Collagen that you eat and it’s effective in improving your skin

Overseas experts said that eating collagen can help skin health, such as improving elasticity. It was also suggested that it could be helpful in treating injuries to body parts such as ligaments composed of [collagen] tissue.

According to the British daily Guardian on the 6th, Gary Goldenberg, a dermatologist at Mount Sinai Icahn University in the U.S., said, “At first, I thought the effect of [collagen] was overpacked, but there is some evidence that it improves skin tone, skin texture and skin elasticity.”

Professor Goldenberg cited the results of his research published in the international academic journal “Beauty Skin Science” in 2019. Professor Goldenberg explained that in a randomized controlled clinical trial of 69 female participants, 2.5 to 10 grams of [collagen] peptide per day for eight weeks was confirmed to improve skin elasticity and skin moisture. A follow-up study of 71 women showed slight improvement in wrinkles when taking drinks containing 3g of collagen peptide every day for 12 weeks.

Collagen is a type of polymer protein that accounts for about 6% of the solid content of the human body. It plays a role in connecting cells or tissues in the body. 40% of [collagen] in the body is present in the skin, and 10%-20% is in bones or cartilage. [Collagen] in the body gradually decreases from the age of 20 to 30, and if the amount of [collagen] decreases, aging inside and outside the skin accelerates. Some experts say that the way you eat can make up for the lack of [collagen].

In addition to cosmetic purposes, eating collagen is also attracting attention as a role that helps treat damage to body parts composed of collagen tissues, such as ankle ligaments. Earlier, doctors have used collagen-based substances to treat wounds, burns, and diabetic ulcers, paying attention to the function of connecting collagen’s tissues.

A team of researchers at the Copenhagen Sports Medicine Institute in Denmark is conducting experiments to see if eating collagen can help athletes recover from ligament injuries. “There are several clues that collagen supplements can speed up the recovery of excessively used ligaments, such as some players claiming that damaged ligaments have improved after collagen intake,” said Christian Coupe, a researcher who participates in the study.

While the various effects of eating collagen are drawing attention, experts stressed that desirable lifestyles should be combined. They also say that they should be wary of expecting very dramatic skin improvement effects.

Professor Goldenberg advised, “Skin damaged by bad lifestyle, such as lack of sleep, smoking, frequent exposure to sunlight, and eating habits containing a lot of processed foods, is not solved by eating a few collagen jelly.” “Also, collagen that you eat does not make you look like you are in your 40s and 20s,” he said. “We should not expect miraculous results.”