Collagen supplements and drinks are very popular right now. Many celebrities and influencers say they help make your skin glow, your hair shine, and your nails grow stronger. Since collagen is a protein found in these parts of the body, it seems like a good idea to take more of it. But what does the research show?
What Is Collagen?
Collagen is a protein that gives structure and strength to your skin, bones, tendons and other parts of your body. It works with other substances like elastin and hyaluronic acid to help keep your skin firm and smooth. Your body makes collagen from amino acids, which you get from protein-rich foods like meat, fish, and bone broth.
But as you get older, your body makes less collagen. Smoking, too much sun, and alcohol can also lower collagen levels.
Collagen in supplements often comes from animals like cows, pigs, fish or chickens. These products contain collagen peptides, which are pieces of protein that your body can absorb more easily.
What Does the Science Say?
Some studies show that collagen supplements might help your skin. They found that taking collagen improved skin firmness and moisture, and made wrinkles less noticeable.
But many of the products in the studies also contained other ingredients, like vitamins and antioxidants, so it’s hard to know if the benefits were from the collagen alone. There isn’t much proof that collagen helps your hair or nails. One small study showed that it might help brittle nails, but it didn’t have a control group to compare results.
Should You Try It?
There isn’t strong proof that collagen supplements will make a big difference in your skin, hair or nails. Your body breaks collagen down during digestion, and it’s not clear if it ends up in your skin. If you want to improve your skin, wearing sunscreen, taking food supplements, like the examples seen at https://www.vitortho.co.uk, and using products like retinoids can work better.
If you do try collagen, choose a product with simple ingredients and talk to your doctor first, especially if you have health conditions.
