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Collagen Supplements Science and Nutrition Report Introduction The word “collagen” is derived from kolla, the Greek word for glue. It is the strong fiber that weaves throughout the body for strength and support to literally hold the body together like glue would. Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body with about 14 or so known types.
Oral supplementation of collagen provides a way in which the body can be provided vital amino acids and proteoglycans (specialized sugars in the body) important to maintenance of connective tissues. Currently, two main collagen supplements are being utilized—a combined Collagen Type I & Collagen Type III oral supplement and a Collagen Type II supplement, as these are the most abundant types in the body. Collagen Type I & Collagen Type III are the chief collagen types in hair, skin, nails, tendons, ligaments, muscles, bones, teeth, eyes, and blood vessels. Although their presence is beneficial in joint tissues, Collagen Type II is the true major component of joint cartilage. Collagen Type II (particularly from chicken sternal cartilage) supplies vital amino acids, hyaluronic acid, chondroitin, and glucosamine for optimal articular (joint) cartilage support.
Studies have shown that more than 90% of the collagen found in the body is Collagen Type I & Collagen Type III, which are naturally found together as fibril forming or tissue forming collagens. The protein composition consists of nineteen amino acids responsible for growth, maintenance, and repair of the body, with unusually high proportions of the amino acids glycine and proline, as well as hydroxyproline and hydroxylysine (two amino acids unique to collagen) all found in particularly high concentration in tendons ligaments, bone, organ capsules, skin, fibrous cartilage, blood vessels and fascia. Collagen Type I provides a great deal of mechanical strength to structures like bones because of its ability to resist tension, while Collagen Type III is involved in the maintenance of expansile organs, wound healing, and tendon and ligament attachments.
*represent average grams amino acid per 100 grams, amounts may vary
Oral supplementation of Collagen Type I & Collagen Type III can be used not only for aesthetic concerns like hair, skin, and nails, but also to address damage such as a torn meniscus, back muscle problems, and even nutritional support for muscle and collagen diseases like fibromyalgia and Ehlers Danlos syndrome. In fibromyalgia, a disease involving unexplainable muscle pain, some speculate that some sufferers may have low amounts of Collagen Type III in their bodies, and this may be addressed with supplementation and nutrition. Interestingly enough, Collagen Type III is especially important in that it is the earliest collagen laid down by the body in the connective tissue healing process. In the genetic disease Ehlers Danlos syndrome, individuals lack the chromosomal marker for making collagen and suffer pain as a result. Individuals supplementing their diets with Collagen Type I and Collagen Type III have seen some relief in their symptoms, in particular when using CR2000 Collagen™ brand of Collagen Type I & Collagen Type III (produced by NeoCell Corporation experienced in collagen since 1986 and distributed exclusively in Canada by the CR2000 Collagen™ brand and Cell Renew 2000 Inc.).
Collagen Type II is the major structural component of hyaline and elastic cartilage, intervertebral discs, and vitreous humour. Collagen Type II, is also a fibril forming collagen; it complexes with important carbohydrates in these areas where resistance to tension is needed. Collagen Type II extracted from chicken sternal cartilage offers the components to supply the joints with the building blocks needed for repair. The protein content of chicken collagen II is approximately 65 70% (less than collagen I & III) and 30 35% of naturally occurring mucopolysaccharides (specialized carbohydrates in the body) that includes chondroitin, glucosamine, and most importantly hyaluronic acid. The composition of chicken Collagen Type II protein consists of eighteen amino acids. The percentages and molecular weights are different than those found in the Collagen Type I & III*.
*represent average grams amino acid per 100 grams amounts may vary. Collagen Type II has only traces of hydroxyproline and hydroxylysine, the primary difference in comparison with Collagen Type I & III. This property, along with its unique amino acid composition and the complexing it has with mucopolysaccharides gears Collagen Type II to address cartilage tissue properties, including tensile strength, cushioning, and toughness.
Consistent positive results of immune application of undenatured Collagen Type II are still in the process in human use. It was also perceived for a period of time that like Collagen Type I & III, hydrolysis of chicken Collagen Type II would also be necessary to maximize the absorption and benefits of Collagen Type II as a nutrient, therefore hydrolyzed chicken collagen was developed. Hydrolyzed Collagen Type II involves a similar process as the type I & III whereby the collagen is broken down and denatured to amino acid and peptide components. Recent laboratory testing has shown however, that the severe heat or acid steps necessary in hydrolysis can destroy and wash away some of the vital carbohydrate nutrients (mucopolysaccharides) that normally complex with the chicken Collagen Type II, including hyaluronic acid, glucosamine, and chondroitin. The latest Collagen Type II, unhydrolyzed chicken sternum cartilage Collagen Type II (under the trade name of Kolla2® made by Collagen Nutraceuticals, Inc. distributed exclusively in Canada by CR2000 Collagen™, involves a patented (U.S. patent #6838440) low temperature process that preserves a low-molecular weight structure as well as more of the important mucopolysaccharides. Researchers recognized that hydrolyzing chicken sternal Collagen Type II would lower the high levels of anti-inflammatory mucopolysaccharides present in the cartilage of six-week-old chicks (the source of chicken sternal Collagen Type II). In contrast, CR2000 Collagen™ unhydrolyzed Collagen Type II leaves the long chains of amino acids intact, but allows the body's own superior natural enzymes to recognize the precise genetic code in the healthy active molecules of chicken sternal Collagen Type II for maximum assimilation. This provides chicken sternal Collagen Type II as a building block for the body to heal itself, especially in cases of osteoarthritis. By not hydrolyzing, the CR2000 Collagen™ unhydrolyzed chicken sternal cartilage Collagen Type II provides the following ratio of nutrients (±2%):
The benefits of preserving the mucopolysaccharidesresult in the presence of the natural ratios of the building blocks the body needs to make more cartilage and other important tissues, present best in CR2000 Collagen™ unhydrolyzed chicken sternal Collagen Type II. The articular benefits of glucosamine and chondroitin are common in this day and age, but not until recently have the benefits of the third component of chicken Collagen Type II begun to be realized-hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid (HA), also known as hyaluronan, is an important disaccharide found in every tissue of the body, but in particular as an essential lubricant of healthy joints, skin and eyes. Recent attention on hyaluronic acid began after ABC News published a report on the Japanese village of Yuzuri Hara, where the residents were living long and healthy lives at much higher rates than statistics of most other peoples. After studying them, it was determined that their diets stimulated and supplied high quantities of hyaluronic acid in their bodies. In fact, to rule out the effects of genetics, younger generations of Yuzuri Hara exposed to new western foods infiltrating the region have expressed health problems and created an "upside down health pyramid" where elderly parents were outliving their adult children. Our western diets leave little room for sufficient supply of HA, therefore people have turned to the prospect of using HA-rich supplements such as CR2000 Pure H.A.TM natural hyaluronic acid. HA is part of a group of macromolecules in the body labeled as glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), which are primarily in cell membranes and in the intercellular matrix of connective tissue. Along with water, HA's unique property of high viscosity, and therefore low compressibility, provides vital shock absorption and lubrication properties. In the intercellular matrix, HA essentially operates with water to "bathe" cells by binding with almost 1000-fold of its own weight in water. This distribution along with the property of high viscosity provides for separation of cells and intercellular fibers to facilitate movement of nutrients and waste, protection of underlying tissue such as cartilage, bone, and muscle from wear and tear, and hydration and structure. HA can be found more concentrated in areas of the body that endure increased movement and friction or have a higher fluid component such as the eyes, ears, heart, and joints. In the joints, HA is secreted by chondrocytes (articular cells) and is one of the most essential components of the vitreous humor (joint fluid) that protects the joints from deterioration. HA works similarly as a component of the fluids lubricating the heart to prevent friction between the heart and surrounding membranes, as well as lubrication of the corneal epithelium on the surface of the eye. HA also provides an optically clear structural component for rigidity in the vitreous (fluid) of the eye. In addition to its physical contributions, HA has also been found to assist in regulation of cell turnover in the skin, to serve as an anti-oxidant to free-radicals generated by UV radiation, and as an aid in communication between cells in cell-mediated immune response. Just as collagen, as we age HA content in our bodies tends to decrease, but recent supplementation with an HA-rich product is providing promising results. The ability to nutritional support so many different conditions with collagen supplementation can only further interest in researching its further applications and mechanisms for support of connective tissues. *The above statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, cure, or prevent any disease. Results will vary among individuals. Always consult with your physician |
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As we age, the body’s ability to make collagen protein and its different complexes slows down. In time, a collagen deficiency occurs in the skin, joints, and other parts of the body, weakening the connective tissues that holds us together. The remaining collagen fibers may also lose their moist texture and become rigid, mainly due to free radical damage. The combined lack of collagen and dehydrated collagen can manifest itself as wrinkles; joint pain; brittle hair, skin and nails; and other connective tissue conditions.
Chicken Collagen Type II can be unhydrolyzed, undenatured, or hydrolyzed, and there are differing views on the benefits of each. Undenatured chicken Collagen Type II is "native" and unprocessed, and is theorized to induce a process of oral immune tolerance to address rheumatoid arthritis. It is thought that introducing small amounts of undenatured chicken collagen to the body may trigger positive recognition of Collagen Type II in the body so that the body's immune system will halt attacks of Collagen Type II in the joints. Small amounts are necessary because using larger amounts of native Collagen Type II can actually induce arthritic responses in the body.home | about | products | benefits | science | faq | testimonials | locate a store | contact us