Collagen for Stronger Bones? Is Collagen Vegan?
Is collagen good for osteoporosis and osteopenia? Can collagen be vegan?
These are good questions to ask because the information out there is confusing.
Bone broth is a good source of collagen.
First, we should know why we would want collagen at all.
Collagen has shown to be a promising supplement for women with osteoporosis and osteopenia.
Let's look at two studies.
This study, Specific Collagen Peptides Improve Bone Mineral Density and Bone Markers in Postmenopausal Women - A Randomized Controlled Study, came out in 2018. The researchers studied 131 post-menopausal women with low bone mineral density (BMD) at either their femoral neck (the hip) or in the spine. Half of the women dissolved 5g of collagen peptides in water before breakfast for 12 months, and the control group got a placebo to dissolve in water before breakfast. At 12 months, repeat DEXA scans found that the collagen supplement group had increased their BMD by almost 3.0% in the spine and 6.7% in the femoral neck. For the control group, BMD decreased by −1.3% for the spine and −1.0% in the femoral neck.
In 2020, the Effect of calcium and vitamin D supplementation with and without collagen peptides on bone turnover in postmenopausal women with osteopenia was published. The study was done with two groups of postmenopausal women with osteopenia (mean age 62 for both groups). Group A took a collagen peptide (Fortibone), Vitamin D, and Calcium for 3 months, while Group B took just Vitamin D and Calcium. After 3 months, the women in Group A, with the collagen peptide, showed bone marker changes that Group B did not. The authors concluded that adding collagen peptides along with Vitamin D and Calcium may have slowed down the bone turnover rate.
I do want to note that the studies were partially funded by companies that sell collagen. That said, the studies do appear to be legitimately peer-reviewed, and the scientists declared they had no conflict of interest. But it is always good to check these things when looking at results.
Collagen is not a new product and has been extensively studied by the beauty industry for its skin benefits. It is interesting to see how one product can affect multiple body systems, something we should always consider when ingesting any supplement.
So what is collagen? Collagen is a structural protein. It is frequently referred to as the “glue” in your body.
It is found in muscle, bone, tendons, ligaments, and skin. It helps hold your cells together.
Your fascia is made of collagen, which is essential for your connective tissue health.
It is made of molecules called amino acids.
We need 20 amino acids in our diet, but some of the important ones for building protein include:
Glycine, Proline, and Hydroxyproline.
amino acids build peptides. Many peptides combine to build complete proteins.
These amino acids combine to make up peptides, and when there are hundreds of amino acids linked together, they build collagen proteins.
Collagen is found abundantly in animal products.
Meat - beef, chicken Bone broth - bones boiled, collagen released Fish with bones (sardines) Shellfish - Oysters - Shrimp Egg whites
Your diet needs to include all the nutrients you need to make collagen.
And supplements might help you get all of the collagen you need as you get older.
But what if you are vegan? Can you get a vegan collagen supplement?
No. Collagen is derived from animals. There isn’t any true collagen supplement that is vegan. But, there are vegan collagen boosters or promoters. These supplements may help you make your own collagen.
Read the label on your "Vegan Collagen" and make sure your supplement has the following:
✅Vitamin C
✅Amino acids
✅Zinc
✅Copper
✅Probiotics and Prebiotics
Many products on the market use clever wording to make it seem like you are getting vegan collagen. But if you look closely at the labels, you will see the amino acids listed, but not collagen.
Collagen should be listed by type and source. For instance, you may see Type II collagen from chicken, or Type I from bovine or marine sources.
If you would like to know even more about the different types of collagen and how to pick out collagen for yourself, I have a recorded collagen masterclass available, Collagen: What's All The Hype? Should you be supplementing with collagen? It is about 37 minutes long and I go through all the details of what collagen is, why you might want to take it, and how to read a label. This class was presented to my Strong Women, Strong Bones members in October 2022.
It is not easy figuring out fact from fiction with the clever marketing out there. I hope this helps clear up the confusion. I made a short video of myself and my collagen routine you can see here on YouTube.
Here are a few brands I have tried (no affiliate links, just me sharing the info).
Maxi-life 7000 from Country Life.
Sparkle Skin Boost Plus with Verisol.
Ancient Nutrition Multi Collagen Protein.
Momentous Collagen Peptides Powder (this is the one I am currently using)
✅Stay informed and stay strong, and learn more about collagen and staying strong by joining my Strong Women, Strong Bones program. I look forward to learning with you,
Andrea Trombley PT, DPT
References:
Argyrou, C., Karlafti, E., Lampropoulou-Adamidou, K., Tournis, S., Makris, K., Trovas, G., Dontas, I., & Triantafyllopoulos, I. K. (2020). Effect of calcium and vitamin D supplementation with and without collagen peptides on bone turnover in postmenopausal women with osteopenia. Journal of musculoskeletal & neuronal interactions, 20(1), 12–17.
König, D., Oesser, S., Scharla, S., Zdzieblik, D., & Gollhofer, A. (2018). Specific Collagen Peptides Improve Bone Mineral Density and Bone Markers in Postmenopausal Women-A Randomized Controlled Study. Nutrients, 10(1), 97. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10010097
Lampropoulou-Adamidou, K., Karlafti, E., Argyrou, C., Makris, K., Trovas, G., Dontas, I. A., Tournis, S., & Triantafyllopoulos, I. K. (2022). Effect of Calcium and Vitamin D Supplementation With and Without Collagen Peptides on Volumetric and Areal Bone Mineral Density, Bone Geometry and Bone Turnover in Postmenopausal Women With Osteopenia. Journal of clinical densitometry: the official journal of the International Society for Clinical Densit