Seaweed and collagen pills could ease arthritic knees
NCT ID NCT07318896
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether supplements made from agar-agar (a seaweed extract) and undenatured type II collagen can reduce knee pain in people with osteoarthritis. Eighty adults aged 40 to 70 with mild to moderate knee pain will take capsules daily for several weeks. The goal is to see if these natural ingredients offer a safer alternative to standard painkillers.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- agar-agar and undenatured type II collagen
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a natural, safer supplement to reduce knee pain and improve mobility in people with osteoarthritis.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial with no phase designation, so results may not be conclusive. Dietary supplements often show modest effects, and the placebo response in pain studies can be strong.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 80 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Nov 2025
- Expected to finish
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Feb 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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40 to 70 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Men and women between 40 and 70 years of age. * Submit a score of 6 to 10 out of 20 on the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) knee pain questionnaire. * Sign the informed consent form. * Know how to read, write, and speak Spanish and/or Catalan. Exclusion Criteria: * Present body mass index (BMI) values \<18.5 kg/m\^2 or ≥30 kg/m\^2. * Present intolerances or allergies related to Agar-Agar, or any of the components of the products being evaluated, such as collagen or maltodextrin. * Take or have taken medications that may affect the study results. This is especially true for those who have been treated with oral or intra-articular corticosteroids within the 4 and 12 weeks prior to screening, respectively, or medications for osteoarthritis at the time of screening. * Patients who depend on prescription medications for pain control. * Take multivitamin or mineral supplements, collagen derivatives, or supplements containing bioactive compounds that may exert an anti-inflammatory effect, such as turmeric, ginger, omega-3, or polyphenol supplements. (Individuals who consume multivitamin, mineral, or collagen-derived supplements or supplements will be eligible to participate in the study, provided they are willing to discontinue their intake for at least two weeks prior to the start of the study and throughout the entire study period). * Be an active smoker or have been one for less than 6 months. * Alcohol consumption: * Men: Consume 4 or more Standard Drink Units (SDU) daily or SDUs weekly. * Women: Consume 2 or more Standard Drink Units (SDU)\* daily or SDUs weekly. * Have a diagnosis of osteoarthritis, active rheumatoid arthritis, and any inflammatory arthritic condition such as secondary inflammatory arthritis, gout, pseudogout, knee infection, marked angular deformities, or significant injury to the target joint within the 6 months prior to the start of the trial; arthroplasty and joint surgery of the target knee within the 2 years prior to the start of the study. * Have any gastrointestinal disease that affects the absorption of the compound and/or the study results, such as celiac disease, Crohn's disease, active cancer of any organ of the digestive or renal system, or hepatitis. * Be ineligible to participate in the study, according to the pre-screening evaluator's criteria. * Have lost 3 kg or more in the last 3 months. * Be pregnant or intend to become pregnant. * Be breastfeeding. * Be unable to follow the study guidelines. * Be participating or have participated in a clinical trial involving drug intervention or nutritional intervention within the last 30 days prior to inclusion in the study.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Eurecat, Technological Center of Catalonia, Nutrition and Health Unit
RECRUITINGReus, Tarragona, 43204, Spain
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