8 Impressive Health Benefits of Collagen
Supports skin health
Collagen is what holds our skin tissue together. As we age, the amount of collagen our body naturally produces decreases, meaning that older skin is not as firm or hydrated as younger skin. Research carried out on animals has found that marine collagen maintains dermal thickness on mice by promoting the number and activity of skin fibroblasts, or cells in the dermis that produce collagen. Meanwhile, in another study, women who took a supplement that contained hydrolysed type I collagen had better supported skin with diminished appearance of lines, photo-aging, and better maintained moisture levels.
Improves sleep quality
The amino acid, glycine, which is found in marine collagen, has been linked to having a positive impact on sleep quality. A review of research found that having glycine before bed helps maintain satisfactory levels of self-perceived sleep quality. Glycine is also believed to help maintain our core body temperature, which can help with getting a better night’s sleep.
Gut health
Marine collagen is kind to the gut because it’s easy to digest. What’s more, its amino acid make-up, which includes glycine and glutamine, may support the tissue that lines the digestive tract.Glycine has been connected with helping with inflammation, and glutamine is necessary for the health of the enterocytes, or epithelial cells, that line the gastrointestinal tract.
Provides workout support
Collagen is essentially a concentrated source of glycine, which helps the body produce creatine, and can help support muscle mass and exercise performance. Marine collagen also contains proline, which acts as an antioxidant and helps monitor cell damage that may cause post-workout achiness. Some studies have found that collagen supplements such as salmon collagen or fish skin collagen, in particular, may help to support muscle mass.
Bone health
According to one animal study, marine collagen enables the body to absorb calcium, phosphorus and other minerals. This is due to its close connection with osteoblasts, the cells in our bones that synthesise and mineralise bones. Osteoblasts secrete collagen, creating the unmineralised portion of the bone called the osteoid.
Stronger nails and hair
It’s believed that taking collagen may lead to increased hair and nail growth. However, studies are limited, especially in relation to bovine and porcine-sourced collagen. According to one 24-week study, people who took bioactive collagen peptides reported a 12% increase in nail growth rate and a 42% decrease in the frequency of broken nails.
Efficient absorption
Marine collagen reportedly gets to work more rapidly than bovine collagen. This is because the molecules in type I collagen enable it to be broken into smaller pieces than other types. Because most marine collagen products contain only type I, they’re believed to absorb into your bloodstream faster than bovine collagen, which contains collagen types I and III.
Heart health
Collagen supplements, marine included, may help reduce the risk of heart-related conditions. Collagen provides structure within the arteries. Without enough collagen, the arteries may become weak and fragile, which may lead to the disease, atherosclerosis. In one study, 31 healthy adults took 16g of collagen a day for 6 months. They reported a significant reduction in artery stiffness compared. Their levels of good cholesterol had also increased by an average of 6%.