Collagen supplementation has an interesting history, and as is often the case in these matters there is all too much hype and marketing in relation to the amount of actual data. But even looking at only the clinical trials, it seems likely that collagen supplementation can produce small beneficial results in a number of aspects of aging and age-related conditions. Here, researchers demonstrate in cells, worms, mice, and a human clinical trial that one can supplement the amino acids used in the production of collagen, in the right ratio, in order to produce these benefits. The human dose used was 8400 mg gycline, 1700 mg proline, and 1700 mg hydroxyproline, taken daily for six months. The biological age measure used was TruAge, a DNA methylation clock.
Collagen supplementation has gained attention with increasing claims regarding its beneficial effects on healthy aging based on clinical observations and lifespan extension in pre-clinical models; however, how and which part of an ingested collagen promotes healthy longevity is unknown. Here, we identified the minimal required unit of ingested collagen, which consists of the proper ratio of three glycine to one proline to one hydroxyproline that was sufficient to increase the healthspan and lifespan of C. elegans, as well as collagen homeostasis in human fibroblasts in vitro.
Supplementation in 20-month-old mice improved grip strength and prevented age-related fat accumulation. In a clinical observational trial (ISRCTN93189645), oral supplementation in humans demonstrated improved skin features within three months and a reduction in biological age by 1.4 years within 6 months. Thus, a ratio of three amino acids elicits evolutionarily conserved health benefits from ingested collagens.
