Fish collagen is a source of collagen that comes from the skin, scales and bones of fish. It is usually refined to create a flavourless powder that can be used to make supplements like pills, health bars and gummies. It is also a great option for people who are sensitive to dairy and/or gluten as it contains no animal products and releases less greenhouse gases than other meat products, including cow collagen.
Research has found that Type I fish collagen can help to promote protein synthesis in cells. It is also thought to reduce skin aging and alleviate scars because it promotes the growth of healthy tissue in the dermal matrix. This is due to the fact that it has high levels of the amino acids glycine and proline, which are vital for healthy tissue growth.
Collagen is also a very important building block of the body’s ligaments, tendons, and bones. It makes up 25-35% of the protein in the human body, and has 19 of the 22 amino acids that humans need to function. The only one it does not contain is tryptophan.
Studies have shown that marine collagen peptides can increase skin wound tensile strength and speed up the healing process in rats. They also found that these peptides can stimulate the production of tropocollagen triple helix in vitro, which helps to support healthy bone structure and cellular communication in the body. Furthermore, a study performed by Wang et al showed that collagen peptides obtained from the skin of tilapia significantly enhanced the collagen synthesis in wounded rabbits. Additionally, they were able to inhibit lipid peroxidation in these rabbits, similar to the known inhibitor BHT.