Study supports collagen peptides' anti-aging potential: RCT

Five grams per day of collagen peptides derived from fish may improve skin moisture, elasticity, and wrinkles, says a new study from Nitta Gelatin Inc.

The study, published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, used supplements containing low or high levels of two major collagen peptides, prolyl-hydroxyproline (Pro-Hyp) and hydroxyprolyl-glycine (Hyp-Gly). The products are commercially available from Nitta under its Wellnex brand.

Significant improvements in moisture, elasticity, wrinkles and roughness were recorded after eight weeks of supplementation with collagen peptides, particularly for the high content supplements.

“The present study demonstrates that both L-CP [lower content of bioactive collagen peptides] and H-CP [higher content of bioactive collagen peptides] are effective supplements for the improvement in skin moisture and roughness in women who were conscious of their dry and rough skin,” wrote the researchers, led byNaoki Inoue from Nitta Gelatin in Japan.

“Fortified collagen hydrolysate, H-CP, demonstrated a greater improvement in skin elasticity and reducing wrinkles on facial skin.”

“The present study is the first of its kind to demonstrate that there is a significant difference between conventional collagen hydrolysate and new types of collagen hydrolysate with higher contents of specific bioactive dipeptides such as Pro-Hyp and Hyp-Gly for improvement of human skin conditions.”

Study details

The scientists recruited 85 Chinese healthy female subjects to participate in their randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. The women were randomly assigned to receive supplements with collagen hydrolysate with a low or high content of bioactive collagen peptides or placebo for eight weeks.

Results showed that the supplement with the higher content of bioactive collagen peptides was associated with significantly greater improvements in facial skin moisture, elasticity, wrinkles and roughness, compared with the supplement with the other supplement and placebo.

Compared with placebo, the supplement with the lower content of bioactive collagen peptides led to significant improvements in skin moisture but not for the other measures of skin health.

Importantly, there were no adverse events reported during the trial.

“Skin moisture and elasticity depends on the condition of the extracellular matrix, which consists of primarily collagen, hyaluronic acid, and elastin,” explained the researchers. “[Data from in vitro and animal studies] suggest that Pro-Hyp and Hyp-Gly have a crucial effect in improving the barrier function to enhance skin moisture. We hypothesise that Pro-Hyp and Hyp-Gly stimulated production of hyaluronic acid in the dermis. Hyaluronic acid has been shown to play crucial roles in skin moisture and elasticity. Additionally, several animal studies demonstrated that oral intake of collagen hydrolysates stimulated the synthesis of type I collagen and other extracellular matrix molecules.

“Further studies are needed to better understand the mechanisms of the bioactive peptides, Pro-Hyp and Hyp-Gly, which may be associated with their bioavailability. The findings would contribute not only to a better understanding of collagen hydrolysate but also to further the understanding of fundamental mechanisms in anti-aging.”

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Anti-Aging

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Source: Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture

Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.1002/jsfa.7606

“Ingestion of bioactive collagen hydrolysates enhance facial skin moisture and elasticity and reduce facial ageing signs in a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled clinical study”

Authors: N. Inoue, F. Sugihara, X. Wang