Joint Health and Beyond

Hyaluronic acid and collagen show tremendous crossover appeal.

By
Joanna Cosgrove
Online Editor

Collagen and hyaluronic acid (HA) are two ingredients most typically associated with “Baby Boomer” joint health products but their abilities are not limited to that single market segment. Collagen and HA have made inroads to the skin care segment too.

Collagen is the main protein of connective tissue like cartilage, tendons and skin. It is the structural protein that helps maintain smooth, elastic skin tone as well as nimble and resilient joints. HA is a gel-like binding, lubricating and protective agent naturally found in tissue spaces, joint fluid and in the eyes. It supports collagen by retaining suppleness to the skin and functioning as a lubricant between connective tissues and synovial fluid of joints.

“HA is in fact the most important component of synovial fluid where it behaves as a viscous liquid to cushion the joints,” asserted Anna Ubia portfolio manager of the Joint Care Division at Bioiberica S.A., Barcelona, Spain, who added that Bioiberica’s Hyal-Joint product, a patent pending form of HA, has been proven to be active in joint health, specifically for synovial fluid. “Hyal-Joint contains a high potency of HA. It also contains collagen, the main protein present in joints and the key to flexible and strong tissue, as well as other glycosaminoglycans that play an important role in the joint's performance.”

Published studies have shown that ingesting collagen and HA leads to the accumulation of these ingredients in joint areas, according to Jennifer Gu, PhD, director of research and development, AIDP Inc., City of Industry, CA. “High molecular weight collagen hydrolysate has also been shown to stimulate the synthesis of collagen and GAG (glycosaminoglycan) in chondrocyte cultures as well as in epiphysis (a rounded end of a long bone) when ingested by animals. Therefore, supplementing with collagen may promote the synthesis of cartilage, slowing the degradation process that happens during the normal ‘wear and tear’ process,” she said, adding that different tissue is composed of different collagen “types.” “Joint cartilage is made mainly of collagen type II. Skin is mainly formed from collagen type I and III. These different types of collagen interact differently with different proteins located in the joint or skin,” she said.

Americans are very concerned about joint health, but this concern is not limited to those who are middle-aged or older. “Baby Boomers who may be at risk for osteoporosis and/or arthritis are the most obvious group thinking about this problem, but data from the Natural Marketing Institute (2005) show that younger consumers also are concerned about bone and joint health,” said Evelyn Scalora, product manager, InterHealth Nutraceuticals Inc., Benicia, CA. “According to NMI’s study, among the general population, 71% are concerned about preventing arthritis or joint disease and 41% say they or a household member is currently managing joint pain or stiffness. And after age 35, arthritis and joint disease is one of the top six conditions of high concern. Also, arthritis and joint disease is the number one condition that consumers say they would treat (68%) or prevent (69%) with supplements.”

InterHealth’s patented collagen ingredient, UC-II, is an undenatured (or native) form of type II collagen found in the cartilage of joints that has been shown clinically to work with the immune system to promote healthy joints and increase joint mobility and flexibility without producing the deleterious side effects associated with OTC and Rx products. According to Ms. Scalora, other forms of type II collagen sold as dietary supplements are denatured, or hydrolyzed. “In other words, their molecular configuration has been changed, either through chemical or high-temperature processing, rendering them inactive,” she said, adding that the recommended daily dosage for UC-II is very small, just 40 mg.

Type II collagen administered orally works with the immune system to promote healthy joints through a process called oral tolerization, Ms. Scalora explained. “This process helps the body differentiate between foreign invaders, such as bacteria, and elements that are good for the body, such as nutrients. The process of oral tolerization takes place in the small intestine where food is absorbed. In the case of UC-II, small amounts taken orally have been shown to turn off the immune response targeted at the type II collagen present in bone joint cartilage.” UC-II can also be taken in conjunction with glucosamine and/or chondroitin to improve the effectiveness of those two ingredients.

Skin Benefits

As a person ages, their body’s ability to produce collagen and HA decreases and supplementation has proven to be the latest and greatest way to normalize levels. And in a society increasingly concerned with outward appearances, these ingredients are being likened as veritable fountains of youth. HA is probably best known for being the primary component of Restylane, the FDA-approved injection that not only fills in severe wrinkles and skin folds but also plumps lips, thanks to its innate ability to attract and bind water for sustained fullness that can last up to six months.

“Ever since ABC News did a special on HA calling it the ‘fountain of youth,’ its popularity has soared,” commented Suhail Ishaq, vice president, BioCell Technology, LLC, Newport Beach, CA. “In the village of Yuzurihara, Japan (also know as ‘village of long life’), there seems to exist a population that has the longest life span in the world. As featured on ABC, this village had one common thread—maintenance of HA levels in their bodies. The people of this village were living to old ages without wrinkles and common age-related diseases.”

BioCell Technology provides four grades of its collagen and HA-based ingredient - BioCell Collagen II - for both oral and topical applications. BioCell Collagen II is formulated to provide “a naturally occurring matrix of hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfate and collagen type II,” according to Mr. Ishaq.

As Tom Reitz, vice president of business development, Ash Ingredients, Glen Rock, NJ explained, patented BioCell Collagen II is made from 100% pure cartilage, which has undergone an absorption-enhancing hydrolyzation process that yields low molecular weight hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfate and Collagen Type II peptides, making BioCell Collagen II an ingredient capable of supporting both healthy skin function and appearance, in addition to joint comfort and function.