Collagen is an important protein for the health of different areas of the human body, including the skeleton, muscles, skin, joints, and digestive system.
Many people are collagen deficient due to a lack of collagen-rich foods in their diets, and taking collagen supplements is extremely beneficial. On the other hand, people who are already collagen-rich and take supplements will notice much fewer implications.
The results can be seen eight weeks to a year after starting the diet plan, depending on the amount of collagen depleted, the foods consumed, and the quality of collagen taken in supplement form.
So many people wonder, what is the role of collagen in skin care? There's no doubt that you've heard about collagen being a main component in anti-ageing skin care. So many brands claim to have products that boost your collagen production or replenish the collagen in your skin. While collagen has an important role to play in skin care, a lot of these promises can be misleading.
Collagen in Skin Care Products
Collagen is so important to promote health and youthful looking skin. We have a dermis, the middle layer of skin below our epidermis, and collagen is the main stuctural protein of the space in our connective tissues. What does this mean? In plain terms, that connective tissue provides elasticity and strength to the skin through this complex cellular matrix that is made up of fibre like structures, such a collagen.
It's sad to say but collagen production slows with age. As we get older, all three layers of the skin start to thin and this is accompanied by a decrease in collgen. Once you hit the ripe, old age of 21 (yes, I said 21) your collagen production begins to decrease by around 1% each year.
Now let's get to the information you actually want to know:
Collagen in a cosmetics and skin care product is worthless.
Regardless of how important the role of collagen is in skin, putting collagen in our products does absolutely nothing to help the ageing process. Collagen will moisturise and hydrate your skin, that's about it though. No studies have ever shown that applying collagen to your skin with help stimulate skin regeneration or growth. This is because the molecular weight of collagen is too large to penetrate our skin barrier, meaning there are no anti-ageing benefits.
When skincare products contain collagen, they aim to directly replenish depleting collagen levels, often offering immediate hydration and surface-level smoothing. However, it's essential to understand that collagen molecules in these products are often too large to penetrate deeply into the skin, providing mostly short-term benefits. On the other hand, skincare products designed to naturally stimulate collagen growth target the skin's deeper layers. They utilise ingredients like retinoids, peptides, and vitamin C to boost the skin's natural collagen production processes. This approach seeks to create long-term skin health and resilience from within, rather than offering just a temporary fix. Both methods have their merits, but understanding the difference can help users tailor their skincare routine based on their specific goals and desired outcomes.
Benefits of Collagen
Collagen is different from other supplements in that it has been medically shown to help with weight loss and fat loss. Your diet unexpectedly influences your skin’s appearance and youthfulness, and collagen is the key. Below are some health benefits of collagen:
Improves Gastrointestinal TractIt has been demonstrated through testing that collagen can treat the digestive disorder of; a leaky gut. Leaky gut is a condition where the gut lining and intestinal walls are weakened and unhealthy, causing large holes or cracks that allow penetration of toxins and partially digested food into the stomach tissues and bloodstream. Signs of a leaky gut are autoimmune conditions, weight gain, acne, mood disorders, and depression.
Taking collagen helps strengthen the gastrointestinal tract, which acts as a protective covering and prevents intestinal permeability.
Improves the Integumentary SystemThis aspect of collagen's properties is referred to as its aesthetic benefit. With collagen, signs of aging evident in the skin are reduced. Collagen helps the dermis, the inner layer of the skin, and when the collagen and elastin in this layer are depleted, the skin rapidly begins to sag, lose its plumpness, and wrinkles start to form.
Taking collagen immediately affects skin wrinkles, reduces skin tenting, boosts collagen levels, enhances nail and hair quality, and improves skin and hair texture.
Improves the Articulatory SystemCollagen is essential for healthy joint integrity, helps treat autoimmune arthritis, and minimizes swelling and inflammation. Taking collagen can help you recover from the knee and ankle joint pain you suffer after working out.
Systematic inflammation damages body tissues, contributing to thyroid dysfunction, lethargy, weight gain, and other difficulties. Collagen supplements help speed up healing and prevent bone loss. Collagen aids in decreasing local immune responses and cooling the joints.
Improves Metabolic RateProponents trust that collagen is responsible for mood improvement, weight loss, and faster metabolism. Collagen also aids in reducing the risk factor for a heart condition by providing structures that make the arteries elastic and flexible.
A deficiency in this collagen can cause the narrowing of the arteries, which may lead to stroke and heart attack. Collagen also aids in increasing muscle mass because it is the most prevalent protein in the body and hence prevents the aging-related loss of skeletal muscles.
Improves the Digestive SystemCollagen increases stomach acid, which is required for optimal nutrient absorption. A low level of stomach acid indicates that certain vitamins, such as iron and B12, have been depleted in the body due to drugs or hormonal imbalances.
The weariness and poor energy level brought on by these inadequacies are reduced while consuming collagen. Before the effects of nutrient absorption may be felt in the body, the acid level in your stomach must be brought back to normal, and ingesting collagen does this for you.
How Do I Know I Need Collagen?
The right amount of collagen in your body is necessary for overall health. Collagen deficiency symptoms are rather obvious and simple to identify. Some of those symptoms are:
- Weight gain or weight gain resistance
- Sagging and aged skin
- Slow metabolism
- Inflammatory joint pain
- Premature signs of aging
- Gastrointestinal issues, including constipation, acid reflux, IBS, and diarrhea
- Hair loss or reduction in hair volume
- Dry and sensitive skin, as well as acne and rashes
- Dry and brittle nails
Where Can I Get Collagen? Food Sources:
Collagen is present in many foods that we don’t consume enough of, like specific animals' cartilage, ligaments, and bone marrow. These days, avoiding any diet that doesn't contain the least amount of protein or organic meat is easy, and these nutrients give us collagen.
The building blocks (peptides) required to achieve your skin goals can be produced by eating foods rich in collagen or foods that promote collagen production. The following are some collagen food sources:
Animal-based Sources
You've likely observed how much connective tissue poultry has, and because of these tissues, chicken is a great food source for collagen.
Bone broth contains calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, collagen, glucosamine, chondroitin, and other minerals because it comprises bones and connective tissue. Boiling animal bones in water is said to draw collagen. This, however, is not a very reliable source as you can’t get the right extract of collagen you need and hence need to spice it to flavor the broth while preparing it at home.
Egg whites possess large amounts of proline, an amino acid responsible for collagen production.
Shellfish and fish contain collagen-based bones and ligaments like other animals. The skull, scales, and eyeballs of fish contain the most collagen and are not the only fish appendages you must consume. Fish skin has been used as a building block for collagen peptides. According to some, marine collagen is one of the easiest to absorb.
Plant-based Sources
Plants do not specifically contain collagen but can help in collagen building. Plant-based sources of collagen can be derived from three categories, such as:
LegumesBeans are a protein-rich food that often contains the amino acids needed to manufacture collagen. Additionally, many are rich in copper, another nutrient essential for producing collagen.
This also goes the same way for cashew nuts. Both copper and zinc in these filling nuts help the body produce more collagen.
FruitsCentral fruits like mango, kiwi, pineapple, and guava round out the list of fruits high in vitamin C. You even derive more vitamin C from strawberries than from oranges, which gets all the credit. Berries like raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries also contain a large amount of vitamin C, which helps prevent the skin from damage.
A trace amount of zinc, another co-factor for collagen synthesis, is also present in guava. Additionally, tomatoes contain significant levels of lycopene, a potent skin toxin inhibitor.
VegetablesChlorophyll, obtained from green leaves, plays a role in increasing collagen in the skin. Spinach, broccoli, kale, and other salad greens are chlorophyllous and contain antioxidant characteristics.
Add a lot of green, yellow, and especially red bell peppers to a sandwich or salad, along with the tomatoes. These vegetables are rich in vitamin C and contain capsaicin, which prevents aging symptoms due to its anti-inflammatory properties.
In addition to these food sources, you can use some supplements to make up for the amount of collagen you lack. High-quality Vitamin C serum and collagen peptides will help you improve your skin. Although collagen supplements are generally safe and easy to use, sticking to a dietary strategy to increase collagen is safer, as other benefits come with it.
When Do I See the Effects?
The turnover of collagen happens slowly. Most people take at least eight weeks to evaluate the impact of collagen on joint pain reduction and skin health, but extended times of 12 months are needed for bone health. Therefore, it will require a minimum of 8 weeks to see benefits, regardless of your collagen-related goals.
What Does Collagen Do for My Body?
Most women who take collagen see improvements in their hair and skin quality and texture, as well as an improvement in nail strength. Collagens increase your tight junctions and the integrity of your epithelial lining. It helps treat osteoarthritis and reduces morning pain and stiffness in people that have arthritis.
What are the Side Effects of Collagen?
Adverse effects are uncommon because collagen normally works well for everyone except those allergic to a collagenous component. Although each person's experience is unique, certain collagen supplements may also contain dangerous metals and animal byproducts. The body may react adversely to these strange animal parts and metals, so these mixtures might cause skin allergies and rashes.
Mild aftereffects from consuming collagen supplements may include heartburn, bloating, and a loss of appetite. As a result of these effects, taking collagen may cause you to feel yucky, almost like you're sick. If you suffer from food allergies, make sure to buy allergens-free supplements.
You can feel unpleasant, nearly nauseous, after taking collagen. Although it hasn’t always been shown that nausea and bloating are harmful side effects, some people report experiencing these symptoms after using collagen supplements.
Collagen supplements do not significantly raise calcium levels when consumed daily. Instead, collagen may lead to hypercalcemia. Fortunately, when you stop taking collagen supplements, there are no side effects. The health benefits only fade because your body naturally synthesises collagen.
So, what's next?
Collagen, one of the most abundant proteins in the body, is a fantastic option to try if you want to promote your overall health and body system, promote hair growth, and improve the quality of your nails, skin, and hair. Collagen supplements and food sources can help you resurface lost collagen, significantly impacting your body's overall health. Eating more fruits and vegetables is the healthiest and safest way to improve skin health.
If you want to stimulate collagen production naturally, check out Intoxicate Vitamin C Serum.
Sources
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/collagen-benefits
https://www.restartmed.com/collagen-peptides/
https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/collagen-food-boost#bell-peppers
