Written by Chrystal Moulton, Staff Writer. Nutritional intake of a mixture of isoflavones, lycopene, vitamin C & E, and omega-3 fatty acids significantly improved collagen quality and quantity in 17% of post-menopausal women.
Wrinkles and fine lines are a common theme among women who are aging. Various creams and therapies have been invented to deal with the matter with varying results. In the current study, researchers attempted to test a nutritional approach to deep wrinkle and skin changes due to aging.
One hundred and sixty-six post-menopausal women were recruited to this trial. Subjects were healthy, non-smokers with a body mass index (BMI) between 18-33 kg/m2. Participants were also not using dietary supplements or receiving hormone replacement therapy. The women were randomly assigned to one of three protocols:
- Placebo -> who received drinks and capsules without active ingredients
- Test group 1 -> who received a 100mL fruit based drink with 70mg isoflavones, 8mg lycopene, 250mg vitamin C, and 250mg vitamin E; and 660mg omega-3 in 2 capsules.
- Test group 2 -> who received a 100mL fruit based drink with 40mg isoflavones, 3mg lycopene, 180mg vitamin C, and 30mg vitamin E; and 660mg omega-3 in 2 capsules.
Subjects were instructed to consume the test products once daily for 14 weeks. Skin measurements, blood samples, and skin biopsies were taken at baseline and at the end of the treatment period. Researchers analyzed the quantity and quality of collagen and elastin fiber pre and post treatment as well as the supplements effect on deep wrinkles, hydration, and discoloration. The study performed was a double-blinded placebo-controlled design.
At the end of the trial, researchers found a significant reduction in R3z values, which is a measure of wrinkle depth, in both test groups compared to placebo (p<0.001). Furthermore, they found that the deeper the wrinkles at baseline the more effective the test protocol at reducing the depth of the wrinkles (p=0.01). Subjects in the test groups also had more hydration in the skin compared to baseline, but not to the placebo. Both test groups showed similar effectiveness in wrinkle reduction. Significant differences were not found between the test groups. In test group 2, which was tested for collagen quality and quantity, 17.3% of subjects experienced an increase in both quality and quantity of collagen compared to placebo (p<0.03).
Overall, researchers found that nutritional intake of a mixture of isoflavones, lycopene, vitamin C & E, and omega-3 fatty acids could significantly reduced the depth of facial wrinkles in postmenopausal women. They believed that the reduced depth of the wrinkles was associated with increased collagen production and deposition into the deep layer of the skin. Also, since the nutrients in the mixture has been shown to stimulate collagen production, they understood the observed effect to be induced by the oral treatment and stated that nutritional intervention may be the best way to combat deep wrinkles. As they may be the first to test a nutritional approach against deep wrinkles associated with aging, more studies will be needed to verify the effectiveness of this intervention.
Source: Jenkins G., Wainwright R., Holland K.E., Casey J. Wrinkle reduction in post-menopausal women consuming a novel oral supplement: a double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized study. International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2014, 36, 22–31; doi: 10.1111/ics.12087
© 2013 Unilever UK Central Resources Limited under the Creative Commons Attribution- Non-Commercial-No Derivs License
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Posted June 24, 2014.
Chrystal Moulton BA, PMP, is a 2008 graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago. She graduated with a bachelor’s in psychology with a focus on premedical studies and is a licensed project manager. She currently resides in Indianapolis, IN.
Reference:
- Jenkins G, et al. Wrinkle reduction in post-menopausal women consuming a novel oral supplement: a double-blind placebo-controlled randomized study. Int J Cosmet Sci. 2013 Aug 8.
