Here’s Why You Should Start Taking Collagen Supplements

When we’re talking about one of the most plentiful proteins in your body, we’re talking about collagen. If you’re wondering why, know that collagen is the ultimate protein responsible for building blocks of bones, skin, muscles, tendons and ligaments, as well as for improving blood vessels, corneas and teeth’s overall well being.

But consuming the right amounts of collagen through your average food intake is impossible, and this is why a lot of people go for collagen protein powders as well as different supplements. Let’s learn a little bit more about them and how they can benefit your health:

Preventing Bone Loss

One of the main reasons why you should start taking collagen supplements is because your bones’ structure is made from collagen. And as much as human’s bones are stronger in our younger years, know that as you age, the collagen and the bone mass in your body deteriorates, and this often leads to conditions such as osteoporosis and a higher risk of bone fractures.

In fact, these risks are mainly determined by your BDM (bone mineral density) levels. Low BDM is associated with weak bones and the development of osteoporosis. But for this purpose, a study showed that women who took 5 grams of collagen powder daily for 12 months showed a BDM increase of up to 7%, compared to the women who didn’t consume collagen at all.

Relieving Joint Pain

Living with knee pain can be very unpleasant, but did you know that the purpose for that might be the lack of collagen in your body? In fact, taking a collagen supplement on daily basis will help you maintain the integrity of your cartilage, the rubber-like tissue that protects all the joints in your body.

As we already mentioned before, as the levels of collagen decrease as you get older, the risk of developing some degenerative joint disorders such as osteoarthritis increases. But as long as you’re consuming collagen supplements there’s no need to panic.

In fact, research has shown that 73 athletes who consumed around 10 grams of collagen protein supplements daily for 24 weeks experienced a huge decrease in joints pain while walking and better physical performance, unlike the group that didn’t consume any of it.

But regardless if you’re an athlete or just a regular person who loves to casually take a walk and breathe some fresh air, 10 grams of collagen per day is your magic formula to engage better in physical activities and reduce the annoying pain in your joints.

Boosts Muscle Mass

Many athletes will recommend getting protein powders to boost their muscle mass, but what they don’t know is that around 10% of the muscle mass in the human’s body is composed of collagen. This means that if you want to keep your muscles strong and functioning properly, taking a collagen supplement is a must along with your usual protein powder.

Again, research proved that people who took 15 grams of collagen while exercising on daily basis managed to significantly increase their muscle mass and strength compared to the people who exercised but didn’t take collagen at all. Another research has also proved that taking collagen promotes the synthesis of some important muscle proteins such as creatine and stimulates muscle growth after exercise.

But this doesn’t make consuming a collagen protein powder good only if you’re active and exercising on daily basis. We already learned that collagen can be beneficial for your bones as you’re aging, but the bones are not the only ones suffering. For instance, some people suffer from sarcopenia, a condition where you lose muscle mass due to ageing, and a protein supplement can be the ultimate help to prevent it.

Promotes Heart Health

Taking your daily collagen food supplement isn’t only great for your bones and muscles, but it’s also beneficial for boosting your heart’s health and reducing the risk of heart-related conditions.

In fact, collagen was shown to provide structure to your arteries, which are the blood vessels that are carrying blood from your heart to the other parts of your body. Without a sufficient amount of collagen, your arteries may become weak and fragile, and therefore lead to conditions such as atherosclerosis and even heart attack.

Improves Skin

Collagen supplement powders can be your ultimate ally for glowing, youthful skin. In fact, one of the major components of your skin is exactly collagen, and this is why it plays a huge role in strengthening and hydrating your skin and giving it elasticity. This means that low levels of collagen in your body will only lead you to have dry skin and the formation of wrinkles.

But collagen is not only beneficial for making your skin look flawless. In fact, the wrinkle-reducing effect of consuming collagen peptides protein is often attributed to its ability to stimulate your own body to produce the required amounts of collagen on its own. Also, collagen proteins were shown to promote the production of other proteins that are important for your skin’s health such as elastin and fibrillin.

Some experts even believe that taking sufficient amounts of collagen can help you improve your acne as well as other skin conditions, even though this is not scientifically proven.

Boosts Hair and Nail Growth

Finally, if you’re struggling with thin, chipped nails or hair loss, then you shouldn’t skip taking your daily dose of collagen. As we already mentioned before, your skin’s main building component is exactly collagen, and so are your nail and hair’s. Except for that, collagen is rich in amino acids, the components responsible for building connective networks and supporting the strength of our hair and nails.

Combined with the right vitamins and minerals such as calcium, vitamin C and zinc, you’ll see how these supplements will work magically on your hair and nails, as well as your overall health.