If you think supplementing with collagen is just another empty promise of helping you look younger, you’re in for a real surprise. There are amazing benefits of taking Collagen supplements.
The benefits of taking collagen supplements not only include those that affect our appearance, but also what’s happening to us on the inside as we age.
Collagen is considered the “scaffolding and glue holding” our bodies together. And we’ve been losing about 1% of our collagen every year after we turned 20 years old.
What Is Collagen
Collagen is the most plentiful form of protein in your body. It’s the main structural protein that forms the framework of your muscles, bones, tendons, skin and cartilage.
Collagen makes up 75% of the dry weight of your skin. It strengthens the skin, hydrates it and gives it elasticity.
It’s also found in your hair, nails, bones, ligaments, tendons, muscle tissue and arteries. It’s everywhere!
Collagen is made of three long chains of over 1,000 amino acids, They twist into a triple helix formation like DNA but with another chain. This is what gives collagen it’s strength. Some types of collagen, gram-for-gram are stronger than steel.
What Are Collagen Peptides?
Collagen peptides are made by breaking down full length collagen molecules. The peptides are more easily absorbed into our bodies than the full length collagen molecules.
Make sure that if you supplement with collagen that you’re doing so with collagen peptides.
Hydrolyzed Collagen
You may also see collagen supplements advertised as hydrolyzed collagen. This means that the collagen has been broken down into peptides. This makes it easier for you to absorb.
How Much Collagen Have You Lost?
Since it’s estimated that we lose 1% of our collagen per year, how much have you lost? I’m 53 (still don’t believe it), so I’ve lost about 33 % and I want it back.
Scary, right? Eating the right foods to bring back the collagen you’ve lost is always preferable. But if you’ve lost a lot like me, you may want to consider taking collagen supplements and reap the amazing benefits .
Benefits of Collagen Supplements for Wrinkles and Sagging Skin
Collagen is what gives your face it’s firmness. As the amount in your skin decreases, the effect of gravity increases resulting in sagging skin. This reduction also results in fine lines that eventually become those dreaded wrinkles.
Several studies have shown that supplements containing collagen may help slow the aging of your skin, resulting in less wrinkle depth, improved elasticity and hydration of the skin.
The effects of collagen supplements are attributed to their ability to stimulate your body to produce its own collagen. Taking collagen supplements may also increase the production of other proteins in the skin including including elastin and fibrillin.
A 2014 study of 69 women ages 35 to 55 found that those who took 2.5 or 5 grams of collagen daily for 8 weeks showed a lot of improvement in skin elasticity, compared with those who didn’t take it.
According to JJ Virgin , certified nutritional specialist you should take 5-10 grams per day depending on whether you’re in “preventative mode or damage control mode” (my words not hers).
How Much Collagen Should You Take For Healthier Skin?
You should take 5-10 grams per day depending on whether you are in in preventative mode or damage control mode.
Joint Health
Another “joy” of getting older is that our joints start to wear out. But then again you don’t have to be of a mature age to have joint problems. Thankfully improved joint health is one of the many benefits of collagen supplements.
Collagen fibers are a key component of cartilage and provides cartilage with its strength.
Cartilage is the rubbery material that covers the ends of bones in joints. It reduces friction in the joints and acts as a “shock absorber” because it has the ability to change its shape when compressed.
Just think of the force that is exerted when you jump up and down. Not jumping up and down lately? Then think of just walking on a hard surface and the wear and tear that happens to your knees.
The loss of collagen that happens as you get older causes the breakdown of the cartilage that you need to protect your joints. This can cause chronic pain, osteoarthritis (degenerative joint disease) and inflammation.
Many studies have been conducted about the therapeutic benefits of supplementing with collagen for joint health.
Supplementing with collagen is thought by researchers to trigger your body into repairing the structure of your joints by stimulating your joints to make collagen.
How Much Collagen Should You Take To Improve Bone Health?
STUDIES SUGGEST that YOU SHOULD START WITH A DOSAGE OF 8–12 GRAMS DAILY for its potential pain-relieving effects
Benefits of Collagen Supplements for Heart Health
When you think about heart health, you more than likely think about diet and exercise. You might not be aware of the connection between collagen and your arteries.
Arteries are the blood vessels that deliver oxygen rich blood from the heart to all of your body’s tissues and collagen is what helps them maintain their integrity.
Without enough collagen your arteries may becomes weak and brittle. This may lead to atherosclerosis which has the potential to lead to heart attack and stroke
One study included 31 healthy adults who took 16 grams of collagen per day for six months. At the end of the study they experienced a notable reduction in artery stiffness and increased flexibility.
How Much Collagen Should You Take To Improve Heart Health?
16 Grams daily
Bone Health
Everyone should be concerned about bone health not just women during and after menopause. According to patient.info we generate bone at a faster rate than we lose it only up until age 30. After 30 it starts to go the other way.
One of the reasons we all loose bone density is because of our amazing bodies.
What?
Hold on, this does make sense……..
Your body always needs your blood to be at neutral pH level. So when it becomes too acidic your bones release alkaline substances to bring your blood back to the neutral levels it needs to carry out critical functions.
You can blame the Standard American Diet (SAD) for this because it tends to be on the acid side of the pH scale.
You can also blame your hormones when the big M(enopause) comes to town. Once it occurs, estrogen levels decrease and women can loose up to 20% or even more of their bone density.
Got Milk?
Osteoporosis is a serious health condition where bones become weak and brittle. Approximately 25% of postmenopausal caucasian women in the US will develop osteoporosis.
We’ve been brought up to believe that drinking milk or taking calcium and vitamin D supplements are the key to preventing bone loss. But these only address calcium deficiencies
While calcium does help build bone density it needs something to attach to. This is where collagen comes in. Collagen being the “scaffolding” of the body is also the main structure of your body are your bones.
Without enough collagen in the ‘scaffolding,” calcium doesn’t have enough to attach to, resulting in bone loss.
A randomized controlled study showed that supplementing with 5 grams of specific collagen peptides improved bone mineral density in postmenopausal women.
There are so many benefits of collagen supplements, I wish I started taking them a long time ago.
How Much Collagen Should You Take To Improve Bone Health?
5 Grams daily to improve bone mass density and decrease the risk of fractures
Other Potential Benefits of Collagen Supplements
Muscle Loss
Collagen it’s everywhere! It’s the major structural protein in muscle, comprising between 1–10% of muscle tissue. It helps your muscles stay strong and working they way they should.
As we get older in our 30’s we all begin to lose muscle mass and have to exercise those muscles harder to build them back up. Being inactive can increase muscle mass loss by as much as 3%-5% each decade after age 30 (note to self: get to the gym).
Declining estrogen levels for us older woman is also a cause of losing muscle mass (note to self: get those weights out).
The good news is that gaining muscle mass is another one of the potential benefits of collagen supplements.
A study of 53 elderly men with a condition called scarpenia found that taking 15 grams of collagen daily, lifting weights 3 times per week for 3 months resulted in notable increase in muscle mass.
Hair and Nail Health
Decreasing amounts of collagen in the body negatively impacts our hair and nail health as well.
This is more good news if you are considering supplementing with collagen. Oral supplementation with collagen improves nail growth and reduces symptoms of brittle nails. It may also stimulate your hair and nails to grow longer.
Anecdotal Benefits
There are a lot of other benefits benefits of collagen supplements including gut and brain health as well as weight loss, but more research is needed.
This doesn’t mean they’re not true, its just means that more studies are needed.
Before You Start Supplementing
Where Do Collagen Supplements come from?
You should know where the supplements come from so you will understand how important it is to get the highest quality possible.
Remember that collagen is the scaffolding the holds the body together? Well it also holds animals together too.
Collagen supplements are made from bone, skin, hides, cartilage and scales of animals and fish.
Not very appetizing is it? It’s also not very vegetarian or vegan(there are however vegan alternatives).
Because of the source you should buy collagen supplements that are certified by organizations that you trust. If you’re buying collagen from beef sources make sure it comes from pasture-raised, hormone free cows.
Always remember you are what you eat. You’re also what you ate, ate. So don’t be thrifty on this purchase because you may be doing more damage than good.
Side Effects
I personally haven’t had any side affects. However some people get diarrhea from taking them, along with a general feeling of heaviness in the stomach as well as rashes.
Cheers to The Amazing Benefits of Collagen!
So many benefits so little time. We’re all on this planet for a short period of time. Let’s make sure that while we are here we do everything we can to be the healthiest version of ourselves.
If supplementing with collagen can help us do so, why not give it a try.
My favorite way to take my collagen supplements is in powder form. I just put it in my coffee (better to add it before pouring the coffee in the mug) every morning. Unless you buy flavored supplements, you shouldn’t notice any change to your coffee’s taste.
Remember that it’s very important to get your collagen from a reputable source. If the animals that it comes from contains heavy metals and hormones so with the supplements.
Food is always preferable to supplements, but in this case I recommend both.
As always remember to talk to your doctor before introducing any new supplements into your diet.
DISCLAIMER: Nothing contained in the Site is intended to establish a physician-patient relationship, to replace the services of a trained physician or health care professional, or otherwise to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
RESOURCES:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/collagen-benefits#section5
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5793325/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3177172/
How Much Collagen Do You Need?
Collagen, a better framework than calcium alone
