What Is Collagen: Everything You Need To Know

Reading Time: 8 minutes

What is collagen?

A collagen triple helix is an essential part of our bodies. We use it to make bones and ligaments, but also to help us heal wounds. Cartilage is found in bones, and it protects them. Bone marrow is found in bones, too, and it makes blood cells. The basement membrane is found in the skin, and it keeps the skin together. Hair is made by keratinocytes, and it is found in the skin. Surfaces of cells are found in cell membranes, and they protect the inside of the cells.

Where does collagen come from?

Collagen is a major component of skin, bones, tendons, ligaments, and other connective tissues. It helps maintain flexibility and strength in these structures. Collagen is made up of three proteins called tropocollagen, proline, and glycine. These proteins form long chains called fibrils. Collagen fibers are arranged in bundles called fascicles. In humans, collagen is produced primarily in the dermis, the layer of tissue beneath the epidermis.

What is Collagen Made Of?

Collagen is made of three proteins called tropocollagen, proline, and glycine. These proteins form long chains called fibrils. Collagen fibers are arranged in bundles called fascicles. They are what give our skin, hair, and nails their strength. Collagen is also what makes up the connective tissues in our bones, ligaments, and tendons.

The reason collagen is so important to our health and beauty is because it helps keep us looking young. As we age, our bodies produce less collagen, and we start to see the signs of aging. wrinkles, sagging skin, thinning hair, and brittle nails. This is why many people turn to collagen supplements to help keep their skin looking healthy and young

What Does Collagen Do?

Collagen helps keep our skin looking young and healthy. It gives our hair strength and thickness, and it keeps our nails strong. It also helps maintain the flexibility and strength of our bones, ligaments, and tendons.

As we age, our bodies produce less collagen, and we start to see the signs of aging. wrinkles, sagging skin, thinning hair, and brittle nails. This is why many people turn to collagen supplements to help keep their skin looking healthy and young. 

Collagen is a major component of the human body. It helps keep our skin looking young and healthy, gives our hair strength and thickness, keeps our nails strong, and maintains the flexibility and strength of our bones, ligaments, and tendons. As we age, our bodies produce less collagen, and we start to see the signs of aging. wrinkles, sagging skin, thinning hair, and brittle nails. This is why many people turn to collagen supplements to help keep their skin looking healthy and young.

What Are the Different Types of Collagen?

Collagen is a protein that helps our bodies stay strong. There are three main kinds of collagen. Types 1, 2, and III make up the majority of the human body. These are the most abundant types of collagen in the body. Type I is the most common kind of collagen used in cosmetic products. Type II is found in cartilage, while Type III is found in the skin.

Scientifically Proven Ways to Increase Collagen Production

The topical application of these ingredients helps replenish collagen stores. Collagen is necessary for healthy skin. Retinoids and retinol increase collagen production. These are also used to treat acne because they reduce inflammation. Alpha hydroxy acids and peptides boost collagen production. There are several treatments, performed at dermatologists, to increase collagen.

Studies prove that a variety of treatments are able to increase collagen. You’re best served by maintaining a healthful diet. Protein-rich food will supply the amino acids needed for collagen production. It also gets some support from other nutrients, like vitamins C, zinc, and copper, which help your body produce collagen. A varied diet filled with whole food is best.

What Are the Benefits of Collagen for Your Body?

Collagen is a vital protein found in our bodies. It provides structural support to our muscles, bones, ligaments, tendons, cartilage, blood vessels, and skin. When collagen is combined with other proteins, it creates stronger connective tissue, making our skin more resilient.

Can You Eat Collagen?

Collagen is an important protein in our bodies. There is no direct evidence that eating collagen can improve your skin or joints. However, some foods help make collagen, such as beans, nuts, eggs, fish, and dairy products. These foods should be included in your diet.

How Can You Get More Collagen?

Topical collagen products do work, but there are side effects. Oral collagen supplements are promising, but more research needs to be done before they’re proven effective.

Food containing collagen

Bone Broth contains a lot of protein, but it also contains lots of sodium. The longer you cook the bones, the more nutrients you get out of them. You should drink bone broth regularly because it helps your body heal faster.

Is bone broth healthy?

Bone broth is a liquid made from boiling down bone until it forms a thick paste. It is considered a healthy drink by many people. However, there are claims that it does not contain enough nutrients to be beneficial. Bone broth is very nutritious because it contains many nutrients.

Some people worry about the presence of toxins in bone broth, but there aren’t any harmful substances in it. Bones contain lots of minerals and nutrients. If you make your own bone broth, you’ll know how much of each nutrient you’re getting. You should drink bone broth regularly if you want to get enough of these nutrients.

Potential Health Benefits of Collagen Supplements

Collagen is an important protein found in connective tissue. It helps form strong bones and joints and keeps our skin flexible and healthy. There is some evidence that it may also lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of diabetes. But studies show that it doesn’t seem to be effective for other conditions such as arthritis or osteoporosis.

Collagen is an important protein found in our bodies. We get some from meat, but we need to supplement our diet with it. It helps us maintain healthy joints, bones, ligaments, tendons, muscles, skin, hair, and nails. When we take collagen supplements, it helps our body produce more of it naturally.

This is especially helpful for older people who lose collagen as they age. It may also be beneficial for women with thinning hair. Collagen peptides may be a mild pain reliever and help improve joint function. It may take 3-5 months before you see benefits. A combination of collagen peptides and strength training could potentially increase muscle mass and strength

There are a little more than a dozen kinds of collagen proteins [1], although most fall into types I, II, or III. Collagen molecules pack together in “fibrils,” which are long, thin fibrous formations. Collagen proteins are very sturdy. Some types, especially type I, are packed so tightly on the molecular level they are said to be “as hard as steel.”

Collagen is vital for maintaining the structure and integrity of your entire body. Here are a few specific reasons why it’s so beneficial:

#1 – Strong Cartilage and Muscles.

Cartilage is a type of connective tissue that is made up of collagen [2]. Your nose, earlobes, and joints are vital points on your body that are made up of this tissue. When you lack collagen, joint instability, stiffness, and pain can result.

Likewise, muscles need cartilage to adhere themselves to the ends of bones. This is why muscle aches are one of the most common complaints of individuals with low collagen levels.

#2 – Healthy Teeth.

Collagen is needed to keep teeth in place in the gums [3]. Loose teeth, toothache, sensitive teeth, and even tooth loss can result from a lack of collagen overall.

#3 – Thick Hair.

Collagen plays an important part in hair growth since it fills in the spaces around each hair follicle. One way to tell if you are collagen deficient is to notice the quality and state of your hair. Dull, thin hair is a sign of low collagen levels. Collagen also helps fight free radicals that can damage hair.

#4 – Smooth Skin.

Wrinkling and cellulite are other unfortunate results of low collagen in the body. and sag, causing those pesky wrinkles as we age.

Cellulite is another telltale sign of low collagen. Collagen protein helps keep skin taut around the frame. Lack of collagen causes the skin sometimes to pucker and become thin and weak, allowing liquid to build up under the skin’s surface which results in the appearance of cellulite.

A 2015 Brazilian study [4] found that women who took collagen peptide supplements for six months had marked improvement in moderate cellulite conditions.

#5 – Good Gut Health.

Finally, the newest research on collagen is connecting it to the healthy functioning of the digestive system. This is why many protocols for “healing the gut” these days involve collagen supplementation through bone broth or powders. In a nutshell, collagen helps heal the gut because of its ability to “seal the gut.” Leaky gut has been linked to autoimmune conditions and neurological conditions like autism.

One of the latest in the dozens of studies that make the connection between gut health and autoimmune conditions is a 2017 joint U.S.-Italian study that found that:

“(i)n individuals with a genetic predisposition, a leaky gut may allow environmental factors to enter the body and trigger the initiation and development of autoimmune disease [5].”

Potential Risks of Collagen Supplements

Collagen supplements are safe for most people when taken during pregnancy or breastfeeding. However, if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding and you take collagen supplements, make sure to talk to your doctor first before using them.

How to Help Your Body Create Collagen Naturally

There are two basic kinds of collagen. The first is endogenous collagen, which is naturally produced and synthesized by the body. The other is exogenous collagen which comes from an outside source such as pills and powders in supplement form as well as directly from animal products, such as bone broths.

Unfortunately, it is part of the “normal” aging process that by the time we reach around age 30, our natural, endogenous collagen production begins to wane. For most people who chose to eat the Standard American Diet (SAD) and live a sedentary yet stressed-out lifestyle, it pretty much goes downhill from there.

As internally created collagen production lessens, the result is not only wrinkles and sagging skin, but also joint pain, aching muscles, blood pressure issues, digestive complications, and increased susceptibility to many kinds of chronic disease. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, however.

Before we go into the kinds of collagen that you can get from external sources, let’s first take a look at some natural ways to boost the effectiveness of your internal collagen production in your body.

Yes, it is possible to increase your naturally occurring collagen levels, even as you age.

As with any essential substance, it is always best to eat a diet and live a lifestyle that promotes the healthy synthesizing of your own natural healing and repair mechanisms. This goes for collagen production as well.

---