Rousselot revamps following “the year of mobility”
“This year was the year of mobility. We revamped our message, we launched new ingredients for mobility, and we partnered with a healthcare professional advisor," specifies Florencia Torres, Rousselot’s health & nutrition global business development manager.
Torres highlights a consumer study conducted by Rousselot in the face of these new demands, following the recent launch of their joint care supplement Colartix. The study observed significant reductions in joint pain after three-weeks following administration of 1g of the collagen-matrix supplement, when compared to the control group.
“Give or take 1.8 billion people worldwide suffer from mobility issues. It’s not just in the elderly, but for everyone from an elite athlete to someone with an active lifestyle, as well as those who are overweight. There will be strain on the bones and joints. This can lead to further issues, contributing to mobility challenges," she explains, with regards to current demand for collagen-based products.
“Over the last ten years we’ve seen mobility move from an isolated health concern to an integrated aspect of general wellbeing," she adds, highlighting that by 2021, a third of global consumers were taking supplements for mobility.
The current collagen market is reported to be currently worth around £4 billion, whilst estimates predict that this will grow to £7.5 billion by 2029, highlighting a strong consumer demand in the face of these specified lifestyle challenges.
Greater importance
Collagen makes up one third of all protein in our body. It is a major component of joints and is largely responsible for the body’s strength and flexibility.
“The ability to exercise and move our body is so important for our health. This is fairly easy until you reach around 35 years old, and then the collagen levels start to diminish. In my opinion, what I call the ‘sitting disease’ is a major threat to our health," Jerk Langer, author and health care professional from Denmark tells NutraIngredients.
Partnered with this increasing lack of mobility resulting from the lifestyles of the modern day, Langer also draws attention the widespread adoption of vegetarian and vegan diets and the risk this may pose for collagen status.
“The most important thing to do is exercise. But we also know from scientific studies that by taking collagen supplements, you improve the body’s ability further to produce its own collagen.
“We have started to show that if you add collagen to your exercise regime, you can get a stronger body, less pain, and 48 hours later you are better able to use your body again," Langer exerts.
He discusses the changes in lifestyle during the COVID pandemic, with a stark increase in inactivity. Following the lift of covid restrictions, Langer discusses how he witnessed a new epidemic, “It was not COVID… it was overuse injuries. People had been inside for over a year, and wanted to get in shape again, but over trained. Collagen supplements or an increased intake of dietary collagen may have enabled them to increase their workload.”
Collagen products
Torres emphasises that the biggest challenge with regards to the commercial production of collagen is ensuring its bioavailability, due to the difficulties in digesting the native triple helix. Rousselot produces bioavailable collagen peptides to help support healthy joints and bones, including Peptan collagen peptides and Colartix collagen matrix with glycosaminoglycans (GAGs).
Torres says in a consumer trial of the Colarix product in 200 people, daily supplementation with 1g of Colartix for three weeks led to a significant reduction in joint pain when compared with the placebo group.
“In various clinical trials, Peptan has been shown to trigger the synthesis and reorganization of new collagen fibers, bolstering the collagen matrices found in skin, bones, muscles, and joints," she adds.
“The beauty of collagen peptides is that they are so versatile. You can apply them to everything from gummies to waffles. We have even used them in alcohol-free beers.
“At every point in life, you could get the benefits from collagen peptides.”
