Fish collagen is a type of protein that comes from the skin, bones and fins of fish. It is over 97 percent pure protein with no fat or carbohydrates, making it one of the best proteins for healthy skin and hair. In addition, collagen is responsible for maintaining the structure of the extracellular matrix and controls cellular functions including cell shape, differentiation, migration and synthesis of many important proteins.
Fish-derived collagen also contains amino acids essential for promoting healthy tissue growth. It contains higher levels of glycine and proline than other types of collagen, which helps support the formation of healthy hair, nails and skin. In fact, a double-blind clinical trial found that when people took a supplement containing hydrolyzed fish collagen, vitamins, antioxidants and compounds like glucosamine, they experienced an increase in skin elasticity of 40 percent compared to those who only took a placebo.
In a study, scientists used swollen fish skin to create hydrolyzed fish collagen (HFC). They soaked the swollen skin in an alkali solution for 24-48 h, then rinsed it with distilled water until a neutral pH was achieved, salted it by adding NaCl overnight, centrifuged it, dissolving it in acetic acid and dialyzing the resulting solution against acetic acid to obtain HFC [61].
Fish collagen is easily digested and absorbed into the body because it has a lower denaturation temperature than other forms of animal collagen. It is also less likely to trigger an allergic reaction in some individuals because it is non-GMO and does not contain any animal byproducts.