Growing awareness for natural products

It has long been known that collagen has a beneficial effect on human health. Almost ten centuries ago, abbess and scholar Hildegard von Bingen was already studying extracts from animal tissue and had recognized their use as a remedy for joint complaints. In traditional Asian culture, collagen is used in cosmetics because it helps keep the skin young and tight and has an overall effect against skin aging.

Hydrolyzed collagen was first industrially manufactured in the middle of the 20th century, but at first only to a minor degree. It was mainly used as a water binder in the meat industry and in the manufacturing of sports bars. In the early 1970s, collagen began to be used in dietary products as a substitute for sugar and fat.    

After that, the demand for collagen grew significantly. The reason can be seen that in these days the today called “high protein diets” became popular. Collagen is used in these diets as a high value source of animal proteins which is necessary in calorie reduction diets.

Parallel to this, collagen peptides, contained in hydrolyzed collagen, became an ever more popular constituent of nutricosmetic products. They also came into widespread use as a source of protein to enrich various foods at this time.

At the end of the 1970s, ever more information became available about the positive effect of collagen peptides on the joints. The first scientific studies were carried out in this area in 1985. Finally, there was also evidence of a positive effect on collagen production in joint cartilage, offering hope to those suffering from joint health or mobility issues. Today, this has become the largest area of application for collagen peptides worldwide, next to their uses in the beauty sector.