Collagen is in your face: You have plenty and if youre a woman you were likely told to fear losing it before you knew what it was. Seeing Goldie Hawns characters doctor refuse to inject her with more in The First Wives Club is my earliest memory.

Injecting collagen is currently less popular than shooting in hyaluronic acid or Botox (Ms Hawn injected her lips with saline for the film), but collagen is still big business in other forms. Youve probably seen ads for skin-smoothing collagen supplements. The wide variety on the market is sometimes promoted with female customer testimonials.

The collagen in supplements comes from a variety of animal and vegan sources and determining which (if any) works as promised is challenging.

I am directing this piece towards women because the anti-ageing collagen supplement business targets us. We typically have less collagen in our skin naturally. Also, while both men and women lose collagen over time, women can lose a visibly significant amount quickly during menopause because of the role oestrogen plays in our collagen development.

Transparency troubles

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland is responsible for regulating supplements under various European Directives transposed into Irish law, but the standard of proof of efficacy is not the same as that for pharmaceuticals. For the media, it is hard to honestly recommend any supplement that effectively beefs up the skins collagen beyond sharing the manufacturers own research and a still small number of independent studies involving collagen peptides that may not be in the given supplement.

Even unsponsored testimonials that a customer or journalist shares after trying one brand may be undermined by the influence of their unshared lifestyle habits and exposures. Dr Andrea Suarez, a Houston-based dermatologist who has made informational videos on these supplements as they pertain to the skin, points out that our knowledge of test subjects in collagen trials is similarly limited. We know nothing about their medical histories or their diets and lifestyle habits during these trials.

Testing any supplement for yourself takes some investment, as you may need to consume well over a months worth of any given product before making a fair assessment, depending on the brands advice.

How it works

Supplement brands may benefit unfairly from a widespread understanding that collagen in your skin makes you look younger coupled with misunderstanding of how the body processes the collagen we swallow.

We can consume collagen in our diet, but this doesnt necessarily become collagen in our body, says Maria Lucey, a registered dietitian based in Dublin. The body recognises collagen supplements as protein, and this is then broken down into amino acids that join the pool of the amino acids we get from food.

The body draws from this pool for whatever it needs protein for most, which may not be collagen. The supplements have no agency, they cant tell your body theyre earmarked for the skin.

Perhaps more importantly, protein is just one co-factor required for the skins collagen development. The skins natural collagen synthesis is a complex operation that require resources and behaviours that no supplement can cover.

Pro-collagen foods

There are many foods that can help your body make better quality collagen (quality does decline with age) and to repair or replace damaged collagen. Cooking with your collagen in mind can result in a fabulous, varied diet that benefits multiple bodily systems, not just the skin.

As mentioned, the body processes collagen supplements into amino acids and it is true that protein helps with making your own collagen. Ideal sources include lean meat, fish, and legumes. Egg whites are high in the amino acid lysine, which is important for collagen synthesis.

Healthy skin cells are coated with a protective fatty membrane. Omega 3 fatty acids support this and help prevent collagen destruction. If you dont like fish, you can get these from walnuts and chia and flaxseeds.

Dark green, leafy vegetables are an important group, their vitamin C is vital to collagen synthesis and important for good overall health. These vegetables are also high in folic acid which is important to healthy skin cell division and proliferation. Folic acid is a great support to your genetically imputed rate of skin healing and repair. Red fruits and vegetables are packed with lycopene, which better equips your skin to handle environmental stressors, further protecting your collagen. Harley Street dermatologist Dr Sam Bunting recommends a tomato (as well as an unpeeled apple) a day for glowing skin.

Orange vegetables have Vitamin A, which helps restore and repair damaged collagen.

It is better to get your Vitamin A from food than supplements because this is a fat-soluble vitamin that can accumulate in the body to toxic levels if you keep taking it without a doctors supervision. Orange foods are also rich in carotenoids, which help to protect collagen from the stress of your daily grind.

Vitamin C-rich fruits are delicious berries, kiwi, citrus fruits and so good for collagen production. Soy is packed with isoflavones and has genistein, which helps inhibit the collagen-destroying enzyme family matrix metalloproteinases, which we produce in response to UV radiation and oxidative stress. Garlic is a great natural source of sulphur, which is very helpful in healthy collagen production. Garlic is also high in taurine and lipoic acid, which support collagen repair. Combining Vitamin C, garlic, protein, and much more, hummus and carrot batons make a pretty skin-perfect snack.

Sugar and alcohol vs collagen

Collagen provides skin with most of its structural integrity and makes up a whopping 75% of its dry weight.

Age-related decline contributes to its breakdown but there are many lifestyle factors and exposures that speed this up, including UV radiation, stress, smoking, pollution, lack of sleep, and high sugar and alcohol consumption. Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) destroy collagen and are most often associated with a diet high in processed, sugary foods. Red meat has higher levels of AGEs than white meat, as does smoked or fried meat. Food preparation plays a role. For example, fried chips are higher in AGEs than a baked potato. Low heat and slow cooking are generally better for your face.

Its not that we need to cut out [less nutritious] foods completely, but their presence in the diet can mean nutritional needs are not met elsewhere, says Maria Lucey.

For example, we know that 80% of Irish adults dont meet their daily fibre needs and around 47% of Irish women dont meet their iron needs. Displacement is an issue.

Alcohol dehydrates the skin and weakens its natural antioxidant defence system. Alcohol causes skin inflammation, releasing a histamine that dilates the bloods capillaries. The redness this causes can become permanent over time and the inflammation impedes collagen repair.

Wine and beer contain sulphites that can cause facial puffiness. Someone always mentions the polyphenol resveratrol in red wine whenever I talk about alcohol and the skin. Resveratrol is great but red wine is a dehydrating vasodilator, so its probably better for the skin to moderate your consumption and get most of your resveratrol directly from red or purple grapes.

Collagen and oestrogen

Oestrogen is important to collagen synthesis and menopause can make a significant difference to womens skin in a brief period. The menopause is a tiring and potentially vulnerable time, taking better care of yourself than you ever have is in order, and I would strongly recommend seeing a doctor before having any cosmetic treatments or buying new skincare or supplements. People who work in retail, salons, aesthetic clinics, and spas are trained to deal with your outsides and menopause is an internal change.

The decision to start hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is very personal, but we do know that one of the benefits is more youthful-looking skin that functions better. HRT supports new, healthy collagen development and the strengthening of skins natural moisture barrier.

Studies show that oestrogen can increase the collagen content of the skin, says Geraldine Sexton, a Tullamore-based dietitian and behaviour and mindset coach specialising in womens health.

A study in 2000 (randomised, double blind, and placebo-controlled) demonstrated a 6.5% increase in skin collagen fibres after six months treatment with oestrogen, she says.

Another study showed that skin elasticity in women declines post-menopause at a rate of 1.5% and this isnt seen in women taking HRT. There is nothing vain about looking into HRT and, in my view, it doesnt mean youre surrendering to the patriarchy (an argument Ive seen made in newspapers mainstream broadsheets more than once), skin that functions optimally is important for sound health reasons.

It is worth noting, however, that HRT will not replenish collagen damage you may be doing through UV exposure. Wearing broad-spectrum SPF50 every day is non-negotiable if you are serious about protecting your collagen.

Supplementary ideas

Some supplements are useful in maintaining good skin because some things are difficult to get without consuming large quantities of food.

Supplementing with Vitamin D, for example, can help skin heal and may be necessary year-round with the Irish climate. Many women are iron insufficient because of their diet and menstruation. Magnesium is another mineral we tend to consume insufficiently. Our levels are lower during menstruation because of hormonal activity. Magnesium is helpful for skin health in menopause and can reduce unwanted side effects like sleep deprivation and depression. Even though some of my sources recommend specific brands for the above, I am reluctant to direct readers towards anything theyre not certain they lack. It is safer and more efficient to get some bloodwork done, keep detailed notes on symptoms, and ask your doctor lots of questions.

I am not reluctant to share that I am unconvinced collagen supplements for the skin are worth trying and am concerned that this trend is costly and under-researched. I also worry that relying on these supplements may have women denying themselves the more rounded benefits they can get other ways. Helping your collagen thrive through dietary and lifestyle changes, HRT (if you want it) and perhaps some supplements recommended by your GP has more solid, independent research behind it and will have many additional benefits for your body and overall wellbeing. Mother Nature is no feminist.

It isnt fair that we lose collagen at a different rate to men in mid-life and feel more judged socially for it but when it comes to your health, as Ivana Trump tells the First Wives Club: Dont get mad, get everything.

Original post:
Do collagen supplements live up to the hype and will they transform my skin? - Irish Examiner