Follow up Collagen Peptides Yes/No

[CalGal56]

Hi everyone,

I hope all of you had a wonderful weekend of rest, self pampering and plain old good living.

My oncologist got back to me on the Collagen Peptide question. Here is what she shared - in her words,

“I get asked about collagen a lot. The last time I looked into it was January, and after a lot of reading and discussion this is what I have to say about collagen:

Collagen is the main component of the tumor microenvironment and impacts the way the microenvironment interacts with cancer. Some early invitro experiments suggests collagen can inhibit tumor growth, while others suggest it can promote growth. All of this work has been done on the native collagen in the microenvironment. I do not see any studies about how oral collagen supplements may or may not impact cancer growth. While the risk is likely minimal, our understanding of the safety and risk of collagen supplements is incomplete.

So short answer is: likely minimal risk, but our understanding is incomplete.”

So, I have decided to hold off on the Collagen and research it a bit more. Her assistant will share a few resources with me when I see them again in July. In the meantime, the following foods are recommended for skin, hair and nail health and growth:

Salmon, halibut and other fatty fish, carrots, tomatoes, eggs, blueberries, low-fat dairy, oatmeal and beans.

Gotta say, Mother Nature knows what she is doing when it comes to nourishment - Mangia, Mangia…

[SpongebobMom]

wow, I've gotten the opposite advice. Collagen contains essential amino acids that the body can not 1)make on its own or 2) get from plants. Phyto- toxins in plants & all the Monsanto crap disturbs me

[love2golfwell]

Thanks for sharing this information. Please pass on any additional facts you receive. Also, when I asked my nutritionist about collagen, she suggested bone broth. I guess it has a lot of collagen in it and is healthy for you. Apparently you can make your own or buy organic. Best wishes.

[Kerryd22]

I’ve just started Biotin because I’m tired of my frizzy hair. The hairdresser calls it fluffy. A friend with a similar problem says it’s breakage not hair loss. She also says that she’s found a product for hair, nails and skin worked for her but it only has a small amount of biotin in it so I went for a product that was Biotin only.

I don’t know anything about collagen although it’s usually spruiked for rejuvenating skin via beauty treatments but I don’t like to take just anything. That said I take a few things and now I feel as though I must look into collagen. 🤔

[Best521]

Your doctor gave a great answer and you made a good choice. While I use oncologist approved integrative treatments, I tend to stay away from high dose supplements and other treatments for which there is no scientific evidence or haven’t been studied yet. I heard one research oncologist theorize high dose supplements may actually drive cancer growth. You never know if you are unwittingly driving cancer growth or putting yourself in harms way. My fantastic care team, which includes a registered dietician, would offer me anything they thought would prolong or save my life. They haven’t offered collagen supplements, but the registered dietician did suggest tumeric tea and the Nurse Practitioner suggested Nutrafol.😄

[CalGal56 in reply to Best521]

Interesting regarding the Nutrafol my daughter uses it and loves it! I have to say her hair is amazing, granted she is 30 😂. I will ask again on Nutrafol, this was the last communication from my Onc,

““Nutrafol does have curcumin in it which has shown to decrease the effect of chemotherapy but has not been sufficiently studied on patient who take Ibrance so again we can’t say for certain that it is safe to take. It is probably best to stay away from them and reevaluate if you do have hair thinning.”

It would be interesting to hear what your Onc or dietician, NP have to say about the curcumin. I would take the Nutrafol in a split second if they ok’d it 😊

[Best521 in reply to CalGal56]

Definitely go with your doctor’s advice. Sorry for the confusion, I was not on chemotherapy at the time the NP recommended Nutrafol or RD recommended tumeric tea. Chemotherapy opens a whole new gamut of issues. Everything is discussed with my care team and I only go with what my oncologist approves. I never took the Nutrafol. I shy away from supplements unless there is a scientific study showing they are effective. My liver needs to be protected and fully functioning for current and future treatments. I won’t run anything through it, not even a beautiful glass of wine, unless it is medically necessary. Glad you asked.

[CalGal56 in reply to Best521]

Always do…I have a great team with UCSF! I am in total agreement with you regarding supplements and research. Being in brand management and advertising I know how easily information can be spun “for the sake of a sale”. It makes me furious when I see this happening with products that can either make or break you, if you get my drift. Thanks again for your feedback and comments.

[ba5083]

Thanks for Sharing!

[viennagirl]

Thank you. Cheers Marlene