen-supplements-4164818#:~:text=How%20Your%20Body%20Makes%20Collagen,the%20amino%20acids%20into%20collagen.
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/a20707028/collagen-supplement-explainer/
Finally, I will discuss my take on collagen supplementation!
Do I take supplements? Yes, I do, for various reasons. However, I understand what supplements can and cannot do. Supplements are NOT a quick fix or cure all. Supplements exist to supplement my nutrition and activity habits.
I do supplement collagen. I am extremely active between the gym (weights and cardio), swimming (only in the summers now), snowboarding (in Colorado and Wyoming every winter for 25-35 days) and being a paramedic. I spend a lot of time in the sun, and I do tan (my tattoo artist hates that I do and is on my ass bout it!). I could also eat less sugar and drink less margarita, but at times that is much easier said than done!
When I went to look for a collagen supplement, I wanted to make sure of a few things…
Most supplements are not FDA or USDA approved. This means they don’t go through the quality testing, assurance, and studies as prescription drugs. I recommend these two links which discuss what the FDA and USDA can and can’t do when it comes to supplements: https://www.fda.gov/food/buy-store-serve-safe-food/what-you-need-know-about-dietary-supplements https://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic-faq-categories/dietary-supplements
When looking for a supplement, you want to make sure they have peer-reviewed science-based studies (not testimonials- which are huge in bias) and have been tested for quality and safety from a third-party quality assurance company. There are three companies that meet these standards: NSF, UL, and USP. Supplements that are tested and given approval of any or all three companies will have a sticker/logo on them stating so. I recommend reading from these three links for more information on each of these companies.
NSF: https://www.nsf.org/knowledge-library/what-is-nsf-certification#:~:text=NSF%20certification%20is%20your%20key,standards%20for%20public%20health%20protection.&text=From%20extensive%20product%20testing%20and,it%20can%20earn%20our%20certification.
UL: https://crs.ul.com/en/industries/dietary-supplements/
USP: https://www.usp.org/verification-services/verified-mark
The collagen peptide supplement that I choose to take is Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides. It is NSF for Sport certified along with a few of the other Vital Proteins products. The Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides do come in capsules however, they don’t have the NSF logo on them; they have less ingredients than the powder which makes them slightly different. Another brand that is NSF certified is CB Supplements Multi-Collagen Protein.
NSF link for Vital Proteins products: https://www.nsfsport.com/certified-products/search-results.php?keyword=vital+proteins
NSF link for CB Supplements Multi-Collagen Protein: https://www.nsfsport.com/certified-products/listing-detail.php?id=1321555
Here are the links to both companies’ websites: https://www.vitalproteins.com/ https://cbsupplements.com/
The take-away
It is up to you what you choose to put into your body. Can a person get enough collagen through eating balanced nutrition? Yes, but it isn’t always as simple as a yes or no. And, to date, there is no accurate test to determine how much collagen is in a person’s body or how much they need. Each person has different metabolic needs, activity levels, lifestyles, fitness and health goals. With collagen, like many other supplements, your body will use what it needs, and excrete any excess through urine and feces. So, if a person is getting enough collagen through balanced nutrition, and still chooses to take a collagen supplement, it could end up being money flushing down the toilet. With that being said, science tells us that there is little to no harm in supplementing collagen, and most of us rarely eat the balanced nutrition our body needs…the choice is yours!
First, some SCIENCE background, specifically anatomy and biochemistry!
Collagen is the most abundant protein found in your body. It is a major component of connective tissue, specifically, muscles, tendons, ligaments, skin, cornea, cartilage, bone, blood vessels, gut, dentin, and intervertebral discs.
There are at least 16 identified types of collagen in the human body, however, 80-90 percent of collagen in the body consists of type I, II, and III. Skin, tendon, organs, bone, and vasculature contain Type I. Cartilage consists of Type II. And, Type III is reticulate, which is commonly found with type I.
The body makes collagen naturally by combining certain amino acids (from consuming protein) in conjunction with certain vitamins and minerals in a biochemical process which goes on throughout your life. Unfortunately, as you age, your body naturally makes less collagen and/or may not be able to absorb nutrients as efficiently. Other reasons why collagen can be depleted or damaged are from excessive sun/UV exposure, smoking, and eating too much added sugar and refined carbohydrates.
Where there is much more biochem, anatomy, and physiology behind collagen and the body, that is all you need to know for now. If you want more SCIENCE on collagen you can go here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collagen
Next, I have some articles for you to read that give a great idea of the benefits and risks of collagen supplements, from science-based evidence. They are worded extremely well and cover everything I would want to discuss for collagen supplementation. These articles list the studies at the end of the read, so if you choose to dive deeper into the science, you can!
Here are the articles, which are quick reads, and have good information. They all say relatively the same things, but with some variations.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/collagen
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/collagen#what-it-does
https://www.verywellhealth.com/collagen-supplements-4164818#:~:text=How%20Your%20Body%20Makes%20Collagen,the%20amino%20acids%20into%20collagen.
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/a20707028/collagen-supplement-explainer/
Finally, I will discuss my take on collagen supplementation!
Do I take supplements? Yes, I do, for various reasons. However, I understand what supplements can and cannot do. Supplements are NOT a quick fix or cure all. Supplements exist to supplement my nutrition and activity habits.
I do supplement collagen. I am extremely active between the gym (weights and cardio), swimming (only in the summers now), snowboarding (in Colorado and Wyoming every winter for 25-35 days) and being a paramedic. I spend a lot of time in the sun, and I do tan (my tattoo artist hates that I do and is on my ass bout it!). I could also eat less sugar and drink less margarita, but at times that is much easier said than done!
When I went to look for a collagen supplement, I wanted to make sure of a few things…
- I want the product to be of high quality and certified.
- I want the product to be backed by legitimate science.
Most supplements are not FDA or USDA approved. This means they don’t go through the quality testing, assurance, and studies as prescription drugs. I recommend these two links which discuss what the FDA and USDA can and can’t do when it comes to supplements: https://www.fda.gov/food/buy-store-serve-safe-food/what-you-need-know-about-dietary-supplements https://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic-faq-categories/dietary-supplements
When looking for a supplement, you want to make sure they have peer-reviewed science-based studies (not testimonials- which are huge in bias) and have been tested for quality and safety from a third-party quality assurance company. There are three companies that meet these standards: NSF, UL, and USP. Supplements that are tested and given approval of any or all three companies will have a sticker/logo on them stating so. I recommend reading from these three links for more information on each of these companies.
NSF: https://www.nsf.org/knowledge-library/what-is-nsf-certification#:~:text=NSF%20certification%20is%20your%20key,standards%20for%20public%20health%20protection.&text=From%20extensive%20product%20testing%20and,it%20can%20earn%20our%20certification.
UL: https://crs.ul.com/en/industries/dietary-supplements/
USP: https://www.usp.org/verification-services/verified-mark
The collagen peptide supplement that I choose to take is Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides. It is NSF for Sport certified along with a few of the other Vital Proteins products. The Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides do come in capsules however, they don’t have the NSF logo on them; they have less ingredients than the powder which makes them slightly different. Another brand that is NSF certified is CB Supplements Multi-Collagen Protein.
NSF link for Vital Proteins products: https://www.nsfsport.com/certified-products/search-results.php?keyword=vital+proteins
NSF link for CB Supplements Multi-Collagen Protein: https://www.nsfsport.com/certified-products/listing-detail.php?id=1321555
Here are the links to both companies’ websites: https://www.vitalproteins.com/ https://cbsupplements.com/
The take-away
It is up to you what you choose to put into your body. Can a person get enough collagen through eating balanced nutrition? Yes, but it isn’t always as simple as a yes or no. And, to date, there is no accurate test to determine how much collagen is in a person’s body or how much they need. Each person has different metabolic needs, activity levels, lifestyles, fitness and health goals. With collagen, like many other supplements, your body will use what it needs, and excrete any excess through urine and feces. So, if a person is getting enough collagen through balanced nutrition, and still chooses to take a collagen supplement, it could end up being money flushing down the toilet. With that being said, science tells us that there is little to no harm in supplementing collagen, and most of us rarely eat the balanced nutrition our body needs…the choice is yours!