Researchers from AIBMR Life Sciences, a dietary supplement scientific and regulatory consulting practice, investigated the effects of ingesting a supplement containing collagen on the appearance of the skin.
The supplement contained a branded form of hydrolyzed type-II collagen called BioCell Collagen, derived from chicken sternal cartilage, manufactured and distributed by BioCell Technology, which also funded the study.
Dr Alexander Schauss, president and CEO of AIBMR Life Sciences and one of the co-authors of the study, presented the results in a poster at Nutrition 2019, the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition, held in Baltimore earlier this month.
“Using numerous measures, we found good statistical evidence of a benefit from the chicken sternal cartilage…for improving skin condition in both pre-menopausal and post-menopausal women,” he said.
The 12-week study involved 128 female participants aged 39 to 59 who were randomly assigned to consume either a capsule containing the active ingredients (300 mg hydrolyzed collagen type-II, 100 mg chondroitin sulfate, and 50 mg hyaluronic acid) or a placebo twice a day, preferably on an empty stomach.
Everything from facial cleaning products to moisturizers and make-up were standardized. There were multiple outcomes measured, including dryness, transepidermal water loss, collagen content, elasticity, and skin-surface hydration. Various methods were used to measure the outcomes, ranging from visual analog scales to tools such as a handheld moisture meter and collagen mapper.
Some limitations included the fact that the study results cannot be applied to males, nor could they apply to individuals under the age of 39, because of the small sample of participants belonging to a specific demographic group in the study.
Additionally, the study was relatively short. “As the current study was the first controlled clinical trial of the intervention, a longer study of at least six months might show different results,” the researchers wrote in the report.
The authors said the manuscript of the study will be published in the online and print versions of the peer reviewed journal Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine.
