What Should You Know About Collagen?
Collagen is a substance that is highly recommended for improving the health of the bone system, regenerating cartilage, protecting muscles and bones, maintaining the freshness and elasticity of the skin, and much more. As if that were not enough, it is found in various formats (capsules, powders, pills, etc.), in all kinds of establishments, from the supermarket to pharmacies.
The many benefits that collagen consumption promises are well known thanks to advertising campaigns. Now, are all these benefits real?
Let’s delve into this topic.
Myths about collagen
Unfortunately, there has been too much publicity that collagen supplements are “ideal” for maintaining foot health (and by extension beauty and youth) and regenerating cartilage, improving joints, and so on.
Dr. Manuel Viso, an expert in Hematology and Nutrition, clarifies that collagen is a protein of low biological value that, when ingested, breaks down into amino acids. This means that these amino acids will be converted into the proteins that the body needs, it will not become collagen again or cartilage.
Therefore, collagen does not help improve joint pain, strengthen bones, regenerate cartilage, or relieve inflammation. It also does not play a key role in the good appearance of the skin or improves its elasticity.
Collagen supplements do not work and, therefore, it is useless to take them with the aim of having “more collagen in the body. Collagen is NOT the protein of youth and quality of life.
In other words: by taking collagen, you don’t get more collagen. If you eat hair, your hair will not grow longer and you will not have more. Deborah García Bello, chemist and science communicator, comments: “Eating collagen to firm the skin makes as much sense as eating brains to grow the brain.”
Collagen Supplements: A Useless Recommendation
Many athletes, patients with joint problems and other ailments, have recommended the consumption of collagen supplements. However, this is a useless recommendation, given all that we have already clarified previously.
Many times, the recommendation is made based on hasty conclusions, a product of the lack of scientific reading on this subject.
Although several studies have been published in mice, where the anti-aging potential of collagen was evaluated, it has not been stated that this substance is, in fact, essential to combat aging of the skin. In fact, studies indicate that it is necessary to continue deepening on this issue.
In a study conducted in mice, it was concluded that perhaps cattle bone collagen peptides and proline could have an anti-aging effect. However, it is necessary to continue investigating about it.
