SEATTLE, Oct. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Collagen hydrolysate (CH), a special type of gelatine, was shown to stimulate synthesis of type II collagen in a study presented today at the annual meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research. Type II collagen is an essential component of joint cartilage and gives cartilage its tensile strength and stiffness. Earlier studies have demonstrated improvements in joint function in osteoarthritis patients supplemented with CH, but precise mechanisms were not clear.
The new study demonstrated that CH added to cartilage cells (chondrocytes) in culture led to a significant increase in the two primary building blocks of cartilage: type II collagen and proteoglycans. These biomaterials and water make up the extracellular matrix. Although cartilage contains neither blood vessels nor lymph vessels, it is an active tissue that is continually being degraded and renewed. The study authors suggest that based on their results, CH might be of particular importance for the regulation of chondrocyte metabolism by ensuring optimal conditions in the extracellular matrix. The formation of healthy new cartilage relies upon chondrocyte metabolism. In contrast, neither native collagen nor collagen-free hydrolysate had any effect.
The new study provides a plausible mechanism for the role of CH in joint health. Clinical studies have shown supplementation with 10 grams per day of CH reduced pain, improved physical function, and reduced the need for analgesics in patients with osteoarthritis(1,2). If CH works by improving cartilage metabolism, it may also have a preventive role in joint health. Collagen hydrolysate, as a special type of gelatine, has GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) status from the Food and Drug Administration.
RELATED INFORMATION
The study was supported by the GELITA Health Initiative (GHI). GHI was created by the GELITA Group, the leading worldwide manufacturer of gelatine and collagen hydrolysate, to promote collagen hydrolysate research in the area of degenerative joint disease. GELITA has been supporting scientific research of collagen hydrolysate and its beneficial effects since the late 1970s.
The GELITA Group, the gelatine division of DGF Stoess AG, is the leading manufacturer of gelatine worldwide and is involved in the research, production and distribution of approximately 250 types of gelatine, in addition to collagen hydrolysate. Besides edible gelatine, the company also produces high quality gelatines for the pharmaceutical and photographic industries.
ADDITIONAL FACTS
Chronic joint pain is one of the most common disorders in the United States, affecting approximately 70 million Americans. Osteoarthritis affects approximately 20.7 million adults in the United States(3). To date there is no cure; analgesics and antirheumatics only relieve pain or suppress the inflammation process. Joint disorders are an enormous health burden and the cost is expected to increase as the US population ages. Experts estimate the direct and indirect costs of osteoarthritis to be $33 billion per year in the United States alone(4).
References: (1) Moskowitz RW. Role of collagen hydrolysate in bone and joint disease. Seminars in arthritis and rheumatism. 2000; 30:87-99 (2) Adam M. "Therapy of osteoarthritis: What effect have gelatine products," Therapiewoche. 1991;41:2456-2461 (3) The Arthritis Foundation, http://www.arthritis.org/ (4) Maetzel A. "The Challenges of Estimating the National Costs of Osteoarthritis: Are We Making Progress?," Journal of Rheumatology. 2002;29:1811-3
GELITA Health InitiativeCONTACT: Michelle Marinelli of Ketchum, +1-646-935-4131,michelle.marinelli@ketchum.com, for GELITA Health Initiative
Web site: http://www.arthritis.org/
