With celebs like Jennifer Anniston and influencers all over social media singing its praises, collagen is enjoying an unprecedented spike in popularity. Suddenly, everyone wants to know how to boost collagen levels in their bodies! This is mainly down to a range of health benefits which have now been associated with the protein family. Collagen has now been clinically proven to give the skin a lush, youthful appearance. It is also known to help your joints.
The good news is that there are now a number of high-quality collagen-based products available on the market. Ranging from creams and oils to even food, these products will help you to boost the level of collagen in your body.
This, in turn, allows you to to enjoy the health benefits that are listed within this article.
If you want to know more information about the benefits of collagen and how to get more in your body, please continue reading this article to learn all about collagen and its benefits.
What is Collagen and Why Do I Need It?
Before we go into details about some of the collagen products which help you to boost your collagen levels, we’ll need to cover the basics. Most importantly, what is collagen, and why has it become so popular recently?
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body and as a protein it occurs naturally within our bodies. Collagen is the structural protein that gives our skin bounce and also makes it feel firm. Although you may only have heard of collagen in passing in biology class, it actually makes up a large amount of your body. In fact, almost a third of all of your body’s protein is actually collagen.(1)
Found throughout all of the connective tissue within your body, collagen has the important task of holding the body together. Having high collagen levels means that the strength and firmness of your skin and muscles remain healthy. This is the big catch. As you go through life, the level of collagen within your body begins to deplete. This has a major impact on all of the functions of your body.
Because collagen levels help with the connections within your body, losing collagen makes all of these muscle connections weaken. Wrinkles, joint pain, muscle weakness and susceptibility to injury are all linked by one thing: the level of collagen in your body. After the age of 20, a person produces about 1 percent less collagen in the skin each year. As a result, the skin becomes thinner and more fragile with age. (2) This begins to explain why so many people have begun to boost the levels of collagen in their bodies using collagen products.
What Benefits Will Collagen Have On Me?
Now that we have established the importance of collagen to the human body, it becomes clear why collagen products have become so important to people, particularly social media influencers and celebrities who are fashion-oriented. Using collagen products will help a user to bolster the collagen renewal in their body. This has a number of benefits.
It means that the level of collagen depletion within their bodies is suppressed during the aging process.
This will ensure not only that the skin looks younger and more healthy, but that the muscles and joints remain strong right into later life. This is important not only for longevity but also for the quality of life you enjoy in your later years.
The good news is that there are all sorts of different ways to boost your collagen levels. We will go through some of the most popular methods that are now being used, and give some product suggestions.
Collagen Pills and Supplements
Health supplements have become a staple of dieters and fitness enthusiasts over the last decade. In fact, during this time the usage of such supplements has risen to a level that almost 7 out of 10 Americans regularly take them. (3)
There is an increasing number of health supplements available that can help you to get a fix of collagen. These are now available both other the counter at your local food store, or via an online retailer.
Of course, there is naturally some skepticism about the effectiveness of supplements in general. However, there are now a large number of clinical trials available which have proven the worthiness of these products.
Collagen protein particles are very large. This means that they must be absorbed into the human body through the gut. Collagen supplement pills are filled with billions of smaller collagen fragments.
These collagen fragments are known as amino acids and peptides. Their smaller size means that they are much easier to absorb into the human body. This helps you to enjoy the full benefits of collagen.
Out of the collagen pills on the market, Phi Naturals are some of the best available.
Founded by two doctors and based in Florida, Phi Naturals produce collagen pills and other products which have been meticulously researched for the provenance of their ingredients.
Dieting to Improve Collagen Levels
Not all protein is born equal. If you adjust your diet, you can begin to improve the collagen in your body straight away. There are a number of different foods which can help you to achieve this:
- Lean proteins
- Fruits and vegetables
- Fiber-rich foods
- Fatty acid-rich foods
Lean protein such as chicken and park is packed with protein. By taking these into your body you can bolster your natural collagen levels, which will help you to maintain beautiful skin.
Some other foods that are rich in proteins and oils that can benefit your body include:
- Salmon
- Lentils
- Quinoa
- Nuts
- Leafy Greens
- Berries
As well as being protein-rich, many of these foods are filled with antioxidants. Antioxidants will flush all of the impurities out of your body and further help you to maintain beautiful, healthy skin.
Liquid Collagen and Collagen Creams
Because of the nature of the collagen molecule, it is not straightforward to simply apply it to the skin. The large structure of collagen means that it would stay on the surface of the skin if it was applied like this. This would provide no benefit to a user.
This is why collagen cream products can sometimes be quite expensive. They use collagen amino acids, which are a lot smaller on a molecular level.
This will allow the collagen particles to penetrate into the skin, where they can be of benefit to your body. Once the collagen has entered your skin, you should be able to see a renewed plumpness and tightness almost immediately.
Depending on the product, this ‘youthful glow’ as many refer to it could last for the day or several. You will notice that products containing collagen amino acids have a noticeable price premium compared to those advertised as just having “collagen”.
This is simply because collagen amino acid products are the only ones that actually work. Although they will cost slightly more, you should not get sticker shock. The results will speak for themselves.
Adapting Your Lifestyle
As well as products and services which will help you to create and maintain a good level of collagen within your body, there are lifestyle adjustments that you can do which will also help.
These can be a fantastic complement to products and have other health benefits as well which you can enjoy.
One particular fitness exercise can benefit your collagen levels more than others. This is resistance training.
Exercises involving strengthening your muscles causes your body to build new proteins. As we discussed earlier, much of the protein in your body is collagen.
On the flip side, rest and recuperation are also thought to be hugely beneficial to the human body and help you to retain a good ability to regenerate collagen throughout your life.
Make sure that you get plenty of sleep. You could also explore concepts such as mindfulness and meditation as a well of lowering the stress within your body.
All of these will help keep your body healthy, which in turn will mean you maintain a good level of collagen.
You Can Master How to Boost Collagen
At the end of the day, learning how to boost collagen levels in your body is fairly simple. You just need to understand the properties of collagen, and how you can get it into your body.
The good news is that many of the processes necessary to increase your collagen levels will also benefit your body in other ways.
Exercising boosts your fitness levels and other body functions, as well as your collagen levels. Good dieting will give your body the nutrients it needs, but also provides the collagen that is necessary for healthy skin and looks.
This means that adapting your lifestyle to increase your collagen levels comes without any negative consequences. It is solely beneficial to your body.
So you should not delay in making the changes necessary to your life. Not only will they make your skin glow, but they could keep you alive for longer.
Do you use collagen-based products already? Comment below with your thoughts.
(1) What is collagen good for?
(2) Why does skin wrinkle with age? What is the best way to slow or prevent this process?
(3) THE DIETARY SUPPLEMENT CONSUMER
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