Collagen and Anti-aging

 

Collagen is present almost everywhere, in our skin (obviously) but also in our bones, muscles, and other body parts.

 

What is collagen?

Collagen is known to be the most abundant protein in your body. All the connective tissues that make up body parts are related to Collagen, this includes skin, muscles, bones, ligaments. Without it our bones and skin are weaker, missing structure and therefore sagging.

Collagen is a protein that plays a crucial role in maintaining healthy skin, hair, nails, and joints. 30% of all our body proteins are collagen, making the most abundant protein in your body. Collagen provides hydration, structure, elasticity, and to our skin, making it firmer, tighther.

 So to maintain a youthful look, we do need to pay attention to our collagen levels.

The traditional way to get collagen is through drinking some bone broth or eat pork skin. And this collagen absorption is slow to process. But as I can guess you won’t do this daily. So this is when collagen supplements comes handy.

 In sum, collagen is the most abundant protein found in the body, from skin to bones. To get some of it, animal-based food is a way, though it’s slow to process and give a positive results on your skin. The fastest absorption is from supplements.

But direct collagen intake is not the only way to provide collagen to your skin. Collagen production can be triggered. Some chemicals can send a signal to your body to produce collagen from the inside.

 

AGE AND COLLAGEN

 

We lose 1% of collagen each year

Science papers have shown that as you age, we lose 1% of collagen each year starting from your mid-twenties. In your seventies you lost 3 quarter of your collagen. This results in poor joints, weak bones, and of course wrinkles, dry and sagging skin. You can think of collagen as a capital that depletes yearly if nothing is done to compensate it.

As you age, it gets harder for your body to produce collagen, in fact your collagen, or what you have left begins to break down. Losing 1% per year seems nothing at first, but when you age and see your face changing, you start feel pressure that can even lead to depression when you reach 40 or 50s. Watching yourself getting old, and feel that you can do nothing about it, is not a positive thought. 1% collagen loss per year when seen later in life is an alarming rate.

 

Take back control of your capital and replenish your collagen bank as early as you can. The earlier, the better for sure.  

 

What foods are rich in collagen?

Collagen may be found in or derived from animal products.

Here are the foods that contain collagen:

• bone broth
• Gelatine
• connective tissues of animals
• pork skin
• beef
• chicken skin
• fish

I am vegan, what are my options?

VEGAN collagen, sometimes called VOLLAGEN, it is said that it can provide collagen without the use of animal content, that is to say 100% Vegan. They are made from genetically modified yeast and bacteria. But as of today, no proven record has been shown to increase collagen level and bring real lasting results. Collagen is a very different amino acid that is hard to replicate.

The current situation is that efficient can only come from Fish, Beef or pork. So, if you are vegan, you may consider the only alternative: trigger your own body to produce collagen.

Interested in supplements for skin health?

Check out AGELESS and RADIANCE.

 

 Collagen synthesis: the importance of Vitamin C.

 

Vitamin C is crucial for collagen synthesis. Collagen in itself is not enough, it needs to be paired with Vitamin C to have positive results. There are many natural foods, like citrus fruits, broccoli, strawberries, and many others. As we know it’s not easy to be consistent daily and eating fruits, broccoli, strawberries etc. This is why all our products include high grade Vitamin C to help you get enough daily.

 

Foods for Anti-Aging

 

While collagen supplements are gaining popularity, a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and plant-based protein foods can also help boost collagen production. Foods that promote collagen synthesis include:

 

*   Citrus fruits (high in vitamin C)

*   Broccoli (rich in vitamins and minerals)

*   Strawberries (high in antioxidants)

 

What is Anti-Aging?

 

Anti-aging refers to any product, treatment, or practice that aims to slow down or reverse the signs of aging, such as wrinkles, age spots, and hair loss. It's a multi-billion-dollar industry that has spawned a wide range of products, from serums and creams to supplements and foods.

 

What are the Benefits of Taking Collagen?

Skin health is a key part of the benefits of collagen. Tighter, firmer, more radiant, more smooth, more hydrated skin.

 

But besides skin health there are other collateral benefits of collagen.

Here are the top 5 science-backed health benefits of taking collagen besides skin health:

 1) Relieve joint pain and inflammation by promoting cartilage repair and regeneration

2) Prevent bone loss in postmenopausal women

3) Boost muscle mass and strength in older adults

4) Promote heart health by improving artery flexibility and reducing inflammation

5) Promote stronger hair and nails

 

1) May relieve joint pain

Collagen decreases with age and therefore your risks for joint pain increases. A increase of collagen level may alleviate the pain and protect you from osteoarthritis.

Research is still on going on how collagen can be a good treatment for joint pain and osteoarthritis.

2) May prevent bone loss

Collagen is a building block of your bones. As you age, collagen breaks down, and your bone density decreases, making you more prone to bone fractures, and difficulty to heal back.

Research suggests that collagen may help inhibit the bone breakdown that leads to osteoporosis.

3） May boost muscle mass

Collagen is also a building block protein when it comes to muscle mass. Muscle is a key part of what makes your facial and body structure stable. When you lose muscles, your overall face and body becomes saggy.

Even though much research shows the positive impact of collagen on muscle mass, it still needs more data to confirm this potential to boost muscle mass.

 

4) Potential to make your hair and nails stronger

Skin health goes hand in hand with hair and nail health. One similar protein that makes those 3 healthy is… wait for it… collagen (obviously! ）

People using collagen report that collagen helps hair and nails become stronger and break less.

 

5) Potential for better heart health

Some researchers also showed that risks of heart conditions may be reduced with the use of collagen supplements. Collagen as one key building protein in our body provides structure to your arteries, the blood vessels that carry blood from your heart to the rest of your body.

Without enough collagen, arteries may become less flexible and elastic, which may lead to atherosclerosis, a disease characterized by the narrowing of your arteries. This condition may cause a heart attack and stroke.

Again, more human study needs to be done to validate those ongoing results.

 

Other potential benefits

 

Many other claims that are not backed by research are that collagen can help in brain health, weight loss and gut health. If that is the case, it’s a big plus, but so far not enough research has validated those claims.

 

 

Supplements for Anti-Aging

Besides collagen, other anti-aging ingredients include:

- Vitamin C: essential for collagen production

-  Zinc: promotes heart health and reduces inflammation

- Vitamin D3

- L-Glutamine

- L-Cystine

 

Our Ageless product might be the ideal anti-aging supplement, go ahead and find out more about this new solution to delay the signs of aging on the link below.

 

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to see results from collagen supplements?

Collagen turnover is a slow process. Most studies use a minimum of 8 weeks to assess collagen’s effects on skin health and joint pain relief.

 

Is it good to take collagen every day?

It’s probably fine to take supplements containing collagen daily, and few side effects have been reported.

I am worried about my kidneys, is collagen safe?

Collagen supplements contain hydroxyproline, this is an amino acid that is converted into oxalate in your body. If you are at risk of having kidney stones, it is better to avoid collagen.

Not great news indeed, but fortunately as I mentioned earlier, you have a second option, that is, trigger your body to produce collagen, reducing the risk of kidney stones.

 

The bottom line

 

So many health benefits come from a good collagen level, such as healthy bones, healthy joint, youthful skin with less wrinkles and fine lines. There is no known risk in supplementing with collagen, and it is the fastest way to provide it to our body, much faster than food intake. Bone broth or meat has not been proven to be as efficient as supplements, there is not enough research as of now.

 

The other great news is that collagen production can be triggered. By sending signals to our body to create collagen, this might be the most natural and efficient way to balance the needed levels of collagen. Our Ageless product can help in this process with its dual formula with NANOLIFT ™ and AGX-3 ™. Find out more about it in this page.