Collagen for Ageless Skin

Collagen for Ageless Skin

They say that physical beauty is only skin deep.

And while that may be true, wouldn’t you love to know how to stay beautiful without using expensive creams or surgery?

Why Collagen is Essential for Anti-Aging

You may have noticed an ingredient called collagen in many skin care products, especially in products dedicated to anti-aging, but you may not know how important its role is in tissues throughout the body. Collagen is an essential protein found naturally in the human body. It is found in our skin, bones, cartilage, ligaments, and tendons. It is responsible for keeping the skin elastic, replacing dead skin cells, as well as making your hair and nails shiny and strong.

How Does Collagen Play a Role in Aging?

The collagen in your body is produced naturally by cells in your skin, but it begins to decline as you age. This is not always preventable, but by supplementing the loss with outside sources of collagen, you are able to help reduce wrinkles and slow down the signs of aging.

Can Collagen Production Be Increased as We Age?

There are two main ways you can try to combat collagen loss; oral supplementation of collagen and consuming collagen-boosting foods, as well as topical treatment to stimulate the cells that make collagen.

Collagen supplements are easily accessible and can be found at most health food stores. Look for hydrolyzed collagen, as it is easy to absorb. The collagen in these supplements is solely derived from animals. Specifically, the skin, bone, and cartilage of cows, chickens, and fish, as well as egg shell membranes. If you prefer a more vegan or natural route you can consume foods that naturally boost collagen production.

Natural “collagen boosters” have the ability to encourage the cells in your body to make more collagen. These plant-based foods contain the building blocks for collagen such as amino acids and Vitamin C. A few of these collagen boosters include blueberries, dark leafy greens (such as spinach and kale), garlic, eggs, mango, carrots, and white tea. Vitamin C is also necessary to enhance collagen production. You can take a vitamin c supplements or consume foods rich in vitamin c, such as broccoli and citrus fruit.

Are There Other Benefits of Supplementing With Collagen?

Collagen supplementation can benefit many systems in your body, not just your skin! It helps you to have stronger hair, reduces joint pain, helps with leaky gut, increases muscle mass, strengthens our nails, improves liver function and improves our sleep! Wow! 

What Age Should We Start Supplementing?

It is never too early to begin supplementing collagen. Many people will wait until they notice wrinkles and loss of elasticity in their skin to add collagen to their regime, but it is a good idea to start before this occurs in order to slow down any signs of aging.

While aging plays the biggest role in the loss of collagen, you should also be aware of other factors that can harm collagen production. Sun damage, smoking, chronic stress, and poor diet can speed up the aging process of the skin. If you are frequently exposed to any of these factors collagen supplementation may be even more essential.

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In Health & Happiness
Dr. Tara Clapp, ND