Supplement
Type-II collagen is the main structural protein in cartilage, the cushioning tissue that lines your joints, and supplements usually contain it in a form meant to interact with the immune system. People mostly look at it for osteoarthritis, and the evidence is limited: in a small group of about 259 people, joint symptoms improved. Those studies were small, so the findings are early, and in rheumatoid arthritis, markers such as C-reactive protein and immunoglobulin A showed no clear difference.
- Updated
- How we grade
- 5 studies cited
- Best evidence
- Grade C
- Conditions studied
- 4
- Outcomes
- 9
- Graded outcomes
- 0012
Evidence by condition
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Osteoarthritis Symptoms Small Improvement | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 259 people | |||
| Pain | Improves (the measure goes down) | 2 studies | 259 people | |||
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C-Reactive Protein (CRP) No effect | NoneNo effect | 228 people | ||||
| Immunoglobulin A No effect | NoneNo effect | 228 people | ||||
| Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms | Improves (the measure goes down) | 3 studies | 298 people | |||
Studies that measured rheumatoid arthritis symptoms | ||||||
| Pain | Improves (the measure goes down) | 2 studies | 288 people | |||
| Immunoglobulin G | Improves (the measure goes up) | 228 people | ||||
Exercise Recovery
- Pain: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pain | Improves (the measure goes down) | 2 studies | 46 people | |||
Joint Pain
- Pain: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pain | Improves (the measure goes down) | 2 studies | 46 people | |||
Key findings
- Osteoarthritis SymptomsImproves (the measure goes down)
- C-Reactive Protein (CRP)
- Immunoglobulin A
Shop Type-II Collagen
Third-party tested Type-II Collagen products. The evidence above is limited, so read it before you buy.
- Grade C
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Studies cited
5 studies from PubMed
- Effects of oral administration of type II collagen on rheumatoid arthritis
- Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with oral type II collagen. Results of a multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
- A pilot trial of oral type II collagen in the treatment of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
- Safety and efficacy of undenatured type II collagen in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee: a clinical trial
- Undenatured type II collagen (UC-II®) for joint support: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in healthy volunteers