Everything You Need To Know About Collagen Supplements
People spend thousands of dollars each year trying to prolong their battle against the aging process. Between botox, plastic surgery, and a whole host of other procedures, people will go through any number of measure to make themselves look as young as possible.
That’s why collagen supplements have become so popular recently. It doesn’t require a medical procedure, or a medical professional to administer it. It’s an all-natural product that can be found in a variety of sources, and it works with your body to make your skin healthier and stronger, along with a whole host of other benefits.
What Is Collagen?
Proteins are the building blocks for all the organs, muscles, and tissue we have inside of our body. Collagen is a family of proteins that help make up the structure of our bones, muscles, skin, tendons, and cartilage. Because it’s used in so many different sources, the amino acids that makeup collagen are actually the most abundant type of aminos in the body.
Now here’s the kicker: our body produces collagen throughout our lifetime, but as we get older, the rate at which our bodies produce collage becomes less and less.
That’s exactly the reason that the aging process is so visible: because the skin loses the strength and elasticity that collagen is responsible for. If we want our skin to function normally and appear more youthful, we need to ensure that the two main layers that comprise our skin — the epidermis and the dermis — gets the collagen that it needs.
The Benefits of Taking A Collagen Supplement
Naturally, then, that’s where collagen supplementation enters the picture. Since our bodies will produce lesser amounts of it as time goes on, we can look to external sources to supplement the amount of collagen our body can use.
Improved Skin Health
As you might’ve guessed by now, many people have begun taking collagen supplements with the hope of slowing down the effects of the aging process.
Collagen supplements have become increasingly popular because of the belief that it can improve the quality and strength of your skin, hair, and nails. There is a growing body of research that has linked the consumption of collagen peptides to reduced skin wrinkles and healthier skin. More and more people will tell you that taking collagen supplements makes their skin feel stronger and shinier.
As mentioned, because our bodies produce less of this substance as we get older our skin wrinkles, hair thins, and nails become more frail, because the collagen that supports them is less abundant in our body. When dermatologists give patients prescription retinoids to help with such issues, those drugs work by increasing the body’s production of collagen.
Many times, when you see someone getting an injection to make their skin look less wrinkly or to make their lips look more fuller, they’re actually getting collagen injected into those areas.
Reducing Inflammation In Joints
One of the most widely studied and accepted benefits of collagen supplementation is the reduction of symptoms of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
A recent study in the International Journal of Medical Sciences found that 80% of individuals who suffered from osteoarthritis had their pain levels drop by an average of 26% when they consumed a daily 40 mg oral dose of collagen (1).
Another study found that patients who took one gram of collagen by mouth twice daily for up to 10 weeks were able to increase the amount of physical activity they performed, and individuals within that study who were previously diagnosed with osteoarthritis were able to reduce the amount of pain medication they needed to take (2).
It’s believed that the additional collagen ingested reduces inflammation within the body, which directly lowers the amount of pain that people with arthritis and other joint-based diseases often have to deal with.
Strengthened Digestive System
Collagen doesn’t just reduce the inflammation caused in your joints. There is evidence suggesting that the amino acids found in collagen — most specifically one called glycine — can reduce gastrointestinal inflammation as well.
Because the modern diet contains a lot of processed foods, or meat that comes from livestock that has been kept in poor living conditions, the number of people who suffered from issues caused by gastrointestinal inflammation is growing at a rapid pace.
Collagen not only helps with ensuring your food moves properly through your digestive tract, but it can also help heal any inflamed or damaged stomach lining.
Potential Side Effects Of Collagen Supplements
By and large, the potential for adverse reactions when taking collagen supplements is minimal. However, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should consult their physician before taking collagen supplements, as the potential effects for both the mother and the child have not been fully studied.
Otherwise, the two most likely side effects of taking collagen supplements involve:
Heavy Metal Reactions
Since collagen primarily comes from ground-up animal parts, there’s the potential for having a dangerous level of heavy mental content.
Studies have shown that the bones or hides of animals can have high concentrations of dangerous metals like lead (3), so regularly consuming a higher volume of collagen supplements does increase the potential to be exposed to these chemicals.
While there is not much evidence that clearly demonstrates a link between collagen supplementation and heavy metal poisoning, it’s probably still best for you to ensure your supplement has been certified for contaminants (or a lack thereof) by a third party.
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