Looking for the perfect anti-aging hack? It could be collagen

If you’re looking for ways to keep your skin looking healthy, you’ve probably come across collagen supplements. Collagen is a protein found naturally in skin, hair and nails that provides structure and support throughout the body. You might think that collagen supplements will help you stay youthful, but do they really work that way?

Several studies have shown that taking a collagen supplement daily or adding collagen-rich foods to your diet provides a number of benefits and can actually help improve the health of your skin, joints, hair, and bones.

In this article, we’ll cover what collagen is, where to find it, and how you can benefit from collagen supplements, as well as the downsides you should be aware of. Supplements like collagen can be helpful, but be sure to also focus on the best food sources for the other vitamins and minerals you need.

What is collagen?

Before discussing its benefits, what is collagen? In short, collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body and makes up one third of all protein. It serves as a connective building block that holds muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones and skin together. It holds muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, skin together and promotes healthy joints and connective tissues.

There are about 30 known types of collagen, but type I is the most common (it exists in all connective tissues and makes up 90% of all collagen in the body). Types II, III and IV are also common and are found in various parts of the body, including joints, kidneys, ears and blood vessels.

All this leads us to another pressing question: what is collagen for? Your body naturally produces collagen by combining several amino acids (such as proline and glycine) with zinc, vitamin C and copper. As you get older, collagen production slows and the existing collagen in your body begins to break down faster.

When this happens, you may notice that your skin becomes more wrinkled, tendons and ligaments become less flexible, and muscles become tighter. To prevent or delay these effects, some people replace their body’s losses by eating collagen-rich foods or collagen supplements.

Adding Collagen to Your Diet

If you want to increase your healthy collagen production, you should make sure your diet includes foods that contain the following important ingredients:

• Bone broth
• Fish and shellfish
• Chicken
• Pigskin
• Eggs
• Beans
• Citrus
• bell pepper
• Nuts

Eating a well-balanced diet with a combination of these foods is the best way to increase collagen protein levels in the body. You may also consider taking a collagen supplement (usually collagen powder or capsules) if you don’t get enough collagen from food alone.

For best results, experts advise taking collagen supplement an hour before exercise, but always check the label and consult with your doctor before starting any new health routine.

Benefits of Collagen

Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s look at some of the benefits of collagen supplements.

Makes bones stronger

Bones are full of collagen, but as you age, the protein begins to deteriorate, as does bone health, leading to decreased bone strength and density. By including collagen supplements in your diet, you can prevent some bone loss and reduce your risk of bone problems, including osteoporosis and fractures.

Reduces joint pain

Collagen also works together with cartilage to ensure proper joint function. Over the years, as wear and tear occurs, this can lead to joint stiffness and pain and increase the risk of developing osteoarthritis. The good news is that taking collagen supplements reduces joint pain in physically active people. It can also serve as a pain reliever for people with existing joint problems.

Improves skin

Your skin also contains collagen, which gives it elasticity and youthful hydration. But as you get older, your skin becomes more saggy and wrinkled due to depleted collagen levels. Interestingly, research has shown that adding more collagen to your diet can improve skin elasticity, firmness and hydration, visibly reducing the effects of aging.

Promotes healthy hair

Collagen is made up of the same amino acids used to create keratin, the protein that makes up your hair. Because of this connection, there is some evidence that consuming more collagen may help the health of your hair by promoting hair growth, reducing hair thinning, and slowing down greying.

Adds muscle mass

Muscle tissue consists of 10% collagen. When collagen in your body begins to break down, you can lose muscle mass and potentially develop a condition called sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss). Fortunately, research has shown that taking collagen supplements, combined with increased protein intake and regular resistance exercise, can help people with sarcopenia build muscle strength in their back.

Disadvantages of Collagen Supplements

Despite these benefits, there are also some disadvantages to collagen supplements that you should be aware of before adding them to your diet.

They contain animal products (and sometimes allergens).

Traditional collagen supplements, and all dietary supplements in general, are made from animal products, so they are not suitable if you are following a plant-based diet. There are several vegan collagen options on the market, but it is unclear how they differ from those made from animal products. Likewise, if you have food allergies, be sure to read the label on collagen supplements carefully. In some cases, they may contain common allergens such as fish or eggs.

Regulation is a gray area

Collagen supplements are regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration as foods (not drugs), meaning their ingredients and production are not controlled by an official governing body. These products are not subject to the same regulations and rigorous approval process as pharmaceutical drugs, so it can be difficult to know about the quality, purity and safety of the ingredients.

Research on effectiveness is limited.

While there have been studies on the effectiveness of collagen (many of which we’ve cited above), more research needs to be done. Additionally, some of the existing studies were funded by collagen supplement companies, which may raise ethical questions about bias.

Similar Collagen Supplements

It is difficult to find other supplements that replicate the effects of collagen because its amino acid composition is different from other proteins. You can try increasing your intake of glycine and proline, key amino acids that are involved in the creation of collagen. They are most often found in protein-rich foods such as meat and poultry, but they can also be found in supplement form.

If you’re most interested in how collagen can help improve your hair, nails and skin, you may want to consider keratin or biotin, which are commonly found in shampoos and salon treatments but are also sold as dietary supplements. Biotin is also found in some foods, including legumes, egg yolks, nuts and avocados.

For more supplement tips, see: Here are five fitness supplements that have been proven to work.. Plus, Check Out These Three Melatonin Alternatives for better sleep without drowsiness the next day.