Collagen Peptides May Provide Bone Health Benefits

Collagen peptides are very small pieces of protein from animal collagen. Collagen is one of the materials that makes up cartilage, bone, and skin. According to a new study, combining collagen peptides with vitamin D and calcium may provide bone health benefits.

Fifty-one postmenopausal women experiencing bone loss participated in the study. They received 500 mg of calcium, 400 IU of vitamin D3, and 5 grams of collagen peptides or 500 mg of calcium and 400 IU of vitamin D3 daily for 12 months. Bone mineral content and bone mineral density were assessed at baseline and at the end of the study period.

Participants in the collagen peptides group saw higher bone mineral content and bone mineral density measurements at the end of the study compared to the participants not given collagen peptides.

These measurements were taken at two bone compartment sites – cortical (which makes up about 80% of bone mass) and the trabecular (spongy bone that contains marrow and fat), and the collagen supplementation was found to be beneficial in both locations.

The study was conducted by researchers from Kapodistrian University of Athens. It was published online ahead of print on November 25, 2021 in the Journal of Clinical Densitometry.