Does taking collagen powder really help build collagen fibers in the skin or any of the other things that the supplement manufacturers claim? This is one of those cases, in which the manufacturers tend to overstate their claims. They also mislead customers. Let’s look at some of the claims.
Natural Source of Glycine, Vital for Muscle Growth
Collagen are proteins. Proteins are amino acid complexes. Glycine is one of the amino acids found in collagen.
Protein is vital for muscle growth. There are numerous protein and amino acid supplements on the market. Some of them are derived from more appetizing sources, such as soy and whey. Most of the collagen-powders that you see on the market are derived from cow skin; not something that humans normally eat.
Body builders typically take protein supplements, because it is believed that 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight, per day, is needed to build muscle and it is hard to get that much protein through diet alone. So, does taking collagen powder really help build collagen or muscle? It might help build muscle, but only if a person performs strength building exercises, as well.
Promotes Wound Healing
Does taking collagen powder really help build collagen or collagen powder promote wound healing? There are medicinal powders that, when sprinkled on a wound, create a protective gel covering that promotes healing by keeping water out. There are actually better choices for this purpose, including manuka honey. Not only does manuka protect the wound, it is also has natural antibacterial activity, so it prevents infection, as well.
There are many other claims that I could dispute, when it comes to these powders, but let me take a moment to tell you about building up the skin’s collagen-content. Decreased production of collagen and elastin fibers is thought to accompany aging. This “slow-down” is partially responsible for lost firmness and wrinkling.
Clinical studies have shown that we can get the process going again, by using nourishing creams that contain specific kinds of amino acid protein complexes. Collagen are not the most effective, for this purpose.
A type of keratin, known as “Functional Keratin”, has been shown to increase firmness by 42%, increase skin-cell production by 160%, reduce inflammation, act as an antioxidant, moisturize and improve the skin’s ability to retain moisture. There are no similar studies to support the claims made by manufactures that sell collagen powders.
So, does taking collagen powder really help build collagen fibers in the skin? There is no proof to support this claim. There is only the supposition that increasing protein intake will help. You have to ask yourself this question. Do I need more protein in my diet?
Then you can probably figure out the answer too; does taking collagen powder really help build collagen. A good nutritional supplement that contains amino acids (protein building blocks) is more affordable and more nutritionally complete. A nourishing cream containing Functional Keratin is more likely to improve your appearance.