What is it?
In arthritis, the protective cartilage on the ends of your bones breaks down, causing pain, swelling and problems moving the joint.
The main building block of cartilage is a protein called type II collagen, which gives cartilage it’s strength and elasticity.
Collagen is the most common protein in the human body, found in the bones, muscles, skin, and hair.
Collagen supplements are made from animal or fish materials which are processed to make them easier to digest.
How does it help improve / prevent me from getting arthritis?
When a protein is hydrolyzed, it is broken down by a chemical process into its component parts (amino acids and peptides).
Collagen hydrolysate (hydrolyzed collagen) supplements are rich in several amino acids that play an important role in collagen production.
It’s been suggested that taking collagen hydrolysate supplements can prevent or improve the symptoms of arthritis by stimulating your body to produce more joint collagen.
An undenatured protein is not damaged or significantly changed from the way it appears in nature.
Undenatured type II collagen (UC-II) is not intended to be used by your body to rebuild collagen.
Very small doses of UC-II are thought to train your body’s immune system to stop attacking its own collagen.
Am I getting this already from my diet?
Foods high in collagen include bone broths, organ meats, animal skins and sardines.
Studies have shown that hydrolyzing collagen significantly increases it’s absorption into your blood.
As a result, it is recommended to supplement with collagen in addition to incorporating collagen high foods in your diet.
Has it been tested?
- A 2017 analysis comparing 20 natural supplements for osteoarthritis found that collagen hydrolysate had a large effect in reducing pain in the short term (≤3 months)
- In the same analysis, UC-II had a large effect in reducing pain in the medium term (4-6 months)
- A 2020 analysis comparing 33 supplements for osteoarthritis found that long term (>20 months) supplementation with UC-II had considerable effects on pain, stiffness and physical function in patients with mild knee osteoarthritis
- In the same analysis, collagen hydrolysate led to considerable improvements in pain, stiffness and physical function in the medium term (10-20 months) in patients with mild to severe knee osteoarthritis
We only use the best available evidence in our analysis. Click here to learn more.
How much do I need to take?
Clinical studies have found that taking 2.5–15 grams/day of collagen hydrolysate may be safe and effective.
It is recommended to try collagen hydrolysate in safe doses along with conventional symptomatic treatments and physical therapy for at least 10 weeks.
Smalls doses of UC-II (10-40 mg/day) are believed train your body’s immune system to stop attacking its own collagen.
It is recommended to take UC-II for at least 20 weeks.
Does it have any side effects?
Collagen supplements appear to be safe for the general population.
As with any supplement, it’s best to talk with your healthcare provider before adding collagen supplements to your diet.
Is there anything else I need to know?
Vitamin C plays an essential role in collagen production in your body.
Collagen is often paired with Vitamin C in arthritis supplements as a result.
Collagen supplements are popular in the athletic community as the protein has been shown to be effective for muscle repair and recovery.
Several studies have shown that collagen peptides or supplements containing collagen may help slow the aging of your skin by reducing wrinkles and dryness.
Where is the best place to buy collagen?
For the USA, our collagen hydrolysate product recommendation is ‘Hydrolyzed Collagen Peptides Powder’ from Orgain – each serving contains 20g of high-quality hydrolyzed collagen. We recommend one serving daily, preferably with meals, for at least 10 weeks. Please consider taking this product alongside an over-the-counter Vitamin C supplement.
Our UC-II product recommendation is ‘UC-II capsules’ from Now Supplements – each serving contains 20mg of undenatured type II collagen. We recommend one serving daily, preferably with meals, for at least 20 weeks.
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