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5 Health Benefits of Collagen

What is Collagen?

Collagen is the most common protein found in the human body. In fact, it accounts for up to 35% of all protein in the body and provides the rigid structure between cells. It is the fibrous protein found throughout your body, in organs, bones, skin, muscles, tendons, ligaments, teeth, hair, nails, cartilage, blood vessels and vertebral discs. There are 28 different types of collagen within the body, but 90 percent of it is Type I. This is found in all connective tissues including the skin, organs, bones, teeth, tendons and ligaments.

Collagen is essentially the glue that holds our bodies together and the word collagen comes from the Greek word ‘kolla’ – meaning ‘glue.’ It contributes to the structure of organs, muscles and arteries.

Collagen is naturally made by the body. At around the age of 35, collagen production begins to decrease. By age 40, collagen begins to deplete faster than your body can reproduce it, and by age 60, over half of your body’s collagen has been depleted.¹  

In addition to aging, many other factors affect collagen levels. These include genetics, smoking, pollution, excessive sun exposure, and nutritional deficiencies (such as vitamin C deficiency). Adding a collagen supplement can help you avoid the negative effects of decreasing collagen levels.

Dietary Sources of collagen

Natural sources of collagen are animal proteins, such as chicken, fish, pork, and red meat (beef, rabbit, venison, etc.), wheat germ and eggs.

Although foods do not contain collagen in a form that we can directly absorb, there are still several foods you can eat to boost your body’s natural collagen. As your body makes its own collagen it needs a range of different amino acids to do this. These amino acids should be obtained from protein-rich foods, such as lean meat, fish, nuts, seeds, soya products like tofu, beans, legumes and dairy products

The amino acids proline and lysine are vital for collagen synthesis. Vitamin C is very important for collagen synthesis as it converts lysine and proline into hydroxyproline and hydroxylysine, the two forms required to make collagen fibres.

Therefore, make sure to eat your protein-rich foods with foods high in vitamin C, such as broccoli, leafy vegetables, peppers, tomato, sweet potatoes or a small glass of orange juice.

Bone broth has been touted as a way to super-charge your body’s collagen levels. Bone broth is essentially a soup or stock made from boiling animal bones and simmering them for long periods of time – up to three days or more! This process releases collagen from the bones and connective tissues, as well as vitamins and minerals.

Digestive enzymes break down the collagen in food into individual amino acids and peptides. Collagen in supplements is more efficiently absorbed by the body than from foods as it is hydrolyzed. This means that it is already broken down into individual amino acids and peptides and so is ready for absorption.

Health benefits of collagen supplements

Collagen supplementation provides a variety of health benefits including:

1. May improve skin health

Collagen makes up 70% of the protein in our skin. It is very important for skin elasticity, strength and hydration. As you get older, your body produces less collagen causing the skin to lose its structure, causing it to lose strength and elasticity, become saggy and making it become drier. This leads to the formation of wrinkles.²

Collagen improves the elasticity of the skin and so can prevent the development or deepening of wrinkles. It can also eliminate signs of aging, such as age spots or blemishes. Collagen ensures that healthy, new skin cells replace old or sagging cells, keeping you looking younger and healthier as you get older.³

Collagen supplements may help slow skin aging by reducing wrinkles and dryness. Studies have shown that taking 3-10g of collagen daily for an average of 70 days leads to improved skin elasticity and hydration.⁴

Many people do not realize that adding collagen to your diet can also help to reduce the appearance of cellulite and stretch marks. When skin loses its elasticity and becomes thin, cellulite becomes more obvious. Collagen benefits your skin by increasing moisture retention, boosting elasticity and helping to smooth out that dimpled appearance.

2. May relieve joint pain

Collagen is one of the primary structural proteins in joints, bones, cartilage, ligaments and tendons and so is necessary for healthy joints.

As you get older your body produces less collagen and so your joints can become stiff, swollen and painful, and may cause reduced motility. This increases your risk of developing degenerative joint disorders, such as osteoarthritis, as the cartilage is not replenished. In addition, collagen contains the amino acids glycine and proline, which help to support joint mobility and a healthy inflammatory response.⁵

Collagen can help to reduce joint inflammation by promoting the growth of connective tissues that keep the joints strong, and reduce friction that can lead to inflammation and pain.⁶ Taking collagen supplements may therefore improve the symptoms of osteoarthritis and reduce joint pain. In fact, studies show that taking 10g of collagen daily for approximately 6 months may lead to improvements in joint stiffness and reduced joint pain.⁷

3. May prevent bone loss

Collagen plays a critical role in the production of your bone as it stimulates the production of osteoblasts (cells that produce bone). As we get older, the lower levels of collagen result in the reduced production of bone, which leads to an increased risk of osteoporosis, and reduced mobility. Consuming sufficient collagen (either in food or as supplements) throughout your life can help keep you strong and active, and thus reduce the risk of osteoporosis.^{8 9}   

Studies show that taking 5g of collagen daily for 12 months can increase the bone mineral density by up to 7%. The bone mineral density measures the density of minerals in your bones (such as calcium and magnesium).^{10 11 12}

4. May promote cardiovascular health

Collagen supplements may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease as the arteries and blood vessels which carry the blood have a high collagen content. If you have insufficient collagen, the arteries may become less flexible, less elastic, weak and fragile. This may lead to a narrowing of the arteries (atherosclerosis), which can in turn lead to an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.^{13 14}  

Proline, which is found in collagen, can minimize the deposition of fat in your arteries and repair the tissues within them. Arterial fat may play a role in the hardening of the arteries and high blood pressure.^{15 16}

5. May Improve Hair and Nail Appearance

As you age and your natural collagen level decreases, you may notice that your nails are brittle and more prone to peeling, splitting or breaking. This is because collagen is essential for healthy nails.

If you have a low collagen level your hair will be thin, brittle and prone to breaking and falling out. If you want to keep your hair looking young, healthy and strong, ensuring that you have proper collagen levels is very important.¹⁷   

Increasing collagen intake can improve the appearance of your hair’s fullness and shine and also improve your nails strength and appearance.^{18 19}

Side effects of collagen supplements

As collagen exists naturally in the body, collagen supplements appear to be safe and well tolerated by most people. Some collagen supplements may cause nausea, diarrhoea, bloating or heartburn.^{20 21} If you have allergies, you should always check the source of the collagen in the supplement as some may be derived from fish, shellfish or eggs.

How long does it take to see results?

As collagen turnover is very slow you will need at least 8 weeks to notice effects on the skin and joints, and up to 12 months to see effects on bone health.^{22 23 24 25}    

Types of collagen supplements

Collagen supplements come in many different forms and so it is important to find one that suits you. There are powders that can be mixed into food or drink, or tablets that can be taken daily. It is also available in liquid form. Whichever form you decide to take ensure that it is hydrolyzed to ensure maximum absorption.

Collagen supplements can be found here.