Can Collagen Help Your Fountain of Youth Flow?

May 7, 2022

Are your hair and nails looking a little worse for wear? Are your knees feeling a little creaky? Are those smile lines or WTF lines on your face starting to crowd out your glow? Is your skin not looking like what you thought your skin looked like back in the day?

I feel you. We all want to age gracefully. We all want to feel good. We all want our beautiful body to run like a top.

There are many angles of thought on how to support our body as the months get torn off our Life calendar. It can get overwhelming.

Supplemental collagen is a relatively new kid on the block in the seemingly endless list of products advertising another thing that will make aging more gentle. Among the myriad of promises from many wonder products, collagen has become front and center in the group promoting nicer hair and skin, fewer wrinkles, and joints that will help you move like a twenty-year-old.

You may have heard of collagen before this latest round of collagen excitement. Collagen was initially popular years ago in products such as skin cream. As collagen is naturally found in the deep layers of the skin and not on the skin’s surface, the topical application of collagen cream was rightly questioned.

Enter now, oral supplementation of collagen. This makes better sense over creams!

It is important to understand that collagen is associated with more than just skin, hair, and nails. Although your skin condition is a great indicator of your health, it is important to know that collagen is associated with more parts of you than just what you see in the mirror.

Let’s learn more about collagen which may help you determine if it is right for you!

Just What is Collagen?

Collagen is a protein found in our body. It is a key component found in our muscles, cartilage, skin, and bone. Collagen helps make these structures stronger, more stretchy, and more resilient. Due to a variety of factors, as we get older, our body produces less collagen. Enter wrinkly skin, joint pain, as well as brittle nails and hair. This lack of production is sped up due to excess sun exposure, poor diet, excess alcohol, smoking, lack of exercise, and poor sleep.

Where Do You Find Collagen?

Naturally, collagen is found in animal flesh that contains connective tissue (brisket and other tough cuts of meat). Bone broth and fish are also good sources.

Your body also naturally creates collagen. To nurture collagen production in your body, you can consume food that helps in its creation. This is because certain foods contain the proper amino acids to make collagen. These specific amino acids are glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline.

Consumption of fish, poultry, eggs, meat, dairy, and legumes will aid the process of making collagen.

Other building blocks required for collagen production are zinc and vitamin C. You can eat nuts, seeds, and whole grains for zinc. Vitamin C can be found in citrus fruits, bell peppers, berries, tomatoes, and leafy greens.

Even with a proper diet, supplementing with collagen can be a good thing.

Supplemental collagen comes in powder or capsules. Animal sources such as cows, chickens, fish, or pigs are used to create the supplements. As with all supplements, cheaper isn’t better. High-quality sources are key to getting a product that will give you the most benefit in a safe manner. Look for pasture-raised, grass-fed or wild-caught sources.

Other Collagen Considerations

Yes, a healthy diet will help with your body’s collagen production. You can also supplement if you feel that is required.

There are other factors to consider which will protect your natural collagen.

These recommendations are similar to the general “better health” suggestions that you are most likely aware of…. don't bake yourself in the sun's rays, get adequate sleep, avoid smoking, and control your stress.

So…Just What Can Collagen Do For You?

Decrease Your Joint Pain

There are studies that show that supplementing collagen may reduce joint stiffness or pain.

Skin Appearance

Your skin will look healthier, less wrinkly and its elasticity will be better.

Hair and Nails

There are studies that indicate that collagen will lead to increased hair density and increased nail growth. Your nails will be less brittle.

Bone Formation

There are studies that show that supplementation of collagen for a year may help with age-related bone mineral density declines in postmenopausal women.

Is Collagen For You?

That is the skinny on collagen. But is it for you? You can also add a few other items to your thought process as you decide.

If you are vegan or vegetarian or don’t eat certain animals, most collagen supplements may not be for you. There are man-made collagen supplements that are plant-based but do know that it is not natural collagen if you decide to go this route.

If you have allergies to shellfish, you should avoid collagen supplements derived from fish sources.

If you only do things that are approved by the FDA or Health Canada or your country’s ruling entity of all things health, you should know that although collagen is very popular, there is limited "research" on supplementing with collagen. Most of the research has a potential conflict of interest because the research of the products is funded to some degree by the industry itself. But, as we have come to know in the last 2 years, this doesn’t seem to be a factor when pushing a product that can make a large company money. Know too, a natural substance will receive more scrutiny than a product that a pharmaceutical company will produce. So, in my opinion, this is often a moot point when determining the validity of a well-known supplement. You took vitamin C for years, before the FDA said it was okay! So, do your research, check with healthcare providers who are well-versed in health care, not traditional sick care, and make your decision this way.

There are also endless real-world testimonials that promote the benefit of supplemental collagen.

Understanding what collagen is and what it does in your body, it would make sense that along with a lifestyle supporting your own natural collagen, supplementation would be beneficial.

It's not just a cosmetic consideration. Collagen is required in the depths of your body. It is involved in more than your skin and hair. The organs of your body need collagen as well. Keeping an eye on the Big Picture of longevity and vitality, our overall general health is associated with our collagen levels.

Give it a go for at least 3 months before you determine if you have noticed a change. Each of your body’s cells turnover at a different pace so the time frame will vary per structure. For this reason, give it time. This applies to other natural supplements you may use. You can't erase years with a day of change.

If you use collagen already, let me know if you notice a difference in your body. If you start using collagen based on your research, let me know how it goes.

Happy Health!