Collagen Studies

The effect and effectiveness of collagen and collagen supplements has been the subject of scientific research for many years. Our aim is to achieve the best results for you with our products. It is therefore important to show you how collagen can benefit your body.

We have therefore compiled a number of studies here that rigorously analyse the effects of collagen. We have carefully selected studies that have been conducted on human subjects and meet established scientific standards to ensure their credibility.

Here you will find an overview of the current state of scientific knowledge.

Study : “Oral supplementation of specific collagen peptides has beneficial effects on human skin physiology: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study”

Authors : E. Proksch , D. Segger , J. Degwert , M. Schunck , V. Zague , S. Oesser

Published in : Skin Pharmacology and Physiology

Release date : August 2013

Link : https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23949208/

Number of participants : 69

Duration : 8 weeks

Results and Conclusions : The study showed a statistically significant improvement in skin elasticity in both collagen hydrolyzate dosage groups compared to placebo. After a 4-week follow-up treatment, a statistically significantly higher level of skin elasticity was found in the older women. With regard to skin moisture and skin evaporation, a subgroup analysis showed a positive influence of collagen hydrolyzate treatment, but the data did not reach a level of statistical significance. No side effects were noted throughout the study.

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Study : “Oral Intake of Specific Bioactive Collagen Peptides Reduces Skin Wrinkles and Increases Dermal Matrix Synthesis”

Authors : E. Proksch, M. Schunck, V. Zague, D. Segger, J. Degwert, S. Oesser

Published in : Skin Pharmacology and Physiology

Release date : December 24, 2013

Link : https://macau.uni-kiel.de/servlets/MCRFileNodeServlet/macau_derivate_00003416/355523.pdf

Number of participants : 114

Duration : 8 / 12 weeks

Results and conclusions : Oral intake of specific collagen peptides led to a pronounced, statistically significant reduction in the volume of wrinkles in the eyes and had a positive effect on the synthesis of the dermal matrix.

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Study : “Oral intake of collagen peptide NS improves hydration, elasticity, desquamation, and wrinkling in human skin: A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study”

Authors : M. Lee, E. Kim, H. Ahn, S. Son, HJ Lee

Published in: Food & Function

Release date : March 2023

Link : https://www.researchgate.net/publication/368945274_Oral_intake_of_collagen_peptide_NS_improves_hydration_elasticity_desquamation_and_wrinkling_in_human_skin_A_randomized_double-blinded_placebo-controlled_study

Number of participants : 100

Duration : 12 weeks

Results and Conclusions : Daily intake of specific collagen peptides for 12 weeks showed positive effects on skin health. Compared to the placebo group, peeling, hydration, wrinkle formation and skin elasticity improved significantly after 4 and 12 weeks, respectively. None of the participants experienced any side effects during the clinical study period.

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Study : “Oral Supplementation of Low-Molecular-Weight Collagen Peptides Reduces Skin Wrinkles and Improves Biophysical Properties of Skin: A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Study”

Authors : J. Kim, SG Lee, J. Lee, S. Choi, J. Suk, JH Lee, JH Yang, JS Yang, J. Kim

Published in : Journal of Medicinal Food

Release date : December 2022

Link : https://www.researchgate.net/publication/366283713_Oral_Supplementation_of_Low-Molecular-Weight_Collagen_Peptides_Reduces_Skin_Wrinkles_and_Improves_Biophysical_Properties_of_Skin_A_Randomized_Double-Blinded_Placebo-Controlled_Study

Number of participants : 100

Duration : 12 weeks

Results and Conclusions : Oral intake of specific collagen peptides resulted in improvement of wrinkling, elasticity, hydration and barrier integrity of photoaged facial skin. After 12 weeks, the 10-point crow's foot photo scale score, eye wrinkle volume, skin roughness parameters, skin elasticity (R2 and R7) and skin moisture were significantly improved in the test group compared to the placebo group. There were no adverse events or laboratory analysis abnormalities associated with ingestion of the test product during the study period.

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Study : “The effect of oral collagen peptide supplementation on skin moisture and the dermal collagen network: evidence from an ex vivo model and randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials”

Authors : Jérome Asserin , Elian Lati , Toshiaki Shioya , Janne Prawitt

Published in : Journal of Cosmetic Dermatoloty

Release date : September 12, 2015

Link : https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26362110/

Number of participants : 33 / 106

Duration : 12 weeks

Results and Conclusions: Oral intake of collagen peptides was effective in improving signs of skin aging. After 8 weeks, oral collagen peptide supplementation significantly increased skin moisture. The collagen density in the dermis increased significantly and the fragmentation of the dermal collagen network decreased significantly after just 4 weeks of supplementation. Both effects lasted after 12 weeks. Ex vivo experiments showed that collagen peptides stimulate both collagen and glycosaminoglycan production.

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Study : “A Collagen Supplement Improves Skin Hydration, Elasticity, Roughness, and Density: Results of a Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Blind Study”

Authors : Liane Bolke , Gerrit Schlippe , Joachim Gerß , Werner Voss

Published in : Nutrients

Release date : October 2019

Link : https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6835901/

Number of participants : 72

Duration : 12/16 weeks

Results and Conclusions : In the study, the test product used significantly improved skin moisture, elasticity, roughness and density. The differences between the test group and the placebo group were statistically significant for all test parameters. These positive effects were essentially maintained during follow-up (4 weeks). The measured effects were in complete agreement with the subjective assessments of the study participants. The product was well tolerated.

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Study : “Dietary Supplementation with Specific Collagen Peptides Has a Body Mass Index-Dependent Beneficial Effect on Cellulite Morphology”

Authors : Michael Schunck , Vivian Zague , Steffen Oesser , Ehrhardt Proksch

Published in : Journal of Medicinal Food

Release date : December 17, 2015

Link : https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26561784/

Number of participants : 105

Duration : 6 months

Results and Conclusions : The study showed that regular intake of specific bioactive collagen peptides over a period of 6 months resulted in a significant improvement in skin texture in women suffering from moderate cellulite. Treatment with specific bioactive collagen peptides led to a statistically significant decrease in the degree of cellulite and less skin waviness on the thighs in normal-weight women. In addition, skin density was significantly improved compared to placebo. The effectiveness of treatment with specific bioactive collagen peptides was also confirmed in obese women, although the effect was less pronounced compared to women with normal body weight.

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Study: “The oral intake of specific Bioactive Collagen Peptides has a positive effect on hair thickness”

Authors: Steffen Oesser

Published in: Nutrafoods

Release date: April 2020

Link: https://www.nutrafoods.eu/index.php/nutra/article/view/9

Number of participants: 44

Duration: 16 weeks

Results and conclusion: The study showed a statistically significant increase (+31%) in the cell profiling rate of hair follicle cells and a statistically significant increase in hair thickness compared to the placebo group.

Study : “Oral supplementation with specific bioactive collagen peptides improves nail growth and reduces symptoms of brittle nails”

Authors : Doris Hexsel , Vivian Zague , Michael Schunck , Carolina Siega , Fernanda O. Camozzato , Steffen Oesser

Published in : Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology

Release date : August 2017

Link : https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28786550/

Number of participants : 25

Duration : 24 / 28 weeks

Results and Conclusions : The study showed that daily intake of bioactive collagen peptides increased nail growth and improved brittle nails, while significantly decreasing the frequency of broken nails. Specifically, treatment with bioactive collagen peptides resulted in a 12% increase in nail growth rate and a 42% decrease in the frequency of broken nails. Additionally, 64% of participants achieved global clinical improvement in brittle nails and 88% of participants experienced improvement 4 weeks after treatment. The majority of participants (80%) agreed that the use of bioactive collagen peptides improved the appearance of their nails and were completely satisfied with the effect of the treatment.

Study: “Specific Bioactive Collagen Peptides in Osteopenia and Osteoporosis: Long-Term Observation in Postmenopausal Women”

Authors: D. Zdzieblik, S. Oesser, D. Konig.

Published in: Journal of Bone Metabolism

Release Date: August 31, 2021

Link: https://www.e-jbm.org/journal/view.php?number=626 

Number of participants: 31 

Duration: 4 Jahre

Results and conclusions: The study demonstrated the significant effectiveness of specific bioactive collagen peptides in improving bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis or osteopenia. Over four years, 31 participants received daily 5g doses of these peptides, resulting in clinically notable increases in BMD in the spine (5.79% to 8.16%) and femoral neck (1.23% to 4.21%). These improvements are particularly significant considering the average annual loss of BMD in postmenopausal women, which is 0.022 and 0.013 g/cm² in the spine and hip respectively. Thus, the observed improvements represent a substantial 7% increase compared to expected losses, indicating a pronounced, clinically relevant effect. Remarkably, no osteoporotic fractures occurred during the observation period, further supporting the positive impact of collagen peptides on BMD and their clinical relevance in osteoporosis treatment.

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Study : “Effects of oral intake of collagen peptides on bone markers-a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel-group, comparison study”

Authors : S. Shimotsuma, T. Yamamoto, S. Mori, M. Morita

Published in : Japanese Pharmacology and Therapeutics

Release date : January 2019

Link : https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332711058_Effects_of_oral_intake_of_collagen_peptides_on_bone_markers-a_randomized_double-blind_placebo-controlled_parallel-group_comparison_study-

Number of participants : 24

Duration : 12 weeks

Results and conclusions : After 12 weeks of oral intake of specific collagen peptides from pig skin, the serum biomarker of bone metabolism was significantly better in the test group than in the placebo group. The biomarkers of bone metabolism in urine were not significantly changed. The results suggest that daily consumption of collagen peptides from pig skin could have a positive effect on bone formation.

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Study : “Specific Collagen Peptides Improve Bone Mineral Density and Bone Markers in Postmenopausal Women—A Randomized Controlled Study”

Authors : Daniel König , Steffen Oesser , Stephan Scharla , Denise Zdzieblik , Albert Gollhofer

Published in : Nutrients

Release date : January 2018

Link : https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5793325/

Number of participants : 102

Duration : 12 months

Results and conclusions : The bone mineral density (“bone mineral density / BMD”) of the spine and femoral neck increased significantly compared to the control group. The intake of specific collagen peptides increased bone mineral density in postnemopausal women with a primary, age-related decrease in BMD. Furthermore, supplementation with a specific collagen peptide was associated with a favorable change in bone markers, suggesting increased bone formation and reduced bone loss.

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Study : “A Calcium-Collagen Chelate Dietary Supplement Attenuates Bone Loss in Postmenopausal Women with Osteopenia: A Randomized Controlled Trial”

Authors : Marcus L. Elam , Sarah A. Johnson , Shirin Hooshmand , Rafaela G. Feresin , Mark E. Payton , Jennifer Gu , Bahram H. Arjmandi

Published in : Journal of Medicinal Food

Release date : March 3, 2015

Link : https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/jmf.2014.0100

Number of participants : 39

Duration : 6-12 months

Results and Conclusions : The study demonstrated the long-term effectiveness of a calcium-collagen chelate (CC) dietary supplement in reducing bone loss in postmenopausal women with osteopenia. Total body, lumbar spine and hip bone mineral density was measured at baseline and after 6 and 12 months determined. The study group had significantly lower levels of sclerostin and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase isoform 5b and a higher bone-specific alkaline phosphatase/TRAP5b ratio than the control group at 6 months. These results support the use of calcium-collagen chelation to reduce bone loss in osteopenic postmenopausal women.

Study : “24-Week study on the use of collagen hydrolysate as a dietary supplement in athletes with activity-related joint pain”

Authors : Kristine L. Clark , Wayne Sebastianelli , Klaus R. Flechsenhar , Douglas F. Aukermann , Felix Meza , Roberta L. Millard , John R. Deitch , Paul S. Sherbondy , Ann Albert

Published in : Current Medical Research and Opinion

Release date : April 15, 2008

Link : https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18416885/

Number of participants : 97

Duration : 24 weeks

Results and Conclusions: The study showed an improvement in joint pain in athletes treated with the dietary supplement collagen hydrolyzate. There were statistically significant changes in six parameters compared to placebo: joint pain at rest, joint pain when walking, joint pain when standing, joint pain when carrying objects and joint pain when lifting. The results suggest that athletes consuming collagen hydrolyzate can reduce parameters (such as pain) that negatively impact athletic performance.

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Study : “Change in knee osteoarthritis cartilage detected by delayed gadolinium enhanced magnetic resonance imaging following treatment with collagen hydrolysate: a pilot randomized controlled trial”

Authors : TE McAlindon, M Nuite, N Krishnan, R Ruthazer, LL Price, D Burstein, J Griffith, K Flechsenhar

Published in : Osteoarthritis and Cartilage
Release date : February 17, 2011
Link : https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21251991/
Number of participants : 30

Duration : 24 / 48 weeks

Results and Conclusions : The study demonstrated a statistically significant increase in proteoglycan density in the median and lateral areas of the tibia in patients treated with a specific collagen hydrolyzate compared to the placebo group by analyzing cartilage scans. According to the results, oral intake of a specific collagen hydrolyzate has a direct impact on human cartilage tissue.

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Study : “Improvement of activity-related knee joint discomfort following supplementation of specific collagen peptides”

Authors : Denise Zdzieblik 1 , Steffen Oesser 2 , Albert Gollhofer 3 , Daniel König 3

Published in : Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism

Release date : June 2017

Link : https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28177710/

Number of participants : 139

Duration : 12 weeks

Results and Conclusions : The study showed that supplementation of specific collagen peptides resulted in a statistically significant improvement in activity-related joint pain in young adults with functional knee problems. The results also showed a statistically significant improvement in pain under resting conditions, but no significance was found compared to placebo. At the same time, secondary treatments such as massage and physiotherapy were significantly reduced in the study group.

Study : “Effects of 12 Weeks of Hypertrophy Resistance Exercise Training Combined with Collagen Peptide Supplementation on the Skeletal Muscle Proteome in Recreationally Active Men”

Authors : Vanessa Oertzen-Hagemann , Marius Kirmse , Britta Eggers , Kathy Pfeiffer , Katrin Marcus , Markus de Marées , Petra Platen

Published in : Nutrients

Release date : May 2019

Link : https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6566884/

Number of participants : 25

Duration : 12 weeks

Results and conclusions : The study showed that after 12 weeks of hypertrophy resistance training in combination with collagen supplementation, the study group had a significantly higher body weight (body mass / BM) and fat free mass (FFM as well as a placebo) compared to a placebo After the intervention, study participants had a significantly higher number of upregulated proteins and significantly more signaling pathways associated with strength training than placebo participants, suggesting that the combination of strength training and supplementation had stronger effects on the proteome of skeletal muscle than strength training alone. In contrast to these significant effects on the proteome, the gains in muscle strength were not as significant.

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Study : “Collagen peptide supplementation in combination with resistance training improves body composition and increases muscle strength in elderly sarcopenic men: a randomized controlled trial”

Authors : Denise Zdzieblik , Steffen Oesser , Manfred W. Baumstark , Albert Gollhofer , Daniel König

Published in : The British Journal of Nutrition

Release date : October 2015

Link : https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26353786 /

Number of participants : 53

Duration : 12 weeks

Results and Conclusions : The study showed that taking collagen peptides in combination with resistance training improved body composition in older people by increasing fat-free mass (FFM), muscle strength and fat mass loss (FM).

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Study : “Specific Collagen Peptides in Combination with Resistance Training Improve Body Composition and Regional Muscle Strength in Premenopausal Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial”

Authors : Patrick Jendricke , Christoph Centner , Denise Zdzieblik , Albert Gollhofer , Daniel König

Published in : Nutrients

Release date : April 2019

Link : https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/11/4/892

Number of participants : 77

Duration : 12 weeks

Results and Conclusions : The study showed that resistance training combined with supplementation of specific collagen peptides resulted in significantly greater increases in fat-free mass and handgrip strength in the study group than resistance training and placebo supplementation in the control group. In addition, there was a significantly greater loss of fat mass and a more pronounced increase in leg strength in the study group compared to the control group.