Collagen – What Is It, What Is It Made Of and What Does It Do?
Collagen is present in 35% of all the proteins found in our body – It can be found in our bones, teeth, hair, tendons, ligaments and of course our skin.
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This article studies its structure as well as its uses in the body.
Collagen is made up of 4 key amino acids – these are arginine, glycine, proline and hydroxyproline.
Looking at these in greater depth, these themselves are made from carbon, hydrogens and oxygen.
Sources Of Collagen
Collagen is found in nature in animals, in particular the flesh and connective tissues in both mammals and fish.
It is these connective tissues that provide the elasticity in our skin. It helps to provide its suppleness, and boosts the skins natural renewal cycle.
Ligaments connect our bones together, in particular in our joints. Tendons are quite similar to ligaments but are responsible for holding the muscles to our bones.
Both ligaments and tendons are made largely of protein, with Collagen being the most dominant one.
What Does Collagen Do?
Collagen helps to provide our skin, bones and joints with flexibility and strength.
Our skin benefits extremely well from Collagen as it also helps to protect it from every day toxins, micro organisms and other pathogenic substance that can all combine to cause skin damage and those hated signs of ageing.
“ To Sum up – Collagen is the glue that holds everything together”
Collagen is also present in our ligaments where it provides flexibility in our joints, it strengthens our bones, hair and nails and is even found in our heart, blood vessels and our eyes.
The Structure Of Collagen
Collagen is also present in our muscles, it is a key part of endomysium.
2% of our muscles are formed using collagen and up to 6% of our total muscle weight is provided by collagen.
Collagen that we eat in our food stuffs is made from gelatin – this form of collagen is called hydrolized collagen. Its molecules take the form of a triple spiral or helix.
This merges with the other collagen molecules in the skin to generate a mesh shaped structure that provides the under layers of the skin with its strength, structure and volume.
Collagen As We get Older
With age, our natural production of collagen starts to reduce an this intone leads to weakness in our bones, joints and the surface appearance of our skin.
Our joints can become stiff and achy, our bones more prone to fractures and our hair loses its strength, bounce and youthful shine.
It’s in our skin that we tend to notice the decline in Collagen first, with the appearance of fine lines, and wrinkles. Our skin also becomes drier and less flexible.
Boosting Collagen With Supplements
Collagen can be boosted not just by increasing the intake of certain foods, but also by taking supplements – These are available in both pill and liquid forms.
Just one point to make you aware of – the majority of collagen supplements are made using either animal or marine based collagen sources.
If you are vegan for instance of have any food intolerances, take these into account when choosing a collagen supplement.
What Are Best – Pills Or Liquids?
From our research, it has been proven that liquid forms of collagen are absorbed better and provide far greater results than pill based supplements –
These tend to lose up to 80% of their effective nutrients during the processing by the digestive system, where as liquid supplements see up to 97% of all their active nutrients getting into the blood stream where they are delivered to the bodies cells.
Does Boosting Collagen Cause Any Side Effects?
There is no evidence that boosting your collagen will cause any adverse reactions. It is a completely natural part of your body and is 100% safe –
The only concern are as mentioned above would be food allergies – if you have shellfish allergy for instance, then AVOID any marine based collagen
Collagen FAQ
Collagen is crucial to the health and strength of our skin, joints, bones and hair
Collagen is made naturally in the body by combining 4 key amino acids – arginine, proline, hydroxyproline and glycine
Yes – foods known to improve collagen production include eggs, shellfish, fish, meat, dairy products, beans and pulses, gelatin – bone broth is particularly effective.
Yes Gelatin is a by-product of Collagen, Collagen turns into Gelatin when its heated.
Collagen peptides are (in simple terms) molecules of collagen that have been broken down to improve the absorption and bioavailability in the body.
Most good quality supplements use hydrolized or collagen peptides in their formulas.
Can You Recommend A Collagen Supplement?
Absolutely – global supplement manufacturers Bauer Nutrition sell a top quality liquid based collagen supplement.
Called YouTonics Skin Liquid collagen its packed with hydrolysed collagen peptides.
It delivers a powerful serving of natural collagen that can help provide a massive improvement in your skin, reducing the appearance of lines and wrinkles, and boosting plumpness and hydration.
Not only that, users report some great improvements in the appearance of their hair, and nails, as well as experiencing easier movement of joints and improved bone health.
