SINGAPORE: If you have ever looked for ways to achieve firmer skin or better bone and joint health or reduce fine lines, chances are you have come across collagen products.
And makers of collagen products, from broths and supplements to creams and facial masks, have cashed in on the quest to look and feel younger.
But do these products really contain the elixir of youth? Talking Point host Sharda Harrison took collagen supplements for four weeks and spoke to doctors to uncover some facts and myths.
Collagen is the most abundant protein found in the body. It is a major component of bone, skin, muscles, tendons and cartilage, and helps make tissues able to withstand stretching, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Within the skin, collagen is found in the dermis, or the second layer of the skin, helping to give it strength and elasticity.
The dermis is the layer of skin under the epidermis, the thin outer layer.
But the body loses collagen as people age. This leads to less flexible joints and joint pain, while the skin starts to sag and display fine lines.
Enter the booming collagen industry.
According to physician Kenneth Lee, who has branded himself The Collagen Doc, the three main types of collagen in the body are Types I, II and III.
“Type I collagen forms 90 per cent of human collagen, and it’s mainly found in the skin,” he noted.
Type II collagen is found primarily, but not exclusively, in the cartilage in joints, such as the shoulders and knees.
Type III is found in the skin’s dermis layer as well as the connective tissues of the liver, bone marrow and lymphatic system, said Lee.
Most collagen supplements contain Type I and III, which people mostly take for skin health, he said.
Collagen supplements can be derived from fish (marine), cows (bovine) and pigs (porcine). This allows consumers to choose the source of the collagen products in line with their religious beliefs, for instance.
Hydrolysed collagen is collagen that is broken down into small protein chains.
Harrison took 10 grammes of collagen (Type I and III) a day for four weeks.
The result: There was no change to her facial pores, skin contours or laugh lines, aesthetic doctor Rachel Ho of La Clinic determined by scanning photographs taken at the start and end of the experiment.
She cited two reasons the supplements did not make a difference.
First, collagen is a “very large molecule” that the gut cannot absorb directly. “It needs to be broken up into smaller fragments before it can move across the membrane and then be transported by the bloodstream,” she noted.
Dr Rachel Ho taking photos of Talking Point host Sharda Harrison before her collagen experiment.
Also, there is no way to “preferentially direct or transport” these protein fragments to target organs such as the skin.
Ditto for collagen masks and serums, since topical collagen “is too big a molecule”, she said.
Bone broths are left to simmer, sometimes for over 24 hours, to allow protein from the meat and bones to be released into the soup.
They are rich and flavourful, but Aptima Nutrition and Sports Consultants dietician Jaclyn Reutens said it is uncertain how much of the collagen in the bones, chicken feet and connective tissue goes into the soup.
Chicken feet are high in collagen.
In addition, “when we eat collagen in any form, it goes into our stomach, and our digestive enzymes break it all apart”, she noted.
“Your body isn’t smart enough to say, ‘this collagen will go straight to your skin’… You can’t target (where it goes).”
So it is “far-fetched” to say collagen broths can directly improve skin elasticity, said Reutens.
Perhaps surprisingly, products that might make no mention of the word “collagen”.
Skincare products with ingredients such as vitamin C or retinoids like Vitamin A can enhance collagen synthesis in the skin, cited Ho. (This is why you may find vitamin C added as an ingredient in collagen products.)
By consuming more vitamin C, you will also increase your chances of stimulating collagen production, said Reutens. “That might be a better choice than eating collagen on its own.”
A skincare product with vitamin C.
Cutting exposure to ultraviolet rays, meanwhile, will reduce the breakdown of collagen in the skin, Ho said. This can be done by wearing protective clothing and slapping on sunscreen.
There are also cosmetic treatments such as laser resurfacing, which can boost the skin’s collagen levels, added Ho.
The short answer is no, said orthopaedic surgeon Kau Chung Yuan of Synergy Orthopaedic Group, as there are no real studies showing that collagen supplements effectively replenish our cartilage.
Reduced pain or improvement in joint function has been shown only in “very small studies over a short period of time”, leaving a lot of questions unanswered, he said.
“Questions like, ‘How long do you need to take it? If you stop, will you have a recurrence of symptoms? And does your cartilage actually regrow?’”
WATCH: Do collagen supplements really help skin and joints? (22:04)
Ho concurred. Many studies claiming the efficacy of collagen supplements are limited by the number of participants or may lack certain controls, she said. They may be sponsored by vested interests.
“These make the results of these studies very prone to bias or manipulation,” she added. “For every study you see that (find) these collagen supplements work, there are also studies that show (they don’t) … At best, it’s equivocal.”
Surgery may be needed instead to fix damaged cartilage, said Kau.
In the early stages, when there are only certain areas of cartilage damage, an option is keyhole surgery to smooth the damaged surface in the hope that healthy cartilage will grow back.
In cases with more extensive damage, joint replacement could be considered, he said.
Watch this episode of Talking Point here. The programme airs on Channel 5 every Thursday at 9.30pm.
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And makers of collagen products, from broths and supplements to creams and facial masks, have cashed in on the quest to look and feel younger.
But do these products really contain the elixir of youth? Talking Point host Sharda Harrison took collagen supplements for four weeks and spoke to doctors to uncover some facts and myths.
1. WHAT IS COLLAGEN?
Collagen is the most abundant protein found in the body. It is a major component of bone, skin, muscles, tendons and cartilage, and helps make tissues able to withstand stretching, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Within the skin, collagen is found in the dermis, or the second layer of the skin, helping to give it strength and elasticity.
The dermis is the layer of skin under the epidermis, the thin outer layer.
But the body loses collagen as people age. This leads to less flexible joints and joint pain, while the skin starts to sag and display fine lines.
Enter the booming collagen industry.
2. WHAT TYPES OF COLLAGEN ARE USED IN SUPPLEMENTS?
According to physician Kenneth Lee, who has branded himself The Collagen Doc, the three main types of collagen in the body are Types I, II and III.
“Type I collagen forms 90 per cent of human collagen, and it’s mainly found in the skin,” he noted.
Type II collagen is found primarily, but not exclusively, in the cartilage in joints, such as the shoulders and knees.
Type III is found in the skin’s dermis layer as well as the connective tissues of the liver, bone marrow and lymphatic system, said Lee.
Most collagen supplements contain Type I and III, which people mostly take for skin health, he said.
Collagen supplements can be derived from fish (marine), cows (bovine) and pigs (porcine). This allows consumers to choose the source of the collagen products in line with their religious beliefs, for instance.
Hydrolysed collagen is collagen that is broken down into small protein chains.
3. CAN COLLAGEN PRODUCTS REPLENISH THE SKIN’S SUPPLY?
Harrison took 10 grammes of collagen (Type I and III) a day for four weeks.
The result: There was no change to her facial pores, skin contours or laugh lines, aesthetic doctor Rachel Ho of La Clinic determined by scanning photographs taken at the start and end of the experiment.
She cited two reasons the supplements did not make a difference.
First, collagen is a “very large molecule” that the gut cannot absorb directly. “It needs to be broken up into smaller fragments before it can move across the membrane and then be transported by the bloodstream,” she noted.
Dr Rachel Ho taking photos of Talking Point host Sharda Harrison before her collagen experiment.
Also, there is no way to “preferentially direct or transport” these protein fragments to target organs such as the skin.
Ditto for collagen masks and serums, since topical collagen “is too big a molecule”, she said.
4. WHAT ABOUT COLLAGEN BROTHS?
Bone broths are left to simmer, sometimes for over 24 hours, to allow protein from the meat and bones to be released into the soup.
They are rich and flavourful, but Aptima Nutrition and Sports Consultants dietician Jaclyn Reutens said it is uncertain how much of the collagen in the bones, chicken feet and connective tissue goes into the soup.
Chicken feet are high in collagen.
In addition, “when we eat collagen in any form, it goes into our stomach, and our digestive enzymes break it all apart”, she noted.
“Your body isn’t smart enough to say, ‘this collagen will go straight to your skin’… You can’t target (where it goes).”
So it is “far-fetched” to say collagen broths can directly improve skin elasticity, said Reutens.
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5. WHAT CAN REPLENISH THE SKIN’S COLLAGEN, THEN?
Perhaps surprisingly, products that might make no mention of the word “collagen”.
Skincare products with ingredients such as vitamin C or retinoids like Vitamin A can enhance collagen synthesis in the skin, cited Ho. (This is why you may find vitamin C added as an ingredient in collagen products.)
By consuming more vitamin C, you will also increase your chances of stimulating collagen production, said Reutens. “That might be a better choice than eating collagen on its own.”
A skincare product with vitamin C.
Cutting exposure to ultraviolet rays, meanwhile, will reduce the breakdown of collagen in the skin, Ho said. This can be done by wearing protective clothing and slapping on sunscreen.
There are also cosmetic treatments such as laser resurfacing, which can boost the skin’s collagen levels, added Ho.
6. CAN COLLAGEN SUPPLEMENTS REPLENISH CARTILAGE AND TENDONS?
The short answer is no, said orthopaedic surgeon Kau Chung Yuan of Synergy Orthopaedic Group, as there are no real studies showing that collagen supplements effectively replenish our cartilage.
Reduced pain or improvement in joint function has been shown only in “very small studies over a short period of time”, leaving a lot of questions unanswered, he said.
“Questions like, ‘How long do you need to take it? If you stop, will you have a recurrence of symptoms? And does your cartilage actually regrow?’”
WATCH: Do collagen supplements really help skin and joints? (22:04)
Ho concurred. Many studies claiming the efficacy of collagen supplements are limited by the number of participants or may lack certain controls, she said. They may be sponsored by vested interests.
“These make the results of these studies very prone to bias or manipulation,” she added. “For every study you see that (find) these collagen supplements work, there are also studies that show (they don’t) … At best, it’s equivocal.”
Surgery may be needed instead to fix damaged cartilage, said Kau.
In the early stages, when there are only certain areas of cartilage damage, an option is keyhole surgery to smooth the damaged surface in the hope that healthy cartilage will grow back.
In cases with more extensive damage, joint replacement could be considered, he said.
Watch this episode of Talking Point here. The programme airs on Channel 5 every Thursday at 9.30pm.
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