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Oral Intake of Low-Molecular-Weight Collagen Peptide Improves Hydration, Elasticity, and Wrinkling in Human Skin: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study

Do-Un Kim, Hee-Chul Chung, Jia Choi, Yasuo Sakai, Boo-Yong Lee
Nutrients 2018 10(7):826

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 29949889
PubMed Central
PMC6073484
DOI
10.3390/nu10070826
Funding
This research received no external funding.
Competing interests
The paper states: "The authors and the company, Newtree Co., Ltd., declare no conflict of interest to any extent." The published affiliations nevertheless show that Do-Un Kim and Hee-Chul Chung were affiliated with Newtree, which supplied the LMWCP test material, and Yasuo Sakai was affiliated with Jellice, a collagen manufacturer. These commercial affiliations were disclosed in the article and are relevant interpretation context; they should not be described as an undisclosed conflict.

Study snapshot

DesignRandomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel-group trial
ModelKorean women aged 40–60 with photoaged skin (crow's-feet global photodamage score 2–6)
Samplen=64 randomised (33 test, 31 placebo); n=53 completed (26 test, 27 placebo)
Intervention1000 mg/day low-molecular-weight collagen peptide (LMWCP; fish-derived sutchi catfish Pangasius hypophthalmus skin, >15% tripeptide content including 3% Gly-Pro-Hyp) in a 50 mL bottle vs vehicle placebo. Both arms contained 100 mg vitamin C, fruit concentrate, flavour, excipients, and sweetener.
Duration12 weeks intake plus 2-week washout for safety
EndpointsSkin hydration (Corneometer CM 825); skin wrinkling by visual dermatologist grade using global photodamage scoring; instrumental skin wrinkling parameters R1–R5 (Skin Visiometer SV600); skin elasticity parameters R2, R5, R7 (Cutometer MPA 580); adverse events, blood chemistry, urinalysis, vital signs

What the study showed, in plain terms

Researchers gave 64 Korean women aged 40 to 60 either a daily drink containing 1000 mg of a specially prepared fish-derived collagen peptide or an identical-tasting placebo drink. Every woman had visible sun-related skin damage around the eyes at the start. After 6 and 12 weeks, dermatologists measured how hydrated, wrinkled, and elastic their skin was using standardised skin instruments.

The collagen group saw meaningfully greater improvements in skin hydration by week 6 and week 12 than the placebo group did. Their crow's-feet wrinkle scores improved significantly by week 12, alongside three of five instrumental wrinkle measurements. Two of three elasticity measurements were also better than in the placebo group by week 12. No participants reported any side effects from the collagen drink over the trial period.

The finding matters because it is one of the earliest well-conducted human trials showing that a low-molecular-weight collagen peptide with a high tripeptide content can produce measurable skin improvements at a relatively modest daily dose. It does not, however, tell us how the effect compares to other collagen preparations, or whether the improvements persist after stopping the supplement.

Key findings

  • Skin hydration in the LMWCP group rose significantly from baseline at 6 weeks (p<0.001) and 12 weeks (p<0.001); placebo saw no change at 6 weeks but a smaller significant rise at 12 weeks.
  • Between-group hydration gain was 7.23-fold greater in LMWCP than placebo at 6 weeks and 2.9-fold greater at 12 weeks.
  • Visual crow's-feet wrinkle grade improved significantly from baseline at 12 weeks in the LMWCP group (p<0.001) but not in placebo. Between-group difference significant at 12 weeks (p=0.013).
  • Instrumental wrinkling parameters R1 (skin roughness, p=0.043), R3 (average roughness, p=0.025), and R4 (smoothness depth, p=0.004) were significantly better in LMWCP than placebo at 12 weeks.
  • Skin elasticity R5 (net elasticity) rose significantly from baseline in LMWCP at 12 weeks (p=0.002); between-group R2 (overall elasticity, p=0.025) and R5 (p=0.027) were both significantly higher than placebo at 12 weeks.
  • No adverse reactions reported. All blood chemistry, urinalysis, and vital-sign parameters remained within normal ranges.

What this study can and cannot tell us

  • The sample included only Korean women aged 40–60 with photoaged skin, so direct generalization to men, other age groups and other populations is limited.
  • Only one collagen dose (1,000 mg/day) and one proprietary low-molecular-weight fish-collagen preparation were tested; the study does not establish a dose-response curve or equivalence to other collagen products.
  • Eleven of the 64 randomized participants dropped out for personal reasons, leaving 53 completers. The published efficacy results therefore need to be read in light of attrition.
  • The placebo beverage shared vehicle ingredients with the active beverage, including vitamin C, which helps control the formulation but means within-group changes should not be attributed to collagen without the between-group comparison.
  • Elasticity results were not uniformly positive: one of three parameters improved from baseline in the active group, while two of three were significantly higher than placebo at week 12.
  • The article formally declared no conflict of interest, but two authors were affiliated with Newtree and one with Jellice. Those disclosed commercial affiliations should be considered when assessing independence without being mislabeled as undisclosed conflicts.
  • The proposed peptide and hyaluronic-acid mechanisms were not directly measured in this clinical trial.

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Dr. Khaled Mahmoud, MBBChCritical Care Medicine, Longevity Science & Editorial Direction Dr. Abdulla Mostafa, PhDCellular Senescence, Neurological, Mitochondrial & Brain-Ageing Biology Dr. Amr Yasser, PhDCardiometabolic, Musculoskeletal, Gut & Bioavailability