Collagen has develop into more and more in style during the last decade. As individuals have develop into extra enthusiastic about well being and wellness, they’ve turned to collagen dietary supplements to assist their pores and skin, joints, and general well being.

Whereas collagen dietary supplements could be handy methods to assist collagen manufacturing, there are additionally some meals you’ll be able to incorporate into your weight loss program to have the identical impact. Some meals comprise vitamins important for collagen synthesis, whereas others assist assist present collagen.

Whether or not you are trying to enhance the looks of your pores and skin or assist joint well being, collagen-rich meals are an important addition to any weight loss program.

What Is Collagen?

You might have heard of collagen known as the “glue” that holds our physique collectively, however what precisely does that imply? Collagen protein is made naturally within the physique and is essential for sustaining wholesome pores and skin, bones, and joints.

Pure collagen helps pores and skin elasticity, serving to it keep supple and youthful-looking. It additionally helps the construction of our bones and joints, enabling us to maneuver with out discomfort. Nonetheless, our physique’s collagen manufacturing tends to lower as we age, which might result in wrinkles, sagging pores and skin, and joint discomfort.

To counteract this pure decline, many individuals flip to collagen dietary supplements or meals that may assist increase their collagen intakes, comparable to meals wealthy in vitamin C and leafy greens. From collagen powders to meals sources, there are many methods to make sure you’re getting sufficient collagen to assist your general well being and wellness.

What Are the Well being Advantages of Collagen?

Whereas our our bodies naturally produce collagen, growing old and different components can result in a decline in collagen manufacturing. On this part, we’ll discover the well being advantages of collagen and the way supplementing with collagen will help assist joint well being, digestion, and hair, nail, and pores and skin well being.

Encourages Joint Well being

Pure collagen can present assist and cushioning to reduce bone-on-bone friction. Pure collagen manufacturing decreases with growing old, and fewer collagen can contribute to joint ache and stiffness. Supplementing with dietary collagen could assist joint well being and adaptability, making it a preferred alternative for athletes and people withjoint circumstances.

Helps Digestion

Collagen is a vital part of the intestine lining, serving to keep its integrity. Intestine well being is important for digestion and nutrient absorption, and collagen will help assist the intestine lining and soothe irritation to advertise intestine well being.

One examine even suggests collagen dietary supplements could assist soothe digestive discomfort in wholesome ladies.

Helps Pores and skin Look Youthful

Collagen is liable for the elasticity and energy of pores and skin, making collagen-rich meals useful for these trying to battle indicators of growing old and keep a youthful look. 

The pure manufacturing of collagen slows down when growing old, which might result in the event of wrinkles, fantastic traces, and sagging pores and skin. Supplementing with collagen could assist decrease these indicators of growing old by supporting pores and skin elasticity and hydration.

We’ve all the time identified {that a} nutritious diet is the cornerstone of an efficient skincare routine — and now we have now the proof to again it up!

Promotes Hair and Nail Well being

Collagen comprises amino acids, that are important constructing blocks for keratin, a protein that’s the primary part of hair and nails. Collagen dietary supplements can assist keratin manufacturing and decrease breakage to assist hair and nail well being.

Due to this, consuming a collagen complement could affect hair thickness, scalp protection, hair progress, nail progress fee, and lowered frequency of damaged nails.

How A lot Collagen Ought to You Take Each day?

The beneficial each day dose of collagen varies relying on the type of collagen you’re taking and the precise well being situation you are attempting to handle. 

These suggestions can embody:

• For joint well being: Doses of ten grams will help assist joint well being.
• For pores and skin well being: Doses of two.5 to 5 grams will help assist pores and skin well being.

In fact, it is best to seek the advice of your healthcare skilled for customized medical recommendation earlier than incorporating new dietary dietary supplements into your routine.

What Are the Finest Collagen-Wealthy Meals?

Incorporating collagen-rich meals into your nutritious diet could be a superb manner to enhance collagen manufacturing in your physique. Thankfully, loads of meals sources of collagen can be found at your native grocery retailer.

Minerals like copper and zinc are important for collagen synthesis and could be present in oysters, shellfish, nuts, and seeds. Meals excessive in amino acids like glycine and proline also can assist collagen manufacturing. These amino acids are present in bone broth, meat, fish, and eggs.

Let’s discover a few of our favourite meals that may assist collagen manufacturing.

Bone Broth

Bone broth is a nutritious and scrumptious liquid made by simmering animal bones and connective tissues like ligaments for an prolonged interval. This course of breaks down the bones and tissues, releasing all types of fantastic vitamins like collagen, gelatin, amino acids, minerals, and extra into the broth.

Much more amazingly, collagen and gelatin are each superabundant in bone broth. Collagen is our hero protein, whereas gelatin is a cooked type of collagen that may assist assist the intestine lining, joints, and bones. This makes bone broth a scrumptious and wealthy supply of collagen which you can simply incorporate into your each day routine.

If you wish to incorporate bone broth into your each day routine, attempt Dr. Kellyann’s Bone Broth. It is constructed from solely the highest-quality components and is a handy technique to get all the advantages of bone broth in a single scrumptious cup. 

You may add it to your favourite recipes like soups, stews, and sauces, or just sip it as a heat and comfy beverage. Personally, we love ingesting a steaming cup of bone broth within the morning and night.

Organ Meat

Organ meats like liver, coronary heart, and kidney are sometimes referred to as “superfoods” due to their excessive nutrient density. However these organs are additionally wonderful sources of collagen and different important vitamins.

Liver meat, for instance, is wealthy in nutritional vitamins A, D, E, B, and Okay, iron, and zinc. Vitamin A is important for sustaining wholesome pores and skin and supporting mucous membranes for collagen synthesis. In the meantime, vitamin D will help the physique soak up calcium for bone well being, and vitamin E is an antioxidant that may defend towards injury attributable to free radicals.

Coronary heart meat is one other wonderful supply of collagen and vitamins. It’s excessive in coenzyme Q10, which is critical for power manufacturing, and selenium, which is helpful for thyroid well being. One other nutrient-dense organ is the kidney, which comprises excessive ranges of vitamin B12. This vitamin is important for nerve and mind well being.

Whereas organ meats will not be as in style in trendy diets as they as soon as had been, they’re nonetheless a superb supply of collagen and plenty of different important vitamins that may assist assist general well being.

You will not be a fan of the style or texture of organ meats, however worry not! There are a lot of scrumptious methods to include them into your weight loss program. One straightforward methodology is to mix them with floor beef or hen for a tasty and nutrient-dense burger or meatball. These blends additionally style wonderful in chili.

You would additionally attempt marinating them in flavorful herbs and spices or slow-cooking them with veggies to make them extra palatable.

Fruits

Berries and citrus fruits will not be solely scrumptious however are additionally wonderful sources of vitamin C, a nutrient important for pure collagen manufacturing. 

Vitamin C is essential for changing proline and lysine, two amino acids present in collagen, into hydroxyproline and hydroxylysine, that are important for collagen synthesis.

Berries are additionally loaded with antioxidants, comparable to anthocyanins, flavanols, and vitamin E, that may work collectively to stop injury attributable to free radicals. These unstable molecules can injury cells and tissues, together with collagen, resulting in untimely indicators of growing old, wrinkles, and sagging pores and skin.

Incorporating berries into your weight loss program is a tasty technique to assist collagen manufacturing and wholesome pores and skin. Some examples of berries exceptionally excessive in vitamin C and antioxidants embody strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries.

Some Fish

Fish pores and skin and bones are wealthy in sort I collagen, probably the most plentiful collagen in human pores and skin. Kind I collagen gives construction and assist to the pores and skin by sustaining its elasticity and firmness. Consuming bone-in fish or utilizing fish pores and skin in cooking could be a good way to assist your pure collagen manufacturing.

Some fish are extra nutritious than others. As an example, particular varieties of fish, comparable to salmon, tuna, and cod, are sometimes higher sources of collagen. Different fish which might be excessive in collagen embody sardines and trout. 

Moreover, fish is a wholesome supply of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and different vitamins that may profit general well being. Nonetheless, it’s important to notice that consuming an excessive amount of fish or taking fish collagen dietary supplements could have potential dangers, so it’s greatest to run any new additions to your complement routine by a professional healthcare skilled.

Egg Whites

Egg whites are low-calorie and are a incredible supply of high-quality protein and important vitamins, together with nutritional vitamins B2 and B12, selenium, and choline. One giant egg white comprises solely about 17 energy and fewer than one gram of fats whereas offering about 3.6 grams of protein.

Their excessive proline content material makes egg whites particularly helpful for collagen manufacturing. Proline is an important amino acid required to supply collagen — with out it, your collagen manufacturing could not have the ability to sustain.

Some in style methods so as to add egg whites to your weight loss program embody making omelets, scrambled eggs, egg white protein shakes, or utilizing egg whites as an alternative to complete eggs in baking recipes. 

Egg whites and egg white protein powder may also be made into zero carb bread. They’re versatile and simple to include into varied dishes, making them a superb choice for anybody trying to improve their collagen consumption.

Do Collagen Dietary supplements Improve Collagen Consumption?

Collagen dietary supplements are wonderful! They’re designed to be simply absorbed by your physique, offering a concentrated dose of collagen peptides that may work wonders to your pores and skin, hair, nails, joints, and intestine.

Nonetheless, not all collagen dietary supplements are the identical, and the standard and effectiveness of the complement can fluctuate relying on the supply of collagen and the manufacturing course of.

You may be ok with including Dr. Kellyann’s Collagen dietary supplements to your weight loss program as a result of they’re made with grass-fed bovine collagen. Simply add them to your smoothie, espresso, or your favourite meal to get pleasure from the advantages of collagen.

The Backside Line

By incorporating these collagen and nutrient-rich meals into your weight loss program, you’ll be able to assist your physique’s pure collagen manufacturing and reap the numerous advantages of balanced collagen ranges.

Adopting a wholesome and balanced weight loss program that features nutrient-dense complete meals doesn’t simply assist assist collagen manufacturing — it may additionally assist your general well being and wellness. With so many scrumptious choices out there, there’s by no means been a greater time to start out incorporating these meals into your each day routine. Your physique will thanks for it!

Sources:

U.S. Division of Agriculture (USDA) Meals Database

Efficacy of Vitamin C Supplementation on Collagen Synthesis and Oxidative Stress after Musculoskeletal Accidents: A Systematic Assessment | PubMed

Present Insights to Collagen Kind I | PubMed

Proline Precursors and Collagen Synthesis: Biochemical Challenges of Nutrient Supplementation and Wound Therapeutic | PubMed

Impact of a Each day Collagen Peptide Complement on Digestive Signs in Wholesome Ladies: 2-Part Blended Strategies Examine | PubMed

Collagen Dietary supplements for Ageing and Wrinkles: A Paradigm Shift within the Fields of Dermatology and Cosmetics | PubMed

Oral supplementation with particular bioactive collagen peptides improves nail progress and reduces signs of brittle nails | PubMed

Oral supplementation of particular collagen peptides has helpful results on human pores and skin physiology: a double-blind, placebo-controlled examine | PubMed

24-Week examine on using collagen hydrolysate as a dietary complement in athletes with activity-related joint ache | PubMed