What is collagen?
Collagen is a vital protein that serves as the primary structural component in various connective tissues throughout the body. It accounts for about 25% to 35% of the protein content in mammals, making it the most abundant protein in the human body. Collagen is primarily found in skin, bones, tendons, ligaments, and cartilage, where it provides strength and elasticity.
What does collagen do?
- Structural support: Collagen forms a scaffold that gives strength and structure to skin and connective tissues.
- Joint health: Collagen helps maintain cartilage integrity, which cushions joints and prevents pain.
- Skin elasticity: Collagen contributes to skin elasticity and hydration, helping to prevent wrinkles and sagging.
- Wound healing: Collagen is essential for repairing tissues and healing wounds.
The benefits of taking collagen:
Many people take collagen supplements to improve skin hydration, elasticity, and reduce wrinkles. Collagen can also help alleviate symptoms of osteoarthritis and improve joint function while some studies suggest collagen supplements may increase bone mineral density.
Types of collagen
There are at least 28 different types of collagen, but the ones most commonly used in supplements are:
- Type I: Found in skin, tendons, and bones.
- Type II: Mainly present in cartilage.
- Type III: Found alongside Type I in skin and blood vessels.
Factors affecting collagen in your body:
As we age, our ability to produce our own collagen declines. This reduction leads to increased wrinkles and sagging skin, weaker joints due to diminished cartilage and reduced bone density.
Lifestyle choices like smoking further harms collagen production and leads to premature ageing. Excessive alcohol consumption can deplete collagen levels and impair skin repair and high-sugar diets can contribute to glycation, which damages collagen fibres.
Several health conditions can adversely affect collagen levels like autoimmune diseases, diabetes, chronic sun exposure and poor nutrition .
How to slow collagen loss and the signs of ageing:
- Maintain a balanced diet rich in natural sources of vitamins C and E.
- Stay hydrated.
- Avoid smoking and limit alcohol intake.
- Use sunscreen to protect against UV damage.
Do collagen-rich foods increase the body’s collagen levels?
Eating collagen-rich foods may help boost your body’s collagen levels indirectly by providing the necessary amino acids and peptides which are the building blocks of collagen fibres. The body, however, first breaks down collagen in food into amino acids before using them to rebuild collagen. While beneficial, consuming these foods alone may not dramatically increase overall collagen levels without a balanced diet rich in supportive nutrients needed for this building process to be successful.
How are collagen supplements made and what are collagen peptides?
Most collagen supplements are derived from the skins, cartilage, tendons and bones of cows, and pigs, and occasionally chickens or fish. These sources of collagen are usually hydrolysed where they are chemically broken down with enzymes.
Hydrolysed (denatured) collagen is easier for the body to absorb than whole collagen proteins. Interestingly, most common ‘collagen’ supplements are actually forms of hydrolysed collagen i.e. they consist of peptides and amino acids not actual collagen!
How does MSM fit into this?
MSM is a naturally occurring form of sulphur, which is essential for various bodily functions and is found throughout our bodies, specifically in our connective tissue i.e. bones, tendons, ligaments and muscle. It is also found in small amounts in certain foods like fresh vegetables, meat, and dairy products. MSM is often used as a supplement to help reduce inflammation, alleviate joint pain, and improve skin health.
As a vital nutrient for optimal health, MSM needs to be constantly replenished since our modern diets are deficient in this nutrient.
Research has shown that MSM is essential to the many structures and functions of the human body. Because of this, supplementing an MSM-deficient diet with 99.9% pure, 4 times distilled MSM known as OptiMSM® may result in a variety of benefits.
It is believed that a lack of MSM can be the possible cause of the following symptoms:
- Inflammation
- Slow recovery after injury
- Autoimmune conditions such as Asthma, Lupus, Food intolerances, Arthritis, Scleroderma and Fibromyalgia
When the body’s optimal levels of sulphur are restored, many of these conditions are relieved.
Similarities and Differences:
While both MSM and collagen are beneficial for skin, joint and connective tissue health, they work in different ways:
Function:
- Collagen provides structural support and elasticity to tissues.
- MSM acts as a source of sulphur, which helps in the synthesis of collagen and other proteins.
Benefits:
- Collagen supplements are primarily aimed at improving skin hydration, and connective tissue structure.
- MSM is known for its anti-inflammatory properties and may help reduce joint pain and swelling and support healthy connective tissue.
Synergistic effects:
To form new collagen fibres, the body needs sulphur to help bind together the amino acid and peptide building blocks of collagen, much like cement binds together bricks when building a wall. Recent studies have suggested that combining MSM with collagen supplements may boost their effectiveness and have a synergistic effect. This combination has resulted in significant improvements in skin texture, hydration, and reduced wrinkles compared to collagen alone. The combination provides synergistic benefits, making it more effective for skin and joint health.
 | THRESHHold Joint Support: THRESHHold Joint Support , with high-quality OptiMSM®, is a health supplement for optimal joint health and mobility. ThreshHold is your daily supplement to enhance your quality of life by improving the way you move. |
- Healthy joints: Move with greater ease and reduced discomfort. THRESHHold Joint Support increases joint stability, helps prevent injuries, allows for controlled movement, and helps withstand everyday wear and tear.
- Joint mobility: THRESHHold Joint Support helps support a normal range of motions for performing daily activities and, helps reduce the risk of muscle strain and soft tissue injuries.
- Joint comfort: THRESHHold Joint Support promotes a free range of joint movement.
THRESHHold Joint Support is safe for long-term use and recommended as a long-term supplement for people with chronic joint discomfort. Safe to use in conjunction with other medication. A single tablet of THRESHHold Joint Support contains 1,000 mg of OptiMSM.
 | THRESHHold Real MSM: THRESHHold Real MSM is an anti-inflammatory and assists in the temporary relief of pain , swelling, redness, inflammation and difficult mobility of joints in patients with arthritis. |
It improves the range of motion and physical function in arthritic patients. THRESHHold Real MSM supports recovery from exercise and reduces post-exercise muscle soreness and joint pain.
Each THRESHHold® Real MSM tablet contains 1000mg OptiMSM®.
References and additional reading:
- Clinical study: Collagen peptides and MSM unveil the secrets to beauty from within (no date) Cosmetics Business. Available at: https://cosmeticsbusiness.com/clinical-study-collagen-peptides-and-msm-unveil-the-secrets-to-beauty-from-within-209697
- Collagen: Benefits, side effects, and more (no date) Healthline. Available at: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/collagen
- Collagen: What it is, types, function & benefits (2024) Cleveland Clinic. Available at: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/23089-collagen
- Kubala, J. (2023) Top 8 health benefits of MSM supplements, Healthline. Available at: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/msm-supplements
- Payal Patel, M. and Maryanne Makredes Senna, M. (2023) Considering collagen drinks and supplements?, Harvard Health. Available at: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/considering-collagen-drinks-and-supplements-202304122911
Listen to the podcast here: Collagen decoded: The building blocks of health