Regeneration

Collagen is the body’s main structural protein. Collagen makes up 70% of skin and gives skin both strength and elasticity. Collagen forms 30% of bone and gives bones the flexibility they need to withstand impact. The collagen fibers in bone are the binding sites for calcium as well as all bone minerals [1]. Collagen is the major component of fascia, cartilage, ligaments, and tendons. But collagen production begins decreasing at age 18. By the age of 40, the decrease is about 1% per year [2].

For women, the decline equates to a loss of 7% of skin thickness every 10 years. Following menopause, the decline in thickness accelerates to as much as 1.13% annually, while skin elasticity degrades 0.55% per year [3]. Adequate collagen production correlates with healthy bones and strong hair and nails [2-4].

For years, orthosilicic acid was the focus of intense research because it was viewed as a potential collagen generator. As a result of that research, the molecular complex known as choline-stabilized orthosilicic acid (ch-OSA®) was created. Clinical trials also suggest that beyond its ability to generate collagen, ch-OSA promotes keratin and elastin formation, two proteins that assist in skin elasticity and hair tensile strength [5-7].

In a 20-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 50 women with photo-damaged facial skin, oral intake of two ch-OSA capsules resulted in significantly improved skin, visco-elasticity properties, and a 30% reduction in micro-wrinkle depth compared to placebo [5]. In the same clinical trial, the women’s hair and nails showed significant improvements in strength. In a nine-month, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with 48 healthy Caucasian women with fine hair (average age 43.3 years), ch-OSA (in daily capsules) significantly improved hair thickness and hair tensile strength [6].

References

1. Viguet-Carrin S, Garnero P, Delmas PD. The role of collagen in bone strength. Osteoporos Int. 2006;17:319-336. [PMID: 16341622]
2. Shuster S. Osteoporosis, a unitary hypothesis of collagen loss in skin and bone. Med Hypotheses. 2005;65(3):426-432. [PMID: 15951132]
3. Calleja-Agius J, Muscat-Baron Y, Brincat MP. Skin ageing. Menopause Int. 2007 June;13(2):60-4. [PMID: 17540135]
4. Sumino H, Ichikawa S, Abe M, et al. (2004). Effects of aging and postmenopausal hypoestrogenism on skin elasticity and bone mineral density in Japanese women. Endocr J. 2004 Apr;51(2):159-164. [PMID: 15118265]
5. Barel A, Calomme M, Timchenko A, et al. Effect of oral intake of cholinestabilized orthosilicic acid on skin, nails and hair in women with photodamaged skin. Arch Dermatol Res. 2005 Oct;297(4):147-153. [PMID: 16205932]
6. Wickett RR, Kossmann E, Barel A, et al. Effect of oral intake of choline-stabilized orthosilicic acid on hair tensile strength and morphology in women with fine hair. Arch Dermatol Res. 2007 Dec;299(10):499-505. [PMID: 17960402]
7. Spector TD, Calomme MR, Anderson SH, et al. Choline-stabilized orthosilicic acid supplementation as an adjunct to calcium/vitamin D3 stimulates markers of bone formation in osteopenic females: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2008 Jun 11;9:85. [PMID: 18547426]