Empower the new generation of active lifestyle consumers with UC-II® collagen

Written by Lonza.

Recently awarded the Frost & Sullivan’s 2023 North American Product Leadership Award, Lonza’s award-winning UC-II® undenatured type II collagen ingredient offers brands countless possibilities to transform the landscape of joint health and empower more people to lead active, healthy lives. Read on to discover how you can keep up with the new era of active lifestyle consumers with UC-II® undenatured type II collagen.

Meet the new era of active lifestyle consumers 

The active lifestyle market is evolving, expanding beyond athletes and fitness enthusiasts to encompass a younger generation of health-conscious consumers seeking solutions to support their mobility and overall wellbeing. This new wave of active adults is defined not by fitness level, but by their commitment to maintaining an active lifestyle for the long-term. Driven by a heightened focus on ‘healthspan’ – the length of time a person is healthy – these consumers prioritize activities that allow them to keep moving the way they want, for longer.

One of the most crucial factors to staying active is maintaining mobility. Our proprietary research in adults aged between 25 and 42 reveals that this new generation of younger consumers understands the importance of mobility and joint health:
[i]

As such, the active lifestyles market is entering an exciting era of opportunities for brands to introduce innovative solutions tailored to this new demographic of young, active adults. 

Collagen steps up

For brands looking to make an impact in the redefined active lifestyle category, ingredient choice is key. While there are various mobility-related ingredients on the market, collagen comes out on top for active lifestyle consumers.
[ii] The collagen market is expected to grow impressively – by a CAGR of 10.2% from 2023 to 2030 – and collagen-containing joint health products are among the fastest growing in the supplement market today.[iii]^,[iv] Notably, younger consumers are catching on to the benefits of collagen to support their active lifestyles:¹

Discover Lonza’s award-winning UC-II® undenatured type II collagen

Lonza’s UC-II® undenatured type II collagen is the number one undenatured type II collagen brand globally,[v]  offering nutraceutical brands unparalleled benefits for innovating in the rapidly growing collagen market:

UC-II® undenatured type II collagen is the most-researched brand of undenatured type II collagen,* demonstrating distinct joint health benefits in a variety of demographics, including healthy and active consumers as young as 20 years old. Research including this younger demographic found that supplementation with UC-II® undenatured type II collagen improved joint flexibility 15 times more effectively than placebo in healthy male and female subjects aged 20-55 years old – correlating to joints feeling 10 years younger.
[vi]^,[vii]

Lonza’s patented manufacturing process maintains UC-II® undenatured type II collagen’s triple helix structure and bioactive binding regions, enabling its unique mechanism of action that triggers the immune system to help support the body’s natural cartilage repair process, and promotes building of new cartilage. ^†,[viii]^,[ix]^,[x]

UC-II® undenatured type II collagen has been shown in clinical studies to improve mobility and flexibility with a small 40mg dose per day. This low dose also allows manufacturers to create convenient and easy-to-consume products.

The low-dose functionality of UC-II® undenatured type II collagen makes it a versatile, formulation-friendly solution that can be used in a wide range of popular dosage formats.[xi] It therefore offers brands a unique opportunity to breakthrough the market via innovative dosage formats and applications that appeal to different consumer demographics and consumption experiences.

Seize the opportunity 

Are you ready to attract a new generation of active lifestyle consumers with UC-II® undenatured type II collagen?

Download our brochure.  

_{*As of January 2024}

_{† Animal studies suggest that the likely mechanism of action is that UC-II® undenatured type II collagen promotes normal inflammatory response, while helping to support cartilage regeneration.}

References:

[i] Lonza. (2023). Proprietary Lonza survey data via Suzy, n=1,493. [Unpublished].  

[ii]  Informa. Collagen Report (2022). Nutrition Business Journal. 

[iii] Grand View Research (2023), Collagen Market Size, Share and Trends Report.

[iv] Nutrition Business Journal. (2022). Condition Specific Report

[v] Frost & Sullivan, 2023 

[vi]  Schön, et al. (2022). UC-II® undenatured type II collagen for knee joint flexibility: a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study. J Integr Complement Med, 28(6), 540-548.

[vii] Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Normal joint range of motion study. Retrieved July 20, 2021.

[viii] Sahin, et al. (2023). The effect of oral administration of undenatured type II collagen on monosodium iodoacetate-induced osteoarthritis in young and old rats. Scientific reports, 13(1), 6499.

[ix] Bagi, et al. (2017). Oral administration of undenatured native chicken type II collagen (UC-II) diminished deterioration of articular cartilage in a rat model of osteoarthritis (OA). Osteoarthritis and cartilage, 25(12), 2080–2090.  

[x] Yaremenko et al. (2021). Efficacy, tolerance and influence on cartilage metabolism of undenatured collagen type II UC-II (Mercana) in knee OA. PAIN, JOINTS, SPINE, 11(3), 5-12.

[xi] Pates, et al. (2023). UC-II^® undenatured type II collagen data show retention during functional food and beverage prototype processing. Data Br, 48, 109216.