Introduction
Collagen has quickly become the latest trend in skincare and you’ve probably seen it used by your favorite celebrities in their daily routines. Though characterized by its many uses in the human body, many people are still unaware of the importance of collagen and its supplements.
About Collagen
What is collagen?
Collagen is a multi-functional protein found in all animals including humans. It is present in the connective tissue and its main purpose is to provide structure and support to the rest of the body. It is required to maintain the integrity of our skin and organs.
Endogenous collagen, or collagen that our body produces breaks down over time. Decrease in collagen levels can cause dangerous diseases and problems. We can get collagen from outside sources in our diet or through supplements.
Why is it important?
Collagen is necessary for skin elasticity and is also used to cover important organs. Natural collagen makes up almost 30% of the protein in our body and different forms of collagen are made and used all over the body. Some reasons why collagen is necessary are listed below:
Skin Health
The loss of collagen can result in the destruction of the structural cohesiveness of our skin. It then becomes coarse and dry and over time forms wrinkles. For healthy skin, paying attention to your collagen content is a must.
Avoid Heart Problems
Natural collagen is present in the walls of our arteries. Without collagen, they would become narrow and weak leading to dangerous heart conditions like atherosclerosis.
Strong Skeleton
As a part of the skeleton, it is found in and provides support to the cartilage in-between our joints. The depletion of the articular cartilage is what leads to arthritis.
How Do We Lose Collagen?
Collagen molecules can be remade, i.e they can be broken down and subsumed by our cells again but as we age, this ability slowly weakens and we make less collagen. We see the adverse effects of this shortage in wrinkled skin, and body pain.
Our collagen levels do naturally decrease as we age; most women experience significant damage to their collagen content after menopause. In spite of this, there are some aspects of our diet and lifestyle that can slow down the rate at which we lose collagen.
Smoking: Most smokers will see a quicker downfall of their natural collagen because lots of the chemicals in cigarettes are harmful to it. Smoking also creates an imbalance in the rates at which it is depleted and synthesized. The best way to avoid this of course is to avoid smoking.
Extra Sunlight: We also lose collagen because of sunlight since it contains UV rays that penetrate the skin and demolish the collagen fibers in the top layer. This means that the skin in that area has to be reconstructed and as this is always done inconsistently, it can even cause wrinkles and discoloration of the skin. To protect your natural collagen, it is recommended to avoid overexposure to sunlight.
How can we increase our collagen?
Collagen from an external source is known as exogenous collagen. It can be found in collagen rich foods such as chicken, fish, eggs, and pork among many others. Some foods can even help you produce collagen like fruits, garlic, greens, and tomatoes. They provide the necessary amino acids for your cells to synthesize collagen on their own.
A variety of foods is hard to maintain in your diet so lots of people prefer supplements to make up for what they lose. They are a great source of collagen that give your body the ingredients to make collagen and are packed with other nutrients as well. Let’s take a look at the various aspects of collagen supplements.
Collagen Supplements:
What are collagen supplements?
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body but losing it has dreadful effects. Collagen supplements are manufactured products that offer artificial collagen in the form of powders, tablets, and liquids. They are provided by various healthcare, skincare and cosmetic brands and are an easier option for many people.
Where Does The Collagen Come From?
The collagen used in supplements comes from different sources. Some use bovine collagen which comes from domestic cattle. Other brands prefer marine collagen from the skins of fish. This collagen is then infused with other vitamins and raw materials targeted to best increase your collagen levels.
Collagen supplements: Powder vs Capsules vs Liquid
There isn’t much difference when it comes to the forms in which collagen supplements are produced. Powders are the most common and are easy to intake. They can be flavored and each has a various target in your body from skin, hair, and nails to bones and joints. Very few companies have introduced liquid collagen including Skin Project- India’s only brand with liquid collagen.
Do They Really Work?
Collagen supplements work well for most people. Of course, you should get advice from a healthcare professional before adding anything to your daily routine. In order to get the best results make sure you know how they will work for you and what each supplement targets.
Conclusion
All in all, we say collagen supplements are effective. As already established, collagen is essential for us so when we start to lose it, supplements are a great way to give back to our body for all it does for us. You can get healthier skin, hair and even nails. What else are you waiting for? Don’t believe us- give it a go and revitalize yourself with collagen.
