Current Usage Areas of Collagen Supplementation

Abstract

Collagen, which is found in high amounts in the extracellular matrix, has recently become popular in the pharmaceutical, food supplement and cosmetic industries. Increasing knowledge of the sources, production techniques, chemical structure, and properties of collagen has helped develop more collagen-based commercial products and biomaterials. Collagen supplements play an important role in benefiting general health, especially for aging people. In this article, the effects of collagen support in different clinical branches such as skin regeneration, muscle-joint-bone health, sarcopenia, wound healing and osteoarthritis are reviewed. In the evaluated clinical studies, it was concluded that collagen-based supplements are useful in the treatment of diagnosed diseases and in improving complications. Although collagen generally appears to be a safe food supplement, more comprehensive human studies are needed to elucidate the effects of collagen obtained from different sources in high doses and long-term use.