Your body stores the most protein overall in the form of collagen. It makes up roughly 30 percent of the organism’s total protein. The skin, muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments, and other connective tissues in your body rely heavily on collagen as their principal structural component. Additionally, it may be present in your organs, blood vessels, and the lining of your digestive tract.
Proteins are formed from amino acids. The amino acids’ proline, glycine, and hydroxyproline are the primary components of collagen production. These protein fibrils have a shape that resembles a triple helix and are formed by the grouping together of these amino acids. In order to construct the triple helix, your body needs an adequate supply of vitamin C, zinc, copper, and manganese.
Collagen Types
Your body is made up of a wide variety of collagen types. A total of 29 subtypes, including these five primary categories, have been recognized by scientific research:
Type 1: This provides your skin, bones, ligaments, and tendons with the strength they need.
Type 2: This helps maintain your joints and creates the pliable cartilage that makes up those joints.
Type 3: located in your internal organs as well as your blood vessels and muscles.
Type 4: inside some of your skin’s layers.
Type 5: which may be found in the corneas of your eyes in addition to specific skin layers and hair strands.
Forms I, II, and III comprise the bulk of your body’s collagen. Hence, these three types are often included in collagen supplements. Collagen peptides, also known as hydrolyzed collagen, are an easily digested type of collagen found in these products.
Tissues from cows, pigs, chickens, and fish are used to create these dietary aids. Powdered forms of collagen manufactured from bacteria and yeast are also available for the vegan market. However, researchers have yet to determine whether they provide the same potential advantages as collagen derived from animals.
The active components of collagen powder are also present in collagen capsules, drinks, and gummies. However, the recommended doses change depending on the delivery method. Some people find it more convenient to mix collagen powder into their favorite meals and drinks instead of taking many capsules. Collagen gummies, although convenient, may not be worth the extra sugar they contain.
How does Collagen Work?
The primary function of collagen is to provide your body structure, strength, and support. The following are some of the particular functions of it:
- In the dermis (the middle layer of your skin), encouraging the formation of fibroblasts, which in turn helps new cells proliferate.
- Participating in the process of renewing skin cells that have died.
- Providing an outer layer of defense for internal organs.
- The process of providing your skin with structure, strength, and flexibility.
- Promoting the clotting of your blood
Why Is Collagen Good for Skin?
Boost Your Skin’s Vitality
The skin contains collagen. It strengthens, hydrates, and elasticity skin. Its production decreases with aging, causing dry skin and wrinkles.
Collagen peptides or supplements may prevent skin aging by decreasing wrinkles and dryness, according to multiple studies. One study of 11 research on women indicated that ingesting 3–10 grams of collagen per day for an average of 69 days enhanced skin suppleness and moisture.
These substances may boost it production. Collagen supplements may also boost elastin and fibrillin synthesis. Anecdotal claims that collagen supplements prevent acne and other skin disorders are unsubstantiated.
Joint Pain Relief
Collagen preserves your joints’ rubbery cartilage. Degenerative joint conditions like osteoarthritis worsen when collagen levels decrease with aging. Some research shows collagen supplements may relieve osteoarthritis symptoms, including joint discomfort. Collagen considerably alleviated joint stiffness and osteoarthritis symptoms in a review of research.
Supplemental collagen may accumulate in cartilage and encourage collagen production, researchers believe. This may minimize inflammation, joint support, and discomfort. It may treat osteoarthritis, but doctors say more study is required.
Decrease Bone Loss
It gives bones structure and strength. Bone mass and collagen decline with aging. Osteoporosis, which caused decreased bone density and increased fracture risk, may result. It supplements may prevent osteoporosis by preventing bone disintegration.
Post-menopausal women received a calcium and vitamin D supplement with 5 grams of collagen or one without collagen daily for 12 months.
After the trial, individuals who took the calcium, vitamin D, and collagen supplement had much lower blood levels of proteins that promote bone disintegration than those who simply took calcium and vitamin D. It also reduced bone mineral density loss.
Another research revealed comparable outcomes in 66 post-menopausal women who took 5 grams of collagen daily for 12 months. Collagen supplementation increased BMD by up to 7%. BMD measures bone mineral density, including calcium. Low BMD increases osteoporosis risk. While encouraging, further human research is required.
Other Health Benefits
Other possible health advantages of collagen supplements have not been well researched. However, they might include the following:
- Nail and hair. Taking collagen may keep your nails from becoming brittle, which in turn strengthens them. Hair and nail length might also improve.
- Gut health. Alternative medicine practitioners believe that collagen supplements help repair intestinal permeability (leaky gut syndrome), despite the lack of data to back up such a claim.
- Brain health. Despite the claims of some, no studies have looked at the effects of collagen supplements on brain health.
- Weight loss. Collagen supplements say their proponents may aid in shedding extra pounds and revving up the metabolism. But there are no studies to back up these assertions.
Source of Collagen
Collagen may be obtained from foods like bone broth and other gelatin-containing foods. Gelatin is a kind of processed protein that is generated from the connective tissue protein collagen. The connective tissues of mammals include collagen in their structure. Therefore, foods like chicken skin, hog skin, beef, and fish contain collagen.
Consuming foods high in vitamin C, such as citrus fruits, broccoli, and bell peppers, is essential for producing collagen; thus, you should make it a point to include foods high in this vitamin in your diet.
There is a need for further study to understand whether consuming foods high in collagen may assist in enhancing collagen levels in your body. It is possible that collagen-rich meals do not have the same advantages as collagen supplements.
Enzymes that are part of the digestive process disassemble the collagen found in food into its component amino acids and peptides. On the other hand, the collagen found in supplements has already been hydrolyzed, which is why many people believe it may be absorbed more effectively than collagen found in meals.
