Collagen controversy: Miracle cure or health risk?

What is collagen and why is it so important for us?

Pale, wrinkled and sagging skin as well as dry, brittle hair and nails - these are all signs of ageing that are largely due to the loss of collagen that occurs naturally with increasing age. Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body. It makes up about 25% of total body protein and up to 80% of the dry weight of skin.
It is found predominantly in connective tissue throughout the body, from muscles, bones and tendons to blood vessels and the digestive system. As it is a compound of essential amino acids, collagen can only be obtained in one way: The body cannot produce it itself, so it must be obtained from food. However, most people prefer to take a collagen supplement rather than boil chicken feet or beef bones for a homemade collagen-rich broth.

But what's really in these supplements?
Lab tests have sparked controversy over the results of popular collagen and bone broths found to contain potential contaminants, including antibiotics, breakdown products of prescription drugs, parabens, steroids and insecticides.

Contents

• Worrying impurities found in numerous non-biological collagen products
  • Non-biological collagen and bone broths likely come from CAFOs.
• Types of collagen
• Collagen versus gelatine
• How are common collagen preparations produced?
• What collagen does in our body
• What alternatives are there?

Worrying impurities found in numerous non-biological collagen products

The collagen products studied were selected based on popularity and sales figures on Amazon.com. The results indicate that when you consume bone broth or collagen products that are not organic, you are most likely getting byproducts from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). The Consumer Wellness Center (CWC) tested eight popular bone broth and bone broth protein products for the potential presence of chemical pesticides, pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals, toxicological chemicals and chemical food additives.

Other chemicals reported to be present in some of these products are:

• Butylparaben, an endocrine-disrupting chemical associated with a decrease in testosterone levels and abnormal sperm shape, size and motility
• Cyclandelate, a vasodilator drug
• Netilmicin, an antibiotic

Non-biological collagen and bone broths likely come from CAFOs.

What do these results mean? In short, if a collagen or bone broth protein product is not certified organic, the main ingredients most likely come from CAFO farmed animals. If you don't consume factory farmed/CAFO meat, you probably shouldn't consume CAFO collagen and bone broth products either.
Factory farmed products are problematic for many reasons, such as increasing antibiotic resistance, poor conditions for the animals, and the fact that the farms contribute to high levels of pollution. As these results spread, the CWC updated its press release with the following note:
"After reviewing feedback from consumers about the lab tests, the Consumer Wellness Center has learned that many people are misinterpreting these results and some are taking them out of context ... [The chemicals originally identified were neither ingredients nor clear indications of acute health hazard or illegality...].
"At no time did the CWC claim that the products tested were acutely hazardous or in violation of FDA regulations. The FDA allows staggering amounts of many chemicals in non-organic products, and this is often reflected and confirmed by scientific laboratory testing."

Collagen and bone meal or broth from CAFOs may not be acutely toxic, but buying food from factory farms is a problematic practice. Recommend eating mostly organic foods, as each individual source contributes to overall toxic exposure. Other studies have shown that bones and hides from CAFO animals can also be a source of heavy metals such as lead, which is another potential problem with buying non-organic animal products.

 

Types of collagen

Although 28 different types of collagen have been scientifically identified, most supplements contain one or more of only three of these types, known as:

• Type I - Collagen found in the skin/fur, tendons, scales and bones of cows, pigs, chickens and fish.
• Type II - is formed in the cartilage and usually comes from poultry
• Type III - fibrous protein found in bones, tendons, cartilage and connective tissue of cows, pigs, chickens and fish.

Types I, II and III make up 90% of the collagen in your body.
When it comes to collagen, it is important to know the difference between unhydrolyzed (non-denatured) and hydrolyzed (denatured) collagen. In their natural state, collagen molecules are poorly absorbed due to their size.
Hydrolysis is a processing technique that breaks down the molecules into smaller fragments, improving absorption in the intestine. For this reason, most collagen products are hydrolyzed, regardless of whether they are applied topically or ingested.

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Collagen versus gelatine

Gelatine is a staple of the Paleo diet. The difference between collagen and gelatin is that collagen is the starting product and gelatin is the product you get when you cook collagen. If you've ever made homemade bone broth, you'll have noticed that a layer of gelatin forms on the surface as it cools. This is the collagen from the bones and cartilage that has turned into gelatin, an excellent superfood.
Making your own bone broth from bones of animals fed organic grass-fed or pasture-raised is one of the best (and cheapest) ways to get healthy collagen into your diet. Hydrolyzed collagen (also called collagen hydrolysate) requires more intensive processing and cannot be made at home. Hydrolyzed collagen and gelatin are similar, but not identical.

Both products contain the same amino acids, but have different chemical properties and therefore differ in their application. Both gelatine and hydrolyzed collagen have intestinal healing, digestive and anti-inflammatory properties, although hydrolyzed collagen tends to be easier to digest.

As hydrolyzed collagen has been broken down into smaller components, it can be dissolved in both cold and hot liquids, whereas gelatine is only soluble in hot liquids. As hydrolyzed collagen does not gel, it cannot be used as a substitute for gelatine in dishes such as puddings or sauces.

Incidentally, collagen is not only taken internally to improve hair, skin and nails. It is also an important component in wound healing and is used in wound dressings. Wound dressings containing collagen with gelatine have proven to be particularly effective in the treatment of chronic wounds, as their biochemical properties improve the transmission of signals to the cells responsible for the formation of wound tissue.

 

How are common collagen preparations produced?

To understand what you are buying, you should know how collagen or bone broth is made. Essentially, bone broth is a by-product of conventional livestock farming, with the majority coming from poultry farms. After the chickens are processed for their meat, the leftover bones are boiled in water to make bone broth. The liquid is strained to remove the bone residues and then dried into powder.
As a result of this process, many of the contaminants contained in the animal's bones are also present in the final product, as the laboratory tests presented show. This is why the origin of the collagen is so important.
If you start from a contaminated product - for example, from chickens fed pesticide-tainted genetically modified corn, or from animals fed drugs or other contaminated feed - the end product will also contain traces of these contaminants. The best, if not only, way to avoid these is to start with a clean source of raw materials, in this case organically raised, pasture-raised or grass-fed animals, and make a collagen-rich soup at home.

 

What collagen does in our body

Caroline Brochard-Garnier, Communications Manager at Rousselot, a manufacturer of gelatine and collagen products for the pharmaceutical, food and nutrition markets, explains:
"When a collagen peptide preparation with optimized molecular weight and proven bioavailability is ingested, the small collagen peptides are rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream. The presence of these peptides in the skin tissue stimulates the skin cells (fibroblasts) and activates several biochemical pathways, resulting in a widespread response:
It is believed that the small collagen peptides act as a false signal for collagen degradation in the body and trigger the synthesis of new collagen fibers, which in turn increases skin suppleness and reduces wrinkling. It also stimulates the synthesis of hyaluronic acid, which leads to an increase in skin hydration."

There are many safe ways to increase collagen levels
When buying supplements, quality is always important, and this also applies to collagen products. Since they are derived from animal ingredients, the way the animals were raised and fed is of utmost importance.
Many experts also recommend increasing your intake of collagen ingredients. These include vitamin C as well as leafy vegetables and berries, which have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. In this way, the body gets what it needs to maintain and produce the collagen it requires.
Vitamin C plays an important role in collagen synthesis, so without vitamin C, the body's natural collagen production is impaired. Hyaluronic acid has also been shown to improve skin hydration and suppleness and reduce wrinkles when taken with food.

 

What alternatives are there?

Fish collagen, and in particular a form of Type I collagen, is often considered the preferred source of collagen due to its high bioavailability and absorption rate. Unlike factory farmed collagen, which often comes from CAFOs and is potentially contaminated with chemicals and pollutants, fish collagen is considered the purest and safest alternative. It is derived from fish skin and scales, which are otherwise often discarded as a by-product of the fishing industry, making it a much more sustainable option.

In addition, the molecular structure of fish collagen is very similar to human collagen, resulting in better absorption and effectiveness in the body. This is particularly beneficial for skin health, as type I collagen is an important component of the skin and helps to minimize wrinkles, improve skin elasticity and hydrate the skin. In addition, fish collagen is typically free from the heavy impurities that can be found in non-organic collagen products, making it a safer and healthier choice for those looking to boost their collagen supply.

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