You may have seen collagen supplements, stories and articles popping up on your Instagram and Facebook feeds with everyone from celebrities, trainers, models, nutritionists and skin professionals hailing it’s benefits. We wanted to research a little more about this essential protein and find out why it is so important for our skin and health as we age.
What is Collagen?
Colllagen is a type of protein that is produced in the body and is a major building block to support skin, muscles, tendons, bones and ligaments. It is often described at the ‘glue’ that holds the body together and makes up 30% of the protein in our bodies. We like to think of collagen as a bit of a beauty elixir that can help to keep the skin strong, plump and healthy over the years.
Why do we need it as we age?
Once we are in our twenties we produce less and less collagen at a lower quality. Boosting collegen levels is crucial to assist the body to age gracefully and keep our essential body functions healthy.
Of course, like most vitamins and minerals, collagen can be further depleted by our lifestyle choices, including too much sun exposure, high sugar and refined carb diets and smoking.
How do I get more Collagen in to my diet?
Eating a healthy, balanced diet is a great way to ensure that collagen levels remain at an optimum level as there are certain foods that can help to support and maintain collagen levels including bone broth, pork skin, fish, chicken, egg white, citrus fruit, berries, leafy greens and garlic.
What supplements can I use?
Supplements can be a great way of giving the body and skin the extra support it needs. Collagen supplements come in many forms including powders, tablets and liquids. We are fans of the Isagenix Collagen Elixir which provides the body with a Scandinavian marine source of collagen peptides, alongside a dose of essential vitamins and superfoods, eradicating the need to take multiple vitamins. The easy to digest liquid includes 5g of marine collagen per serve and is preservative free and packaged in a glass bottle, ensuring the collagen peptides won’t oxidise.
What about Collagen in Beauty Products?
The jury is still out on this, however the general consensus is that boosting collagen is difficult through creams and lotions alone and ingestible collagen is a more reliable way of boosting skin health.
As always, we recommend that you speak with your physician about your individual circumstances before embarking on any new supplement or wellness regime.
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