Much of the existing literature surrounding glucose control relates to the management of diabetes mellitus and other chronic metabolic disorders. In the case of type 1 diabetes (characterized by a lack of autoimmune b-cells) and type 2 diabetes (caused by insulin resistance), preventing significant fluctuations in blood glucose levels is critical for mitigating risk factors including cardiovascular diseases, neuropathy, retinopathy, skin impairment and hearing impairment, diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), and even premature death (7). As such, a number of measures have been devised over the last four decades to help patients track their glycemic status, starting with the first self-monitoring blood glucose devices (SMBG) and progressing to the compact, convenient and highly accurate continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) favored today (8). The advent of tools like these has been transformative not just for diabetic patients, but for our understanding of glucose control more generally. Armed with long-term data gathered through CGMs, scientists and clinicians have been able to build far more detailed pictures of the effects glycemic fluctuations can have on physical, mental and emotional health markers, for diabetic and non-diabetic individuals alike (8).

This seemingly universal issue of excessive glucose fluctuations stems back to the (bad) influence of modern Western lifestyles. Increased consumption of processed and high-sugar density foods, combined with insufficient sleep, physical inactivity and chaotic schedules that push meals late into the evening have all been shown to worsen hyperglycemic states in healthy individuals (9). These stressful factors may disrupt the body’s natural regulatory mechanisms, making it less able to maintain optimal glucose levels. With high variability in blood glucose comes cravings, which start a vicious cycle of overeating, glucose spikes and dips (10,11). the results of which are weight gain, brain fog and low mood (10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18). Understandably therefore, scientists, health bodies and consumers themselves are searching for methods to smooth out the peaks and take back control.

Into this quest for continuity comes collagen. A possible connection between collagen and glycemic status has been investigated as far back as the 1990s (19), but these studies were largely in the context of high glucose levels inhibiting collagen synthesis. More recently however, attention has turned to the potential of carefully selected CP compositions to help lower blood sugar spikes, after a meal and allow consumers to step off the ‘glucose rollercoaster’.

To fully describe collagen’s potential benefits as a glucose mediating ingredient, we must first take a deep dive into the digestive process. Following the intake of food and drink – particularly those high in refined sugar or carbohydrates – glucose rapidly enters the blood stream where it is taken up by cells to be used as fuel. Though useful in the case of intense exercise, this mechanism often results in a dreaded ‘sugar high’, followed quickly by a ‘crash’ as glucose levels return to normal. Constant vacillation between high and low glucose not only leaves us feeling alternately jittery or sluggish, but has been shown to induce more harmful oxidative stress than a constantly elevated glycemic status (20).

The body’s natural method for maintaining balanced blood sugar levels is the secretion of the incretin hormones, GLP-1 and GIP (21). When nutrients entering the digestive system bind to L and K-cell receptors in the intestine, these hormones are released (21) to stimulate increased insulin secretion, encourage glucose uptake into the cells, and signal the stomach to slow down gastric emptying, inducing feelings of satiety (21, 22). This chain of processes, known as the incretin effect, are effective in lessening the degree of the glucose spike curve. Even in otherwise healthy individuals however, the body sometimes needs additional support to trigger the incretin effect - and new research suggests this helping hand could come from a previously unknown place.

All forms of protein play a vital role in maintaining balanced glucose levels by slowing down digestion, regulating gastrointestinal hormones and promoting a feeling of fullness. As a specific form of protein which can be processed in multiple ways to create compositions with targeted benefits, CPs could be poised to target glucose spikes after a meal - the natural way.

As part of a wider project to uncover the connections between collagen and human physiology, scientists at Rousselot began compiling a library of specific CP compositions. During subsequent in vitro bioactivity screenings of a pool of 17 CP candidates, researchers uncovered one specific composition with a pronounced capacity to enhance GLP-1 secretion, an indicative sign for an enhanced incretin effect. Pre-clinical and clinical findings (to be unveiled in Q4 2024) suggest this specific CP composition could offer a tangible glucose mediating effect after a meal.

Blood glucose and its management is as much a hot topic online as it is in the lab. The last twelve months have seen over five and a half million organic searches for the term ‘glucose spikes’ (23), while over on Instagram a small but growing cohort of ‘glucose influencers’ have amassed over six million followers – and counting (24). Underpinning this surge in interest are the previously mentioned unhealthy aspects of modern life that consumers are seeing wreak havoc on their metabolic health. When it comes to specific solutions, many shoppers seem to be adopting a supplement-based approach, with more than a third of those surveyed by FMCG Gurus expressing an interest in lowering their blood sugar through the use of nutraceuticals (25). The opportunity to shape an evolving market is there for the taking, and with their newly discovered functionalities, unique CP compositions are primed to help brands ‘seize the day’.

The beauty of collagen in this context is that it is everywhere; in existing supplements, functional foods and beverages. This sense of familiarity is invaluable in building consumer trust. Further research is needed to confirm the results of this first clinical trial, but, these new, highly-specific CP compositions could hold immense potential as an nutraceutical active ingredient; safe, effective and already widely accepted.

The initial research pointing to CPs’ glucose-mediating capacity is compelling – but it is also just the beginning. Rousselot’s mission to decode the collagen molecule aims to uncover yet more uses for the nutraceutical industry’s ultimate all-rounder. As consumer trends shift in line with global health challenges and producers are called on to maximize the use of available resources, this type of precision nutrition will likely become more common. For now, however, the million-dollar question seems to be – what other secrets are contained within the familiar collagen molecule, just waiting to be unleashed?