Collagen Supplements

Are they good for everyone?

By Mila McManus MD

Global markets for collagen supplements have grown by double digits for the last three years. Collagen supplementation is all the rage for bones and joints, skin, hair, nails, and gut health. But are there any drawbacks to collagen supplementation?

Multiple studies[1] are suggesting that those who experience symptoms such as anxiety, irritability, low self-esteem, poor sleep, and depression may want to avoid or limit collagen supplementation. Why? Collagen is an incomplete protein and requires another amino acid called tryptophan, in order to be properly utilized in the body. When the supplement is taken, the body has to give tryptophan to the absorption process of collagen, thus robbing the body of tryptophan stores. Thus, taking a collagen supplement can induce tryptophan depletion[2]. This is problematic because tryptophan is a precursor to a neurotransmitter called serotonin. Many who struggle with anxiety or depression, for example, already lack adequate levels of serotonin. If there is not adequate tryptophan available in the body to make serotonin, moods will likely suffer. Serotonin is important and helps us to be calm, contend with stress, sleep well, feel optimistic and hopeful. Low levels of serotonin are associated with anxiety, irritability, eating disorders, OCD, PTSD, poor sleep quality, and insomnia. If you have any of these symptoms and are taking a collagen supplement, consider stopping it for a couple of months to see if your symptoms improve. If collagen supplementation is important to you, consider adding a supplement called 5-htp (5-hydroxy-tryptophan) which provides the body with more of the building block to make serotonin. (5-htp is over-the-counter and should be taken under medical supervision)

[1] Leibowitz SF. The role of serotonin in eating disorders. Drugs. 1990;39 Suppl 3:33-48. doi: 10.2165/00003495-199000393-00005. PMID: 2197074.

[2] Biskup CS, Sánchez CL, Arrant A, Van Swearingen AE, Kuhn C, Zepf FD. Effects of acute tryptophan depletion on brain serotonin function and concentrations of dopamine and norepinephrine in C57BL/6J and BALB/cJ mice. PLoS One. 2012;7(5):e35916. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0035916. Epub 2012 May 21. PMID: 22629305; PMCID: PMC3357407.

Foods that Promote Sleep

In every step of my life journey, one message resounds over and over again. What we eat really does matter. The optimal function of the human body is in every way dependent on our daily food choices. There is no question in my mind that when we don’t eat well, we are promoting dysfunction and disease rather than optimal function. Good nutrition applies to getting a good night’s sleep, too! Read on to learn about foods that promote sleep.

There are a number of essential amino acids that the human body needs but cannot produce – the reason for being called “essential” is that we must consume them in our diet. One such amino acid is called tryptophan. Tryptophan is the required building block for the human body to produce serotonin in the gut and central nervous system, which is then delivered to the pineal gland in the brain to produce and release melatonin, our natural regulator of the sleep cycle.

The goal is to promote sleep by promoting the production of serotonin and, therefore, melatonin by ensuring our diet is rich in tryptophan. Here are some tryptophan rich choices to consider, especially as the sun sets and you consume your last meal of the day.

Meats, especially wild game such as elk and venison, quail, duck, and turkey.
Seafood, especially halibut, shrimp, salmon, lobster, crab and crawfish.
Nuts and seeds, especially walnuts, cashews, almonds, pistachios, flaxseed, sesame seed, pumpkin seed and roasted sunflower seeds.
Beans and legumes, especially peanuts, kidney beans, lima beans and chickpeas.
Spinach, mustard greens, asparagus and winter squash.
Grains, especially brown rice and oats in very modest portions (1/2 cup or less). We do not recommend grains as your ‘go-to’ source of tryptophan.
Cheese, especially Gruyere and cottage cheese. We do not recommend cheese as your ‘go-to’ source of tryptophan either.

Most of these tryptophan rich food sources fall in line very well with TWIHW’s recommended dietary choices. We do recommend gluten free grain choices in modest portions to avoid excessive elevation of insulin levels as well as non-genetically modified (Non-GMO) foods and organic options wherever possible. Be aware of your food sensitiveness and allergies avoiding those foods to which you have an adverse reaction, which would keep you wide awake anyway to be sure!

It is also worthy of note that alcohol, dark chocolate, coffee, sugary foods, spicy foods and highly processed fatty foods are well known to interrupt a good night of sleep. Sugar is especially disruptive because it causes a dramatic rise in blood sugar which, when it drops later, will cause you to wake up. Additionally, excessive sugar floating in the blood during sleep is damaging in terms of inflammation, congestion, oxidative stress and fat storage.

What we eat will determine just how sweet your dreams can be!