Are Collagen Supplements Safe
Unlike drugs, the FDA doesnt approve dietary supplements to prevent or treat medical conditions. And supplement manufacturers do not need to prove a new product is safe before selling it. However, the FDA does monitor serious adverse impacts of supplements after they hit the market.
The most significant concern with collagen supplements comes from how they are made. Unless labeled as vegan or plant-derived, most collagen supplements come from ground up connective tissue of fish, chicken, or pork. The main concern with collagen supplements derived from animals is that they may contain dangerous heavy metals or other contaminants.
A review of 11 collagen supplements by ConsumerLab found cadmium, a toxic heavy metal, in one brand. To ensure the purity of supplements you take, Consumer Reports recommends looking for products certified by ConsumerLab.com, NSF International, or U.S. Pharmacopeia .
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Side Effects Of Tamoxifen And Toremifene
The most common side effects of tamoxifen and toremifene are:
- Vaginal dryness or discharge
- Changes in the menstrual cycle
When tamoxifen treatment starts, a small number of women with cancer that has spread to the bones might have a tumor flare which can cause bone pain. This usually decreases quickly, but in some rare cases a woman may also develop a high calcium level in the blood that is hard to control. If this happens, the treatment may need to be stopped for a time.
Rare, but more serious side effects are also possible:
Ten Lifestyle Changes That May Help
All breast cancer survivors live with the concern about a recurrence or a new cancer. This fear is usually the biggest worry of all. Many women feel that their body has betrayed them and therefore it takes time to trust it again.
Learning how to cope with fears of recurrence is important. Though your body has gone through many changes as a result of a cancer diagnosis and treatment, most women become healthy, strong and optimistic once again.
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Is Collagen Good For Hormones
- The Collagen Co
Collagens list of benefits grows every day. And recently, it appears that there’s a new kid on the block: hormonal health. With over 50 hormones in the human body, though, the only natural question is: “Is collagen good for every hormone? Well, existing scientific literature suggests collagen currently only has well-documented effects on three hormones.
Still, thats impressiveand, besides, science is ever-evolving. Who knows what scientists will find in the future? For now, though, lets get back to the present and understand which three hormones collagen is good for.
Maintain A Healthy Weight
The ovaries make estrogen during the years before menopause, but its also made in fat cells where enzymes convert other hormones to estrogens. After menopause, fat is the primary source of estrogen production in the body. This means that weight is a critical factor in determining estrogen levels, for both pre- and post-menopausal women. Dietary choices and activities that promote a healthy weight are essential to any estrogen-reducing program.
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Collagen Imaging And Analysis
Paraffin-embedded, 5-m sections of early lesions were stained with picrosirius red as previously described . Polarized light microscopy with a×10 objective was utilized to assess birefringence that is specific to fibrillar collagens. Multiphoton microscopy and second harmonic generation imaging were performed as previously described . Briefly, collagen was visualized with a laser excitation of 890 nm with a 445±20 nm emission filter to detect backwards SHG focused on the sample with a×20/0.75NA objective. The overall fiber alignment analysis was performed with the CurveAlign software following fiber detection utilizing CT-FIRE . The alignment coefficient was based on the orientation of the collagen fibers in the same image and ranges from 0 to 1, where the larger the alignment coefficient, the more aligned the fibers.
Signs Of Breast Cancer
Take time to get to know the normal look and feel of your breasts while showering, dressing or looking in the mirror so you can detect any changes that may indicate cancer such as:
- A lump, lumpiness or thickening.
- Changes to the nipple such as a change in shape, crusting, a sore or an ulcer, redness or a nipple that turns in when it used to stick out.
- Changes to the skin of the breast such as dimpling of the skin, unusual redness or other color changes.
- Change in the shape or size of the breast either an increase or decrease.
- Unusual discharge from the nipple without squeezing.
- Swelling or discomfort in the armpit.
- Persistent, unusual pain not related to your normal monthly cycle, which remains after a menstrual period and occurs in one breast only.
Though not necessarily cancer, these signs should be checked by your doctor without delay.
Other resources Ive put together for you:
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What This Means For You
If you are currently being treated for breast cancer or have completed treatment and are considering taking dietary supplements, its very important that you talk to your doctor and possibly a registered dietitian who specializes in oncology or an oncology pharmacist about what you would like to take and discuss all the risks and benefits, including any interactions that may occur with medicines you are taking.
Its important to know that just because something is naturally occurring doesnt mean its safe. Many people believe that any food or supplement in its naturally occurring, unprocessed state is better or safer than something that is refined or manufactured. This is not necessarily true. Some of the most toxic substances in the world occur naturally. For example, poisonous mushrooms and poison oak or ivy are extremely toxic to people but are completely natural.
Whether something is natural or synthetic isn’t the most important question to ask. The most important questions are:
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Will it benefit my health?
-
Will it interact with any other medications or treatments I am receiving?
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Does it have consistent and accurate doses?
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Is it free of contaminants?
Its also important to know that most doctors and dietitians recommend getting the nutrients you need from food, not from supplements.
Can You Take Collagen And Estrogen Together
Interested in taking collagenbut already undergoing hormone replacement therapy ?
The only known contraindications to hormone replacement therapy are a history of breast cancer, coronary heart disease, a previous venous thromboembolic event or stroke, acute liver disease, unexplained vaginal bleeding, high-risk endometrial cancer, or transient ischemic attack. Nothing about collagen supplementation. Bottom line? Yes, you can take collagen peptides and estrogen together.
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Xenograft Experiment And In Vivo Colonization Experiments
For the xenograft experiment, 6-week old female SCID mice were randomly grouped and injected with 2×106 control or collagen XIII-silenced MDA-MB-231-luc-D3H2LN cells at 4th mammary fat pad. Tumors were measured with a caliper every other day. Tumor volume was estimated using the formula . Twenty five days after tumor cell implantation, the primary tumors are removed by surgery. To detect lung metastasis, bioluminescent images were taken at 3 weeks after primary tumor removal with in vivo imaging system .
Does Estrogen Cause Cancer
Estrogen plays a role in causing certain cancers.
Cells in your body have hormone receptors. The hormone receptors are a type of protein. Estrogen in your bloodstream can attach to the receptors. This hormone-receptor process is part of typical body function. In healthy cells, estrogen aids normal cell function and growth.
Today, experts know that several different factors play a role in turning healthy cells cancerous. When these factors are present, estrogen can act as a spark. The hormone causes cancer cells to multiply and spread.
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Does Low Estrogen Affect Collagen
In estrogen deficient women skin thickness is reduced by 1.13% and collagen content by 2% per postmenopausal year. Type I and III skin collagen is thought to decrease by as much as 30% in the first five years after menopause,27,28 which parallels the reduction in bone mass observed in post-menopausal women.
Vitamins Diet Supplements And Cancer
Vitamins, minerals, essential fats and amino acids are important nutrients for our bodies. Eating a varied amount of these nutrients gives us energy and helps our bodies to grow and repair.
Summary
- Try to eat a balanced diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables.
- Low levels of nutrients can make you feel ill.
- Use supplements under the supervision of your medical team and a dietitian.
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Can Breast Cancer Be Cured Fully
Yes, It is possible to cure breast cancer. Breast cancer treatment is highly successful today. Reasons are manifold. Because of increased awareness, women seek help early for diagnosis and treatment. Effective treatment: Over the last 50 to 75 years, lot of research has been carried out that has led to major advances in breast cancer care.
Immunohistochemical Analysis And Immunofluorescence
Immunohistochemical analyses were performed as previously described . Briefly, tissues were fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin, embedded in paraffin, and serial-sectioned. Deparaffinized tissues were hydrated in decreasing concentrations of ethyl alcohol and endogenous peroxidase activity quenched in 3% H2O2 in methanol . Dilutions of the primary antibodies, antigen retrieval, and blocking conditions are shown in Additional file . Secondary antibody and signal amplification ) were performed at room temperature prior to chromogen-detection with ImmPACT 3,3-diaminobenzidine according to the manufacturers instructions. Tissues were counterstained with hematoxylin, dehydrated, and mounted for microscopic analysis. For immunofluorescence experiments, tissues were processed as described without performing peroxidase quenching. Alexa-488 conjugated streptavidin was incubated at room temperature for 1 h prior to mounting with anti-fade media and subsequent epifluorescence imaging.
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Fuelling Breast Cancer Recurrence
Collagen within a residual breast tumor. Image credit: Walens et al. 2019
Breast cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women. Recurrence of breast-cancer five or more years after initial diagnosis and treatment causes more than half of these deaths. This suggests that some tumor cells survived treatment and persisted undetected. These residual tumor cells may not grow for years and are often surrounded by other cells, including immune system cells. What role these surrounding immune cells play in triggering future growth of these residual tumor cells is not clear.
Many breast cancer patients receive chemotherapy, which kills all quickly dividing cells. Targeted therapies, which block signals necessary for cancer cell growth, are also used often. More recently, scientists have developed treatments that use a patients own immune system to fight off cancer. Scientists are currently studying whether combining these immunotherapies with chemotherapy or targeted therapies increases the likelihood of eliminating cancer. Learning more about the role surrounding immune cells play in allowing residual tumor cells to persist and regrow is important to understanding how to treat cancer more successfully and prevent recurrence.
The Roles Of Collagen
After more than 7 years of studying DDR1, we discovered that the shed extracellular domain can bind to collagen to form a protective barrier surrounding the tumor masses and prevent killer T-cells from infiltrating the tumor microenvironment, said Dr. An.
In addition to the mouse studies, the researchers analyzed tissue samples from patients with breast cancer. The analysis revealed that higher levels of DDR1 in breast tumors were associated with fewer numbers of immune cells.
The research also highlighted the multiple roles of collagen. Although collagen can keep immune cells out of tumors, studies have also suggested that the loss of collagen can allow tumors to grow more rapidly.
One would imagine that collagen maintains a line of defense against immune cells and therefore removing collagen should reduce tumor growth, said Dr. Li. But just removing collagen may not help because collagen has both anti- and pro-tumor effects.
He added, Our approach is to disrupt the structure of collagen rather than reducing the amount of collagen in tumors.
The researchers are planning to investigate whether DDR1 plays a similar immune cell-blocking role in other types of cancer. They also plan to search for other proteins that might be involved in building such protective barriers around tumors.
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Questions To Ask Your Doctor
Once you let your doctor know about all the medications you takeincluding over-the-counter drugs, vitamins and other supplementsyou may still have more questions, especially when it comes to your cancer treatment.
Below are some questions to consider asking:
- Can I take my other medications before and during chemotherapy?
- What are the potential side effects of this cancer treatment?
- What can I do besides take supplements to help manage treatment side effects?
- Are there any natural supplements that safely help relieve side effects from treatment?
- What are the side effects of any supplements that are safe to take?
- Are there any warning signs I should be aware of when taking supplements that are considered safe?
- When is it safe again to take the supplements I usually take?
Expert cancer care
What Are Natural Estrogen Blockers
Natural estrogen blockers
Wild nettle root: Nettle root or nettle leaves are often used to make prostate medication. Nettles contain compounds that act as natural estrogen blockers. Taking supplements can regulate production of the hormone. Chrysin: This flavonoid is found in passionflower, honey, and bee propolis.
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Are Collagen Supplements Safe For Breast Cancer Survivors
by | Sep 28, 2020 | Breast Cancer and Nutrition, Collagen |
My subscribers also get a treasure trove of info on nutrition, supplements and lifestyle tips on surviving breast cancer.
by | Sep 28, 2020 | Breast Cancer and Nutrition, Collagen |
The Role of Collagen The ScienceCollagen is used to support and protect, so naturally tumors twist it to their advantage. Tumors are often full of fibroblasts, the major cell type responsible for producing collagen. These cells pump out huge amounts of collagen, swaddling little pockets of tumor cells, called tumor nests, in blankets of collagen that keep damaging agents away. These collagen-rich regions form a physical barrier around tumor cells that keep chemotherapeutics, immune cells, antibodies, and other therapies from reaching the cells to kill them. The particular shape and character of collagen in a tumor has even been linked to how easily the tumor grows and spreads.Tumour BiologyScience SignalingBreast Cancer ResearchThe Bottom Lineand your doctor agrees with that
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Don’t just take our word for it. Thousands of customers have experienced the results for themselves, and this is what a few of them had to say:
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My skin is thinning because I’m getting older. But I have noticed a difference since taking . Very happy lady
Yes, I would recommend this product
Very thankful to my friend who put me on to this, I have taken almost an entire bottle and I am overjoyed at the difference it has made in my face, it’s clearly smoother
Yes, I would recommend this product
I know the website talks about skin and joints but where I really noticed the changes is in my nails and cuticles.
Yes, I would recommend this product
I’ve been taking collagen supplements for years and I only recently realized I’ve been paying too much. Your collagen is high quality but without the designer price 🙂
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The Relationship Among Exosomes Micrornas And Collagen In Cancer
Recent studies have highlighted the relationship among exosomes, microRNAs and collagen in cancer .
Exosomes are membrane-enclosed structures that facilitate communication between cancer cells and the ECM to influence cancer cell survival, growth, and metastasis and the immune system . Cancer-derived exosomes induce the formation of CAFs in the collagen matrix to promote EMT and increase the secretion of MMP-14 to regulate collagen . In addition, collagen enhances exosome secretion . Collagen and exosomes form a mutually beneficial feedback loop to promote cancer progression.
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Does Collagen Reactivate Breast Cancer
An additional article titled Cancer Reactivated by Collagen says breast cancer cells often enter a state of dormancy in metastatic niches, and their reactivation causes the emergence of metastatic disease even many years later. The tetraspanin TM4SF1 was previously identified as a molecule that promotes metastatic outgrowth in mice injected with dormant cancer cells. Gao et al. found that TM4SF1 promotes the reactivation of dormant breast cancer cells in the lung, bone, and brain by facilitating signaling in response to cellular contact with type I collagen, a major component of the extracellular matrix . Given that the presence of type I collagen stimulates cell migration out of the primary tumor, these new findings reveal another mechanism by which this ECM component promotes metastatic disease.
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Ecm Remodeling During Cancer Invasion
During cancer invasion, tumor stroma undergoes constant architectural changes, characterized by collagens degrading, re-depositing, cross-linking and stiffening in terms of ECM remodeling, and immune infiltration and re-differentiation of monocytes at the invasive front in terms of cellular changes.
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Adding Collagen To Your Diet
Men and women typically have the same guidelines for adding collagen to their diets, but women need fewer calories and require more vitamins and minerals, such as folate and iron.
If you are trying to eat more foods that support your bodys natural collagen production, choose leaner meats and lots of foods rich in vitamins and minerals, such as dark leafy greens. Bone broth, dairy, eggs and gelatin are foods naturally rich in collagen.Adding seeds and some types of nuts will provide healthy fats and more vitamins and minerals. Make sure you get foods rich in zinc and vitamin C, which can also help your body make collagen.
Including a collagen supplement in your meals and beverages may support collagen production, however, theres not enough scientific evidence yet to show that ingesting collagen directly increases collagen production.
Medically Reviewed
Board-certified physicians medically review Drugwatch content to ensure its accuracy and quality.
Drugwatch partners with Physicians Review Network Inc. to enlist specialists. PRN is a nationally recognized leader in providing independent medical reviews.
Reviewer specialties include internal medicine, gastroenterology, oncology, orthopedic surgery and psychiatry.
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