Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body making up 90% of our connective tissue. It is made up of amino acids. It gives structure to our hair, skin, nails, and bones along with the ligaments and tendons in our body. Collagen is what allows us to move, bend and stretch. It keeps our hair shiny and skin aglow.
Collagen has become very popular. Consuming collagen has a variety of health benefits, from relieving joint pain to improving skin health. As we put more stress on our body as we age, the greater the impact on collagen production. Taking in enough collagen helps our bodies to regenerate what’s been lost and broken down.
Collagen helps maintain the rubber-like tissue that protects your joints, cartilage. As you age, the amount of collagen in your body decreases and therefore you develop the risk of degenerative joint disorders such as osteoarthritis. Cartilage is important to keep the joint healthy and collagen provides the body what it needs to do that.
Arthritis is an inflammation of the joints that include swelling, pain, stiffness, and decreased range of motion. Consuming collagen can tackle the root cause of arthritis, inflammation, and help to alleviate the symptoms. Inflammation is a wicked cycle in that the inflammation of the joint triggers a more rapid breakdown of collagen in the joint. The rapid breakdown of the collagen leads to pain and stiffness. Collagen can decrease the start of the symptoms by decreasing the inflammation and therefore slowing the cycle of arthritis. Taking collagen can help improve symptoms and reduce overall joint pain. It reduces inflammation and stimulates collagen synthesis in the body allowing for increased movement in the joint.
Joints can benefit from collagen as the more collagen in the body there is increased mobility in the joint. It is thought that collagen is the key to healing connective tissue injuries. Collagen synthesis is heightened for the first couple of weeks after an injury so that protein fibers can be generated. Supplements that contain college can help to make sure the body has the proteins needed to quickly and effectively heal the damaged tissues.
Too much sugar and refined carbohydrates can cause inflammation and damaged collagen. It is important to keep your diet high in foods rich in collagen. Foods that contain collagen is chicken skin, pork skin, beef, and fish. Food that contains gelatin, such as bone broth, also provides collagen to your body. Egg whites are a good source of proline that is needed for collagen. Citrus fruits and berries contain a high amount of Vitamin C which is a precursor to collagen.
Collagen is a major building block in our body. It provides the basis for building many components to keep your body pain free and mobile. It is important to keep the collagen levels high to live a healthy lifestyle.
