The Benefits Of Collagen and How to Get More
Collagen is becoming an increasingly popular topic in the health, fitness, and anti-aging community due to it's essential role in keeping tissues in the body healthy. Many of the structural parts of our body rely on an abundance of collagen to perform their necessary function including the skin, muscles, bones, tendons, and ligaments.
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body which is naturally produced to maintain the structure and function of many systems. Without collagen these structures would not be strong or flexible enough to support our daily activities, let alone support a higher-intensity exercise routine. This makes collagen extremely important for maintaining optimal health.
Although our bodies make collagen on it's own, the production of collagen may slow down or stop with aging or other unhealthy lifestyle habits. Tobacco use, poor dietary choices, low levels of micronutrients, and certain health conditions slow collagen production and increase the likelihood of inadequate structural support, injury, and increased aging and skin wrinkles. For this reason, it is essential to ensure that you are receiving collagen in the diet or the proper nutrition to ensure that the body can produce it's own collagen.
Foods to Increase Collagen:
1. Bone Broth:
Most of the foods on this list contain nutrients to help the body make it's own collagen. Bone broth is different from most of the other foods on this list because it is a rare source that actually contains collagen itself. Bone broth comes from beef or chicken bones that have been cooked, which allows the collagen to be released. When eaten, this collagen can help to provide many of the incredible benefits listed below.
2. Citrus Fruits:
Citrus fruits contain large amounts of Vitamin C, which has strong antioxidant effects to help fight toxins and free radicals. Vitamin C also has another important function as it is necessary for connecting the amino acids needed to form the collagen. Eating plenty of citrus fruits and getting enough vitamin C is essential when looking to boost the body's ability to make collagen.
3. Green Leafy Vegetables:
Eating green leafy vegetables like spinach, arugula, and kale are is excellent way to improve collagen production. These leafy greens contain plenty of vitamins and minerals along with a compound called chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is the part of vegetables that gives them their green color and is responsible for helping the plant make energy out of sunlight. When consumed, chlorophyll can help boost collagen production in your body by increasing levels of it's precursor (procollagen). In addition to green vegetables, algae based foods/supplements like chlorella also contains an abundance of chlorophyll and may help to boost collagen production.
4. Eggs:
Eggs are another food that contain actual collagen. The collagen in eggs are primarily located in the yolks. In addition to the collagen content, eggs contain an abundance of vitamins, minerals, fats, and proteins to help provide many other health benefits.
5. Berries:
Like citrus fruits, berries are also rich in vitamin C and can be a lower-sugar option to help boost collagen production in the body.
6. Nuts & Seeds:
Nuts and seeds are typically very high in essential vitamins and minerals. One mineral that is abundant in nuts and seeds is zinc. Zinc is another nutrient that is needed to make collagen in the body and may provide many other benefits relating to skin health and immune function. Pumpkin seeds, almonds, and walnuts are some of the healthiest choices of zinc-containing nuts & seeds.
7. Collagen Supplements:
Collagen supplements in the form of collagen peptides are becoming extremely popular for skin, hair, nail, and joint health. These supplements have demonstrated effectiveness at improving the strength and elasticity of supporting structures in the body. Studies have even shown collagen supplementation to reduce wrinkle depth of the skin (1). Collagen supplementation may not be for everyone, but as we age and are exposed to unhealthy lifestyle factors, it may be a good option to ensure that our body has enough collagen to function optimally.
Benefits of Collagen:
As previously mentioned, collagen is needed for maintaining structure, strength, and flexibility of the skin, muscles, and ligaments. It also important for ensuring that these tissues are adequately hydrated by pulling in water to support their function and elasticity. Here are some of the amazing benefits of Collagen:
The Bottom Line:
Collagen is an essential component of maintaining optimal function of the supporting structures in our body. As we age or are exposed to unhealthy habits we gradually decrease collagen production. It is important to maintain a healthy diet rich in nutrients that help boost collagen production to slow the aging process of the skin and improve overall structural health. Collagen through the diet in the form of bone broth, eggs, or collagen supplements may also benefit those who wish to receive the benefits of increased collagen in the body.