If our body’s are producing collagen, do we really need to take collagen for better health?
While the body creates enough collagen while we’re young, production slows as we age. As production dips, the signs of aging begin to show.
Wrinkles might be the first sign, and then aching joints, thinning hair and brittle nails might begin to show as collagen production drops from its once healthy levels. TO make matters worse when it comes to collagen, our lifestyle choices – excessive exposure to the sun, a diet high in sugar, and smoking – can contribute to the amount of collagen our body’s produce.
Read More: Discover the Collagen Supplement Everyone is Talking About
What is Collagen and What Does it Do?
Collagen is profoundly abundant in the skin, muscles, bones, joints, hair, and nails while we’re young, but this vital protein is harder to produce as we age. Yet, collagen is important to provide strength and structure to the entire body. With the loss of collagen that happens as a result of aging, it is important to supplement your diet with added collagen to help maintain healthy levels of collagen even in your later years.
There are some great sources of collagen including omega-3 rich fish, such as salmon, and grass-fed meat. In addition, a diet rich in vegetables containing antioxidants can help fight free radicals that are damaging to collagen.
There are also collagen supplements that can be added to your daily collagen consumption.
We’re created Ideal Collagen as the premier support supplement to help improve your collagen while increasing levels almost instantly.
There are two types of collagen supplements:
1. Collagen Peptides – hydrolyzed, soluble form of collagen which is high in specific amino acids. These can be added to a hot or cold substance and consumed.
2. Collagen Protein – is the cooked form of collagen otherwise known as gelatin. When added to hot or cold substances, it will thicken, or “gel” once mixed. Examples of this are found in jello, pudding and some soups.
If you are an athlete and looking for peak performance, collagen supplements with peptides that consist of 20% glycine and 8% arginine, may help the synthesis of creatine in the body.
If you are looking for younger, healthier looking skin, Michele Green, M.D., a New York dermatologist, says collagen powder can boost the skin’s elasticity.
One study published in Skin Pharmacology and Physiology* found that skin elasticity significantly improved when study participants between the ages of 35 and 55 took a collagen supplement for eight weeks.
Another option is investing in a moisturizer so that you can apply collagen topically rather than ingest it. Be sure to look for formulas that feature peptides as a key ingredient to experience anti-aging benefits because collagen alone may not penetrate the surface of the skin and won’t offer the same benefits.
While most people over age 30 can benefit from taking a collagen supplement, it’s also important to protect the collagen you already have by adjusting your current lifestyle habits.
You should wear sunscreen every day, stay away from cigarettes, and get enough sleep each night. Consuming a healthy diet is also key–load up on the collagen-rich foods mentioned above.
There is still much research to be done on the benefits of adding collagen to your diet and taking collagen supplements. However, adding collagen to your diet and/or skincare has the potential to do a lot for your overall health and hasn’t been shown to have harmful side effects.
Resources: *https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23949208
