You may have noticed an ingredient called collagen in many skin care products, especially in products dedicated to anti-aging and nourishing your skin, 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 will begin to decline as you age as early as in your 30’s. 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 mature skin.
Should Collagen Production Be Increased as We Age?
There are two main ways you can try to combat collagen loss; I have found that oral supplementation along with consuming collagen boosting foods is a winner. Targeting the problem from the inside has been proven to be most effective. Collagen supplements are easily accessible but are not all equal.
The collagen in these supplements is solely derived from animals. Specifically, the skin, bone, and cartilage of cows, chickens, and fish. If you prefer a more vegan route you can consume foods that naturally boost collagen production but I have yet to see the results of this activated collagen. I highly recommend bioavailable collagen. Powdered collagens are often too large of a molecule to digest affecting absorption to be used. Basically your money is being flushed down the toilet.