Collagen Supplements Show Only Tiny Wrinkle Gains — SkimNews
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- Collagen supplements are hydrolysed into chains of 40 or fewer amino acids and digested into fragments of just one to three amino acids. James Varani said their collagen-building value is therefore no different from the amino acids in a good steak.
- James Varani and University of Michigan colleagues found that aging skin loses collagen because its cellular machinery assembles available ingredients less efficiently, not because the skin lacks those ingredients.
- Collagen-supplement trials claim wrinkle-depth reductions versus placebo, but the reported difference is only a fraction of a millimetre—an amount the source says is unlikely to affect appearance and questions the accuracy of measurements at that scale.
- Anjali Mahto and David Grimes published a paper in September highlighting substantial methodological concerns in collagen-supplement studies. They said an overwhelming proportion were industry-funded or involved authors with commercial ties to manufacturers, raising selective-reporting and bias concerns.
- Regular exercise has been found to increase expression of collagen genes, while sun protection is important because ultraviolet radiation stimulates skin enzymes that break down collagen.
- Tretinoin, a prescription vitamin A derivative, has been known to increase collagen levels since the 1990s, although it can cause dryness, redness and peeling. Laser treatments, microneedling, dermabrasion and deep chemical peels also boost collagen but are expensive and can leave skin raw or blistered.
- Collagen gene therapy introduces new collagen genes into skin and was approved for recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa in the US in 2023 and in the UK this year; a modified version is being evaluated in clinical trials involving people with aged skin.
Why it matters: For consumers spending money on collagen pills, the source reports wrinkle-study gains of only a fraction of a millimetre and says amino-acid supply is no different from eating a good steak. With aging impairing collagen assembly, that directs spending toward sun protection, exercise and prescription tretinoin rather than a bottle promising wrinkle repair.
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