Jerry Hickey, R.Ph Spotlight: Why I Use Hydrolyzed Collagen

Written by Jerry Hickey, R.Ph, Scientific Director and Pharmacist for InVite® Health

Yesterday I shared my plan for post-surgical healing. One of the nutrients I mentioned was Collagen explaining that both my wife and I customarily use collagen and here is the explanation for why. It is taken from an article I wrote for our catalog.

What is Collagen?

We are made out of protein and a great deal of this protein exists as collagen. Collagen is a structural protein – it is the foundation for building the body. Collagen is needed for joint health, bone structure, the skin, hair, nails, ligaments, tendons, lining of the intestines, meniscus of the knees, and the vertebrae and discs of the spine.

When we are young we can readily transform the protein in fish, meat and beans into collagen as needed. However, by the tender young age of about 25 we start to lose this ability. Our manufacture of collagen decreases at a rate of about 1.5 % per year. In our twenties and thirties this is not enough of a drop to mean anything but by the time we reach 50 we’ve lost about 38 % of our ability to create collagen. By the time we are 60 this reaches 53 %; we’re not making enough collagen for our bodies needs.

In our joints a hard rubbery material called cartilage covers the end of our bones. This cartilage prevents the bones from banging into and scratching one another’s surface. About 66 % of the cartilage in our joint is made out of collagen. If production slows down it is harder to maintain joint health. Recent research has shown that collagen supplement improves the formation of new cartilage cells known as chondrocytes in the shock absorbing fluid of the joint known as synovial fluid. When you bend your knee or other joints the fluid rushes in and the new cartilage cells fill in any micro-tears in the cartilage helping to nourish and maintain it.

Benefits of Hydrolyzed Collagen

About 70% of our skin is made out of sheets of collagen. With age, the skin is damaged by the sun and other factors hardening it, creating wrinkles and decreasing the elasticity of the skin. New skin production slows down and age related skin discolorations accrue. Collagen protein jump starts the production of skin and research from France and Japan shows it actually seems to fit better, is more resilient and has a better sheen. Wrinkles start to fill in and the skin is younger. Collagen also creates the related tissues; hair and nails.

Everyone knows that calcium and vitamin D are very important for bone health; collagen is just as important. The foundation and framework of bone is called the organic matrix. The matrix is where calcium and other minerals and vitamins attach to, hardening it into bone. Collagen exists in bone as thousands of highly organized tough cables and 90% of the organic matrix of bone is made out of collagen. The other 10% of the bones foundational structure is largely vitamin D and the mineral silica. As collagen production slows down it becomes harder to create this bone foundation. Research shows that taking Collagen protein strongly supports bone health and is dramatically important for any bone treatment program. Research from France shows that collagen also triggers the formation of new baby bone forming cells known as osteoblasts which in addition further help rebuild bone.

Collagen is a large molecule which is hard for us to absorb but hydrolyzing the protein breaks down the particles into smaller sizes so it is readily absorbed. The successful studies with joint, bone and skin health use hydrolyzed collagen.

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