© 2019 GELITA AG
Suzane Leser
Director of Nutrition Communication
GELITA, Germany
9th Active & Sports Nutrition Summit 201918-20 June 2019, Amsterdam
From zero to hero:
How collagen became the
“hottest ingredient”
© 2019 GELITA AG 2
Following an impressive presence at the Natural Products Expo West 2018
Collagen announced as the “hottest ingredient”
Beauty is also about good nutrition. Collagen gained traction in supporting nails, skin, hair and joint health - all a
positive part of healthy ageing.
From 1% to 9% in 5 years
© 2019 GELITA AG 3
A growing consumer interest in collagen
Source: New Nutrition Business, May 2018 (https://www.new-nutrition.com/)
© 2019 GELITA AG 4
Interest in knowing more about joint, bone and
skin collagen
Source: New Nutrition Business, May 2018 (https://www.new-nutrition.com/)
© 2019 GELITA AG 5
GELITA leadership in collagen research
Natural Products Expo West 2019
“The benefits of this protein are backed with
some well done studies, notably those done
by German manufacturer GELITA on its
collagen peptides”
Nutraingredients USA
© 2019 GELITA AG 6
GELITA
Market Leaders in Collagen Peptides
Founded in 1875, privately owned
HQs in Eberbach, Germany
700mi € turnover, 21 plants
2,500 employees
Global leaders in collagen peptides Accelerator of GELITA‘s Health &
Nutrition Business
Experts in life sciences research, market
& consumer insights, and product
concepts & patents
www.gelita.com
Health & Nutrition
BUSINESS UNIT
Collagen Peptides
© 2019 GELITA AG 7
“Like Everest, collagen presents a large
un-ignorable mass”
Prof. Michael J Rennie (1999) Teasing out the truth about collagen. The Journal of Physiology.
Prof. Michael J Rennie (1946-2017)
“We need to understand collagen
metabolism in order to understand how we
grow, adapt to the environment, maintain our
adult shapes and then wrinkle and crumble
as we age”
© 2019 GELITA AG 8
However…
Collagen PDCAAS “protein quality” score = zero
PDCAAS and DIAAS pilot data for a range of food proteins
Milk
Protein
Whey
Protein
Isolate
Soya
protein
isolate
Pea
protein
Cooked
rolled
oats
Wheat
bran
Roasted
peanuts
Rice
protein
Collagen
protein
PDCAAS 1.00 1.00 1.00 0.89 0.67 0.53 0.51 0.42 0.00
DIAAS 1.18 1.10 0.97 0.82 0.54 0.41 0.43 0.37 0.00
PDCAAS = Protein Digestibility-corrected Amino Acid Score
DIAAS = Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score
“The physiology cannot possibly support the claims of a protein that
has a quality rating of zero”
“#collagen #takedown coming up!”“Cheap protein,
rubbish, garbage, useless”
© 2019 GELITA AG 9
How collagen has gone from zero to hero:
Science matters: innovation, IP and challenging the status-quo
Bucking the trend: from protein spiking to plant-based innovation
In the core of what's next in Active & Sports Nutrition
© 2019 GELITA AG 10
GELITA range of Bioactive Collagen Peptides®
Bioactive Collagen Peptides® | GELITA
© 2019 GELITA AG 11
Unique molecular weight distribution defines
the benefits of Bioactive Collagen Peptides®
Bioactive Collagen Peptides®
Health benefits Average molecular weight
Effective daily dose
VERISOL® Skin, hair and nails 2 kDa 2,5 g
TENDOFORTE® Ligaments and tendons 2 kDa 5 g
FORTIGEL® Joints 3 kDa 5 g
FORTIBONE® Bones 5 kDa 5 g
BODYBALANCE® Body composition 3.5 kDa 15 g
© 2019 GELITA AG 12
Bioactive Collagen Peptides® ≠ Proteins
Integrin
receptor
Bioactive collagen
polypeptides
Collagen amino acids
Building
blocks Biosynthesis of ECM
(extracellular matrix)
Stimulation
Adapted from Siebert et al. (2010)
Mode of action in three steps: stimulation, translation, biosynthesis
Lower molecular weight
collagen peptidesHigher molecular
weight collagen
peptides
© 2019 GELITA AG 13
GELITA science leads to innovation and IP
Bioactive Collagen Peptides® | GELITA
…
© 2019 GELITA AG 14
GELITA science challenges the status-quo:Collagen peptides shown to increase lean body mass and strength
© 2019 GELITA AG 15
Substantial global growth in new product
launches
Source: INNOVA
0
500
1.000
1.500
2.000
2.500
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Global New Product Launches, CAGR 20%
© 2019 GELITA AG 16
Beauty → joint health → sarcopenia → sports
Bioactive Collagen Peptides® | GELITA
Leading the way
© 2019 GELITA AG 17
Beauty makes healthy ageing “cooler and sexier”
Collagen
Beauty is “ageless”:
never looking olderSarcopenia is “ageing”:
it is getting older
Protein
“Beauty” triggers a positive emotional state, consumers are more receptive
© 2019 GELITA AG 18
Beauty increases “Healthy Ageing” appeal
and branches into Sports & Active Nutrition
GELITA
Bioactive Collagen Peptides®
are positioned where
all markets overlap Beauty
Healthy Ageing
Sports & Active Nutrition
© 2019 GELITA AG 19
VERISOL® success story:
Nestlé Brazil takes on beauty-from-within
© 2019 GELITA AG 20
FORTIGEL® success story:
exclusive to Sanofi in South America
© 2019 GELITA AG 21
FORTIBONE®: wins German Innovation award
2019 in excellence in B2B, pharmaceuticals
https://www.german-innovation-award.de/en/winners/preis/gewinner/fortibone/
Honoured for its user centricity and
added value compared to earlier
solutions in the market.
There is huge dissatisfaction with existing
treatment options for osteoporosis as most
medications have an anti-catabolic effect
and so can cause side-effects.
FORTIBONE® stimulates bone collagen
formation, counterbalancing degradation,
and resulting in increased bone mineral
density.
© 2019 GELITA AG 22
Proud winners of all awards entered in 2018
© 2019 GELITA AG 24
How collagen has gone from zero to hero:
Science matters: innovation, IP and challenging the status-quo
Bucking the trend: from protein spiking to plant-based innovation
In the core of what's next in Active & Sports Nutrition
© 2019 GELITA AG 25
Rich in conditionally essential amino acids which may become “essential” in sports
From “protein spiking” to the optimal blend
Collagen, once suspected as a source of “protein spiking”, is now emerging as the optimal
protein blend
© 2019 GELITA AG 26
NNB: collagen bucking the trend toward
plant-based innovation
Source: New Nutrition Business, May 2018 (https://www.new-nutrition.com/)
Beauty
Paleo
Keto
Plant
© 2019 GELITA AG 27
“Collagen boosters” riding on the wave
B vits (20-100%DV +
Vit C (20% DV)
Emerging trend at the 2019 Natural Products Expo West show
© 2019 GELITA AG 28
“Grass-fed”, “Keto”, “Paleo”, “Gluten free”
Garden of Life goes collagen for “specific needs”
© 2019 GELITA AG 29
How collagen has gone from zero to hero:
Science matters: innovation, IP and challenging the status-quo
Bucking the trend: from protein spiking to plant-based innovation
In the core of what's next in Active & Sports Nutrition
© 2019 GELITA AG 30
Driven by innovation and new research
Collagen makes into Sports & Active Nutrition
In the positioning of collagen,
the generic benefits of protein
are secondary
The GELITA Bioactive
Collagen Peptides® leverage
its benefits to tendons &
ligaments, joint health,
bone health and skin to
appeal to active consumers
© 2019 GELITA AG 31
Science trend: expanding from “red” muscle to
“white” connective tissue
CollagenThe main component in
connective tissue and the
most abundant protein in
the body: 30%
Everywhere in the body,
the connective tissue
gives the body structure
and transfers force,
without tearing
Muscles do not exist on
their own. The connective
tissue supports every
muscle fibre and plays a
vital role in the adaptation
to training
Most sports people don’t
think about it until it hurts:
back pain, IT band,
Achilles, ankle sprains,
plantar fasciitis, patella
tendon, ACL
© 2019 GELITA AG 32
There is a growing buzz about the importance
of connective tissue in exercise and sports
© 2019 GELITA AG 33
The “white” connective tissue plays a vital role
in the adaptive response to exercise
Van Vliet et al. (2018); Guillet et al. 2004.
Both strength and endurance exercise enhance muscle remodelling
through the synthesis of new proteins in all three major muscle protein groups
MyofibrillarContractile proteins which have
received most of the research focus,
establishing a key role for Leucine
and essential amino acids
Collagen and extracellular matrixFibrous proteins that form the muscle fascia:
the connective tissue that wraps muscle fibres,
transmits force and enables optimal movement
Mitochondrial and
sarcoplasmicProteins involved in energy
production, intracellular transport and
other functions, found in the
cytoplasm of cells
Muscle fibre Perimysium
Endomysium Epimysium
© 2019 GELITA AG 34
Non-essential amino acids make up 80-84% of
the body’s collagen protein
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Pro
tein
% (
g/1
00
g)
Amino acids: ◼ Leucine ◼ Other essential amino acids ◼ Glycine ◼ Proline ◼ Other non-essential AAs
⚫ ⚫
Rich in Proline and Glycine
to remodel the connective
tissue
Adapted from van Vliet et al. 2015; Zdzieblik et al. 2015; internal reports
55%
Rich in essential amino
acids for muscle growth
© 2019 GELITA AG 35
High dietary protein quality is
maintained with 2.5-15g of functional
collagen peptide intake
As much as 36% collagen can be
incorporated in the diet without
compromising on essential amino
acids
As the adult diet is composed of
varied protein sources, the use in
isolation of the PDCAAS value of
collagen is of no practical significance
Indispensable amino acids
Cys + Met
Histidine
Isoleucine
Leucine
Lysine
Threonine
Tryptophan
Tyr + Phe
Valine
Amino acid scores of a daily protein mixture containing 36%* collagen peptides and 64%
Western pattern diet protein mixture
1.00
1.15
1.38
1.06
1.14
1.16
1.05
1.29
1.37
PDCAAS
PDCAAS score “zero”: no practical significance
Adapted from: Paul et al. (2019)
© 2019 GELITA AG 36
GELITA studies in sports nutrition show an
effect of collagen peptides
Dressler et al. 2018
Praet et al. (2019)
Reduced risk of injuries
Faster return-to-play
© 2019 GELITA AG 37
Collagen may assist with injury management, citing science from GELITA
International Olympic Committee (IOC 2018)
Table 5 Supplements that may assist with training capacity, recovery, muscle soreness and
injury management
Supplement Proposed mechanism of
action
Evidence for efficacy
Gelatin and vitamin C/collagen
Recommended dose is 5-15g
gelatin with 50mg vitamin C1
Collagen hydrolysate dose is
about 10g/day.2,3
• Increased collagen
production
• Thickened cartilage
• Decreased joint pain
Gelatin and collagen supplements appear
to be low risk.
Few data available, but increased
collagen production and decreased pain
seem possible.
Functional benefits, recovery from injury,
and effects in elite athletes are not known.
1 Shaw G, Lee-Barthel A, Ross ML, et al. Vitamin C-enriched gelatin supplementation before intermittent activity augments collagen synthesis. Am J Clin Nutr
2017;105:136–43. 2 Clark KL, Sebastianelli W, Flechsenhar KR, et al. 24-Week study on the use of collagen hydrolysate as a dietary supplement in athletes with activity-related joint
pain. Curr Med Res Opin 2008;24:1485–96. 3 McAlindon TE, Nuite M, Krishnan N, et al. Change in knee osteoarthritis cartilage detected by delayed gadolinium enhanced magnetic resonance imaging
following treatment with collagen hydrolysate: a pilot randomized controlled trial. Osteoarthritis Cartilage 2011;19:399–405.
© 2019 GELITA AG 38
Foods vs. supplements
Study from the AIS found that supplements are a more reliable source of therapeutic
doses of collagen due to higher and consistent concentrations of key amino acids
Bone Broth(mg/kg of animal tissue per portion)
Supplements(mg/20g therapeutical dose)
Standard
recipes(commercial)
Non-standard
recipes (home-made, of
varied sources)
TENDOFORTE®
by GELITA
Gelatin Collagen
Hydrolysate
Collagen amino
acids
16 samples 6 samples 2 samples 2 samples 2 samples
Contribute amino
acid building blocks,
in variable amounts
Consistent
concentrations of
key amino acids
Adapted from: Alcock et al. (2018)
Collagen: a rare example where a supplement might be a better option than food
© 2019 GELITA AG 39
To evolve the protein thinking to a much higher level
A goal for GELITA:
1980s Today
Prevent deficiency
Meet basic needs
to prolong
life expectancy
Promote health
Meet specific needs
for optimal health
and performance
Basic Nutrition Functional Nutrition
Focus on meeting basic needs for
essential amino acids, combat
malnutrition and increase life expectancy
Focus on food compounds as regulators of
metabolism, looking beyond basic needs and
into long-term health in ageing and exercise
Adapted from Norheim et al. (2012)
© 2019 GELITA AG 40
What GELITA did right:
- Nailed “healthy ageing” via beauty-from-within
- Developed collagen beyond just a protein source
- Portfolio is right where beauty, healthy ageing, and sports
nutrition overlap: is that “active nutrition”?
From zero to hero recipe:
© 2019 GELITA AG
Thank you
Suzane Leser
Director of Nutrition Communication
GELITA, Germany
9th Active & Sports Nutrition Summit 201918-20 June 2019, Amsterdam
