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Collagen Peptides

Specific Recommendations:

• Collagen supplements at Amazon.com
• Peptan® Hydrolyzed Collagen Protein Powder - For Hair - Nails - Joint Pain Relief - Skin Care - Appetite Suppressant - Building Muscle - Bone Density - Osteopenia at Amazon.com
• Verisol at Amazon.com
• Collagen products at iHerb

News & Research:

• Collagen supplement use growing in popularity, improves skin, hair and nails - 10News, 5/20/19 - "After the age of 30, collagen decreases by 1 percent, so by the time you're 50, you've lost 20 percent of your collagen ... If you have injuries, collagen is going to help and repair tissue ... The experts say collagen powder works, but make sure it’s not your main source of protein" - See collagen supplements at Amazon.com.
• Collagen supplements show early promise for skin and joints, but don’t stock up yet - Washington Post, 3/26/18 - "As we age, however, our bodies’ collagen production becomes less efficient, and the tissues that depend on it, such as our skin and joints, don’t get repaired the way they used to, which explains, at least in part, why our skin starts to sag and we have more aches and pains as the years tick by ... That’s where the supplements come in. Manufacturers have found a way to apply enzymes to gelatin to create protein chains called collagen hydrolysates. These small collagen chains (peptides) may be absorbed intact by the body to be used directly in the tissues. Predictably, there is a lot of hype and exaggerated claims around these supplements, but there is also a lot of promising, bona fide research pointing to benefits, particularly for more youthful-looking skin and help with joint pain ... A 2017 study in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry showed that collagen hydrolysates can be transferred through the bloodstream directly to the skin, which explains the probable pathway for these effects ... Although the science is building, it is relatively new and there is still a lot to learn, particularly in identifying what types of collagen peptides work with different conditions"
• Gelatin supplements: Good for your joints? - Science Daily, 12/20/16 - "enrolled eight health young men in a trial of a gelatin supplement enhanced with vitamin C. The volunteers drank the supplement and had blood taken, and after one hour performed a short (five minute) bout of high-impact exercise (skipping) ... The researchers tested the blood for amino acids that could build up the collagen protein that composes tendons, ligaments, and bones. They also tested blood samples for their effect on Baar's lab-grown ligaments at UC Davis ... The gelatin supplement increased blood levels of amino acids and markers linked to collagen synthesis, and improved the mechanics of the engineered lab-grown ligaments" - See gelatin supplements at Amazon.com.
• Hydrolysed collagen may boost beauty from within: Rousselot studies - Nutra USA, 5/7/09 - "According to the company, women receiving the collagen supplement experienced a 28 per cent improvement in the skin hydration levels, compared to placebo, with 91 per cent of these women reporting increased skin hydration levels after eight weeks ... Furthermore, the number of micro-relief furrows and deep wrinkles decreased by 26 and 30 per cent, compared with the placebo group" - See collagen products at iHerb.

Abstracts:

• The effect of oral hydrolyzed eggshell membrane on the appearance of hair, skin, and nails in healthy middle‐aged adults: A randomized double‐blind placebo‐controlled clinical trial - J Cosmet Dermatol. 2020 Jan 6 - "Oral hydrolyzed eggshell membrane ingestion was associated with a significant improvement in facial skin appearance in crow's feet in 4 weeks and skin tone in 8 weeks, with significant impact on hair thickness, reduction in hair breakage and improvement in hair growth at 4, 8, and 12 weeks" - [Nutra USA] - See hydrolyzed eggshell membrane at Amazon.com.
• ovel Hydrolyzed Chicken Sternal Cartilage Extract Improves Facial Epidermis and Connective Tissue in Healthy Adult Females: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial - Altern Ther Health Med. 2019 Jun 13 - "The intervention consisted of twice daily oral administration of a supplement containing BioCell Collagen, a chicken sternal cartilage derived dietary ingredient composed of a naturally-occurring matrix of hydrolyzed collagen type-II (≥300 mg), chondroitin sulfate (≥100 mg), hyaluronic acid (≥50 mg) ... For the 113 participants completing the study, the dietary supplementation compared to a placebo: (1) significantly reduced facial lines and wrinkles (P = .019) and crow's feet lines and wrinkles (P = .05), (2) increased skin elasticity (P = .008) and cutaneous collagen content (P < .001) by 12%, (3) improved indicators associated with a more youthful skin appearance based on visual grading and wrinkle width (P = .046), and (4) decreased skin dryness and erythema. No difference existed between the supplement and the placebo for skin-surface water content or retention. The supplement was well tolerated, with no reported adverse reactions" - [Nutra USA] - See BioCell Collagen at Amazon.com, collagen UC-II at Amazon, hyaluronic acid at Amazon.com and chondroitin sulfate at Amazon.com.
• Improvement of Functional Ankle Properties Following Supplementation with Specific Collagen Peptides in Athletes with Chronic Ankle Instability - J Sports Sci Med. 2018 May 14;17(2):298-304 - "chronic ankle instability (CAI) ... collagen peptide supplementation (SCP) ... 50 male and female athletes with CAI completed a randomized, double-blinded and placebo-controlled study with a daily oral administration of either 5 g SCP or 5 g placebo (Maltodextrin) over a period of six months ... the subjective ankle stability was improved in both the CAIT (p < 0.001) and the FAAM-G (p < 0.001) following SCP supplementation compared with placebo. No significant changes between the groups were detected in the results of the ankle arthrometer. After six month the subjective report of the ankle stability function significantly improved and the three month follow-up revealed a significant decline in the number of ankle joint injuries (p < 0.05). These data support the concept that specific collagen peptide supplementation in athletes with chronic ankle instability results in significant improvements in subjective perceived ankle stability. The reduction in the re-injury rate of ankle sprains in the follow-up period suggests that these findings have clinical relevance" - [Nutra USA] - See collagen supplements at Amazon.com.
• Effects of 12 Weeks of Hypertrophy Resistance Exercise Training Combined with Collagen Peptide Supplementation on the Skeletal Muscle Proteome in Recreationally Active Men - Nutrients. 2019 May 14;11(5) - "Evidence has shown that protein supplementation following resistance exercise training (RET) helps to further enhance muscle mass and strength. Studies have demonstrated that collagen peptides containing mostly non-essential amino acids increase fat-free mass (FFM) and strength in sarcopenic men ... In conclusion, the use of RET in combination with collagen peptide supplementation results in a more pronounced increase in BM, FFM, and muscle strength than RET alone. More proteins were upregulated in the COL intervention most of which were associated with contractile fibers" - [Nutra USA]
• Oral Supplementation of Specific Collagen Peptides Combined with Calf-Strengthening Exercises Enhances Function and Reduces Pain in Achilles Tendinopathy Patients - Nutrients 2019, 11(1), 76 - "We conclude that oral supplementation of specific collagen peptides may accelerate the clinical benefits of a well-structured calf-strengthening and return-to-running program in Achilles tendinopathy patients" - [Nutra USA] - See collagen supplements at Amazon.com.
• Daily oral supplementation with collagen peptides combined with vitamins other bioactive compounds improves skin elasticity and has a beneficial effect on joint and general wellbeing - Nutr Res, Jun 9 2018 - "We hypothesized that daily oral supplementation with a liquid nutraceutical containing hydrolyzed fish collagen, vitamins, antioxidants, and other active ingredients could improve skin texture and elasticity, and in addition have a protective effect on joint health. A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted on 120 subjects who consumed either the test product or placebo on a daily basis for 90 days. Subjects consuming the test product had an overall significant increase in skin elasticity (+40%; P < .0001) when compared to placebo. Histological analysis of skin biopsies revealed positive changes in the skin architecture, with a reduction in solar elastosis and improvement in collagen fiber organization in the test product group. As reported in the self-perception questionnaires, these results were confirmed by the subjects' own perceptions in that participants agreed their skin was more hydrated and more elastic. In addition, the consumption of the test product reduced joint pain by −43% and improved joint mobility by +39%. Oral supplementation with collagen bioactive peptides combined with chondroitin, glucosamine, L-carnitine, vitamins, and minerals significantly improved the clinical parameters related to skin aging and joint health, and therefore, might be an effective solution to slow down the hallmarks of aging" - [Nutra USA] - See collagen supplements at Amazon.com.  The Active Gold Collagen used in this study is expensive.
• Oral Intake of Low-Molecular-Weight Collagen Peptide Improves Hydration, Elasticity, and Wrinkling in Human Skin: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study - Nutrients. 2018 Jun 26;10(7) - "Collagen-peptide supplementation could be an effective remedy to improve hydration, elasticity, and wrinkling in human skin. The aim of this study was to conduct a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial to clinically evaluate the effect on human skin hydration, wrinkling, and elasticity of Low-molecular-weight Collagen peptide (LMWCP) with a tripetide (Gly-X-Y) content >15% including 3% Gly-Pro-Hyp. Individuals (n = 64) were randomly assigned to receive either placebo or 1000 mg of LMWCP once daily for 12 weeks ... Compared with the placebo group, skin-hydration values were significantly higher in the LMWCP group after 6 weeks and 12 weeks. After 12 weeks in the LMWCP group, visual assessment score and three parameters of skin wrinkling were significantly improved compared with the placebo group. In case of skin elasticity, one parameter out of three was significantly improved in the LMWCP group from the baseline after 12 weeks, while, compared with the placebo group, two parameters out of three in the LMWCP group were higher with significance after 12 weeks" - [Nutra USA]
• Oral supplementation with specific bioactive collagen peptides improves nail growth and reduces symptoms of brittle nails - J Cosmet Dermatol. 2017 Aug 8 - "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. The majority of participants (80%) agreed that the use of BCP improved their nails' appearance, and were completely satisfied with the performance of the treatment" - [Nutra USA] - See Peptan® Hydrolyzed Collagen Protein Powder - For Hair - Nails - Joint Pain Relief - Skin Care - Appetite Suppressant - Building Muscle - Bone Density - Osteopenia at Amazon.com.
• Daily oral consumption of hydrolyzed type 1 collagen is chondroprotective and anti-inflammatory in murine posttraumatic osteoarthritis - PLoS One. 2017 Apr 6 - "posttraumatic OA (PTOA) ... These findings establish that in the context of murine knee PTOA, daily oral consumption of hCol1 is chondroprotective, anti-apoptotic in articular chondrocytes, and anti-inflammatory. While the underlying mechanism driving these effects is yet to be determined, these findings provide the first tissue and cellular level information explaining the already published evidence of symptom relief supported by hCol1 in human knee OA. These results suggest that oral consumption of hCol1 is disease modifying in the context of PTOA" - [Nutra USA] - See Peptan® Hydrolyzed Collagen Protein Powder - For Hair - Nails - Joint Pain Relief - Skin Care - Appetite Suppressant - Building Muscle - Bone Density - Osteopenia at Amazon.com.
• Vitamin C-enriched gelatin supplementation before intermittent activity augments collagen synthesis - Am J Clin Nutr. 2016 Nov 16 - "These data suggest that adding gelatin to an intermittent exercise program improves collagen synthesis and could play a beneficial role in injury prevention and tissue repair" - [Nutra USA] - See gelatin supplements at Amazon.com.
• Dietary Supplementation with Specific Collagen Peptides Has a Body Mass Index-Dependent Beneficial Effect on Cellulite Morphology - J Med Food. 2015 Dec;18(12):1340-8 - "specific bioactive collagen peptides (BCP) on the cellulite treatment of normal and overweight women. In total, 105 women aged 24-50 years with moderate cellulite ... 105 women aged 24-50 years with moderate cellulite were randomized to orally receive a daily dosage of 2.5 g BCP or a placebo over 6 months ... The results of the study demonstrated that a regular ingestion of BCP over a period of 6 months led to a clear improvement of the skin appearance in women suffering from moderate cellulite. Based on the current data, it can be concluded that a long-term therapy with orally administered BCP leads to an improvement of cellulite and has a positive impact on skin health" - [Nutra USA] - Here's what I take: Peptan® Hydrolyzed Collagen Protein Powder - For Hair - Nails - Joint Pain Relief - Skin Care - Appetite Suppressant - Building Muscle - Bone Density - Osteopenia at Amazon.com.
• The effect of oral collagen peptide supplementation on skin moisture and the dermal collagen network: evidence from an ex vivo model and randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials - J Cosmet Dermatol. 2015 Sep 12 - "Skin dryness and an accelerated fragmentation of the collagen network in the dermis are hallmarks of skin aging. Nutrition is a key factor influencing skin health and consequently its appearance. A wide range of dietary supplements is offered to improve skin health. Collagen peptides are used as a bioactive ingredient in nutricosmetic products and have been shown in preclinical studies to improve skin barrier function, to induce the synthesis of collagen and hyaluronic acid, and to promote fibroblast growth and migration ... Oral collagen peptide supplementation significantly increased skin hydration after 8 weeks of intake. The collagen density in the dermis significantly increased and the fragmentation of the dermal collagen network significantly decreased already after 4 weeks of supplementation. Both effects persisted after 12 weeks. Ex vivo experiments demonstrated that collagen peptides induce collagen as well as glycosaminoglycan production, offering a mechanistic explanation for the observed clinical effects" - [Nutra USA] - See Protein Essentials Hydrolyzed Collagen Protein Powder with Peptan® (16oz) at Amazon.com. It's the Rousselot Peptan collagen brand talked about in the Nutra USA article.  See their websites: Rousselot Peptan collagen website and Protein Essentials.
• Oral Intake of Specific Bioactive Collagen Peptides Reduces Skin Wrinkles and Increases Dermal Matrix Synthesis - Skin Pharmacol Physiol. 2013 Dec 24;27(3):113-119 - "In this double-blind, placebo-controlled study, the effectiveness of the specific bioactive collagen peptide (BCP) VERISOL® on eye wrinkle formation and stimulation of procollagen I, elastin and fibrillin biosynthesis in the skin was assessed. A hundred and fourteen women aged 45-65 years were randomized to receive 2.5 g of BCP or placebo, once daily for 8 weeks, with 57 subjects being allocated to each treatment group ... The ingestion of the specific BCP used in this study promoted a statistically significant reduction of eye wrinkle volume (p < 0.05) in comparison to the placebo group after 4 and 8 weeks (20%) of intake. Moreover a positive long-lasting effect was observed 4 weeks after the last BCP administration (p < 0.05). Additionally, after 8 weeks of intake a statistically significantly higher content of procollagen type I (65%) and elastin (18%) in the BCP-treated volunteers compared to the placebo-treated patients was detected" - See Verisol at Amazon.com.