Consumers are always looking for clinically proven products with anti-aging properties. The remarkable growth in collagen sales we saw in 2021 will not likely slow down.
This is what you need to know about collagen.
Fact #1: Collagen production decreases with age
Most people are already aware that collagen production decreases with time. But do you know why?
This is due to breakdowns induced by external factors such as sun or pollution and internal factors like glycation and diet.
In time, collagen content in the body decreases. For example, skin collagen will go from around 40% at age forty to less than 15% as we reach 70 years.
This loss in collagen content will have multiple impacts:
- Joint pain and stiffness
- Saggy and wrinkled skin
- Loss of bone density
- Brittle nails, thinning hair
Fact #2 : Collagen quality also diminishes with age
We should not only be concerned with the decreasing content of collagen but also with its decreasing quality over time.
Collagen can be categorized under four different types in the body, depending on its level of degradation. While our body produces collagen continuously, it also needs to repair collagen that becomes damaged.
Aging slows the turnover of collagen leading to the accumulation of damaged, less functional collagen.
- Thin reticulated (very fine fibres, extend in all directions)
- Coarse (thicker type of fibres, less flexible)
- Huddled (interact less with other structures)
- Curled (degraded, collagen molecule cut in pieces)
Consequently, collagen quantity and quality decrease as we grow older.
Fact #3: Collagen sales are on the rise, especially marine collagen
*Collagen Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report (Grand View Research)
Since consumers are increasingly concerned about bovine and porcine sources, for worries about greenhouse gas emissions, transmissible encephalopathies and land use, experts see alternative sources such as marine-based collagen to outpace market growth with a forecasted revenue-based CAGR of 10.0% from 2020 to 2028.
If you like to learn more about marine collagen, we suggest this webinar recorded last fall by our team:
Contact us if you have any questions about marine collagen!