Collagen for Joints: Does It Help for Joint Pain? (Supplements Explained)

There's nothing worse than persistent aches and pains that stop you from reaching your fullest potential. Joint pain isn't just frustrating, it can be totally debilitating at times.

If you're struggling with this issue, you are not alone! According to the CDC, arthritis affects over 58 million Americans. One in four of those people will suffer chronic and severe joint pain, and more than half will have persistent pain. Given that joint pain, stiffness, and inflammation can seriously interrupt your day-to-day life, this is a really big problem! 1

Luckily, there are treatments and supplements that can help relieve the pain that joint conditions like arthritis brings. One of those treatments you may have heard of is collagen, which often exists under the guise of collagen hydrolysate, hydrolyzed collagen, gelatin, and more.

You'll find this ingredient in the best skin care products and supplements, but you'll also find it in post-workout protein shakes and in some arthritis treatment plans. Collagen really is a multitasker!

But when it comes to treating joint pain, you might be wondering if the benefits of collagen are too good to be true. Can collagen really reduce joint pain, or is it just a fad?

We've got the number one guide to the benefits of collagen for joint and bone health, so keep reading to find out what this supplement can do for you, and how you can incorporate the right kind of collagen into a holistic treatment plan that really works.

Collagen 101: What Is It & What Does It Do?

So what exactly is this protein we've all heard so much about? Well, when it comes to collagen there are two forms you should know about: the kind that exists naturally in your own body, and the kind you'll see in supplements. Let's take a look:

Natural Collagen

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body, composed of specific amino acids, making up about a third of your body's total protein count. Its fibers form a kind of web-like scaffolding in various tissues and organs, essentially holding the body together. In fact, collagen is named after the Greek word 'kólla', which aptly means glue.

Collagen has a strong, fibrous structure that varies in elasticity according to where in the body it is found. You'll find collagen in your skin, connective tissues, bones, tendons, joints, nails, teeth, and blood vessels, as well as other tissues.

There are 28 types of collagen in the body, but four main types predominate. The main types of collagen are:

• Type I – This is a strong, dense form of collagen that makes up approximately 90% of the collagen in your body. It is important to the structure of your skin, bones, tendons, connective tissues, teeth, hair, and nails.
• Type II – The main and most abundant protein in your cartilage, cushioning your joints.
• Type III – Found in your muscles, bone marrow, arteries, and organs.
• Type IV – Is responsible for filtration and is found in lower membrane layers of the skin.

Your body naturally produces collagen through a process called collagen synthesis. In this process, specialized cells known as fibroblasts use amino acids, vitamin C, and minerals to create collagen chains, which twist together to form collagen fibers.

Collagen Supplements

You can also enhance your body's natural collagen production process with dietary supplements like collagen. As we get older – and the more we expose ourselves to collagen-destroyers like sugar, alcohol, cigarettes, and UV rays – our collagen production slows down and we start to lose and damage this essential protein.

Dietary supplements like collagen hydrolysate can help increase the amount of collagen in your body, aiding in the fight against collagen loss. The effect of collagen supplementation can positively impact your joints, skin, hair, muscle mass, and more!

Most collagen supplements contain peptides, which are nano-sized collagen particles that enter your bloodstream and activate those fibroblast cells to make more collagen fibers. These peptides are derived from either animal or marine sources, because the bones, connective tissues, skins, and other often-discarded parts of meat and fish are rich in collagen proteins.

Unfortunately, plant-based collagen is not real collagen. While collagen is a protein that doesn't occur in plants, any plant-based vegetarian or vegan collagens you see will contain collagen-building ingredients. However, it’s important to note the potential side effects, as they may differ from animal-derived collagen.

When it comes to treating arthritis, particularly knee osteoarthritis, and other joint problems, it's important that you look for type II collagen supplements.

4 Reasons Your Joints Need Collagen

So why and how does a collagen supplement help your joints? Here's everything you need to know about what this protein does for your joints:

1. It Strengthens Cartilage

As the main protein in your joint cartilage and connective tissue, collagen is absolutely essential to your joint health.

Your cartilage is composed of cells called chondrocytes, which exist in an extracellular matrix. An extracellular matrix is basically a spider-web-like structure that contains three protein elements: proteoglycan, elastin, and type II collagen.

Elastin functions as a stretchy protein that helps your connective tissues to expand and contract when needed, and it helps cartilage to be a flexible tissue. Proteoglycans are molecules that contribute to the strength and elasticity of your cartilage.

Type II collagen forms around 50% of the protein in your cartilage, and it's basically the glue that holds everything together. Where collagen is most important is your articular cartilage (the part that cushions and protects your bones), where it forms 90-95% of the protein composition. It creates a network of bonds between elastin and proteoglycan to keep everything together – forming the basis for a strong yet pliable tissue. 2

Collagen helps ensure that your cartilage is strong enough to absorb shock and protect your joints from damage, while also ensuring that your bones can move fluidly without friction. By increasing your collagen levels through oral collagen supplementation, you can help your joints stay strong and healthy.

2. It Prevents Bone Loss

We all know that calcium is a key component in healthy bones, but did you know that the second most important thing is collagen?

Calcium forms the harder outer shell of our bones, but collagen is part of the softer bone mass within. In fact, collagen forms about 90% of organic bone mass. Collagen plays a key role in your bone mineral density (BMD), which is a scale that measures how strong your bones are. This scale is one of the factors that can be used to diagnose osteoarthritis and other bone and joint conditions. A lack of collagen, whether it's due to age or other external factors, is a key factor in low bone mineral density.

Clinical trials and studies suggest that taking collagen supplements may improve BMD and bone strength, prevent bone loss, and improve calcium absorption. 3, 4

The strength and overall health of your bones can significantly impact the ease with which you move, and poor BMD contributes to arthritic conditions and joint pain.

3. It Can Reduce Inflammation & Pain

Collagen hydrolysate possesses anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which means it can protect your cells against damage from external factors like pollutants and toxins. 5

Antioxidants combat free radicals, which are unstable molecules that can damage and destroy collagen molecules, and harm the cells that make them. Free radicals cause oxidative stress and inflammation, which over an extended period of time can even be a contributing factor in the development of arthritic conditions.

Collagen's antioxidant nature means that it can help reduce inflammation throughout the body, which is a useful property when your joints are suffering after an injury or due to an arthritic condition. In fact, a 2009 study noted that chicken collagen type II had a therapeutic effect on inflammatory arthritic conditions, offering participants a decrease in pain, morning stiffness, tenderness, and swelling. 6

4. It Boosts Muscle Mass

Boosting muscle mass is another one of the many health benefits that collagen has to offer, and strengthening the muscles around your bones and joints can have a big impact on joint health.

Collagen contains glycine, which is one of the amino acids that's also in creatine, an essential protein for muscle growth. Taking collagen after a workout makes exercises more effective and improves muscle tissue growth.

Small studies, including a 2019 one, examined the effects of collagen on men who were regularly exercising over the course of 12 weeks. Those who supplemented with collagen saw more muscle mass improvements, greater muscle strength, and better overall body composition than those who did not take collagen supplements. 7

Strengthening your muscle tissue can help support your joints and bones, and aid the ease of movement.

5 Factors Affecting Joint & Bone Health

If you are experiencing any pain, tenderness, inflammation, or stiffness in your joints, there may be a few reasons behind it. Let's take a look at the factors that contribute to a decline in joint health:

1. Age

As we get older, our natural collagen production process slows down. This means that, when we are young, our bodies have enough collagen to keep joints limber and flexible.

As we age, and as we lose some of the collagen in our bodies, our joints have less of the essential protein fibers they need to stay strong and healthy. This drop in collagen levels in the cartilage can inevitably lead to some discomfort, stiffness, and pain in the joints as we get older.

2. Hormones

Our hormones play a key role in balancing our body's production of essential proteins, including collagen. For women, this role is most significant when it comes to menopause.

During menopause, your body shows signs of low estrogen, and this drastic hormonal shift accelerates the natural loss of collagen that comes with age. In the first five years of menopause, women lose approximately 30% of their collagen. 8

The means that the body stops making enough collagen to maintain healthy joints, strong bones, peak skin elasticity, and more. In fact, studies suggest that the decrease in bone density associated with menopause can be linked to increased risk of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. 9, 10

3. Strenuous Activity (Activity-Related Joint Pain)

Although the exact causes of arthritis are not entirely clear, there are a number of things that increase the risk of arthritic conditions developing.

One of these risk factors is repetitive motion and strain on the joints, which may be related to workouts, sports, your line of work, or even bad ergonomics. Repetitive knee strains are common in weightlifters, for example. Or you have probably heard of 'tennis elbow' which is chronic pain in the elbow due to repetitive strain in the sport. If working a desk job at a laptop or computer all day, you may be prone to wrist pain or spine injuries.

All of this can lead to activity-related joint pain, stiffness, and inflammation.

4. Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is one of the most common degenerative joint disorders out there, affecting over 32.5 million adults in the U.S. It typically affects the hands, wrists, hips, and knees, causing pain, stiffness, and swelling that gets worse over time.

These symptoms of osteoarthritis are caused by the breakdown of cartilage due to wear and tear over time, which reduces the cushioning your bones need and causes friction at the joint areas. Unfortunately, rheumatoid arthritis is a degenerative autoimmune condition, meaning that it cannot be cured, and symptoms gradually worsen with time.

Because collagen is a key component in the structure of your cartilage, it can play a role in osteoarthritis and cartilage repair. Taking collagen supplements may help in the management of osteoarthritis symptoms.

5. Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is another common joint condition. Unlike osteoarthritis, it is not caused by wear and tear, but it is an autoimmune disease in which your immune system produces excessive antigens and proteins that attack your cells and harm your joints.

The most notable symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are inflammation, swelling, tenderness, and warmth in the joint areas, along with pain and stiffness. The condition is marked by flare-ups and periods of remission, and unfortunately there is no cure, only treatment and management of the symptoms.

Thanks to collagen's anti-inflammatory properties, taking collagen supplements may help ease the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis when used alongside proper diet, medications, and exercises.

Which Collagen Supplements Are Best for Joints?

If you have decided to buy collagen supplements for your joints, there are a few things to be aware of before you click to purchase. First of all, you need to know that not all collagen supplements are created equal. Here's how to tell which type of supplement will work for your joints, and which won't:

Hydrolyzed Collagen Peptides

The most common type of collagen supplement you will find is hydrolyzed collagen, otherwise known as collagen hydrolysate.

Collagen hydrolysate is a dietary supplement containing collagen that has been broken down into nano-sized peptides through a process called hydrolysis. These peptides are very easily and quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, making them readily available to your cells and tissues.

Taking hydrolyzed collagen supplements, which contain these little peptides, triggers your cells to start producing more collagen throughout the body. This means of replacing lost collagen can help improve the strength of your joint cartilage and bones, among other health benefits.

Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate collagen supplements for treating arthritic conditions, many find collagen supplements helpful in alleviating their symptoms. It is essential to note that taking collagen supplements will only be effective for your joints if the supplements contain type 2 collagen. Supplements are best when applied in tandem with a proper treatment plan, diet, and exercise regime. 11

Gelatin

Gelatin is a form of collagen that has been cooked. When animal and fish parts like bones and cartilage are boiled in water for a long time, their natural collagen is extracted and this is what we call gelatin.

Gelatin is abundant in meaty soups like bone broth, but it is also extracted, processed, and dried for use as a food additive or for use in supplements.

Gelatin differs from hydrolyzed collagen peptides (collagen hydrolysate) as it is a form of collagen that has only been partially hydrolyzed, so its molecules are slightly larger and therefore slightly slower to absorb into your digestive system.

Nonetheless, gelatin from bone broth or supplements can provide your body with type 2 collagen, which can play a role in relieving joint pain and inflammation.

Undenatured Collagen Supplements

Last but not least, the 'undenatured' or 'native' form of supplemental collagen. Unlike collagen hydrolysate or gelatin, undenatured or native collagen supplements are not intended to boost collagen production by increasing your collagen intake. Instead, they work by what's known as oral tolerance.

An undenatured type II collagen supplement will contain unprocessed i.e. whole collagen molecules, which are too large to be absorbed into your bloodstream and will instead reach your small intestine intact. Here, they interact with your immune system, and they essentially train the immune system to stop attacking its own collagen supplies. This is particularly effective for treating autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis.

Undenatured or native collagen supplements are typically made with chicken type II collagen.

More Natural Treatments for Joints

Aside from taking collagen supplements, there are some other remedies and treatments you can try to help alleviate joint pain and inflammation. Here are our top picks:

Collagen-Rich Foods

As mentioned, your diet plays a big role in the health and wellbeing of your joints. If you wish to alleviate your symptoms, you should consider following an anti-inflammatory diet and incorporating some collagen foods into your day-to-day meal plan.

Bone broth, for example, is rich in collagen and may help build up your collagen levels. Unfortunately, most other collagen-containing foods aren't particularly edible, given that collagen only comes from animal parts like bones and cartilage.

You can, however, stock up on foods rich in collagen builders like amino acids and vitamin C in order to increase collagen levels in the body. Glycine and proline are the two amino acids needed for collagen synthesis. You can find these amino acids in foods like red meat, poultry, fish, nuts, beans, and seeds.

Hyaluronic Acid

Alongside collagen and elastin, your cartilage also contains ingredients called glycosaminoglycans, otherwise known as GAGs. These are polysaccharides that fill in the spaces between proteins in your cartilage, and they are essential to your joints' ability to absorb shock and resist daily wear and tear.

The most important GAG is hyaluronic acid, which is also a key component in your skin. It is a hydrating humectant that attracts and retains up to 1000 times its weight in water, and you'll often find it used in skin care to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, plump up the skin, and reduce skin dryness.

If you want to maximize the strength and resilience of your cartilage, you could try a hyaluronic acid supplement alongside your regular treatment plan.

Taut Hydrate are RenewSkin Inc.'s best hyaluronic acid supplements that combine high-potency, plant-based hyaluronic acid with grape seed extract, which is a potent antioxidant. Together, these ingredients can replenish your body's natural hyaluronic supplies and protect your cells against harmful free radicals.

The result? Healthier joints and plumper, softer, and more radiant skin!

Antioxidants

Antioxidants are essential to fighting free radicals and keeping oxidative stress and inflammation at bay. By heaping your plate with fresh fruit and vegetables every day, you can provide your body with plenty of these powerful ingredients to keep fit and healthy.

When it comes to joint repair, an added dose of antioxidant power can be helpful to stave away inflammation and pain. That's where a supplement may be useful.

Masquelier's French Pine Bark OPC is a powerful and healing antioxidant supplement with anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, and anti-allergic properties. French Pine Bark is significantly more powerful than vitamin E and 20 times more powerful than vitamin C as an antioxidant – meaning it has some serious power to protect and preserve your collagen supplies against those nasty free radicals.

This antioxidant dietary supplement also neutralizes excess free radicals and toxins, protects and strengthens your vascular system, and enhances maximum blood flow and waste removal throughout your body. This can all contribute to the health of your joints and alleviate some of your most frustrating symptoms.

Physical Therapy & Exercise

One of the most essential things you need to do when you have arthritis and joint pain is to incorporate some gentle movement and focused exercises into your daily routine. Targeted exercises that focus on your problem areas can help alleviate pain by building up the muscle around your joints, adding a layer of protection and strength.

Ideally, you should work with a healthcare professional and a physiotherapist for advice, diagnosis, or treatment of your symptoms and an exercise plan that works for you.

Collagen for Joints vs. Collagen for Beauty

Collagen hydrolysate also has an array of beauty benefits that means you will see a lot of collagen supplements for anti-aging purposes. The best of these will contain premium type I and type III collagen from marine or grass-fed beef sources. If joint pain is your main concern, these will not help you, and you should seek out chicken or bovine type II collagen instead.

However, these other types of beauty supplements can:

• Reduce fine lines and wrinkles
• Improve skin texture and quality
• Boost skin elasticity
• Minimize scars and stretch marks
• Strengthen hair and nails

These types of collagen hydrolysate may also improve gut health, brain health, and more.

Taut Liquid Collagen is our best and most potent collagen supplement that can help restore, protect and promote firmer, fuller, and more radiant skin. Our winning formula is packed with 13,000 mg of premium marine collagen, hydrolyzed into peptides that will trigger your skin cells to produce more collagen.

Our expertly-designed formula also contains elastin peptides, hyaluronic acid, grape seed extract, ceramide, salmon DNA, and vitamins C and B6 – the perfect team of skin-loving ingredients that work simultaneously to reduce wrinkles, increase skin hydration, maximize skin elasticity, and seriously up your glow factor!

Get the Best of Both Worlds With Taut

If you want to improve your joints and your skin health, why not try the Taut Anti-Oxy Foxy Kit? This bundle contains a three-week supply of our signature Taut Liquid Collagen Drink, which is the optimum amount to get started and see the first big results for your skin.

In this kit, we've combined our liquid collagen with Masquelier's French Pine Bark OPC, the potent antioxidant supplement that can protect and preserve your existing collagen supplies, improve your circulation, and maximize nutrient delivery throughout the body.

The perfect combination to achieve youthful radiance while improving your overall health from the inside out!

Want to know more? Check out our reviews page to find out what customers love about Taut.

References:

1. An overview of Arthritis Information
2. The Basic Science of Articular Cartilage
3. Role of collagen hydrolysate in bone and joint disease
4. Hydrolyzed collagen prevents bone loss in C3H/HeN mice
5. Collagen hydrolysates' properties from mackerel skin vary by molecular weight
6. A phase III trial on chicken type II collagen for rheumatoid arthritis
7. 12 weeks of resistance training with collagen peptides affects muscle proteome in active men
8. Caring for your skin in menopause
9. Effect of early menopause on bone mineral density and fractures
10. The effects of estrogen on osteoarthritis
11. Dietary supplements for improvement of the health