Collagen Myths & Misconceptions (Dr. Marita Schauch Bsc N.D.)

Collagen

Collagen is beneficial for arthritis, skin ulcers due to vascular insufficiency, burns, wounds, and sprains and strains ...
Collagen is one of the major proteins found in the soft tissue and connective tissue of humans and other mammals. As a supplement, Collagen acts as a source of amino acids for use in making and repairing connective tissue all over the body. Thus collagen is used to repair skin that is damaged by wounds and burns, and it can also help to support healthy cartilage, ligaments and tendons in the body. Natural health practitioners commonly recommend collagen supplementation for joint injury, arthritis, joint inflammation, skin ulcers, burns, wounds, as well as joint strains and sprains.

Cartilage and Joint Support
Cartilage is the connective tissue pad that acts as a cushion and eliminates friction in your joints. It is the cushion in your knees, and other large joints, and it forms the pads that space each vertebra to help protect the spinal cord. Wear-and-tear injuries occur in the joints and cause less support, less cushioning and more friction. Breakdown of cartilage is responsible for erosive conditions, such as osteoarthritis. For more information, please see our Osteoarthritis article. Interestingly, the presence of the stress hormone cortisol in the blood promotes the breakdown of collagen into its amino acid building blocks. To help avoid this, please see our article on Stress.

Skin
Collagen is one of the main building blocks of our skin. The structure of collagen actually draws water into the tissues, resulting in firm, plump, youthful skin. Thus, a lack of sufficient cartilage can result in wrinkles and sagging of skin associated with aging. Collagen is often added to skin care products for topical application against wrinkles and age spots. In addition to keeping our youthful glow, the presence of collagen heals skin ulcers by repairing the skin and increasing the integrity of the arteries and veins. Because collagen provides the building blocks for skin repair, it can speed the healing of most wounds.

TYPES OF COLLAGEN
There are a large number of collagen types in the body, referred to in the health industry by roman numeral. Four of these are the main ones used to form our tissues and organs.

Type I & III collagen
Type I collagen is the type found in over 90% of the body. It is found in skin, tendon, vascular ligature, organs, bone, and scar tissue. In fact, collagen type I is the main organic component of the bone. Type III collagen is commonly found alongside type I in the human body. These types of collagen can also be used to provide the building blocks to help repair damaged ligaments and tendons. 

Type II collagen
Over 50% of cartilage protein is made of type II collagen. This type is also commonly called hyaline cartilage. Cartilage is the tissue that eliminates friction in your joints. Because of this, type II collagen is often used as a supplement to provide the building blocks for the protection and repair of cartilage in the body. This allows it to be used to help treat wear-and-tear injuries, and erosive joint conditions like osteoarthritis. 

Type IV collagen
This particular type of collagen is found in the body's tissues and actually forms the vast majority of the basement membrane. This means that it forms the main connections between the bases of the cells of our tissues. This allows type IV collagen to support proper healing of wounds.

How can I take collagen?
Various types of collagen can be found as encapsulated powder or liquid. They are usually combined with other joint repairing nutrients and vitamins. Sometimes cartilage is directly supplemented to be a source of collagen, particularly type II collagen. When found individually, type II collagen is found as a component of pain relieving and anti-inflammatory formulas. It is often added to anti-aging skin care products. Type I & III collagen are also available and should be used after good results are found with type II to further rebuild damaged joints or tissue. Depending on the severity of joint destruction collagen may need to be taken for a few months before results are seen.