When first hearing the word “collagen” images may come to mind of Lindsey Lohan’s (insert any celebrity, we are not picking on Lohan!) pumped-up lips or TV shows about botched plastic surgery depicting collagen implants gone terrifyingly wrong. Yet, collagen in the health and wellness world has many positive benefits beyond redefining your lips to take better duck-lip selfies.
“Kolla” is the Greek word for “glue”, which is the basis for the word collagen. Collagen, in essence, is the “glue” that holds your bones, muscles, skin and organs together.
Collagen is the most abundant protein in your body. Collagen can be found in your skin and the connective tissues that run throughout your tendons, ligaments and muscles. Collagen plays an important role in providing structure and elasticity in your skin as well as strengthening your bones. There are 28 types of collagen fibers, each having varying structure and function1. But Types 1-5 are the most common collagen fibers that provide health benefits.
We apologize for completely geeking-out over the science behind collagen, but we get excited about all the reasons why you should be adding a collagen supplement to your daily regimen!
There have been copious amounts of well-researched studies linking collagen to improving skin health. Because the production of collagen reduces as we age, adding a powder supplement can aid in the elasticity of your skin, and slow the aging process by continually adding well-needed collagen into your body1.
But we also have to be realistic with ourselves! We can’t turn back the hand of time and take away all of those days out in the sun without UV-protection or those college nights hanging out in smoke-filled bars. Ultraviolet rays from the sun and smoking are the two biggest risk factors for the health of your skin. So slather on that 50-SPF sunblock and kick those butts to the curb if you want to start having that healthy glow to your skin that we all love and yearn for.
A Scoop of Collagen A Day Keeps The Doctor Away
A quote from the CDC reads, “Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States.”2 This is an eye-opening and scary statistic that most people are unaware of. This leads us to a study published in the Journal of Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis3, which found that adding collagen into your coffee every morning may be good for heart health. A six-month study was conducted which involved participants taking collagen tripeptides two times a day. The result from this study concluded that the participants who added collagen to their daily regimen had a reduction of artery build-up and arterial stiffness had improved. Granted, this is one study with a relatively small number of participants, but the science behind the study is sound and the results they expected were the results they received.
Benefits of Collagen
Besides playing a major role in the health of your skin, collagen also adds to the strength of the cartilage in your body. Cartilage is a rubbery substance which can be found between your joints, and acts as a padding so our joints are not knocking together. Ouch, Painful! This is why the production or supplementation of collagen is super important. As cartilage reduces you can be at risk for osteoarthritis and other painful joint issues.
Collagen is also fundamental to the health of your muscles. As we age, (any information following those three words is never good) and collagen production reduces, you may begin to eventually be at risk for sarcopenia (we warned you). Sarcopenia is a syndrome characterized by the general loss of muscle mass and strength5. There are a lot of other causes of this syndrome but reduction of collagen is one of them. By adding a healthy amount of a collagen supplement you can not only increase the health of your skin but also take measures to attempt to prevent future health issues involving your joint and heart health2.
With minimal side-effects to worry about, collagen supplements are a great way to keep many functions of your body ticking at a good pace and in turn keep many of the vital functions of your body working as they should be, despite your age and the reduction of natural collagen6. We always want to promote a holistic approach to reinventing the way you take care of your mind, body and soul. From where we stand, a scoop of collagen a day in your morning coffee or smoothie will keep your natural bodily functions operating properly along with extra benefits such as healthy, youthful looking skin. Don’t let the negative connotations of the word “collagen” keep you away from reaping the benefits that a collagen supplement could provide.
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**These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
References:
- Top 6 Benefits of Taking Collagen Supplements, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/collagen-benefits.
- Heart Disease Facts, https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.
- 8 Potential Health Benefits of Collagen — and 1 Thing It Can’t Do, https://www.everydayhealth.com/skin-beauty/potential-health-benefits-of-collagen-and-thing-it-cant-do/.
- Health Benefits of Collagen Powder, https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-collagen-powder#1.
- Clinical definition of sarcopenia, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4269139/#:~:text=Sarcopenia%20is%20a%20syndrome%20characterized,and%20level%20of%20physical%20activity.
- Effect of Smoking and Sun on the Aging Skin, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022202X15302128.