What is collagen?
Collagen is the main structural protein that forms your connective tissues and skin. Your body uses amino acids to build muscle, bone, cartilage, skin, hair, connective tissue, and much more. There are many different types of amino acids, but the most abundant kind in your body make up collagen.
Why do we need collagen?
As a matter of fact our body’s collagen production declines as we age and we will need adequate collagen for strong bones, joints, and skin, adding more collagen to your diet sounds like a no-brainer.
Bear in mind there is little if any, proven evidence that it has beneficial effects for sure.
Collagen can be beneficial in the following areas:
- Joints: may help improve symptoms of osteoarthritis and reduce joint pain overall
- Bones: may help inhibit the bone breakdown that leads to osteoporosis
- Skin: may help slow the ageing of your skin by reducing wrinkles and dryness
- Muscle: may increase muscle growth and strength in people with age-related muscle mass loss
- Hair and nails: may increase the strength of your hair and nails by preventing brittleness
Do we need extra?
The body naturally makes its own collagen by breaking down protein that you take in through your diet into amino acids. You can get the building blocks for collagen by eating a balanced diet of protein-rich foods (chicken, beef, eggs, dairy, legumes, nuts and whole grains, for example).
A rich source is bone broth, which is made by boiling the bones of chicken and other animals. Gelatin is basically cooked collagen, so it’s very high in the amino acids needed to produce it.
A diet high in fresh vegetables and fruit has the added benefit of providing antioxidants, which protect the body from oxidative stress that can break the collagen down. Production of collagen naturally decreases as we age, but too much sun exposure, smoking and a poor diet can also decrease collagen production.
What to look for in a supplement:
- Choose the one with the least ingredients (it must contain at least one of the four main types of collagen)
- Skip the flavoured ones
- Is it certified and tested for safety?
When considering whether to take a collagen supplement, it is important to first factor in how your diet and lifestyle are affecting collagen production in your body.
- Bolke, Liane et al. “A Collagen Supplement Improves Skin Hydration, Elasticity, Roughness, and Density: Results of a Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Blind Study.” Nutrients vol. 11,10 2494. 17 Oct. 2019, doi:10.3390/nu11102494
- Kadler, K. E., Baldock, C., Bella, J., & Boot-Handford, R. P. (2007). Collagens at a glance. Journal of Cell Science, 120(12), 1955–1958.
- Proksch E et al., “Oral Intake of Specific Bioactive Collagen Peptides Reduces Skin Wrinkles and Increases Dermal Matrix Synthesis.” Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, Vol 27, No.3 (February 2014): 113-119.
- Paul, C., Leser, S. & Oesser, S., 2019. Significant Amounts of Functional Collagen Peptides Can Be Incorporated in the Diet While Maintaining Indispensable Amino Acid Balance. Nutrients, 11(5), 1079.