Marine Collagen and Modern Medicine

Collagen, an essential component of our connective tissues, plays a major role in modern medicine. It is not only a dietary supplement: it is also a valuable biomaterial for wound healing, reconstructive surgery, preventive medicine and regenerative medicine. Here is why.

Preventive, predictive and personalised medicine: where does collagen fit in?

Today, collagen is used more in preventive medicine than in predictive medicine.

In preventive medicine

Collagen can help preserve certain tissues in people at risk or affected by natural ageing. It is notably used:

• For skin quality: some studies show that supplementing with collagen peptides over several months can improve skin hydration and elasticity.
• For joint health: in people with joint pain or practising intensive sport, collagen peptides may reduce pain and support joint function.
• For bone health: several studies suggest a positive effect on certain bone metabolism markers, especially when combined with vitamin D, calcium and physical exercise.

Collagen therefore contributes to tissue repair and joint relief in ageing people. We start losing collagen from the age of 25: by 40, we have already lost around 30% of our endogenous collagen, which accelerates the effects of ageing. Collagen protein is not yet a reference preventive treatment, but it is becoming one.

In predictive medicine

Predictive medicine aims to identify the risk of developing a disease through genetic analyses, biomarkers, imaging and artificial intelligence. Collagen is not used here as a prediction tool. However, certain biomarkers of its metabolism can be measured to:

• assess bone remodelling in osteoporosis;
• monitor certain liver diseases characterised by fibrosis;
• study cardiovascular or connective tissue diseases.

In these cases, it is not collagen itself that is administered, but fragments or molecules linked to its synthesis and breakdown, which serve as biomarkers. Predictive medicine does not rely on taking collagen, but can draw on the study of its metabolism.

In personalised medicine (or precision medicine)

Collagen also has a place in tailored approaches: biomaterials adapted to tissue repair, dressings chosen according to the type of wound, and tissue regeneration strategies adapted to each patient. Here it is mainly used as a tool for prevention and repair.

How is collagen used in modern medicine?

It is most often used in a purified or recombinant form. Its biocompatibility makes it a particularly useful material. Here are its main applications.

1. Wound healing

Collagen is part of specialised dressings for ulcers (diabetic or venous), bedsores, burns and chronic wounds. It creates an environment favourable to healing and can promote the formation of new tissue.

2. Surgery and regenerative medicine

Collagen serves as a support (a "scaffold") for tissue regeneration: bone reconstruction, tendon and ligament repair, and dental surgery (bone and gum grafts).

3. Ophthalmology

Collagen is used in certain implants and materials intended to repair the cornea or other structures of the eye.

4. Aesthetic medicine

For years, collagen injections were used to fill wrinkles. They have since been largely replaced by products such as hyaluronic acid, which last longer and cause fewer allergic reactions.

5. Dietary supplements

Hydrolysed marine collagen is used to improve skin elasticity, reduce certain joint pains, support bone health, but also aid healing, strengthen tendons and ligaments and promote recovery after exercise. These benefits are documented in numerous studies.

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6. Research and tissue engineering

Collagen is a material of choice for making artificial tissues in the laboratory: artificial skin, cartilage, blood vessels or supports for cell culture.

Is medical collagen the same as the collagen in dietary supplements?

Not exactly. In medicine, collagen is generally highly purified and designed for a specific use (implant, dressing, regeneration matrix). It can come from bovine, porcine or marine sources, or be produced through biotechnology.

Dietary supplements, on the other hand, mainly contain hydrolysed collagen, meaning it is broken down into fragments called peptides. The most premium ones offer functional di- and tri-peptides, valued for their strong absorption capacity and their signalling effect on cellular metabolism. Discover our Collagen Vital Power, a hydrolysed marine collagen cure rich in functional peptides.

A favourable benefit/risk ratio

Very well tolerated by most adults, marine collagen peptides have few or no side effects, which makes their benefit/risk ratio very favourable. A doctor may recommend them alongside other measures: adapted physical activity, a protein-rich diet, weight loss if needed to protect the joints, or medical treatments when indicated.

When a doctor recommends a collagen supplement, it is often because they consider the product safe, believe the patient may benefit from it, and that expectations remain realistic.

To go further, discover all the benefits of Collagen Vital Power and explore our range of drinkable collagen cures.