Why collagen is beneficial for skin and hair?

Importance of collagen for overall health

Collagen may be a strange term for most of people because of its less prominence. However, most of skin experts know about it very well. So, there used to a lot of questions around the collagen. Let us discuss about it more detail in the following article-

What is collagen?

Collagen is a fibrous, hard, insoluble protein that accounts for one-third of the protein found in the human body. It is generally found in bones, muscles, skin, and tendons. It acts like a glue that holds the body together. Collagen binds molecules together to form a scaffold that provides strength and structure. These molecules in most of the collagen(s) are packed together to form long and thin fibrils. They give the human skin elasticity and strength. Collagen is made up of amino acids that are linked together to form a triple helix of elongated fibril known as collagen helix.  It is mostly found in connective tissue, which includes cartilage, bones, tendons, ligaments, and skin. Collagen is abundant in bone marrow, which improves the health and strength of bones and skin. It is also high in glucosamine, a compound that prevents osteoarthritis, relieves joint pain, and reduces joint inflammation.
 
Here's a closer look at the four major types of collagen and their functions in the body:
 
TYPE 1: This type, which is composed of densely packed fibers, accounts for 90 percent of your body's collagen. It gives structure to your skin, bones, tendons, fibrous cartilage, connective tissue, and teeth.
 
TYPE 2: This type is found in elastic cartilage, which cushions your joints, and is made up of more loosely packed fibers.
 
TYPE 3: This type maintains the proper working of muscles, organs, and arteries.
 
TYPE 4: This type is found in the layers of your skin and infiltration. Your body produces less lower-quality collagen as you age. 

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What are the collagen boosting foods?

Collagen is naturally produced in the body by combining amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins available in foods. Your body requires the following ingredients to produce collagen-

• Proline - Generally found in Egg whites, dairy products, cabbage, mushrooms, and asparagus.
• Glycine - Pork, chicken, turkey, peanuts, granola, canned salmon are foods in which glycine is found in high quantity.
• Vitamin C - Citrus fruits and bell peppers.
• Zinc - beef, lamb, pork, shellfish, chickpeas, lentils, beans, milk, cheese, nuts, and seeds
• Copper - Organ meats, cocoa powder, cashews, sesame seeds, and lentils.

What are the health benefits of collagen? 

Collagen overall health benefits

Bones become less dense and more brittle as your grow older, resulting in cracking easily. Daily collagen supplements have been proven to help make your bones denser and slowing the body aging process and assist your body in absorbing calcium from foods conveniently.

• Elasticity and skin hydration: Collagen supplements taken orally have been seen to improve skin hydration and elasticity in the elderly. They may also help to reduce wrinkles. As shown in the below image for better illustration-

Collagen deficiency skin symptoms

•  Thick Hair: In a study, a group of women with thinning hair saw significant increases in the quantity, coverage of the scalp, and thickness of their hair while taking daily collagen supplements.

• Healthy Nails:  Collagen intake can boost significant growth in nails with much more internally produced proteins that give much shine and strength to the nails.

• Relieves Osteoarthritis Pain: Oral collagen supplements may act as a mild pain reliever and improve joint function in people with knee osteoarthritis. It could take three to five months of daily treatment to see these results.

• Muscle Mass Gain: A combination of collagen peptide supplements and strength training is proven beneficial in increasing body muscle mass and strength as collagen acts a protein that bind body molecules together and gives them strength.

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What should be avoided to preserve collagen in body?

Avoid the following collagen-destroying behaviors- 

• Excessive exposure to sunlight- Ultraviolet radiation has been shown to reduce collagen production. Avoid overexposure to the sun.
• Smoking- Smoking cigarettes reduces natural collagen production in body. This slows healing of wound resulting in dead skin and wrinkles.
• Taking a lot of sugars and carbs-Sugar impairs collagen's ability to repair itself. Reduce your intake of added sugar and refined carbohydrates. 
• Some autoimmune diseases, such as lupus, can also cause collagen damage.

FAQs on collagen

Q. Does collagen cause weight gain?
Unlike many other supplements in the market, collagen has been shown to aid in weight loss and fat reduction. Collagen can help with not only weight loss, but also skin texture, skin inflammation reduction, and GI health.

Q. Are there any negative side effects to collagen?
Collagen supplements can cause unpleasant side effects such as a bad taste in the mouth, heartburn, and bloating. If you have allergies to collagen supplements or foods as stated above in the article then make sure you consume only those products / supplements that aren't made from the collagen sources to which you're allergic.

Q. Is collagen harmful to the kidneys?
Collagen supplements are not generally recommended for people who are at high risk of developing kidney stones. However, most people are unlikely to develop kidney stones if they consume collagen in moderation as part of a healthy diet. For rest, one should consult with his doctor and consume as per the prescription.

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Q. What helps build collagen?
If you believe that you are dehydrated in general, you should certainly increase your water intake appropriately. It is often observed that the lipids in the skin are in deficiency. To boost fatty acids, ceramides, and cholesterol in this layer, you should take plenty of water so that body can have high-quality of moisture to fully activate the collagen protein.

Q. How to boost collagen production on the face?
Collagen accounts for more than 75% of the protein in your skin. However, collagen begins to deplete after the age of 25, so it is critical to maintaining the proper balance of collagen in your skin by consuming safe supplements. Eating good foods enriched in collagen include citrus fruits, broccoli, tomatoes, red and green peppers, and greens. for more collagen diets, refer the above article.

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