Quell the hype around collagen supplements

Oral collagen peptides 10 g/day may improve knee osteoarthritis pain. But any improvement is modest, and it can take 3 to 6 months to see benefit....
Mahitab Hany, BS Pharm, PGDipClinPharm, PGDipClinNutrition, BCNSP

As a nutrition support pharmacist, collagen supplements are being touted for everything from joint support to skin health as people search for the fountain of youth. This protein makes up bones, muscles, skin, etc. The theory is that oral supplements may offset collagen depletion from factors such as aging, smoking, or sun exposure. But point out that the majority of product claims are unproven and overall evidence for collagen is weak.

For instance, oral collagen peptides 10 g/day may improve knee osteoarthritis pain. But any improvement is modest, and it can take 3 to 6 months to see benefit. Or taking 4 to 10 g/day of some oral collagen peptides may improve skin hydration and elasticity, but may not visibly reduce wrinkles. Inform patients that evidence is lacking for other indications (hair, nails, memory, etc), or for any topical collagen products. And educate not to rely on collagen-rich foods, such as bone broth or gelatin, these have even less evidence.

NPS-adv

If patients still want to try oral collagen, be familiar with products. Most have “collagen peptides” or “hydrolyzed collagen” which are broken-down pieces of collagen that are more easily absorbed. But these may be costly. Plus point out that collagen products are derived from cattle, fish, pig, which may be a concern for patients with allergies or dietary restrictions. Educate that stomach upset may occur with oral collagen, but there aren’t major safety concerns at usual doses, such as 10 g/day. Advise patients to stop the supplement if they don’t see a difference after 3 to 6 months.

References

  1. Therapeutic Research Center (2023). Welcome to the Natural Medicines Research Collaboration.
  2. Choi FD, Sung CT, Juhasz ML, Mesinkovsk NA. Oral Collagen Supplementation: A Systematic Review of Dermatological Applications. J Drugs Dermatol. 2019 Jan 1;18(1):9-16.
  3. de Miranda RB, Weimer P, Rossi RC. Effects of hydrolyzed collagen supplementation on skin aging: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Dermatol. 2021 Dec;60(12):1449-1461.
Mahitab Hany, BS Pharm, PGDipClinPharm, PGDipClinNutrition, BCNSP