Collagen is the most abundant protein in our bodies, especially type 1 collagen. Itâs found in muscles, bones, skin, blood vessels, digestive system and tendons. Itâs what helps give our skin strength and elasticity, along with replacing dead skin . When it comes to our joints and tendons, in simplest terms, itâs the âglueâ that helps hold the body together.
Our bodyâs collagen production naturally begins to slow down as we age. We can thank this degenerative process for signs of aging, such as wrinkles, sagging skin and joint pains due to weaker or decreased cartilage (hello, skeleton legs). Other lifestyle factors â like eating a diet high in sugar, smoking and high amounts of sun exposure â also contribute to depleting collagen levels. Itâs been found that collagen-related diseases most commonly arise from a combination of either genetic defects, poor intake of collagen-rich foods, nutritional deficiencies and digestive problems affecting production (synthesis) of collagen.
As we age, collagen production decirc; itâs happening as you read this! Youâll notice it sically: looser skin, more wrinkles and less elasticity. Increasing collagen levels can help your skin look firmer, increase smoothness, and help your skin keep renewing and repairing normally.
Double-blind, placebo-controlled studies investigating the anti-aging properties of collagen have found that 2.5â5 grams of collagen hydrolysate used among women aged 35â55 once daily for eight weeks significantly improved skin elasticity, skin moisture, transepidermal water loss (dryness) and skin roughness, all with little to no side effects. (1) This makes collagen one of the best natural skin care ingredients available.
Collagen also reduces lite and stretch marks. When skin loses its elasticity as a result of decreased collagen, thereâs another side effect: more visible lite. Because your skin is now thinner, lite becomes more evident â no more hiding whatâs happening below the surface. Improving your skinâs elasticity through collagen helps reduce that dimpling on your skin.
2. Reduces Joint Pains and DegenerationHave you ever felt like youâve got âskeleton legs,â the types that feel extra stiff and cause pain when you move? Yup, thatâs likely a loss of collagen rearing its ugly head. Thatâs because when we lose collagen, our tendons and ligaments start moving with less ease, leading to stiffness, swollen joints and more.
With its gel-like, smooth structure that covers and holds our bones together, collagen allows us to glide and move without pain. Think of ingesting more collagen like greasing a creaky door hinge: It helps your joints move more easily, reduces pain often associated with aging and even reduces the risk of joint deterioration. (2, 3). Itâs no surprise then that a recent study even found that collagen is an effective treatment for treating osteoarthritis and otherjoint pain and disorders. (4)
Researchers at Harvardâs Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston found that supplementing with type 2 collagen helped patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis find relief from painful symptoms by decreasing swelling in tender joints. (5) Another study published in the International Journal of Medical Sciences found that people with osteoarthritis joint pain treated with type 2 collagen show significant enhancements in daily activities, such as walking up stairs, ascending or sleeping, and a general improvement in their quality of life. (6)
3. Helps Heal Leaky GutIf you suffer from leaky gut syndrome, a condition where bad-for-you le to pass through your digestive tract, collagen can be super-helpful. It helps break down proteins and soothes your gutâs lining, healing damaged walls and infusing it with healing amino acids.
The biggest digestive benefit of consuming more collagen is that it helps form connective tissue and therefore âseals and healsâ the protective lining of the gastrointestinal tract. Today, we know that many illnesses can actually be traced back to inflammation or irritation stemming from an unhealthy gut. Poor gut health â including changes in the gut microbiome and permeability in the gut lining â allows particles to pass into the bloodstream where they can kick off an inflammatory cascade (hence the name leaky gut syndrome).
Studies have found that in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, serum concentrations of collagen are decreased. (7) Because the amino acids in collagen build the tissue that colon and GI tract, supplementing with collagen can help treat gastrointestinal symptoms and disorders, including leaky gut syndrome, IBS, acid reflux, Crohnâs disease and ulcerative colitis. In addition to helping heal leaky gut, collagen also helps with the absorption of water within the intestines, keeping things moving more freely out of body.
4. Boosts Metabolism, Muscle Mass and Energy OutputA boost in collagen may help increase your metabolism by adding lean muscle mass to your frame and helping with the conversion of essential nutrients. One of glycineâs most important roles is helping form muscle tissue by converting glucose into energy that feeds muscle . And remember that retaining muscle mass is crucial as you age, since it helps support posture, bone health and burns more calories than fat. When consuming collagen, you can benefit from also consuming vitamin C to ensure your body can convert the collagen into a useable protein. This can begin to restore the source or your energy and vitality.
Thatâs not all that glycine can do for your metabolism. Research shows glycine also has important roles in both functions of the digestive and central nervous systems, which play big roles in maintaining a healthy, youthful body. (8) Glycine seems to help slow the effects of aging by improving the bodyâs use of antioxidants and is also used in the process of constructing healthy from DNA and RNA.
In addition, itâs been found that arginine boosts the bodyâs ability to make protein from other amino acids, which is important for repairing muscle tissue, healing wounds, sparing tissue wasting, boosting the metabolism, and aiding in proper growth and development. And glutamine also helps maintain adequate energy by facilitating the synthesizing of many chemicals. (9) This amino acid provides âfuelâ to our , including carbon and nitrogen.
5. Strengthens Nails, Hair and Teeth
Ever had peeling and splitting nails? Well, a lack of collagen could be to blame. Collagen protein is the building block of your fingernails, hair and teeth. Adding collagen into your diet regimen can help keep your nails strong and possibly reverse signs of hair loss.
A study published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology found that thereâs an âessential relationships between extralar hair follicle regeneration, suggesting that collagen could be a potential therapeutic target for hair loss and other skin-related diseases.â (10)
6. Improves Liver HealthIf youâre looking to de of harmful substances, improve blood flow and keep your heart young, collagen is extremely helpful. Thatâs because glycine helps minimize damage your liver experiences when it absorbs foreign substances, ohol that shouldnât be passing through it.
One of the easiest ways to cleanseâyour liver is with a bone broth fast. I often recommend a three-day bone broth dey repair leaky gut. This may help your body rid itself of chemicals and âresetâ your gut, improving overall immune function. Studies have even found that glycine can be used to help reduce alcohol-induced liver damage and other forms of acute or chronic liver injury. (11)
7. Protects Cardiovascular HealthThe amino acid pros your artery walls release fat buildup in the bloodstream, shrinking the fat in the arteries and minimizing fat accumulation. Proeeded for tissue repair within the joints and arteries, plus it helps control blood pressure. As part of collagen found within joints, it buffers our bodies from the effects of vibration or shock and helps us hold on to valuable cartilage as we get older. (12) Itâs also linked with the prevention of arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) since it helps our arteries stay clear of dangerous plaque buildup.
In addition, arginine helps with nitric oxide production, which allows for better vasodilation â meaning the widening of arteries and relaxation of muscle and blood vessels that allows for better circulation.
What is collagen made up of? For starters, procollagen is the âsoluble precursor of collagen formed by fibroblasts and other in the process of collagen synthesis.â And as stated in the Journal of Supramolecular Structure, âCollagen in most tissues of higher animals and in many tissues of lower animals takes the form of a rope with a high degree of order. Like a rope, which has several levels of coiling, the collagen fibril has four structural levels of which at least three are coils. The polypeptide chain, the molecule, and the microfibril are helical structures; the fibril may consist of parallel or perhaps coiled microfibrils.â (12a)
Further, according to the Wellcome Trust Centre for at the University of Manchester, âCollagen is most abundant in animal tissues as very long fibrils with a characteristic axial periodic structure.â (13a) Collagen fibrils are what allow the shape of tissues to be defined and maintained. This so-called âmicrofibrillar structureâ is what makes up collagen.
A little known fact is that there are at least 16 different types of collagen within the human body. These include collagen types 1, 2, 3, 5 and 10. However, the vast majority of the collagen â between 80 percent andâ 90 percent â consists of types 1, 2, and 3. Type 1 collagen specifically accounts for almost 90 percent of the bodyâs supply according to some findings. (13) There are also different types of collagen found in certain foods or used to create collagen products and supplements. (14)