Whats Collagen All About?

You may or may not have heard about collagen in the wellness world, if you have you’re likely wondering what it is and should you be taking it. And if you haven’t you are probably wondering what it is exactly, you’ve heard that it’s in the body and some skincare, but you never knew it was something you could add to your diet.

In this post we are going to look at why collagen is essential to your health!

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body; it is available to your muscles, skin, blood, bones, cartilage and ligaments. In recent years, it’s become a buzzword and found in just about everything from skin care and cosmetics to powders and pills (sport/nutrition supplements). And while I would tend to advise anyone away from things that are over-hyped the truth of the matter is that Collagen really is worth all that hype.

Here are some reasons why you might want to increase your daily intake:

Promotes skin elasticity

Holds together your bones and muscles

Protects your organs

Provides structure to joints and tendons

While the body does produce its own collagen, this production slows down as we age. So getting it through your diet is a great way to top up your vital collagen stores.

Certain lifestyle habits can cause the production of collagen to decline or in some cases stop completely include, sun exposure (too much), smoking and an unhealthy diet. Without this important building block you may start to see signs of pre-mature aging, and not just in your skin, you may notice joint pain.

So what are the benefits?

Ease Joint Pain

With age your cartilage weakens and deteriorates, causing that stiff feeling and aches and pains in the points. Keeping up an intake of collagen daily may just help reduce this pain and help alleviate symptoms of arthritis.

(May) Reverse Skin Aging

It’s probably the most well-known benefit of collagen, the ability to promote glowing and vibrant skin. This essential protein provides elasticity to the skin, helping the skin to retain its youthful appearance. As you get older and collagen production declines, loose skin and dryness can occur making the skin sag and have a dull appearance.

Build Muscle and Burn Fat *

As a major component in muscle tissue, it’s no surprise that collagen plays a vital role when it comes to building muscle. Collagen contains a concentrated amount of glycine (an amino acid) which is involved in muscle synthesis – helping to fuel your workout.

*only as part of a calorie controlled diet, adding this supplement will NOT fast track any fitness regime if a proper diet and exercise program is not followed and maintained consistently. *

May Reduce Cellulite*

*please take this with a grain of salt – also a factor here is diet and exercise as with the previous point*

Cellulite is a layer of fat under the skin that pushes up against the connective tissue, creating a dimpled appearance on the skin. Collagen may also help the skin in this instance.

Remember that cellulite is extremely common and extremely hard to get rid of entirely and a large factor in this is diet and exercise, around 80-90% or women have it and it’s a natural part of the skin aging.

Digestive Health

Collagen is in the guts connective tissue and can help to support and strengthen the protective lining of the digestive tract, this is critically important as it protect against alterations to the barrier function of your gut, damage here can lead to leaky gut syndrome which may bring on a whole host of problems and food sensitivities, resulting in wide spread inflammation.

How to Add Collagen to Your Diet

Bone Broth

Bone broth is extremely beneficial; it’s an excellent source of collagen but is a great ingredient to add to homemade soups and smoothies. You can even enjoy it as a hot drink on its own.

It’s easy enough to make, though may take some time. There are plenty of recipes for this to be found online. Personally I like to buy mine in the supermarket, the brand I use is Saddie’s Kitchen. (approx €4 in supermarkets)

You can supplement with Collagen Peptides

Peptides are just another way of saying amino acids, peptides are amino acids in collagen that have been broken down so they are easy to digest! This is another easy way to get collagen into your diet.

Collagen powder is so versatile, it can be added to smoothies, baking and hot beverages and it’s a great way to bump up your daily protein intake without any added carbs or sugar.

My brand of choice for Collagen is either Vital Proteins (bought through iHerb) or MyProtein. I use the Vital Proteins Collagen Creamer for my coffee from time to time, this has a flavour but only just the slightest hint so there’s nothing overpowering and the MyProtein brand has no flavour at all, so it won’t actually affect the taste of your coffee at all.

If you want to increase your daily dose of this vital nutrient naturally the best way to do this would be through a balanced, high protein diet that includes animal products. Collagen is found in chicken, beef, fish and egg whites (but not too much).

Your body doesn’t actually tell collagen where to go, instead it distributes it like it would any other nutrients, so taking this supplement (either through supplement or food) works like exercise, you can’t target a specific spot but increasing your intake would still have benefits.

Disclaimer –

Information provided in this post is not intended for treatment or prevention of disease, nor as a substitute for medical treatment or advice. Please seek a licensed medial practitioner if you believe you are affected by anything mentioned in this post. Likewise please discuss with your doctor any supplements you are intending to take if you are currently on prescribed medication.