Collagen claim: Eminet details skin benefits of its first clinical trial on liquid fish collagen

The product, Tenshi no RaRa was first sold in 2000, and has since sold 5.6 million boxes in Japan.

Now, the company says it has conducted the first clinical trial for liquid fish collagen on increasing skin moisture and relieving redness.

The 12-week study on effectiveness recruited 45 healthy volunteers between 30 to 55 years old, and divided them into three equal groups.

Group 1 was the placebo group, group 2 consumed 1g/day of collagen via Tenshi no RaRa, and group 3 was given 3g/day.

A facial skin analysing device and face image processor were used to measure changes in moisture, texture, redness, darkening, pigmentation, pore and wrinkles in the facial skin.

A significant increase in moisture content and redness relief in facial skin due to collagen consumption were observed in both treatment groups compared to placebo (p<0.001).

In group 2, skin moisture level increased from 55.1% in week zero, to 64% in week 12. Group 3 also observed an increase, from 56.6% to 68.1%.

The researchers of the study, Shunsuke Meshitsuka, Masanori Kuwahara, and Yukio Uchida, said the consumption of Tenshi no RaRa were assumed to increase collagen content in the dermis.

In addition, the increase in collagen content in the dermis resulted in higher moisture levels.

Researchers also said that collagen could help decrease the transparency of the skin, thereby reducing redness.

The researchers also conducted another study to evaluate the safety effect of excessive intake of Tenshi no RaRa.

The study recruited 10 healthy volunteers between 20 to 45 years old and were given five times the usual collagen amount, for four weeks.

No abnormal changes in physical examination, electrocardiogram, blood and urine analysis were observed.

Although, an increase in the frequency of daily defecation was found, researchers said it may be due to collagen improving the intestinal environment.

Applications​

Responding to queries at the Vitafoods Asia exhibition in Singapore, Eminet’s Yuji Nishina, and Ryoji Nenoi said the product contained only two ingredients, collagen and water.

The source of collagen is the izumidai fish (tilapia) from Indonesia. Yuji and Ryoji said the processing and manufacturing takes place in its factory in Kochi.

Through a process of micro-filtering, the collagen is extracted and purified, removing most of the peculiar smell and taste.

The liquid collagen can be used both in cold or hot applications such as tea, wines, fruit juice, soup, and sherbets.

It comes in a portable single-use sachet (11g) which can be stored at room temperature for 12 months.

It is also low in calories at 4.9kcal per sachet.

Each sachet contains 1000mg of collagen, and the company recommends a daily intake of one sachet.

A box (10 sachets) of Tenshi no RaRa retails for JPY 2000 (US$18). They currently only retail within the country.

Yuji explained that the company was awaiting Thailand FDA approval for its product, and if approved, will begin selling in Thailand from as early as October 2019.

Yuji also said they intend to expand to other parts of Asia, such as Vietnam, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taiwan by spring 2020.

Source: Journal of Japanese Society for Medical Use of Functional Foods

https://www.molcom.jp/products/detail/123517/

“Efficacy of collagen intake from fish scales on facial skin condition: Randomized double-blind study​”

Authors: Shunsuke Meshitsuka, et al​.