Collagen is a rich source of protein found in our connective tissue, cartilage, bone, and tendons. Our bodies make collagen but production slows down as we age. Collagen is responsible for all of your connective tissue and physical elasticity, whether it be in your skin or other tissues. Collagen also gives structure and strength to your hair and nails.
Benefits of Collagen
Here are more details about the benefits of collagen, and how it works:
Blood Circulation
Since collagen controls the elasticity of pretty much everything in your body, it’s no surprise that it controls the dilation and flexibility of your blood vessels. If your blood vessels are more flexible, more blood can move through them. It can lower blood pressure and help to regulate it.
Reduction of Wrinkles
Speaking yet again of elasticity, your skin loses elasticity with age just like your blood vessels. When you lose elasticity in your skin, gravity takes over and wrinkles form. Supplementing with collagen can slow the formation of wrinkles by supplying some elasticity back into your skin.
Hair Thickening
Thinning hair can be one of the most embarrassing and difficult parts of getting older. This is also a side effect of decreased collagen levels. Supplementing with collagen will make your hair grow, but not in the way that most people think. Instead of new hairs popping up all over your head, supplementing with collagen actually thickens the strands (hair follicles) that you already have.
Arthritis Relief
Having limited joint mobility is a huge side effect of arthritis, and can be the source of a significant amount of pain throughout your day-to-day life. Taking a supplement that contains the protein necessary for joint mobility and elasticity makes perfect sense.
Injury Recovery
Collagen, because it is responsible for connective tissues and their flexibility, do a lot as far as healing bones and ligaments. If your collagen levels are getting low, your body’s ability to heal and rebuild those tissues becomes limited, this is where the collagen supplementation comes in. Bringing your body’s collagen levels back to normal will speed up recovery.
Foods Containing Collagen
Wild Fish
Tuna and salmon contain high contents of omega-3 fatty acids which fill up these cells, resulting in a vibrant-looking skin. Additionally, Omega-3 fatty acids such as fish oils contain anti-inflammatory properties. The high zinc content in salmon triggers proteins which aid the body to synthesize collagen.
Red Vegetables
Red vegetables are rich in something known as lycopene, an antioxidant that essentially acts as a natural sunblock and collagen booster. Tomatoes are one such example, as are fruits like strawberries, watermelon, and pink grapefruit. In addition to lycopene, red bell peppers also contain plenty of vitamin C, which is an antioxidant that promotes collagen synthesis.
Grass-Fed Meat
Meat such as chicken, beef, turkey, pork is rich in omega-3 fatty acids which help to keep the skin healthy. They contain lysine and proline amino acid which are required to create stable tropocollagen helices. Chlorine, found in turkey meat is converted to glycine which facilitates collagen production.
Dar Green Vegetables
Red bell peppers aren’t the only valuable source of vitamin C! Dark green vegetables are also rich in the nutrient. Kale, for instance, contains 80.4 mg per one-cup serving, a whopping 134 percent of your daily value, while one cup of spinach offers 8.4 mg. Additionally, dark green vegetables are also rich sources of vitamin A, another nutrient that can help boost the body’s collagen production.
Eggs
Eggs contain vitamin A which increases the production of collagen by reducing the functionality of matrix metalloproteinase. Also, the presence of sulfur in eggs impacts the production of collagen in the body.
Garlic
Taurine and lipoic acid found in garlic help in repairing damaged collagen. Garlic also contains sulfur which helps to facilitate the production of collagen. The antioxidant benefits of garlic help strip off free radicals of oxygen to prevent and stop them from attacking healthy skin cells.
Chia Seeds
Chia seeds are nutrient-dense foods and excellent sources of all the nine amino acids responsible for the growth of tissues. They are highly loaded with omega-3 fatty acids as well as antioxidants, which are rich in anti-aging properties. Omega-3 fatty acids are also well-known for preventing inflammation. They are highly beneficial in the beauty regime and prevent premature aging.