A Deeper Look At How Supplementation Affects The Body’s Largest Organ
Our skin tells us a lot: It can tell us when we’re tired, dehydrated or may have health issues, or even when we’re just getting older.
Did you know the skin is the body’s largest organ, made up of three main layers: the epidermis, dermis and hypodermis?
These are facts.
We also know that collagen — the body’s most abundant structural protein — has many benefits, as we’ve discussed in previous Learning Centre articles.
But how does collagen supplementation benefit our skin?
For this article, we’ll dig deeper into the science behind the skin-enhancing properties of collagen supplements, to give us perspective on what you read and see in the media.
The first research I examined was published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. In the 2021 article, “Myths and media in oral collagen supplementation for the skin, nails, and hair: A review,” the researchers examine whether there’s enough evidence to back the claims of companies that sell collagen supplements, and that bombard us with information through various forms of media.
After reviewing claims made on YouTube and Instagram that tout the skin benefits of collagen, the researchers found “some studies have demonstrated that collagen supplementation can enhance skin qualities such as elasticity and hydration,” but add that “dermatologic claims in the media surpass evidence supported by the literature.”
Imagine that – not everything you see on social media or television commercials is completely based on solid science and may be exaggerated!
Cosmetic companies sell billions of dollars of products each year that promise to make everyone young and beautiful — unfortunately, many times without significant basis in science.
For those of us who deal in Functional Medicine, we know that good health and the manifestations of good health are not something that exist in a vacuum. Looking good, feeling good and being healthy are all part of how we provide our bodies the ability to heal, repair and regenerate ourselves.
When it comes to our skin, it is important to remember that it’s our first and probably most effective immune barrier. Intact, healthy skin protects us from an enormous number of pathogens. And who really wants crow’s feet?
Of course, reading the article above prompted me to further exam the science behind collagen supplementation for skin health and integrity.
The next article I read was published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences in 2021. This fairly complicated article reports on the oral administration of collagen supplementation (collagen hydrosylates, similar to collagen peptides we discussed earlier) to hairless mice and the responses. Mice exhibit similar responses to many compounds and procedures that humans do. Hairless mice are bred to not have hair, of course, which allows easier study of their skin. Some mice were given collagen while others weren’t. They were then exposed to ultraviolet A (UVA) or ultraviolet B (UVB) light: essentially sunlight. Appropriate controls and methods were used.
The study evaluated the following parameters:
- Keratinocyte and dermal fibroblast damage from sunlight.
- Sunlight-induced changes in skin furrowing, coarse wrinkles and thickness.
- The ability of fibroblasts to make collagen after light exposure.
- Expression of collagen degrading enzymes after light exposure.
- Skin hydration.
- Amount of hyaluronic acid production relates to the health of the extracellular matrix (ECM) — the supporting network of proteins that allow tissue cells to function.
Photoaging of the skin is caused by persistent UV light or sunlight exposure, as well as chronic systemic and local inflammation. Sunlight causes local damage, which is inflammatory. The chronic systemic inflammation leads to development of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that damage DNA. An obvious way for most people to “measure” this is to compare the skin of your forearm/back of your hand (often sun exposed) to the skin of your buttocks (often protected from the sun). What we see are fine and coarse wrinkles, and changes in color and texture. This represents damage leading to skin atrophy (thinning of the skin), loss of collagen, elastin, fibrin and hyaluronic acid, and lack of repair, which can lead to skin cancers, including melanoma.
Photo Credit: iStock
All of these parameters that were evaluated were significantly improved in the mice receiving the collagen supplementation. The article reviews in detail the improvements in collagen production and repair, beneficial changes in enzymatic activity and amounts, and cellular level changes that provide the scientific basis for what was seen: mice that received the collagen were better able to heal, repair and tolerate damage from UV light to their completely unprotected skin when they received collagen supplementation.
The second article I reviewed was published in the journal Nutrients in 2018. The study, “Oral Intake of Low-Molecular-Weight Collagen Peptide Improves Hydration, Elasticity, and Wrinkling in Human Skin,” was conducted in humans, with 64 female volunteers participating. For 12 weeks, they received either collagen supplementation daily or placebo. The patients were assessed at 6 weeks, 12 weeks and again after the trial period, for skin hydration, wrinkles and elasticity. No side-effects from taking collagen were found. All of the parameters were improved in the collagen supplementation group. The improvements were minor at 6 weeks, more pronounced at 12 weeks and maintained after the trial. We have discussed in our previous articles on collagen that supplementation of collagen is not a short-term recommendation, but from this trial, it is obvious that changes can start early.
I have never evaluated the claims made about collagen supplementation on YouTube or Instagram, so I cannot comment on their validity. But based on this and the other findings available in the scientific literature, I feel there is more than adequate evidence that collagen supplementation is valuable in a variety of settings.
