Skin elasticity
Collagen: What are its benefits and dangers
What is collagen?
Collagen is a protein present throughout the human body and provides structure, strength, regeneration and elasticity. There are two main types depending on their location:
- type I collagen, mainly present in cartilage;
- type II collagen, which is mainly found in skin and bones.
Collagen represents more than 30% of the proteins in the human body and is essential for health.
However, from the age of 40, the body's production of collagen decreases on average by 1% each year. Several factors contribute to accelerating this decrease such as:
- smoking;
- exposure to the sun;
- the stress ;
- a diet high in sugar;
- etc.
Marine collagen 🐠 – as opposed to bovine collagen – is extracted from the skins, bones, scales of fish and other marine organisms.
What are the effects of a drop in collagen in the body?
With age and various contributing factors (stress, tobacco, poor diet, etc.), the level of collagen gradually decreases in the body.
On the skin, this reduction in collagen causes a thinning of the dermis and a reduction in its hydration, responsible for the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
A structural protein for hair and nails, collagen, when lacking, leads to a loss of shine and strength of the hair, and a decline in the quality of the nails which become fragile and brittle.
Finally, since collagen is essential for the flexibility of joints and the strength of tendons, its reduction can be responsible for joint and tendon pain.
The benefits of marine collagen🐠
✅ Youth protein
Collagen is a structural protein in the skin, contributing to its suppleness and elasticity. Also, when it is lacking, the skin becomes thinner and wrinkles. Supplementing with marine collagen therefore makes it possible to limit certain effects of aging. A study carried out in Beijing in 2008 (1) shows that marine collagen peptides could play “a protective role on skin aging by improving the activity of antioxidants. » Another, dating from 2016 (2), confirms the action of marine collagen on skin elasticity.
✅ Joint comfort
Collagen represents 90% of the composition of the bone structure, and plays a particularly important role in joints and cartilage. Supplementing with collagen could thus preserve joint health and limit joint degradation. Several studies have confirmed the action of collagen on the joints, including a Belgian study carried out in 2012 (3) on 200 patients suffering from joint pain.
✅ Strengthens the appendages
Marine collagen is also recommended to maintain the quality of hair and nails, rich in connective tissues. It is characterized by its high abundance of specific amino acids – glycine and proline – which play a key role in the growth and health of the skin appendages.
Are there any dangers in consuming marine collagen?
Consumption of collagen, whatever its form, does not present any danger to the body. No risk of overdose either, since in excess, it will be eliminated through the digestive tract.
Unlike bovine collagen from farmed beef carcasses, the quality of which may be questionable depending on its origin, marine collagen is both healthier and better absorbed by the body.
The only side effects - very occasionally encountered during daily supplementation with marine collagen - result in slight digestive disorders often due to the presence of certain sweeteners such as Sucralose, Acesulfame K, chicory, dyes, salts, sugars, as well as as various additions of plant extracts which should be avoided.
‼️ Attention ‼️
- Part of the collagen of commerce comes from carcasses of farmed cattle. There is a theoretical risk that the product could possibly be contaminated by animals carrying bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease), but to date there have been no reported cases of contamination. In 2001, the European Commission banned the use of bovine vertebrae in the manufacture of food products and France outright banned the use of ruminant bones 11 . These restrictions are not in effect in Canada 12 . In 2006, Health Canada still banned the use of gelatin from the bones of cattle, sheep, goats, deer and elk to encapsulate natural health products 13 .
- People with kidney failure should consult their doctor before taking bovine collagen hydrolyzate.
- Consumption of collagen of bovine origin could cause a reaction in people allergic to bovine proteins.