Collagen Peptides for Youthful Skin, Cellulite, Stretch Marks, Hair, Nails & Even Arthritis. Collagen Benefits Are Amazing
Who wouldn't like to look 10 years younger, fast without having to get plastic surgery or injections?
Collagen Peptides - The name to remember!
Collagen peptides benefits are so powerful that by taking collagen peptides for just one week is enough to start noticing incredible anti-aging benefits - regardless of your current age.
Yes, I said one week only!
As the definition of health and wellness continues to evolve, consumers are finding themselves placing more and more value in it.
People have always sought diets that will help them drop those unwanted pounds, but factors like beauty, physical, mental, and emotional well-being are trending now more than ever.
If you’re aboard the “get healthy” train then you’ve probably heard about collagen & collagen peptides.
But what is it, exactly, and how can it benefit you on your journey to a healthier you? Let’s take a look!
What it Collagen and the Different Types
In short, collagen is a protein found in your body—the most abundant protein, in fact. It’s especially found in our connective tissue, such as our bones, tendons, skin, and muscles, and is an essential substance that plays a big role in holding the body together.
Think about collagen as the "cement" that hold stones together in a building. If that cement gets weak, the building would become weak and fall apart.
While there are a total of 28 types of collagen, there are three main, prevalent types—types I, II, and III.
Types of Collagen - Types I, II, III, IV, and V
Collagen Type I
Collagen type 1 is the most common type of collagen found in the body and is the primary structural element of the bones, tendons, skin, and organs, which is why it’s often recommended for strengthening things like your hair, nails, and skin. (1)
Collagen Type II
This is primarily responsible for joint and cartilage health and is produced by a filling inside the cartilage called chondrocytes (2).
Collagen type 2 is rare, more expensive and usually comes in capsules - now in powder form like the other types.
It also comes as injectable - used by joint surgeons for arthritis
Collagen Type III
Collagen type III is another common collagen that is often found in the reticular fibers of our body, such as bone marrow (3).
Collagen Type IV
Type IV collagen is primarily found in the basal lamina and works with basement membrane components as well as the cells and growth factors (4).
Collagen Type V
Type V collagen is a fibrillar collagen molecule that is found in the dermal and epidermal intersection as well as in the placental tissues and tissues containing Type I collagen (5).
As you can tell, all Five types of collagen play crucial roles in our body and are responsible for a variety of health benefits.
While there are plenty of foods that promote more collagen production in your body, such as wild salmon, bone broth, leafy greens, citrus, and berries, many health-conscious folks are embracing many benefits of exogenous collagen—such as collagen peptides.
Collagen Peptides
The raw material that make up collagen peptides is collagen protein. They contain the same set of nutrients and amino acids as collagen but go through a process known as hydrolysis which breaks them down into shorter protein chains.
The result of this process is hydrolyzed collagen peptides 👇
Also known as hydrolyzed collagen, collagen peptides can be consumed by dissolving them in water—hot or cold—and is easy for the stomach to digest, making them a popular go-to for that extra boost in collagen.
Collagen peptides are typically comprised of collagen types I, III, and IV.
Since these boast the same ingredients as the collagen naturally produced in our bodies from the foods we eat, this means you can use them to help reap the amazing benefits of collagen, such as joint relief, improved skin, and much more.
Benefits of Collagen
Now that you’re more familiar with this healthy and abundant protein, let’s take a look at all the major ways your body can benefit from eating healthier foods that can increase collagen production.
1. Collagen Peptides May Boost Muscle Mass
Collagen is essential for keeping our muscles strong and healthy (6). In fact, up to 10% of our muscle tissue is composed of collagen, making it an integral component in boosting muscle mass.
Research has shown an increase in collagen may boost muscle growth through the production of muscle proteins like creatine(7).
One study looked at 27 men with frail muscles who supplemented their diet with 15 grams extra of collagen in conjunction with exercise for three months.
When comparing them to men who did not take collagen with exercise, they saw a significant increase in their muscle mass and muscle strength.
Collagen Supplements Relieve Joint Pain
The cartilage in our body is a tissue responsible for protecting our joints. Collagen works to maintain the health of this cartilage, which can relieve joint pain.
Keep in mind that as we age, our body will naturally produce less collagen, which can affect the body in a variety of ways.
Keeping our collagen production up is a great way to relieve the joint pain often associated with getting older and decreasing the risk of developing joint disorders like osteoarthritis (8).
There have been many studies (9) that have shown a direct correlation between the use of collagen supplements and a reduction in joint pain.
Collagen Supplements Keep Bones Strong
Our bones are primarily composed of collagen, which helps keep them strong and functioning as they should (10).
Since collagen production plummets as the body ages and so does bone mass, this could lead to bone diseases like osteoporosis.
Studies have revealed that collagen supplementation can aid in the prevention of bone disorders and the breakdown of our bones (11).
Collagen is Best For Youthful Looking Skin
The most popular benefit of collagen is that it plays a major role in strengthening our skin and improving its appearance.
Wrinkles happen because our skin elasticity has gone down. The elasticity of our skin goes down as a result of low collagen.
There have been studies on collagen supplements that revealed their role in slowing down the aging of the skin by reducing skin dryness and wrinkles (12).
Hint: Taking Collagen peptides with Borage Oil can make skin look up to 15 years younger, according to research.
One particular study looked at women who took collagen supplements for eight weeks, which resulted in less dry skin and more skin elasticity compared to women who did not take the collagen supplement (13).
Collagen Supplements Boost Heart Health
Since collagen also provides structure to the arteries, research has long looked at the ways in which collagen supplementation can help reduce the risk of a variety of heart conditions.
When the body lacks collagen, our arteries weaken (14), which can affect the blood vessels carrying blood from the heart to the rest of the body. This can also lead to heart diseases like atherosclerosis.
In fact, the amount of circulating collagen type 1 is a perfect biomarker for risk of a heart disease called atrial fibrillation
Collagen Prevents & reverses Stretch Marks and Cellulite
Cellulite is often a result of a lack of collagen in the dermal layer of our body paired with excessive fat.
Supplementing your diet with collagen can improve skin appearance and prevent skin conditions like stretch marks and cellulite as well as relieve the appearance of them.
One study looked at 105 middle-aged women and showed that supplementing their diet with hydrolyzed collagen revealed an improvement in their skin for those who had cellulite and stretch marks (15).
Collagen Peptides May Help in Weight Loss
Another benefit of collagen is that it can give our metabolism a boost and appetite suppression (16).
One of the reasons why it’s important to get enough protein in our body is due to its role in keeping us feeling full, which is often why people supplement their diets with protein powders and supplements—which can sometimes come with unwanted fillers or additives.
What’s great about collagen supplements is that it’s a clean protein that doesn’t come with additives in its pure form, which can help promote a suppressed appetite.
Collagen Peptides Can Improve Digestive Health
Collagen can also be found in the connective tissue in the gut and works to both strengthen and maintain health in the protective lining of the digestive tract.
Hint: Collagen supplements helps in leaky gut syndrome
A weakening in the intestinal walls can lead to digestive health issues like leaky gut syndrome.
It is collagen supplementation that has been shown to reverse, prevent and reduce leaky gut syndrome.
A study examined 170 people suffering from inflammatory bowel disease (IBS) and found that a common factor was low levels of serum collagen (17).
So by boosting your collagen levels, you can help restore the tissues lining the gastrointestinal tract, which in turn will benefit gut health.
Collagen Supplement Supports Teeth and Gums
Another benefit of collagen is that it helps support and strengthen our teeth and gums.
While there’s a huge industry in giving whitening our teeth and improving their appearance, sometimes all it takes is proper nutrition and more collagen.
In the 1900’s, a dentist named Weston Price conducted research on isolated tribes who did not have any interaction with western culture.
He found that they all had straight, white teeth and overall, beautiful smiles that didn’t require dentistry (18).
The secret? After researching their diets, he found that aside from consuming almost no sugar, they also had a diet high in bone broth which provided their bodies with high collagen they needed for healthy smiles.
Collagen Keep Your Hormones in Balance
Hormones play important roles in our bodies. It’s crucial we maintain their balance for our bodies to function properly for our overall health.
Collagen helps keep things like estrogen, testosterone, cortisol, insulin, DHEA, melatonin, progesterone, and the human growth hormone well-balanced so that each can do their part.
For those experiencing issues with their hormones, a hydrolyzed collagen supplement can help restore their balance.
Collagen Supplements May Alleviate Anxiety
Anxiety is a crippling condition that affects over 40 million adults in the U.S. each year (19). Collagen has a high concentration of glycine, an amino acid containing anti-anxiety properties.
Glycine contains receptors that are spread out through the body, including our brain stem areas, and works to battle the fight or flight hormone called norepinephrine that is released when we experience anxiety.
Collagen Peptide May Help Sleep Better
Having a good night’s sleep is important for all of us and not getting enough can result in a variety of ailments, such as weight gain (20) and an increased risk of heart disease (21).
Studies have shown that glycine can help improve the quality of sleep (22) we get and feel less fatigue throughout the day as a result.
Prevent Hardened Arteries
Since the walls of our arteries are primarily composed of collagen, as we age and collagen levels decline, these walls will harden.
This makes the heart work harder to push the blood against hardened arteries.
The best way of preventing this is by increasing collagen levels through the use of collagen supplements.
Collagen May Boosts Athletic Recovery
More collagen is great for everyone, but it also has huge benefits for those with active lifestyles.
Taking collagen an hour before exercise or even rehabilitation activities can boost the collagen formed in the joints and thereby help accelerate recovery (23).
It is worth noting that joint overuse causes wear & tear, a condition called osteoarthritis. A condition that improves with collagen supplementation.
Conclusion
Collagen is a major protein in our body responsible for so many important functions, like skin structure, strengthening our bones, teeth, and joints, boosting our muscle mass, and so much more.
Keeping these connective tissues protected and healthy is crucial as we age and can affect us in many ways.
The key takeaway here is to understand that aging will inevitably reduce the amount of collagen our body produces, so it’s essential to maintain a healthy diet that will promote collagen production.
Collagen supplementation is something everyone will reap noticeable benefits, especially, flawless skin, strong hair, nails, and joints
Over to You.
Have you ever tried collagen supplements for skin or do you know anyone suffering from arthritis at old age? Try Collagen Peptides and let us discuss!