Loose skin, wrinkles, brittle nails, and aching joints all mean one thing — lack of collagen. Collagen, the body’s “super-glue” provides structure to skin, nails, hair, joints, tendons, muscles, blood vessels and so much more.
Unfortunately, the older you get, the less collagen your body produces. Add to that a diet high in sugar and refined carbs and collagen production depletes even more. That’s why looking youthful and feeling healthy depends on replenishing your body with collagen.
What depletes collagen?
Collagen is the most abundant protein found in the body. And as you age, your body starts to produce less and lower quality collagen. In fact, collagen begins depleting by your mid-20s. Then, during the first five years of menopause collagen depletes as much as 30 percent and up to 50 percent after the age of 60.
However, apart from aging, there is another factor that contributes to collagen loss, suggests the Cleveland Clinic — a poor diet.
Your body makes collagen naturally. But to do so, it requires amino acids from protein-rich foods like eggs, dairy, fish, chicken, beef, and beans. And the process isn’t complete unless you also include foods rich in vitamin C, copper, and zinc.
The problem is, in a world often filled with processed foods, alcohol, and refined sugar, you can’t always maintain the nutrients your body needs to replenish collagen production.
In addition, stress, poor sleep quality, and environmental exposures like sunlight, cigarette smoke, and pollution may also negatively impact production. And while you can’t really measure your body’s collagen levels, there are signs that suggest it’s time to start supplementing daily with hydrolyzed collagen peptides.
Reasons To Take Collagen Daily
1. Loose skin and wrinkles
Some of the first signs of aging are loose skin and wrinkles. While the effects can be seen anywhere on the body, the most noticeable spots tend to be the face, neck, arms, and abdomen. In addition to aging, years of sun exposure, smoking, and even weight fluctuations can also contribute to dry, wrinkled, and sagging skin.
Taking collagen every day could be an effective remedy to improve elasticity, wrinkling, and even hydration in human skin, according to a study published in the journal Nutrients. Maintaining skin elasticity allows you to smile, frown, and yawn without creating wrinkles each time you move.
Collagen peptides (in particular, bovine collagen peptides) help replenish the collagen that’s broken down in the body. Bovine collagen is particularly high in glycine and proline — two anti-aging amino acids. But you’ll need to take collagen peptides daily to see results.
2. Cracked and brittle nails
Brittle nails have a tendency to crack, chip, and peel. And as collagen levels deplete, the likelihood of experiencing brittle nails increases. That’s because collagen, along with keratin, is one of the main proteins in the nail bed. And collagen supports your body’s natural production of keratin. In fact, research suggests that certain diseases linked to collagen disorders can be detected on the nails.
Luckily, a study published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology found that taking hydrolyzed collagen peptides daily not only decreased the frequency of broken nails — thereby increasing nail growth — but also improved brittle nails.
3. Dry, brittle hair
Brittle hair is basically frizzy, dull, and dry hair that breaks and splits easily. Like your nails, hair is made of a protein called keratin. Proline, a nonessential amino acid, is the main component of keratin. Collagen is made up of mostly three nonessential amino acids: glycine, hydroxyproline, and proline. But, as you know, the older you get, the less collagen your body produces.
This could be one of the reasons why hair naturally thins with age. But when you consume collagen, your body breaks it down and turns it into new proteins. So, taking hydrolyzed collagen peptides daily may help provide your body with the building blocks it needs to grow strong, beautiful hair.
4. Stiff, achy joints
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and affects about 31 million Americans. It breaks down the cartilage in your joints, causing bones to rub together. This naturally leads to pain, swelling, and stiff, achy joints.
However, studies have shown that taking collagen daily may help ease joint pain significantly. One study, in particular, found that postmenopausal women who took five grams of collagen peptides daily for one year increased bone mineral density significantly.
In fact, supplementing with collagen peptides even reduced bone loss and increased bone formation.
5. Flabby, weak muscles
Everyone has areas on their bodies they’re self-conscious about and want to tone up. Flabby arms — especially during summer months — often top the list for insecurity. But there’s good news!
Up to 10 percent of muscle tissue is made up of collagen. It’s the protein that keeps your muscles taught and toned. Research suggests that taking collagen peptides daily may help improve muscle proteins like creatine while stimulating muscle growth post-exercise.
In fact, a study published in The British Journal of Nutrition looked at elderly and frail men. One group took 15 grams of collagen daily for 12 weeks while participating in an exercise program. The other just exercised. Participants who took collagen gained significantly more muscle mass and strength as compared with men who exercised but did not take collagen.
Whether your muscles have deteriorated naturally with age, or because of a sedentary lifestyle, collagen can help boost your muscle mass.
So, do you want to look and feel younger?
Of course, you do — who doesn’t? That's why it’s time to start supplementing with high-quality collagen that easily absorbs into your body. But if you want the best results, there is one specific type of collagen peptide that you’ll need to use…
Earth Echo Foods offers 100-percent bovine collagen peptides! This superior form of bovine collagen is the only collagen loaded with glycine and proline — two anti-aging amino acids. By taking it daily you’ll…
- Improve skin elasticity
- Plump wrinkles
- Grow nails long and strong
- Support cartilage health
- Manage joint pain
- Promote strength and muscle tone
- And much more…
