Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Fifty three women, who supplemented with 2.5 grams of bioactive collagen peptides for 6 months, experienced a significant 7% improvement in skin waviness and a 10.9% increase in skin density compared to the control group.
Cellulite accumulation in the skin affects 85% of women over the age of 20. It occurs primarily on the thighs, buttocks and is characterized by excess subcutaneous fat that bulges into the skin, blood, and lymph vessels 1. Risk factors for the formation of cellulite include genetics, gender differences, age, ethnicity, diet, sedentary lifestyle, and pregnancy 2,3.
Although cellulite is often present in healthy non-obese patients, increased body mass index (BMI) has been shown to be another risk factor for cellulite. Increased BMI can lead to “a weaker, less dense connective tissue structure, leading to the increased extrusion of adipose tissue lobules into the dermis” 4,5.
Although many companies claim to have methods of treating cellulite, few scientific studies document these treatments 6. As a result, “therapies aiming to restore the normal structure of the dermis and subcutaneous tissue can be a meaningful approach to improving the cellulite condition 7.
A 2015 study 8, involved 105 women between the ages of 33 and 47 with “moderate cellulite” (defined as having a score 2 and 3 on the Fitzpatrick scale 8. They received either 2.5 grams of bioactive collagen peptides (53 women) or a placebo (52 women) per day for 6 months. The bioactive collagen peptides (BCP) were made in a formula used in previous research 9,10.
Before the study began and at 3 and 6 months, the degree of cellulite was evaluated using a “pinch test” on the left thigh and buttock. The evaluator used the index finger and thumb to assess the visible dimpling, and graded cellulite appearance. In addition, instrumentation 11 was used to measure three more aspects of cellulite and skin health: skin waviness, dermal density, and the length of subcutaneous borderline.
The researchers found that BCP treatment “led to a statistically significant decrease in the degree of cellulite and reduced skin waviness on thighs in normal weight women”. Specifically, those in the peptide collagen group had a 13% decrease in skin waviness compared to a 6% decrease in the placebo group (p < 0.05). A 5% density increase was noted in the collagen peptide group (7.29 to 7.66) compared to a 5.9% decrease in the placebo (6.85 to 6.45, p < 0.01). No statistical significance was noted regarding subcutaneous borderline (p > 0.05).
When the pinch test was done at 3 and 6 months, there were significant improvements in the degree of cellulite in both non-obese women (BMI < 25 kg/m2) and women with a higher BMI (> 25 kg/m2):
| Women with BMI < 25 kg/m2 | Start of Study | 3 Months | 6 Months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collagen Peptide Group | 2.37 | 2.17 (8.5% decrease) | 2.08 (12.3% decrease) |
| Placebo | 2.44 | 2.23 (8.7% decrease) | 2.19 (10.3% decrease) |
| p-value | < 0.05 | < 0.05 |
| Women with BMI > 25 kg/m2 | Start of Study | 3 Months | 6 Months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collagen Peptide Group | 2.54 | 2.37 (5.2% decrease) | 2.30 (9.5% decrease) |
| Placebo | 2.59 | 2.40 (7.4% decrease) | 2.40 (7.4% decrease) |
| p-value | < 0.05 | < 0.05 |
This may suggest that the reliability of the pinch test should be questioned. The objective results seen with the instrumentation were much more significant in the collagen peptide group compared to the placebo group.
When suggesting a mechanism for the collagen peptides supplement, the researchers suggested that “the efficacy of BCP on cellulite treatment is based on its positive impact on dermal connective tissue synthesis” which was confirmed by the 5% dermal density increase seen in the collagen peptides group versus the 5.9% decrease in the placebo group.
For the researchers, “oral supplementation with specific bioactive collagen peptides over a period of 6 months led to a clear improvement of the skin appearance in women suffering from moderate cellulite. In addition, the data showed the marked potential of BCP to improve the skin morphology of cellulite-affected areas, providing new evidence of BCP’s beneficial effects and a potential new therapy strategy for cellulite treatment.
Source: Michael Schunck M., Zague V., Oesser S., Proksch E. Dietary Supplementation with Specific Collagen Peptides Has a Body Mass Index-Dependent Beneficial Effect on Cellulite Morphology. J Med Food 18 (12) 2015, 1340–1348; DOI: 10.1089/jmf.2015.0022
© Michael Schunck et al. 2015; Published byMary Ann Liebert, Inc. under the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)
Click here to read the full text study.
Posted February 23, 2017.
Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY. You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com.
References:
- Rawlings A. Cellulite and its treatment. International journal of cosmetic science. 2006;28(3):175-190.
- Khan MH, Victor F, Rao B, Sadick NS. Treatment of cellulite: Part II. Advances and controversies. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. 2010;62(3):373-384.
- Khan MH, Victor F, Rao B, Sadick NS. Treatment of cellulite: part I. Pathophysiology. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. 2010;62(3):361-370.
- Mirrashed F, Sharp J, Krause V, Morgan J, Tomanek B. Pilot study of dermal and subcutaneous fat structures by MRI in individuals who differ in gender, BMI, and cellulite grading. Skin Research and Technology. 2004;10(3):161-168.
- HEXSEL D, Abreu M, Rodrigues TC, Soirefmann M, do Prado DZ, Gamboa MML. Side‐By‐Side Comparison of Areas with and without Cellulite Depressions Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Dermatologic Surgery. 2009;35(10):1471-1477.
- Hexsel D, Soirefmann M. Cosmeceuticals for cellulite. Paper presented at: Seminars in cutaneous medicine and surgery2011.
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- Schunck M, Zague V, Oesser S, Proksch E. Dietary supplementation with specific collagen peptides has a body mass index-dependent beneficial effect on cellulite morphology. Journal of medicinal food. 2015;18(12):1340-1348.
- Proksch E, Segger D, Degwert J, Schunck M, Zague V, Oesser S. Oral supplementation of specific collagen peptides has beneficial effects on human skin physiology: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Skin pharmacology and physiology. 2013;27(1):47-55.
- Liu D, Nikoo M, Boran G, Zhou P, Regenstein JM. Collagen and gelatin. Annual review of food science and technology. 2015;6:527-557.
- Scientific C. PRIMOS Lite High-Resolution Small-Field Capture. 2017; 3D system that measures skin roughness, wrinkles and nodule formations. Available at: http://www.canfieldsci.com/imaging- systems/primos-lite. Accessed February 16, 2017, 2017.
