It has varied necessary roles, together with offering construction to your pores and skin and serving to your blood clot.
In recent times, it has gained reputation as a dietary complement and ingredient in shampoos and physique lotions.
Nonetheless, you could marvel what collagen is, in addition to what it’s good for. This text provides you an intensive overview of this necessary protein.
What’s collagen?
Collagen is essentially the most considerable protein in your physique, accounting for about one-third of its protein composition.
It’s one of many main constructing blocks of bones, pores and skin, muscular tissues, tendons, and ligaments. Collagen can be discovered in lots of different physique elements, together with blood vessels, corneas, and tooth.
You’ll be able to consider it because the “glue” that holds all these items collectively. The truth is, the phrase comes from the Greek phrase “kólla,” which implies glue.
What does it do in your physique?
There are no less than 16 forms of collagen. The 4 most important sorts are kind I, II, III, and IV (1).
Right here’s a better have a look at the 4 most important forms of collagen and their roles in your physique:
As you age, your physique produces much less and decrease high quality collagen.
One of many seen indicators of that is in your pores and skin, which turns into much less agency and supple. Cartilage additionally weakens with age.
Vitamins that improve collagen manufacturing
All collagen begins off as procollagen.
Your physique makes procollagen by combining two amino acids — glycine and proline. This course of makes use of vitamin C.
You might be able to assist your physique produce this necessary protein by ensuring you get loads of the next vitamins:
As well as, your physique wants prime quality protein that incorporates the amino acids wanted to make new proteins. Meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, legumes, and tofu are all glorious sources of amino acids.
Issues that injury collagen
Maybe it’s much more necessary to keep away from the next collagen-destroying behaviors:
Some autoimmune problems, akin to lupus, may injury collagen.
Pure meals sources – “protein with collagen”
Collagen is discovered within the connective tissues of animal meals. For instance, it’s present in massive quantities in hen and pork pores and skin.
One notably wealthy supply is bone broth, which is made by boiling the bones of hen and different animals.
Gelatin is principally cooked collagen, so it’s very excessive within the amino acids wanted to provide it.
Nonetheless, there’s debate over whether or not consuming collagen-rich meals truly will increase the degrees of this protein in your physique.
Once you eat protein, it’s damaged down into amino acids after which reassembled, so the collagen you eat wouldn’t translate straight into increased ranges in your physique.
Advantages of collagen dietary supplements
Two forms of dietary supplements are gaining reputation — hydrolyzed collagen (collagen hydrolysate) and gelatin. Gelatin is created when collagen is cooked.
These have already damaged the massive protein down into smaller peptides, that are extra simply absorbed within the physique.
There aren’t many research on collagen dietary supplements, however those who exist present promise for advantages within the following areas:
Some various medication practitioners additionally advocate utilizing collagen dietary supplements to deal with leaky intestine syndrome.
Security and unintended effects
Up to now, there’s restricted dependable info accessible on the protection and efficacy of collagen dietary supplements.
The potential unintended effects of gelatin dietary supplements embody a lingering disagreeable style and sensations of heaviness and heartburn.
Additionally, when you’re allergic to the supply of the complement, you possibly can have an allergic response.
“protein with collagen”