Is Collagen your Answer to Aging Gracefully?
Written by Emily Morris – Front Door Fitness Personal Trainer
What is collagen? Collagen is sometimes called the body’s scaffolding and is a protein naturally produced in the body. It also has become a popular supplement and beauty product ingredient with claims to improve the health of our skin.
Collagen provides volume to the skin.
According to WedMD, collagen makes up an estimated 75% of the dry weight of our skin, which provides volume to the skin, making it appear more plump while minimizing lines. It’s also rich in two amino acids, proline and glycine, which humans need for the maintenance and repair of tendons, bones, and joints.
We lose collagen as we age.
As we age, we do tend to break down collagen faster than we can replace it. This begins in our mid-20’s, and increases to as much as 30% loss during the beginning years of menopause.
Initially, those desiring more collagen had it injected, but this method proved to not last as long as other fillers. Also, it isn’t absorbed into the skin very well when applied topically. Therefore, the current preferred trend is ingesting it.
Why drink collagen?
There are studies showing ingestible collagen indeed impacts the appearance of skin favorably. Benefits seem to include improvement in skin elasticity, less dryness, fewer visible wrinkles, better blood flow to the skin, higher collagen content, and wound healing.
Collagen helps maintain the integrity of our cartilage, which is the rubber-like tissue that protects our joints. As the amount of collagen in our body decreases with aging, our risk of developing degenerative joint disorders such as osteoarthritis increases.
Research your options and choose wisely.
There are concerns when it comes to taking collagen. Many of the concerns expressed about collagen supplements can be addressed simply by choosing wisely. Look for collagen that gets its bones and tissues from cage-free, free-range, and antibiotic-free sources. Look for a trusted brand and remember it can take up to twelve weeks for results to show. The conclusion seems to be collagen might help, probably won’t harm, and we need to be diligent about quality control when selecting.
