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The worldwide dietary dietary supplements market, valued at $178.8 billion in 2023, is quickly rising. UC Davis Well being molecular train physiologist Keith Baar makes a speciality of sports activities medication and research the consequences of collagen, whey and omega-3 dietary supplements on bone and tendon well being.
On this Q&A, Baar, who’s a professor within the Departments of Neurobiology, Physiology and Conduct and Physiology and Membrane Biology, shares the findings from his research of those dietary supplements.
Why is collagen vital for the physique?
Collagen is essentially the most ample protein in our physique. All our musculoskeletal tissues are constructed on a basis of collagen. Collagen makes up our tendons, ligaments and bones. For this musculoskeletal system to work effectively, we have to have collagen turnover that replaces older collagen with new ones.
What meals are wealthy in collagen?
Collagen is a meat-based protein. Animal tissues are the one pure supply of collagen. There are a number of greens which might be excessive within the amino acid glycine (key ingredient in collagen), however they don’t seem to be as readily absorbed.
Individuals who already eat a whole lot of meat or have bone broth do not see as massive of an impact of collagen supplementation. That is true for individuals who eat complete cuts of meat with some marbling within the connective tissues—not solely the tender filet mignons. These people are going to have good quantities of collagen of their food plan. Vegetarians and vegans will want supply of the best amino acids for his or her our bodies to construct collagen.
You may have been finding out collagen for a few years. What does your analysis on collagen inform us?
What we eat each positively and negatively impacts how a lot collagen we make. Making extra collagen not solely impacts the pores and skin, hair and nails, but in addition has musculoskeletal results. So mainly, the alternatives that we make on the dinner desk immediately have an effect on how our pores and skin appears to be like and physique works.
Does caffeine impede the physique’s skill to make collagen?
If it is a whole lot of caffeine, like 5-6 cups of espresso, it does. We’ve got performed a mouse examine that confirmed that each muscle dimension and tendon variations to train appear to be barely impaired by excessive caffeine consumption. Once we did lab experiments, we might see a direct impact of caffeine on reducing each muscle and connective tissue protein synthesis, but it surely takes a whole lot of caffeine to try this in individuals.
There’s a enormous marketplace for collagen dietary supplements. Are they good for the bones?
Our research have proven that when taking a collagen complement, there is a rise in a circulating marker (often called procollagen N-Terminal peptide) of collagen synthesis. So, we all know that hydrolyzed collagen dietary supplements could be good. That is very true in older people. One of many locations the place we’ve good proof is in osteoarthritis. People who complement with collagen present a lower in osteoarthritis signs, equivalent to knee ache or restricted motion.
Are there unwanted effects to taking collagen dietary supplements?
There isn’t a draw back to taking top quality collagen dietary supplements, i.e. these from animal skins. Collagen produced from bones can have excessive quantities of heavy metals. Nevertheless, extra collagen largely means extra protein with particular amino acids wanted to make collagen in our our bodies. In lots of instances, there appears to be a pleasant upside. How a lot of an upside relies on the person: What their regular food plan is, whether or not they’re consuming a high-fat food plan or ingesting an excessive amount of caffeine.
Do collagen dietary supplements assist the physique make extra collagen, or are they ready-made collagen that will get absorbed?
So, any complement you’re taking is digested and absorbed all the way down to very small peptides or amino acids, and then you definitely rebuild one thing with these primary supplies (amino acids). To construct collagen, we’d like a whole lot of glycine and proline amino acids. If there is not sufficient glycine or proline, then we won’t make as a lot collagen as we would like.
What’s whey, and why is it vital?
Whey is the acid-soluble part of milk. Cheesemakers used to throw the whey onto their fields as a result of they thought it was a waste product.
However, since whey has all of the amino acids and is a whole protein, not like collagen, it’s a top quality protein. Whey has a whole lot of leucine, a key amino acid for protein synthesis, and proline. Nevertheless, it isn’t as wealthy in glycine, a constructing block of collagen.
Why is it really useful to take collagen dietary supplements or meals wealthy with collagen along with whey?
Along with our analysis collaborators at Maastricht College, we discovered that when individuals are fed milk protein like whey, their glycine ranges in blood would go down. They questioned if that occurred as a result of the physique was utilizing the glycine to make extra collagen. So, we examined that.
Our examine confirmed that we will make extra connective tissue in our muscular tissues by taking a whey protein and collagen mix. The whey protein has all of the amino acids and a whole lot of leucine, and the hydrolyzed collagen has a whole lot of glycine. Now, we’ve a protein that can help constructing each the connective tissue and muscle.
This examine was the primary time we’ve demonstrated, utilizing a direct measure of collagen synthesis, that we will nutritionally change how a lot collagen we make in our muscular tissues.
You additionally studied the consequences of fish oil and omega-3 fatty acids on bone and joint well being. What did your research present?
Musculoskeletal well being and irritation are related. When you have extra irritation, you’re going to get extra tendon and musculoskeletal accidents. Fish oils might have an impact by reducing irritation and that will probably enhance collagen turnover. Our research have proven that, with out irritation, fish oil or omega-3 don’t appear to immediately have an effect on our tendons and ligaments.
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Q&A: Do collagen, omega-3 and whey dietary supplements increase bone well being? (2025, January 3)
retrieved 3 January 2025
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