REAL TALK: DO COLLAGEN POWDERS ACTUALLY WORK?
Influencers were beaten to the punch by a few centuries when it comes to enhancing collagen stores.
Unless you’ve been on a social media cleanse for the last few years, chances are you’ve heard of collagen powder. It’s the latest beauty supplement to hit our feeds, with multiple brands popping up with their versions that promise healthy hair, glowing skin and strong nails are just a few powder-pumped smoothies away.
It doesn’t seem to be going anywhere either, the global collagen market is expected to reach $7.5 billion by 2027. As this sector of the beauty industry expands, so do are the forms of ingestible collagen supplements, many of which are by-products of beef. You’ll normally be able to spot them based on their aesthetic packaging and the smiling, beautiful person holding them.
Wait, what IS collagen?
Great question – we’ve recruited our handy-dandy, in-house Nutrition Advisor, Katrina Dixon, to get you one step ahead and as educated as possible on your daily scroll.
Katrina explains: “Collagen is an important protein in your body that helps form your connective tissue, providing ‘structural support’ to your skin, bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments. But starting in our twenties, collagen levels begin to drop each year and our skin naturally starts to sag and wrinkle over time.”
Help. Obviously, getting a bit saggy over time is a natural part of life but where there’s a will to slow down the aging process, there’s a way.
Enter: Collagen Supplements
Like anything naturally produced by the body, one possible way to increase it is to take a supplement, which can be in the form of, you guessed it, collagen powder.
Katrina says that “While collagen can come from many different sources, there are currently two main types of collagen powder on the market: “Marine (from fish bone extracts) and bovine (from beef bone extracts). Both types of collagen powders have slightly different chemical compositions but promise very similar things in terms of supporting skin health and skin appearance.”
To date though, there’s not enough scientific evidence to prove one is better than the other (or that collagen powder is entirely necessary, period, but we’ll get to that). It’s also worth noting that 'vegan’ collagen isn’t yet a thing. So be wary of any supplements that are marketed as such, they ain’t legit - collagen is an animal by-product only.
Are collagen powders the only way to increase my dietary collagen?
In short: nope!
Picture I’m winding a big old clock back right now because influencers were beaten to the punch by a few centuries when it comes to enhancing collagen stores. It didn’t always look as aesthetic though, but in the slightly less glamorous and less concentrated form of bone broth. The concept of re-purposing animal bones for nutritional benefits dates back to hunter-gatherer times when fire was discovered, food was scarce, and no part of an animal was spared.
In addition to bone broth, some other foods which can support collagen stores include red meat, fish, poultry, dairy and eggs. Why them, Katrina?
“This is partly due to their protein and amino acid content (e.g. glycine, proline, lysine and leucine) which can promote collagen synthesis. It is important to note that the collagen-potential from foods varies and is difficult to measure (you would need these get them analysed in a lab).
Other plant-sourced and animal-sourced foods can support collagen synthesis, however the amount you would need would vary. These includes foods which contain, but are not limited to, vitamin C (e.g. citrus fruits, broccoli, capsicum), zinc (e.g. red meat, dairy, cereals, bread), manganese (e.g. nuts, green vegetables, tea) and copper (e.g. nuts, shellfish, organ meat). Generally speaking, if you are eating a well-balanced, varied diet you are likely to be getting many of the nutrients required to support skin health and overall health. Other factors such as exercising regularly, getting enough sleep and drinking plenty of water can help you harness a healthy glow.”
Ok enough with the science lesson, do collagen powders actually work?
I was getting there! But spoiler, it’s not the super exciting definitive answer you’re looking for. It’s a hard ‘maybe’.
“Like any new beauty or wellness trend, the scientific jury is still out on collagen powders and probably will be for a while,” says Katrina. “The reason for that is because there isn’t enough research, let alone high-quality research, on the short- and long-term benefits of collagen powder. What we do know is that there is not a singular miracle product for healthy skin; skin health is multi-factorial and often relates back to general health status and lifestyle.”
Basically, while choosing to take collagen powder in moderation may not cause any harm*, it’s certainly not a magic potion or silver bullet to make your hair grow Rapunzel style and your skin resemble that of a 14-year-old who’s never seen the sun.
Also worth noting is that, taking additional collagen won’t guarantee improvements in specific areas but it may well be used by the body where it may be needed instead of giving you super long, strong nails.
At the end of the day, despite what your Instagram feed is telling you it’s important to keep the age old saying in mind: If it ain’t broke, why spend half your pay check on powder?
*If you have a specific dietary or medical condition, and are interested in using collagen powder, consult your GP or a medical professional prior.
References
Rodriguez, M.I.A., Rodriguez Barroso, L.G., & Sanchez, M.L. (2018). Collagen: A review on its sources and potential cosmetic applications. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 17, 20-26.
Jhawar, N., Wang, J.V., Saedi, N. (2020). Oral collagen supplementation for skin aging: A fad or the future? J Cosmet Dermatol, 19, 910–912.
Pullar, J.M., Carr, A. C., Vissers, M.C.M. (2017). The roles of vitamin C in skin health. Nutrients, 9(8), 866.
Li, P., & Wu, G. (2018). Roles of dietary glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline in collagen synthesis and animal growth. Amino Acids, 50(1), 29-38.
Taylor, M.E. (2011). Nutritional support for soft tissue healing. Journal of Prolotherapy, 3(3), 709-713.
Park, K. (2015). Role of micronutrients in skin health and function. Biomol Ther, 23(3), 207-217.