Pharmacist's touch. How do collagen supplements work? - Maria del Mar Sierra @mrealskin

MARIA DEL MAR SIERRA, PHARMACIST

IG: @mrealskin 

WHAT IS COLLAGEN?

"Collagen is the most abundant protein in our body. It is a structural protein that supports connective tissues, such as skin, tendons, and bone."

Proteins are molecules made up of peptides, which are chains of amino acids. Native collagen is formed by a set of three polypeptide chains grouped in a helical structure. Glycine makes up a third of the amino acids in each chain, a unique fact among all the body's proteins. The repetition of 333 Gly-X-Y triplets in each of the chains. In the X position, in most cases, proline is found. In the Y position, hydroxyproline is found, which is an amino acid especially characteristic of collagen (remember this because here is the key).

From the age of 25, the number and activity of skin cells that produce collagen, fibroblasts, begin to decrease. This results in a lower quantity and quality of collagen and, as a consequence, an increase in the fragility of the skin, tendons, or bones.

Collagen supplements are an alternative to curb this deficit. Numerous studies have shown that taking collagen peptides can help the health of joints, bones, and muscles.

WHAT ARE COLLAGEN SUPPLEMENTS?

Collagen is a large molecule, so collagen peptides are used in these types of supplements to facilitate their absorption. These are simply pieces of collagen protein obtained through a hydrolysis process, which is why they are also called hydrolyzed collagen. Other synergistic ingredients are also often included, such as hyaluronic acid or vitamin C (an important cofactor that aids collagen production).

HOW DO THEY WORK? 

Collagen peptides do not directly become part of our tissues, but rather increase the amount of collagen in our body in a more complex way.

When collagen peptides are ingested, they are broken down by digestive enzymes into even smaller chains of about two amino acids (dipeptides), favoring absorption. The two most abundant dipeptides generated from collagen supplements are hydroxyproline-glycine (Hyp-Gly) and proline-hydroxyproline (Pro-Hyp). These dipeptides with hydroxyproline
(an amino acid characteristic of collagen) are recognized by fibroblasts as pieces of collagen, making them believe that there is more collagen destruction than there actually is. In this way, collagen peptides act as a false signal, triggering the synthesis of new collagen molecules by stimulating fibroblasts.

In addition, it has been shown to stimulate the formation of elastin and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) such as hyaluronic acid.

Benefits of taking collagen supplements.

➢ Improves joint and bone health, reducing the risk of injury.
➢ Improves skin condition by providing elasticity and firmness.
➢ Also strengthens our hair and nails.

From SKIN MOLECULE X, we thank María del Mar very much for the complete information she has provided us.

References 

1. Ohara, H., et al., 2010. Collagen-derived dipeptide, proline-hydroxyproline, stimulates cell proliferation and hyaluronic acid synthesis in cultured human dermal fibroblasts. The Journal of Dermatology, 37(4), 330–338. doi: 10.1111/s00216-8138,2010. 00827. x

2. Asai, T. T. et al., 2019. Food-Derived Collagen Peptides, Prolyl-Hydroxyproline (Pro-Hyp), and Hydroxyprolyl-Glycine (Hyp-Gly) Enhance Growth of Primary Cultured Mouse Skin Fibroblast Using Fetal Bovine Serum Free from Hydroxyprolyl Peptide. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 21(1), 229. doi: 10.3390/ijms21010229

REMEMBER

SKIN MOLECULE X collagen supplements will provide you with the daily dose of collagen, hyaluronic acid, coenzyme Q10, vitamins, and minerals. 

The collagen dose you will find is 10g and is backed by clinical trials, which is why it is the most powerful formula you will find and one of the best collagen supplements on the market.