What comes to your mind when you hear the word collagen? Most of the people have their minds immediately flown to lip fillers and injectables in order to plump their pout up, or to the latest serums which are anti aging and promise to boost the elasticity of the skin.

Well, the collagen is much more than that – and this is why it is high time to give it some more credit.According to the Medical News Today, the collagen seems to be the most abundant protein within the human body and it is basically the substance that holds it all together.

Add Collagen

Add Collagen

So, other than being the glue that literally keeps all the insides in their right place (such as the tissues, organs and muscles), it can also be found in the joints, tendons, ligaments and in the bones. It gives support to all the moving parts inside of the human so that nothing ever falls apart.

And then, when the collagen is mixed with elasin, which is another protein found in the connective tissue, it acts as a strengthener in order to provide the tissues with the firmness they need. This is why the collagen does so much in order to provide us with the firmness and the elasticity of a youthful looking skin.

Unfortunately, there is a problem with this – we can never have an endless supply of collagen in order to always support our body, and thus, as we grow older, the level of collagen in the body declines. Here are some of the reason why that’s happening:

  • The body stops producing collagen and elastin – of couse, this is considered to be a natural step in the aging process in life, but, factors such as our dieting plan, our lifestyle habits, and the exposure to the harmful UV rays affects how much collagen we lose as we get older.
  • We damage the collagen – between the pollution which is floating around in our environment and having too much hours of fun under the sunlight, the damage of the collagen levels we have in our body is ultimately done. All the unhealthy activities such as smoking, being exposed to toxic chemicals, also have the power to further destroy the collagen levels we have. So, when you combine these factors with the natural decrease of collagen levels as we age, what do you get? An unhealthy recipe that works both inside and out for you and your body. This is why the best way to combat this is to stay as far away as possible from these harmful actions.

And now, in order to fully understand the importance of collagen for the body, let us show you the main benefits you will enjoy once you start adding more of it into your healthier dieting plan.

  • Improved skin health – in a placebo controlled double blind small clinical trial, a group of women between the ages of 35 and 55 were randomly given 2.5 grams, 5 grams of collagen or a placebo. Over the period of eight weeks, the researchers did measures on the changes in the skin moisture of the women, roughness and elasticity of the skin. So by the time the study had finished, the researchers found out that the elasticity of the skin with the women who received collagen supplementation was significantly improved to the group that received the placebo. It was determined that the level of elasticity of the skin with the elderly women was significantly increased too. Finally, it has been noted that there was a positive influence of collagen treatment with reference to the moisture test of the skin.

Another study which was comprised from female participants between the ages of 35 and 45 treated wrinkles twice in a day with one antioxidant, and a collagen building serum in order to have their collagen levels boosted.

This study showed the following results – there were significant improvements within only minutes of the initial application, and these positive findings improved even more during the second and the third month. You shouldn’t get too much excited here, because there is still a lot of research to be done on this subject, but it is definitely worth taking a look at.

  • Improved health of the bones and joints – in another study conducted with a double blind placebo controlled and randomized group, 147 athletes were either given a liquid form of collagen or a placebo. Those who were given collagen showed changes in their joints at rest, and when walking, standing, carrying around objects and lifting. The researchers of this study took it a step further and implemented a subgroup that had achy knees. They found out that the difference between the collagen group and the one that got placebo was significantly big.
  • Improve the quality of your sleep – the exact same ingredient called glycine that is responsible for giving us energy can also help us sleep better at night. In another randomized sleep trial, thirty minutes before going to bed, half the participants were given glycine and the other half were given a placebo. Normally, the participants would have 7.3 hours of sleep, but for three consecutive nights, their sleep was cut to 5.5 hours. This was made in order to reduce the sleepiness and daytime fatigue. Even though the results here are not enough to draw a conclusion on this subject, what the researchers found out is that by occasionally taking the glycine right before going to bed will improve the quality of your sleep and the work of your brain during the day.

So, finally, where is the collagen hiding? You can find the collagen in some of the foods that are already a part of your every day dieting plan. For an example, in the chicken skin and the pork skin, a bowl of bone broth, these will naturally give you the collagen boost you want.