Collagen Supplements: What You Need to Know
/What is collagen?
Collagen is the most abundant protein in our bodies. It can be found in our bones, muscles, skin, and tendons. It acts as the glue that holds the body together. The body naturally produces collagen and this production slowly declines as we age. This causes the structural integrity of the skin to decline resulting in formation of wrinkles and weakened joint cartilage. Women experience a significant reduction in collagen synthesis after menopause and by the age of 60 a significant decline in collagen production. Our bodies cannot synthesize enough collagen on their own and our diets today contain minimal collagen so supplementing is key!
Benefits of Supplementing Collagen
Luckily for us there is a wide range of collagen supplements available on the market! Studies have shown that oral supplementation with collagen peptides is successful in improving hallmarks of skin aging. Skin hydration was significantly improved after 8 weeks of intake. The collagen density in the dermis layer of the skin significantly increased and the fragmentation of the dermal collagen network significantly decreased after 4 weeks of supplementation (1). A study in London also found that by just taking 2.5 grams of collagen a day that the frequency of cracked or chipped nails decreased significantly and nail growth increased (2). Supplementing collagen is not only great for the skins appearance and nail strength but it also has many other health benefits some of which include:
Reduced joint pain
A study done in 2009 gave participants a type II collagen supplement for 90 days. Results showed that osteoarthritis symptoms decreased by 40 percent while the severity of symptoms dropped by 33 percent (3).
Helps Build Muscle
Collagen is a major component of muscle tissue thus supplementing with collagen will have a large impact on building muscle, and as we all know…increasing muscle mass means increasing your body’s ability to burn fat!
Digestive Health
Collagen is of course another major component of the guts connective tissue and thus when supplementing with collagen you may protect and strengthen the protective lining of your digestive tract. A healthy digestive tract means less chances of large particles passing into the bloodstream which will result in inflammation.
Vital Proteins
We know the benefits of collagen and that is why we are so excited to have our favorite collagen products available in our studio! We currently are carrying the traditional flavorless peptides that you can add into smoothies, water, or even sprinkle over a salad! We have collagen creamers for our coffee lovers that want to increase the nutritional value of their morning cup or afternoon pick me up! We also carry a collagen beauty water that not only contains 10 grams of collagen but hyaluronic acid for hydrated plump skin and probiotics for improved digestion.
1 . Asserin, J., Lati, E., Shioya, T., & Prawitt, J. (2015). The effect of oral collagen peptide supplementation on skin moisture and the dermal collagen network: evidence from anex vivomodel and randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials. Journal Of Cosmetic Dermatology, 14(4), 291-301. doi: 10.1111/jocd.12174
2. Hexsel, D., Zague, V., Schunck, M., Siega, C., Camozzato, F., & Oesser, S. (2017). Oral supplementation with specific bioactive collagen peptides improves nail growth and reduces symptoms of brittle nails. Journal Of Cosmetic Dermatology, 16(4), 520-526. doi: 10.1111/jocd.12393
3. Crowley, D. C., Lau, F. C., Sharma, P., Evans, M., Guthrie, N., Bagchi, M., … Raychaudhuri, S. P. (2009). Safety and efficacy of undenatured type II collagen in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee: a clinical trial. International Journal of Medical Sciences, 6(6), 312–321.