“There are currently no comprehensive reviews to systematically assess the effect of CPS on cardiovascular disease-related markers (eg body mass, fat mass, fat-free mass, LDL, HDL, triglyceride, total cholesterol, blood pressure, and fasting blood sugar), which denotes a gap in knowledge,” the authors of the review stated.
To fill this gap and reconcile conflicting findings, a team of health and nutrition experts led by researchers from Kemanshah University of Medical Sciences in Iran conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of relevant randomised controlled trials up to November 2021.
Study selection
The review yielded 239 screened studies of a total of 453 records generated through a methodological search of Scopus, PubMed and ISI Web of Science databases. The search used the controlled vocabulary of Medical Subject Headings and was complemented by an analysis of reference lists derived from individual studies.
“Ultimately, 12 randomised controlled trials, collectively comprising 11 outcome measures, were selected for the quantitative analysis,” the research team confirmed.
These eligible studies from Germany, Korea, Japan, China and India included a total of 748 participants – a collection of healthy and overweight participants, as well as individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus, mild hypertension, osteoarthritis and age-related sarcopenia. The dose of CPS varied from 900 mg/d to 15 g/d, while the duration of the clinical trials ranged from six to 12 weeks.
Using a validated risk of bias assessment, the review determined 10 of the 12 studies to be of high quality and found no signs of publication bias.
It did, however, note possible limitations of the pooled data including heterogeneity of the health status and age of participants, the supplementation with varying collagen peptide doses, the differences in the timeframes of the clinical trials, and the potential influence of lifestyle modifications such as dietary intake and physical activity in some of the studies.
Meta-analysis confirms CPS effects
Despite these limitations, the meta-analysis determined that supplementation with collagen peptides positively affected biomarkers related to cardiovascular disease.
“Taken together, this comprehensive review of collated data suggests that CPS may significantly decrease fat mass, fat-free mass (based on body mass percentage), systolic blood pressure, and serum low-density lipoprotein levels,” the review concluded.
“Additional subgroup analyses demonstrated that CPS significantly decreased body fat percentage in men, obese or overweight participants, and when CPS was administered in combination with exercise.”
Acknowledging the growing body of evidence that dietary interventions – including collagen ingestion – confer heart-boosting benefits, the review recommends additional long-term, well-designed randomised, placebo-controlled trials to further examine the impact of CPS on cardiovascular disease-related markers.
Len Moheit, CEO at the Collagen Stewardship Alliance (CSA), commented that the work is promising and that the alliance supports the authors’ recommendations for supplementary trials.
“As with all comprehensive reviews, it does need to be taken in context as there are confounders at play and various conditions,” he told NutraIngredients.
Source: The British Journal of Nutrition
'Effects of Collagen Peptide Supplementation on Cardiovascular Markers: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trials'
Published online: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114522001301
Authors: Zhara Jalili, et al.
