Collagen is a protein and is the substance that holds the body together. As the most abundant protein in the body, collagen is essential to maintain the proper structure and strength of connective tissue, such as bones, skin, cartilage, and blood vessels.
You should undeniably care about collagen, especially if you are serious about looking and feeling younger for longer.
Growing older means the cells responsible for collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid slows down and degrades. The skin is more prone to dehydration, with the dermis skin layer thinning, which leads to that old, wrinkled look. This same pattern of deterioration affects all the body’s organs and also slows in the joints and bones and they become brittle and prone to fracture. Next time you look in the mirror, remember it is your skin condition that reflects your inner health status.
Your skin alone consists of 70% collagen fibres. Essentials for healthy skin that have been listed on the NCBI government website.
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin A
- B-carotene
- Astaxanthin
- Retinol
- Vitamin D
- Polyphenols, especially green tea
- Flavonoids
- Resveratrol
- Curcumin
- Coenzyme Q10
- Probiotics
- Essential fatty acids
ARE YOU COLLAGEN DEFICIENT?
Some tell-tale signs are dry-aged skin, memory loss, frequent flu symptoms, tiredness, thyroid gland issues or men’s infertility.
BEAUTY COMES FROM THE INSIDE
Prevention is the best form of defence. The key to increasing the activity of collagen-producing cells is to take a collagen supplement to assist the building blocks to manufacture collagen. When all of the list below (formed by amino acids) are fully digested and absorbed in the body, the peptides create vitamin C and this produces collagen. All collagen contains 19 amino acids with a particularly high content of lysine, glycine and proline. The abundance of proline is worth noting as it isn’t found in any other protein. Proline is unique for youthful skin and studies suggest it was found to trigger skin cells to produce more hyaluronic acid, which boosts the water content in the skin.
The 7 plant-based building blocks are:
- Lysine
- Proline
- Glysine
- Silica
- Selenium
- Zinc Bisglycinate
- Vitamin C
Because the body can’t absorb collagen, the protein must be broken down during the digestive process. This increases collagens bioavailability; collagen supplements are broken down into peptides and it is these peptides that are easily absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract. The peptides bind to receptors and stimulate fibroblasts to boost collagen production. The peptides also help protect the existing collagen from oxidative stress.
Skin reflects the general inner-health status and aging. Nutrition and its reflection on the skin have always been an interesting topic for scientists and physicians throughout the centuries worldwide. There is no disputing that both the upper and lower layer of your skin slowly diminish with age.
To boost body collagen production, you need three nutrients:
- Vitamin C. Your body is unable to produce Vitamin C, making diet and supplements the sources for recommended daily intakes
- Zinc. This mineral activates proteins essential for collagen synthesis.
- Copper. This mineral activates an enzyme called lysyl oxidase that cross-links collagen fibres with other supporting fibres.
We recommend plant-based collagen because they are packed with anti-ageing compounds known as flavonoids. Some of the favourites from plant botanicals are:
- Quercetin found in apples, strawberries and raspberries
- Rutin found in citrus fruits
- Ellagic Acid found in raspberries
- Cartenoids are converted into retinol (Vitamin A)
- Lycopene found in tomatoes and carrots
To conclude, skin anti-aging can be assisted with collagen supplements. Do note that our bodies prioritise amino acids. If you have a cut on your finger, the body will target that repair before allocating amino acids to supplement collagen to the skin.
