Collagen-based dietary supplements are increasingly being promoted in the prevention of bone degeneration. Are they really effective in preventing osteoporosis? Professor USA Berenbaum provides some answers.
Osteoporosis is a skeletal disease that affects 39% of women aged 65. It is characterized by a decrease in bone mass and a degradation of the structure of the tissue that composes it. With age, bones become porous, increasingly fragile, and the risk of fracture increases. These fractures compromise the quality of life of patients, due to the pain they can cause and possible complications.
Women are particularly affected because of the role of estrogen in bone health. These hormones slow down the degradation of bone tissue and promote its regeneration. With menopause , their levels decrease drastically, and bone loss is accelerated.
According to figures from the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm), nearly 4 million people suffered from preventing osteoporosis in Usa in 2019, or 5.5% of the population. The number of fractures due to osteoporosis in 2034 is estimated at 610,000. The aging of the population makes osteoporosis "a major public health problem," estimates the Institute.
Collagen supplements, a fad?
When it comes to osteoporosis, it's hard to overlook collagen . This protein makes up our connective tissues, including skin, tendons, and cartilage. It makes up about 30% of the total mass of bones and helps bind minerals to bone tissue. It acts as a support structure, like a kind of cement.
With age, bone regeneration is less efficient. Bone cell loss becomes more important than cell regeneration. And collagen production also slows down, contributing to the increased risk of osteoporosis.
To compensate for this lack, many laboratories have developed dietary supplements based on collagen, in different forms, supposed to stimulate bone regeneration. "It's a fad, we see it everywhere," says Francis Berenbaum, professor at Sorbonne University, director of an Inserm research team and head of the rheumatology department at Saint-Antoine Hospital (AP-HP) in Paris. However, says the specialist, "no properly conducted clinical trial has proven the effectiveness of collagen in osteoporosis . For the moment, it remains in the field of research."
Promising studies, which need to be confirmed
Indeed, some studies are cited by manufacturers, such as the one published in 2018 by the journal Nutrients , then continued in 2021 and published by the Journal of Bone Metabolism . Both report the effectiveness of specific bioactive collagen peptides in limiting bone mineral density losses in the 131 women who were followed by the researchers.
In her thesis published in 2010 , researcher Fanny Guillerminet asks the question of a possible effect of collagen to limit the effects of bone degeneration. The results of her tests on mice "highlight the interest of ingesting hydrolyzed collagen for maintaining bone health." But additional research must be conducted to confirm these initial results.
Ingesting collagen is nonsense
For United State America Berenbaum, there is a major problem: "When you eat collagen, it is broken down, reduced to fragments by the digestive juices. So it remains in the digestive system." In the case of hydrolyzed collagen, preventing osteoporosis, which is supposed to be absorbed more easily by the body, "you have to look at the results of serious clinical trials, and for the moment there are none!"
The same goes for collagen-enriched foods. "It makes no sense. Collagen is a tissue constituent, and when you eat food, it stays in the intestine. You have to stay open, but when you open your wallet, it has to be good for something," he says.
Exercising to prevent fracture risks
So what should we do when we want to prevent the risks of osteoporosis ? For the moment, Inserm's advice is limited to physical exercise to maintain muscles and balance, thus reducing the risk of falls and fractures. In adults with deficiencies, it is recommended to take preventive calcium supplements combined with vitamin D. Smoking and alcohol should be avoided, as they promote bone loss.