Do you know what the most abundant protein in your body is? Collagen has become widely recognized for its hair, nail, and skin benefits.
You can find it in many products and locations, including your local health or grocery store beauty aisle.
In fact, you might already be using collagen for its more well-known properties. It can powerfully rejuvenate skin, maintain glowing hair, or strengthen your fingernails.
However, the health benefits of collagen do not stop there!
That’s right!
Collagen has the power to boost your gut, joint, and even heart health. More people are finding out about collagen’s many health benefits.
And today, you can find collagen in all sorts of places- like your favorite protein bars or even some health-conscious coffee brands!
What is Collagen and Why is it Important?
A bit of history about collagen: it comes from the Greek word ‘Kolla,’ which means ‘glue’.
This protein is found all over your body, from the organs to the muscles, and even your joints and cartilage. Think of it as the “glue” that holds everything together, and because it can serve so many different parts of the body, there are 16 different kinds of collagen to serve specific purposes.
However, a huge majority of it (around 90%) makes up “Type 1” collagen. Surprisingly, this protein is stronger than steel and can be found in your bones, organs, skin, eyes, and digestive tract [1].
Unfortunately, the production of collagen naturally slows down at the age of 35, which leads to negative effects on the body.
By the time you turn 40, collagen will be used faster than the body can produce it, and at age 60, the body will have used up more than ½ of its collagen levels [2].
Apart from aging, there are other reasons why collagen may dry up, which includes:
- Too much sun exposure
- Pollution
- Smoking
- Genetics
- Nutritional deficiencies
Fortunately, you can use collagen supplements such as collagen proteins in your food to help you keep the collagen you lose, and reap its benefits even as you get older.
The Incredible Health Benefits of Collagen
You might be wondering, what else exactly does collagen do?
1. Collagen Promotes Leaky Gut Repair
For starters, your gut is home to a whopping 80% of your immune system [3]. When it becomes “leaky,” toxins can escape the intestinal walls of your gut and enter your bloodstream.
These toxins can further damage our bodies and lead to further inflammation and disease.
Inside of our intestinal walls are many tiny folds, called “villi,” made of collagen. These villi help us absorb our food, but over time, they can become damaged and essentially form holes.
Adding collagen to your diet can help prevent these tiny folds from leaking and even help repair them when they do.
Think you might have a leaky gut? Those suffering from an autoimmune disorder or thyroid condition (usually autoimmune-related) typically struggle with a leaky gut.
As a result, they can significantly benefit from collagen’s ability to help restore the intestinal walls.
2. Collagen Enhances Quality of Hair, Skin, and Nails
The benefits of collagen in this department have been recognized for decades.
As we age, our hair and nails tend to become brittle and more prone to breakage.
You might begin to experience hair loss and easily broken nails. Your skin thins and wrinkles form, becoming less smooth as aging settles in.
But not so fast!
We know this is due to the depletion of collagen levels that come with age. By increasing your collagen intake, you’ll be able to reduce wrinkles, keep your skin firm, and maintain the fullness and shine of your hair.[3]
Most people don’t know that adding collagen to their favorite foods can help to reduce the appearance of stretch marks and cellulite.
Unfortunately, when the skin loses its elasticity, its thin appearance can expose cellulite.
Collagen can help the skin by boosting elasticity, increasing moisture retention, and giving a firmer appearance.
3. Collagen Supports Joint Health
As we mentioned, collagen is found throughout your entire body.
This includes soft tissues such as skin, muscle, tendons, and ligaments in and around our joints. It makes up these tissues and is responsible for the mobility and flexibility you rely on to stay active!
As you lose collagen with age, your body can become stiff and even painful to move. Adding collagen to your diet can help restore the lost collagen in your joints and repair damage.
It contains the amino acids glycine and proline, two powerful supporters of joint mobility and regulators of inflammation.
4. Collagen Helps Maintain Weight
We all know how important it is to be at a healthy weight.
Glycine, an amino acid found in collagen, aids in protein synthesis [4], which allows you to build muscle. Improving the amount of lean muscle you have helps you maintain a healthy weight.
Muscle burns more calories than fat; having more lean muscle helps your body burn more calories at rest to support the added muscle!
If that wasn’t cool enough, collagen might also help you feel more full after eating, stopping you from going back for seconds.
5. Collagen Improves Heart Health
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for Americans year after year. According to the CDC, up to 80% of all premature deaths from heart disease are preventable [3].
Our hearts work hard, and it’s important we take care of them. Fat deposits in the arterial walls have been shown to lead to blood pressure problems and the hardening of arteries.
Proline, the other amino acid found in collagen, can help to prevent the deposition of fats in your arteries while also helping repair existing tissues [5].
According to a 2017 study, 32 participants took collagen tripeptide twice a day.
The study found that after six months, the build-up in artery walls, as well as arterial stiffness and measures of cholesterol, had improved. Because of these results, researchers believe that collagen might be able to help in reducing the risk for artery disease [6].
6. Collagen Supports Bone Formation, Growth, and Repair
You might think your bones are invincible, but they aren’t. They can weaken and leave you susceptible to injury and disease.
Our bodies rely on nutrients like collagen to keep them strong. Up to one-third of your bones are made up of collagen – giving them their flexibility and strength.
Adding collagen supplements to your diet can help support healthy bone cell production and bone density [7].
Furthermore, studies show it can improve bone health for postmenopausal women [8], a demographic at higher risk for bone disease.
7. Collagen Boosts Detoxification & Liver Functioning
Your liver is responsible for detoxifying your body. It processes countless toxins each and every day and as a result, it undergoes a lot of stress!
The buildup of these toxins can damage our liver and compound the problem by making the liver less efficient at its job.
Collagen can help prevent this from happening.
The glycine in collagen helps protect your liver from daily stress and toxins it must process, making sure your liver remains at peak condition year-round.
Glycine may also boost natural sleep rhythms, and we all know sleep is the king of recovery! This amino acid helps decrease core body temperatures and relax muscle activity during REM sleep [9].
How You Can Add Collagen to Your Diet
Experts recommend supplementing your diet with plenty of collagen, as well as high-protein and nutrient-rich foods, to boost collagen production.
There are plenty of great sources for you and these foods should be at the top of your list [10]:
- Kale
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
- Fish
- Beets
- Egg Whites
- Avocado
- Chicken
In recent years, bone broth has become a highly recognized source of collagen.
Unfortunately, many people have found it to be inconvenient to rely on as it can be difficult to incorporate into their daily diets.
Luckily, there is an easier, much simpler way to get collagen on a day-to-day basis.
Collagen protein comes in a variety of formulas that aim to provide a combination of various amino acids in highly concentrated levels to promote the rapid production of blood cells.
This allows for the maintenance of other proteins, which are especially helpful in supporting joint and bone health.
High-quality collagen typically comes in a hydrolyzed form, which means you’ll be able to absorb all the benefits of collagen easily, and in just one dose [11].
Final Thoughts
Collagen is a protein that has been widely recognized for its support of external beauty.
It can maintain hair health, rejuvenate skin, and strengthen nails.
But the many health benefits go far beyond just that. It can build bone, protect the skin, aid in repair, boost liver function, and more.
With its ability to improve heart, liver, gut health, and more- collagen has proven to be a powerful protein to supplement with.
Find a way to add it to your diet that works for you (like adding a collagen supplement) and enjoy the many benefits this amazing protein has to offer!
FAQ
Collagen supplements are products that provide additional collagen protein to support skin, hair, nails, joints, and overall health.
Collagen supplements help improve skin elasticity, reduce wrinkles, and maintain a youthful appearance by replenishing the collagen that naturally diminishes with age.
Yes, Collagen supplements support joint health by helping to restore and maintain the collagen in connective tissues, reducing pain and improving mobility.
Collagen supplements can aid gut health by repairing the intestinal walls, reducing leaky gut symptoms, and supporting overall digestive function.
The best dietary sources of collagen include bone broth, fish, chicken, egg whites, and certain vegetables like kale and spinach, as well as Collagen supplements.
- Collagen – What Is It and What Is It Good For?. Kerri-Ann Jennings. Healthline. 2020. Decreased Collagen Production in Chronically Aged Skin. James Varani, Michael K Dame, Laure Rittie, Suzanne E G Fligiel, Sewon Kang, Gary J Fisher, John J Voorhees. NCBI. 2006. Wiertsema, S. P., van Bergenhenegouwen, J., Garssen, J., & Knippels, L. M. (2021). The interplay between the gut microbiome and the immune system in the context of infectious diseases throughout life and the role of Nutrition in Optimizing Treatment Strategies. Nutrients, 13(3). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13030886
- Long, D. W. (2018, December 1). Effects of glycine on protein synthesis and degradation in C2C12 muscle cells. OAKTrust Home. Retrieved February 17, 2022, from https://oaktrust.library.tamu.edu/handle/1969.1/164517#:~:text=Glycine%20is%20an%20amino%20acid,the%20synthesis%20of%20muscle%20proteins.&text=Glycine%20(0%2D1000%20%C2%B5M),grants%20and%20Texas%20A%26M%20University.
- A new look at atherosclerosis repeatable science ushers in a new era of medicine. (2017). Journal of Cardiology & Current Research, 9(5). https://doi.org/10.15406/jccr.2017.09.00341
- Tomosugi, Naohisa et al. “Effect of Collagen Tripeptide on Atherosclerosis in Healthy Humans.” Journal of atherosclerosis and thrombosis vol. 24,5 (2017): 530-538. doi:10.5551/jat.36293
- Tomosugi, Naohisa et al. “Effect of Collagen Tripeptide on Atherosclerosis in Healthy Humans.” Journal of atherosclerosis and thrombosis vol. 24,5 (2017): 530-538. doi:10.5551/jat.36293
- König, D., Oesser, S., Scharla, S., Zdzieblik, D., & Gollhofer, A. (2018). Specific collagen peptides improve bone mineral density and bone markers in postmenopausal women—a randomized controlled study. Nutrients, 10(1), 97. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10010097
- Bannai M, Kawai N. New therapeutic strategy for amino acid medicine: glycine improves the quality of sleep. J Pharmacol Sci. 2012;118(2):145-8. doi: 10.1254/jphs.11r04fm. Epub 2012 Jan 27. PMID: 22293292.
- “Collagen.” The Nutrition Source, 2 Mar. 2022, https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/collagen/.
8 Potential Health Benefits of Collagen — and 1 Thing It Can’t Do. Jessica Migala. Everyday Health. 2020.
