Peking University’s “Five Female Doctors” collagen peptide drinks, anti-sugar artifact or “IQ tax”?

“Our family’s collagen peptides are based on the 18-year scientific research achievements of Professor Li Yong and our family’s chief scientist…” On an e-commerce platform, “five female doctors In the live broadcast of “Official Flagship Store”, an anchor picked up Li Yong’s books “Peptide Nutrition” and “Peptide Clinical Nutrition”, saying that the company’s collagen peptide series drinks stand on the shoulders of giants, “Too professional.”

And two years ago, the Peking University Medical Department issued a statement on rights protection and anti-counterfeiting, saying that the collagen peptide drinks and other products promoted by “Five Female Doctors” did not have any investment and technology with the Peking University Medical Department. Results transfer and transformation, etc. Professor Li Yong of the school also made it clear that he has no cooperation or authorization with the company, and there is no matter of transforming his research results.

↑The anchor holds the book of Professor Li Yong, calling him the “chief scientist” of the company

Then why are the anchors now openly using Professor Li Yong to promote products? On September 30, Red Star News contacted the brand owner, Beijing Qingyan Boshi Health Management Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Qingyan Boshi”), whose company founder and legal representative Jiang Jun (ie “Jiang Yanfei”) said that Professor Li Yong is now Retired and hired as the company’s chief scientist, “When we signed the contract, we did not allow written publicity, but other forms.” Subsequently, the Red Star News reporter contacted Professor Li Yong by email, but no reply was received as of press time.

Some experts pointed out that low cost and high gross profit are the basic characteristics of collagen peptide products, and its production process is not much different from other beverages, and oral anti-sugar drinks and antioxidants cannot stop it at all The chronic process of skin glycation, eating too much of these products may also have side effects.

The live broadcast emphasizes the “anti-sugar” effect

Famous anti-counterfeiters call it an “IQ tax” product

On an e-commerce platform “Five Female Doctors Official Flagship Store”, a collagen peptide EGCG drink with added hyaluronic acid ingredients and a value of 699 yuan, the page shows that 14,000 pieces have been sold; A “daily sugar-boosting plant drink” worth 399 yuan showed sales of 121,000 pieces. In addition, its flagship products also include collagen peptide vitamin C drink and VC ethyl ether skin rejuvenation essence.

↑Founder Jiang Jun

During the live broadcast, an anchor said that five female Dr. collagen peptides can solve problems such as loose skin, fine lines around the eyes, uneven skin tone, and large pores. Many celebrities are drinking . “I often stay up late and have to drink collagen peptides to supplement the loss, and even drink anti-sugar to plug the loopholes, and the experience will be stronger… This is why so many stars look so young. In fact, people have done anti-sugar early. Well done.” The page shows that the store has 1.13 million followers and a total of 559,000 products sold. Actor Huang Yi posted a video on his social account in April this year, introducing five female Dr. Collagen Peptide Vitamin C drinks, which mentioned “selling tens of millions every month”.

↑The anchor claims that the product has “anti-sugar” effect

The brand names of the above products are all “Youngdoctor/Dr. Qingyan”, and the brand owner Fang Qingyan Boshi claims that the products are produced by Jiang Jun, Ph.D. in Nutrition from Peking University, Wang Yuchen, Ph.D. It was jointly developed by five female doctors including MD Chen Yuanyuan.

It is understood that the products of Qingyan Boshi Company do not have health care products on the record, that is, they should be regarded as ordinary food. Its product packaging is also marked to implement the gbt31326 plant beverage and food standard.

For the above propaganda behavior, Wang Hai, a well-known anti-counterfeiter, told the Red Star News reporter that promoting the effect of “anti-sugar” is in principle a fraud, and the collagen peptide formula is in the production process. It is relatively mature in China, does not require innovation, and does not need to invest a lot of research and development. This product uses the title of doctor to fool consumers and belongs to the “IQ tax” product.

And Jiang Jun believes that there are many types of collagen peptides, and the prices of these collagen peptides vary greatly according to their molecular weights. The glycation reaction is currently controversial in the academic community, “Many people think that anti-sugar is useless, the core point is that there is no raw material that can directly degrade the end products of glycation, but similar to the treatment of diabetes, we have no way to degrade the end products of glycation that have been generated. End products, we can try to reduce the generation of glycation end products. By reducing the deeper damage to the skin, the effect of reducing the excessive effect of glycation on the skin can be achieved.”

Core patents are assignments

Some foundries have been involved in pyramid schemes

Tianyancha APP shows that Beijing Qingyan Boshi Health Management Co., Ltd. was established on July 12, 2019. The legal representative is Jiang Yanfei, with a shareholding ratio of 41.93%, while the other four female doctors No direct holdings. It is understood that Jiang Yanfei is theJiang Jun, one of the “Five Female Doctors”. A Red Star News reporter contacted Jiang Jun to ask why he changed his name. He said it was for personal reasons and had nothing to do with the company’s operations.

↑Beijing Qingyan Boshi Health Management Co., Ltd. Business Information

By querying the patent website, Red Star News reporters found that among the more than ten patents related to Qingyan Boshi, 5 of them are in the substantive examination stage, and its core patent “a DPP- Ⅳ Fish Meat Protein Peptide with Inhibitory and Anti-fatigue Functions and Its Preparation” was transferred from China Agricultural University, and “a purification device for plant-derived acne-removing cosmetics” was transferred from the individual “Dong Jie”. Most of the other patents are “the application of other extracts in oral beauty products”, and the research and development investment is not high. Among the inventors, there are only two names of Dr. Jiang Yanfei and Wang Yuchen.

↑Patent application of Beijing Qingyan Boshi Health Management Co., Ltd. (partial screenshot)

As for the transfer of core patents, Jiang Jun responded to Red Star News that the company has currently authorized 5 patents, 3 of which were invented by itself, and the other two (i.e. China Agricultural University) and “Dong Jie” patent) I bought it because I thought it would help me.

” Regarding the issue of patent inventors, we wanted to write everyone down at the beginning, but then we referred to other companies’ patents, and the inventors were basically corporate legal persons, so we followed the Conventional reference is used.” Jiang Jun said that they are using the research and development logic of drugs to make health-care products, which can not be completed simply by nutrition, but also involve knowledge of pharmacy, physiology, integration of traditional Chinese and Western medicine, and skin. In previous publicity, her role was exaggerated.

According to media reports, a company that manufactures collagen peptide vitamin C drinks and anti-sugar drinks for its OEM has been involved in a pyramid scheme. In response, Jiang Jun responded that the company did not do pyramid schemes, and the products involved in pyramid schemes were the products the company sold to others, and some people used this product for pyramid schemes. “And our collagen peptides are not produced by this company, only a small amount of anti-sugar drinks are produced here.”

Previously defended against counterfeiting by Peking University

Professor Li Yong joined after his retirement

In the live broadcast, some anchors kept claiming that “Qingyan Boshi brand formula is independently designed and developed by us”. The tutor of the company’s founder Dr. Jiang Jun is Peking University professor Li Yong, who has studied protein peptide 18 “So this product is standing on the shoulders of giants”.

When the Red Star News reporter asked as a netizen in the live broadcast room what the relationship between the brand’s collagen peptides and Professor Li Yong’s research was, the anchor picked up “Peptide Nutrition” edited by Li Yong. and “Peptide Clinical Nutrition”, saying that “our collagen peptides are based on the 18-year scientific research achievements of Professor Li Yong, our chief scientist. Professor Li Yong is our doctoral tutor of Dr. Jiang. These two books are edited by Professor Li Yong…”

Does Professor Li Yong participate in the product development of Qingyan Boshi Company? The Red Star News reporter sent an email to Professor Li Yong for inquiries, but no reply was received as of press time. Later, when the reporter called the School of Public Health of Peking University where Professor Li Yong is located, some staff said that Professor Li Yong had retired, and the relevant departments of the school can be consulted about the situation.

Introduced on the official website of Peking University School of Public Health, Li Yong is a second-level professor and doctoral supervisor of Peking University School of Medicine. He has long been engaged in the teaching and research work of nutrition and food hygiene, such as peptide nutrition, nutrition and diseases, dietary formula research, population nutritional status research, etc.

↑Peking University Medical Department’s Statement on Rights Protection and Anti-Counterfeiting

Red Star News reporter noticed that in mid-September 2020, the Peking University Medical Department issued two consecutive statements on rights protection and anti-counterfeiting, saying that the collagen peptide drinks and other products promoted by five female doctors were not compatible with Peking University. The Ministry of Medicine does not have any relationship between investment and the transfer and transformation of scientific and technological achievements. “Professor Li Yong from the Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health of our Ministry, involved in the propaganda, also made it clear that he has no cooperation or authorization with the company, and there is no matter of transforming his research results.” The five personnel are all doctoral students who graduated from the Department of Medicine of Peking University in the past (two of them are suspected to have changed their names). So far, the two statements are still on the official website of the Peking University School of Medicine.

On the afternoon of September 30, Jiang Jun told the Red Star News reporter that it was true that Li Yong was the company’s chief scientist. Subsequently, a “Chief Scientist Employment Agreement” was sent to the reporter, which stated that Beijing Qingyan Boshi Health Management Co., Ltd. hired Professor Li Yong as the chief scientist, and Professor Li Yong provided Qingyan Boshi with biologically active peptides and nutrition. Research and development guidance, consulting and consulting related content. Professor Li Yong does not participate in any production and operation of the company, and Qingyan Bozhi shall not express and publicize Professor Li Yong in any written form related to the product. The agreement is valid from November 20, 2020 to November 20, 2022.

Jiang Jun said that Professor Li Yong has now retired and agreed to cooperate. “When we signed the contract at the time, we did not allow written publicity, but other forms.”

Industrial and commercial information shows that in July this year, Li Yong became a Beijing youthShareholders of Yanboke Biotechnology Center (Limited Partnership), with a shareholding ratio of about 10%. In March of this year, Wang Yuchen and Chen Yuanyuan were also added as shareholders, holding about 4.5% of the shares. The company is an affiliated enterprise of Qingyan Boshi, holding about 14.5% of the latter’s shares.

Experts:

Collagen peptides should not be consumed in excess

Oral anti-sugar drink cannot prevent the chronic process of skin glycation

So, do collagen peptide drinks have any beauty and beauty benefits? Professor Zhao Mouming of the School of Food Science and Engineering of South China University of Technology told the Red Star News reporter that if the function of beauty and beauty is emphasized, then the collagen peptide must be enzymatically hydrolyzed according to this function. For example, there is a conclusion that it is rich in hydroxyproline. The dipeptide and tripeptide have the effect of maintaining luster and moisture on the skin.

However, eating more of these products is not always better. Professor Zhao Mouming said that it is recommended to control at 3-5 grams per day, and eating too much may have side effects on women. In addition, when choosing, look at the product’s technical indicators, test reports, animal experiment reports, population experiments, etc., and not just listen to the anchor’s publicity.

It is understood that according to my country’s food safety standards, collagen peptides mainly detect relative molecular weight and hydroxyproline content. The source of raw materials can be pigskin, cowhide, Fish skin, bones, etc., the technological content of extraction and processing is not high. The size of the molecular weight in collagen can only reflect whether it is easy to absorb, and has nothing to do with function.

Liu Shaowei, a member of the expert group of the Shanghai Food Safety Research Association and a doctor of engineering from Pennsylvania State University, stressed in an interview with the media, “There is no conclusive evidence that collagen peptides can directly enter cells, and some The research is an in vitro study, and small peptides can combine with other immune molecules to enter cells. For collagen, collagen peptides and small peptides are not the same substance, and small peptides have not been recognized as being able to enter cells.” That is to say. , No matter you eat collagen or polypeptides, the only amino acids that can be used by the human body in the end are amino acids.

According to Liu Shaowei’s observation, in the market, the price of collagen peptide itself is not high, and the production process cost is no different from other beverage processes. It has the characteristics of low cost and high gross profit. Because of the lack of discrimination ability, it is difficult for consumers to prove the effect in the short term, so “functional food” has become a “shortcut” for some businesses to make profits.

With regard to anti-sugar products, dermatologist Li Yuanhong told the media that the concept of anti-sugar drinks is somewhat “intelligent quotient tax”, “because the principle of skin glycation is to identify all kinds of foods ingested and finally They will be converted into three major nutrients – sugar, protein, and fat. When sugar meets protein, Maillard reaction will occur to generate glycated protein, but the glycation process takes time and does not occur in blood vessels. When people consume anti-sugar drinks After that, it is absorbed through blood vessels, and the glycation of collagen does not occur in the blood vessels, but on the skin.” Therefore, Li Yuanhong believes that oral anti-sugar drinks and antioxidants cannot actually prevent the chronic process of skin glycation.

Red Star News reporter Lu Yanfei

Editor-in-charge Tang Huan Editing Zhang Li