Collagen 500 Plus: SOLUGEL® Supra scientific studies

Four rigorous scientific studies demonstrate the efficacy of SOLUGEL® Supra - one of the key breakthrough ingredients found in our latest innovation, Collagen 500 Plus. The key difference behind this extraordinary ingredient? It’s Dalton weight. 

Daltons measure the molecular weight of a collagen peptide. Studies consistently show that when it comes to Dalton weight, less really is more, with 500 Daltons being the sweet spot. Many standard collagen supplements can be anywhere between 2-5K Daltons, but this means they simply can’t pass through the gut wall as effectively, so their benefits can be limited. And with a Dalton weight below the 500 ratio, the peptide molecules start to denigrate.

Results show that at 500 Dalton weight, SOLUGEL® Supra peptides:

• Are absorbed in as little as five minutes
• Can be found active in the bloodstream in just 15 minutes
• Have a greater impact on collagen synthesis and repair
• Can lead to improved skin firmness, elasticity, and regeneration
• Enable a much lower daily required dosage of 1 tsp or 5 grams (versus the usual 10-20 grams)
• Unlike many other collagen ingredients, they don’t carry any bitter or fishy notes, reducing the need for added flavourings
• May provide additional beneficial effects for joints and musculoskeletal pain.
  

Let’s dive into each of the four studies below…

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STUDY 1

SOLUGEL® Supra Clinical In-Vivo bioavailability Study - performed by Bionos Biotech S.L, Contract Research Laboratory, Biopolo, of the new La Fe hospital in Valencia, Oct 2024.

How was it conducted?

• 15 participants, split into groups of three, all took part in a 12-hour fast, so collagen amino acid measurements were of the utmost accuracy
• The first group of five took the SOLUGEL® Supra collagen peptides dissolved in water (0.4 mg/kg of body weight), the second group of five ingested a market standard collagen, and the third group of five received a placebo (only water).
• Blood samples were assessed using Ultra-performance Liquid Chromatography (UPLC), a powerful separation technique that uses high-speed liquid chromatography to separate different amino acids and distinctly identify collagen-derived free amino acids.

 

What benefits were they seeking?

Measurements assessed each of the collagen products to understand their impact on:

 

• Cellular uptake of collagen peptides by intestinal cells, i.e. to understand their ease of digestion.
• Collagen-derived free amino acid levels in the blood to ascertain absorption efficacy.
  

 

What did they find?

Blood samples were taken at the zero-minute mark and after 15, 30, 120, and 240 minutes, respectively, with SOLUGEL® Supra demonstrating:

QUICKER ABSORPTION

Absorbed and transported through the intestines and into the bloodstream faster than its market standard counterpart, SOLUGEL® Supra was detected less than 15 minutes after ingestion.

GREATER IMPACT ON COLLAGEN SYNTHESIS

Compared to 2 hours for the standard collagen, SOLUGEL® Supra amino acids reached their maximum level in the blood after only 30 minutes, and remained in the blood for as long as 4-6 hours. Simply put, this means the body has more time to utilise them for building and repairing tissues and supporting healthy skin. In addition, the benefits gained may even last longer than with standard collagen alternatives.

 

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STUDY 2

SOLUGEL® Supra Preclinical In-vitro Bioavailability Study - Study was performed by Bionos Biotech S.L., Contract Research Laboratory, Biopolo, of the new La Fe hospital in Valencia, Oct 2024.

How was it conducted?

• The cellular uptake of SOLUGEL® Supra collagen-derived free amino acids and standard collagen-derived free amino acids by intestinal cells was measured and compared. 
• The study was completed using an in vitro digestion model, which mimics the human digestive system. The model contained an epithelial cell line of specialised absorptive cells, just like the one found in the small and large intestines.
• Among other factors, the key observations explored were the presence of the digestive enzymes, pH value and the digestion time.

 

What benefits were they seeking?

The study primarily set out to understand how quickly SOLUGEL® Supra collagen and standard collagen are absorbed by the small and large intestines, determining the speed at which the body can begin to benefit from collagen intake.

 

What did they find?

Within just five minutes, SOLUGEL® Supra collagen amino acids were absorbed by the specialised absorptive cells and transported across the epithelial cell monolayer, i.e. into tissue. Faster than the standard collagen counterpart in the short term (<30 minutes).

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STUDY 3

Dierckx.S. et al. (2024) Collagen peptides affect collagen synthesis and the expression of collagen, elastin, and versican genes in cultured human dermal fibroblasts. Frontiers in Medicine. (Lausanne);11: 1397517.

How was it conducted?

Researchers conducted a preclinical in vitro study using real human skin cells grown in the lab, derived from neonatal foreskin. They ran three key tests:

SAFETY CHECK
First, they made sure all collagen peptide concentrations were gentle and safe for skin cells, confirming there were no harmful effects with the doses used.

GENE ACTIVITY TEST
Scientists then measured whether the collagen peptides could boost skin cell activity, specifically the genes responsible for making collagen, elastin, and other skin-firming compounds.

VISUAL COLLAGEN BOOST
Using advanced imaging, they looked under the microscope to see how much collagen the cells produced after treatment, essentially showing the skin’s response in real time.

 

What benefits were they seeking?

The skin cells were exposed to 0.01% and 1% concentrations of SOLUGEL® Supra collagen peptides for 24 hours to understand how the peptides affect the skin at a cellular level and, in turn, how they impact collagen synthesis.

 

What did they find?

Supporting the case for oral collagen supplementation, after just 24 hours, researchers discovered that the SOLUGEL® Supra collagen peptide concentrations resulted in:

IMPROVED SKIN FIRMNESS, ELASTICITY & REGENERATION
The collagen peptides helped the skin cells produce more of what keeps it firm, elastic, and youthful:

• Type I Collagen (the most abundant collagen in skin) increased by up to 108%
• Elastin (helps skin stay flexible & bounce back) increased by up to 42%
• Versican (key for hydration & skin resilience) increased by up to 128%.

VISIBLE COLLAGEN BOOST
Under the microscope, skin cells treated with the peptides showed a 115% increase in collagen production—visible proof that the peptides worked.

LOWER DOSES PERFORMED BETTER
The lower concentration (0.01%) performed better than the higher one (1%), demonstrating that when it comes to collagen supplementation, less is more for optimal absorption and effectiveness.

 

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STUDY 4

Kviatkovsky, S.A. et al (2023) Collagen peptides supplementation improves function, pain, and physical and mental outcomes in active adults. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition: 20 (1):2243252, Florida State University.

How was it conducted?

A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted over six months with 86 adults (aged 40–65). Participants also had the option to take part in a three-month extension of the study.

• The 86 participants were all physically active (>4 hrs/week for ≥15 years), and either suffered from chronic joint or musculoskeletal pain.
• Those who had received recent surgery, an osteoarthritis diagnosis, were using corticosteroids, had serious medical conditions or were already taking collagen peptides were excluded from the study.
• Participants were randomly assigned either 10 g/day of collagen peptides, 20 g/day or a placebo.
  

 

What benefits were they seeking?

Researchers evaluated the long-term effects of collagen peptides on joint pain, physical function, and mental/physical health in active middle-aged adults, using the following assessments:

KOOS (KNEE INJURY & OSTEOARTHRITIS OUTCOME SCORE)
Assesses pain, function, and quality of life.

VR-12 (VETERANS RAND 12)
Evaluates the impact on physical and mental health.

MONTHLY DIETARY INTAKE & PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Surveys ensured no significant dietary confounders.

 

What did they find?

Results showed that long-term benefits can be experienced from collagen uptake from blends like SOLUGEL® Supra, alongside dietary and lifestyle modifications.

The KOOS revealed that 10 g/day of collagen peptides improved:

• Daily living activities over six months
• And pain in high-frequency exercisers

While the VR-12 showed that 10 g/day of collagen peptides led to:

• Significant improvements in mental wellbeing (MCS, i.e. mental component scores) over 3–9 months.
• While 20 g/day of collagen peptides improved physical health (PCS, i.e. physical component scores) in females over nine months.

 

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Further reading

For further information on Collagen 500 Plus scientific studies, you can read on below:

SOLUGEL® Supra study 3
SOLUGEL® Supra study 4
Mesoporosil® study