Collagen is probably the most typical protein within the animal world. It’s only accountable for about 4 % of our physique weight. If we joined collectively all of the collagen fibers in our our bodies, it will attain a size of about 100 trillion (1014) meters—a distance so nice that if we tried to cross it on the velocity of sunshine, the endeavor would take us roughly 4 days.
Lately, dietary dietary supplements containing collagen have been rising in recognition. Collagen is a very spectacular protein, however do we actually want it as a complement? To reply this, we should perceive what collagen does in our our bodies and the way it’s produced.
It’s no coincidence that collagen is so frequent in our physique, as it’s largely accountable for the integrity of our our bodies and the power of our tissues.
That is as a result of collagen is the primary constructing block of the extracellular matrix – the gathering of fibers, enzymes and polysaccharides accountable for holding all your physique’s cells collectively and offering tissues with structural help, a substrate for development and extra.
Collagen’s position on this matrix is considerably just like that of metal rods in concrete in trendy buildings. The truth is, collagen fibers will be 5-10 instances stronger than metal, and might face up to stretching as much as half their size with out tearing.
Just like many different proteins, collagen fibers are manufactured from smaller protein chains. These chains coil collectively in a triple helix of three collagen items, and the 2 spirals are twisted collectively into very robust braids.
Though the fundamental items are 330 nanometers (billionths of a meter) lengthy, single collagen fibers will be a number of millimeters lengthy—an enormous dimension for a single molecule.
Collagen is present in all tissues of the physique, however its focus is especially excessive in tissues that require vital structural power, akin to pores and skin, bones, tooth, tendons, muscular tissues, and blood vessels.
Due to its position in these tissues, it’s no surprise that collagen is intimately concerned in injury restore processes. For instance, when we have now a pores and skin wound, the collagen fibers will likely be minimize and realigned to restore the injured tissue.
Nevertheless, the restore course of is just not with out accidents, and extra collagen build-up within the pores and skin might go away a scar.
In inner organs, the buildup of collagen might result in a situation known as fibrosis, by which collagen fibers, just like a scar, displace wholesome tissue, impairing the perform of the organ. Fibrosis can have an effect on many physique programs, particularly organs such because the lungs, kidneys, coronary heart, and liver.
Lately, dietary dietary supplements containing collagen have grown in recognition. Just like all different proteins in our our bodies, collagen is produced in our tissues on demand, when they’re being constructed or replenished, and subsequently we don’t want an exterior extra of collagen.
Even when we had such a necessity, the quantity of protein in meals dietary supplements could be very low, if not fully negligible, and won’t have an effect on the functioning of the physique within the least.
On the upside, and for a similar purpose, this complement can’t hurt us – fibrosis develops on account of lack of collagen elimination and breakdown, and beneath regular circumstances extra collagen is damaged down into its constructing blocks.
Collagen is utilized in cosmetics in lotions, however there’s a completely different position; It isn’t meant to be absorbed by the pores and skin, however reasonably acts as a water absorbent so as to retain moisture and thus enrich the cream. Collagen is just not distinctive on this position, and is usually changed by derivatives of nutritional vitamins, lactic acid, varied alcohols, and different molecules.
However the actually necessary level is that the collagen in these dietary supplements will merely not attain its vacation spot, as a result of will probably be damaged down earlier than lengthy.
Within the late Nineteen Seventies, it was discovered that collagen, just like different proteins, is hydrolyzed within the digestive tract into its constituent amino acids, and subsequently its consumption by ingestion is just like the consumption of every other protein in our meals.
Furthermore, collagen itself doesn’t include an distinctive quantity of important amino acids, so even when we lack the constructing blocks of protein, there are extra available sources within the meals we eat.
Moreover, most collagen dietary supplements don’t include collagen in it is entire kind in any respect. As talked about earlier, collagen is a really giant protein, and because of this it can’t cross the intestinal partitions the place it’s presupposed to be absorbed (it will be very unhealthy if it did).
To allow its absorption, producers break down collagen into its constructing blocks — brief protein fragments known as peptides and even particular person amino acids. Though these fragments will be absorbed by the physique, they aren’t collagen, in the identical method that shards of glass don’t perform just like the plate they had been as soon as a part of.
That is why there isn’t a benefit to consuming collagen-derived amino acids as an alternative of amino acids and peptides derived from any protein-containing meals.
Nevertheless, the availability of those dietary supplements is consistently rising, and it is no surprise – the worldwide magnificence complement market is anticipated to succeed in seven billion {dollars} by 2024, and producers have a powerful incentive to develop new merchandise.
In an impartial examine of 176 dietary dietary supplements, physicians from the us discovered that the majority of those merchandise included outdated dietary suggestions and made medical claims that weren’t supported by impartial analysis research.
Of their report, the researchers emphasised that the businesses had been in a position to make such claims due to the comparatively reasonable management of dietary dietary supplements, in distinction to medical remedies that should meet extra stringent necessities.
The researchers additionally observe that whereas these are solely dietary dietary supplements, they aren’t with out danger, and nonetheless must be examined for potential results on pregnant ladies, drug interactions, and extra.
A evaluation by harvard medical faculty sheds some mild on the standing of collagen dietary supplements and illustrates the significance of impartial scientific research. The evaluation revealed that many of the research revealed thus far on the exercise of collagen dietary supplements have been funded by the complement producers themselves.
One of the vital necessary elements for the credibility of scientific analysis is its independence, that’s, the authors of the examine are usually not involved with acquiring a particular end result.
When a examine on a dietary complement is funded by the corporate producing it, notably when the corporate is actively concerned in that analysis, there may be concern that the examine will likely be essentially biased, as a result of it’s clear that the producers have an enormous stake within the success of their merchandise.
The truth is, many research’ writer lists included staff of the corporate itself, and in a single examine credit score was given to the CEO of the corporate. Nevertheless, research on collagen dietary supplements have did not reveal that there’s a distinction between consuming collagen and a balanced consumption of proteins as a part of a balanced food regimen.
Subsequently, our physique is a well-oiled metabolic machine. Thus, it is ready to convert proteins absorbed from meals into their constructing blocks – amino acids – and produce entire physique proteins.
Collagen is simply present in meals of animal origin, however regardless of this there isn’t a proof {that a} vegan food regimen has any type of impact on the manufacturing of proteins and collagen by the physique, so long as it incorporates the proper proportions of important amino acids.
The significance of scientific analysis to understanding the world is big. Nevertheless, science itself can also be a product of human exercise, and subsequently it isn’t with out prejudices. Subsequently, it’s essential that scientific analysis be performed in a clear, trustworthy and impartial method.
In a discipline with such excessive financial incentives, the obvious absence of impartial research is especially irritating and doesn’t bode effectively for the need of those dietary dietary supplements.