Do I need to take collagen?

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body. It’s made naturally in the body. It’s also the protein that gets produced less as we age.

In fact by the time we reach the age of 25, the amount of collagen our body produces starts to decline. Yikes!

As a result, many are turning to supplementation. Do you need it? What is it good for?

What Is Collagen?

Collagen is naturally found in the body and is a protein with many functions. It’s the main component in your connective tissues, muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints and skin.

Collagen can be thought of as the “glue” that helps hold the body together. It’s responsible for keeping your skin firm and elastic, your joints strong and stable, and your digestive system healthy and working.

It’s a hard-working protein that your body has a limited supply of.

If you are thinking about taking collagen as a supplement, there are several benefits.

6 benefits to taking collagen

1. Supports Healthy Gut

You may have heard that a healthy gut is the key to overall health. It’s true. Building a stronger intestinal lining, preventing its breakdown or weakening, and protecting it from unwanted bacteria is the goal. When the digestive tract is weakened, it can lead to pain and discomfort but also “leaky gut.” Leaky gut (where bacteria flow into the bloodstream from the gut) can cause fatigue, allergies, poor immunity, and more.

Collagen can help. Loaded with the amino acid glutamine, it’s been proven to be effective in preventing leaky gut and the subsequent chronic inflammation that can wreak havoc on the body.

2. Improves Skin Quality

Since collagen is the structure that helps with skin elasticity, it makes sense that as the body loses it, skin quality goes down. However, diet can help influence skin health. Diets high in sugar and processed carbohydrates cause our bodies to produce advanced glycated end products (AGEs), which reduce the density of collagen fibrils, leading to wrinkles and aging skin quality. Chronic sun exposure also further damages collagen fibers.

To counteract that, consuming collagen peptides may help. Supplemental collagen has been shown to reduce the harmful UV-B induced skin damage to support superior skin quality Taking collagen supplements orally has been shown to increase skin elasticity, hydration and density of the skin. Collagen supplementation is generally safe with no reported adverse events.

3. Fights Joint Pain

The building blocks of healthy joints come from your diet. These include key amino acids like proline, lysine, and glutamine, which support the natural production of collagen in the body. Recent studies show improvement in pain and physical function after supplementation with hydrolyzed collagen peptides. Consuming enough quality protein and digestible collagen can really support the joints long-term. Chronic pain and arthritis are two of the most common reasons for patient visits to the doctor. The solutions often prescribed from those visits are ointments and drugs that help ease the pain, but do not address the root of the problem. The building blocks of healthy joints come from your diet. These include key amino acids like proline, lysine, and glutamine, which support the natural production of collagen in the body. Recent studies show improvement in pain and physical function after supplementation with hydrolyzed collagen. Ensuring you eat enough quality protein or easily digestible supplemental collagen is fundamental to healthy joints in the long run.

4. Supports Weight Loss

Collagen supports weight loss in a unique way. It’s not thermogenic or stimulant, like most weight loss supplements, but rather it impacts your satiety levels by naturally inhibiting the main hormone in the gut that triggers hunger. What that means is that consuming collagen peptides can keep you from craving mid-afternoon sugar-laden snacks and unnecessary snacking. Adding collagen to your mid-morning coffee or mid-afternoon tea can be a great strategy to curb cravings and make it through to your next meal.

5. Improves Athletic Recovery

If you’re active, training intensely, or always on-the-go, then your joints are likely suffering from some wear and tear. You will want to do some form of muscle recovery after high performance. It’s been found that taking collagen 1-hour before exercise or rehab activity increases the uptake of collagen into your joints, which accelerates recovery. Unlike muscles, which can soak up nutrients for hours after activity, your joints suck up the surrounding water and nutrients within the hour after exercise, making the timing of your collagen intake crucial for supporting joints.

Tip: Add a little vitamin C from lemon juice or a fruit snack to further increase absorption.

6. Supports Deep Sleep

It seems more than ever; people are craving a restful sleep. Interestingly, studies have shown how collagen can help support the deep sleep your body longs for. Collagen contains the amino acid glycine. Glycine helps your body decompress and unwind, and is needed for quality sleep. Quality sleep helps to keep energy levels up, give your body strength to fight off viruses and infections, and thrive in your daily life.