Recently..er...i meant this few years,due to the celebrities effects, many girls are hooked to collagen supplement(pills,drink,or powder), believed can restore elasticity and health of aging skin, reduce the signs of wrinkles and fine lines, help in weight lose bla...bla..bla..., to list a few. Well, is this miracle supplement really miracle? Let's look at the factssss now and wake up girls!
What happens to our body as we age?
-Our teen's /early 20's: abundance of growth hormone; collagen is used as the building protein for this growth. -mid twenties: growth hormone diminishes; collagen (produced by the liver) is used to promote healthy muscles and build existing muscles. -age of 25 above: the amount of collagen produced by our bodies reduces at a rate of between 1 to 1.5% per annum.
What is collagen & why we need it?
Collagen is a fibrous protein found in vertebrates, the major element of skin, bone, tendon, cartilage, blood vessels and teeth. It forms insoluble fibers of high tensile strength and which contains the unusual amino acids hyroxyproline and hydroxylysine. Collagen supports the skin, which is why the loss of collagen results in sagging skin and wrinkles. Collagen also supports the body's natural movements.
Sources of collagen in collagen supplement?
Up until now the most common sources of Collagen have been derived from sharks, chickens and bovine. Plant collagen is very different to animal collagen and therefore has an extremely low absorption rate (sorry for vegetarian~~~i think white fungus will help).
Before further discussing about the effectiveness of each sources of collagen, we have to understanding that there are 3 types of collagen: type I, type II, and type III. Type II is for joint relief while type I and type II are believed to be assist in skin aging.
Shark collagen from shark cartilage tends to be very expensive and although has some merit in cancer prevention, the absorbency rate for humans is still quite low. Collagen from chickens is quite a good source and this type is particularly suited to joint relief. Bovine collagen is the most potent and closest in type to our own. Even though bovine source is the most potent producing capsules by this method, it still only ends up with a product that is 15% bio available (amount absorbed into the body).
OH NO, the facts?
For those who do not have a medical background, it may make sense that If collagen loss leads to skin sagging and wrinkles, then replenishing collagen either orally or through creams should restore elasticity and health of aging skin. But, it doesn't work this way. There's no scientific proof that collagen, applied topically, can penetrate the epidermis. The collagen molecules are very complex and large and would not penetrate, and even if collagen did penetrate, it would not be able to incorporate itself within the complex collagen structure in the skin. There is no evidence at this time that collagen supplements lead to weight loss. The good side is, there is believe no adverse effect on consuming collagen supplement though it may be no beneficial effects on you nor your skin. More research results.
Consumers' review~~~how they said?
90% of consumers said they see no changes in their skin after consuming collagen for 3 months.
10% of consumers said their skin texture improved and looked smooth after taking collagen for 3 months. No doubt, how many percentage are placebo effects or due to other factors.... And there is one joke, stated that you may take gelatin powder and mix with water and drink...they are collagen too and cost RM1 plus....
If you insist to give it a go....Determine accompanying supplements!
Vitamin C's prime function is to make collagen, and Lysine aids in collagen formation. If you cannot tolerate Vitamin C supplements due to gout or other medications, consider the C Ester form of Vitamin C that is known as Ascorbyl Palmatate, it is readily available and is less acidic so the body tolerates it better. If you cannot take Vitamin C as a supplement, look to increase your Vitamin C food intake, as collagen must have Vitamin C to work.
Good luck all.....
