Collagen has many physiological regulating functions, such as preventing and treating osteoarthritis and osteoporosis, improving skin moisture, skin texture and anti-aging, anti-allergic and immune functions, protecting gastric mucosa, anti-ulcer, and inhibiting blood pressure. Some special amino acids in collagen also have anti-cancer effects.

Contribute to the health of bones and joints: Studies have shown that low molecular weight (<10kDa) collagen can significantly promote the health of bones and joints.

In vivo experiments have shown that compared to bovine serum albumin and amino acid-rich protein. The bone loss of osteoporosis model mice after ingesting collagen was significantly reduced, indicating that the role of collagen in preventing osteoporosis is beyond ordinary protein.

Collagen is used as a pharmacological nutrient. Continuous use of collagen can significantly reduce joint pain and improve joint function. The effect of collagen on the treatment of sports arthritis and senile arthritis has been studied. The results show that oral administration of 5g collagen (<10kD) per day is very effective in relieving the pain of sports arthritis and senile arthritis. . Collagen has a positive effect on promoting the proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts, so it plays an important role in bone reconstruction.

In addition, reports have shown that collagen can promote the absorption of trace elements. A small amount of trace elements that are beneficial to the human body (calcium, etc.) can be absorbed or integrated into the collagen to enter the human body, thereby effectively improving bone calcium deficiency and enhancing bone toughness、hardness.

Collagen has whitening and skin care effects by inhibiting skin aging and the formation of melanin. Recent studies have shown that collagen can significantly improve the low collagen synthesis associated with aging. The rat feeding test shows that it has the effect of promoting collagen synthesis and can promote skin collagen metabolism. Collagen can also promote the production of hyaluronic acid in the skin and reduce the loss of skin moisture to a certain extent, thereby alleviating the symptoms of itching and other discomforts caused by dry skin.

With the continuous in-depth research on the physiological regulation function of collagen, it has been found that collagen of different sources and different relative molecular masses has different effects on the human body. For example, the relative molecular mass of collagen is related to its antioxidant, whitening, moisturizing, etc. Therefore, it is of great significance to accurately prepare collagen with specific relative molecular mass by using strict processes and techniques.

Extracted from "Food Industry Science and Technology" collagen structure, digestion and absorption characteristics and nutritional value evaluation progress