Do you need to take collagen supplements?
Skin feeling sallow, or joints starting to ache? You might want to up your collagen intake! Collagen is a major factor in strengthening the connective tissue of your body, including your tendons, muscles, ligaments, and skin. You can get a collagen dose from food like pork skin and bone broth, or by taking collagen supplements.
Many supplements have the collagen broken down for easier absorption and can be a quick fix for the ailments caused by a lack of collagen. Here are some of the health benefits of using collagen supplements.
1 – Keeps Your Skin Looking Healthy
One of the most well-known effects of collagen is in your skin’s appearance. Collagen strengthens your skin, providing elasticity. Your body produces less collagen as you age, which causes the skin to eventually wrinkle.
By increasing your collagen intake through supplements, you can slow the aging process and prevent wrinkles. The collagen boost helps maintain the skin’s elasticity. Studies show that taking collagen supplements can have a positive impact on your skin!
2 – Protects Your Joints and Reduces Pain
Collagen is also used to maintain your cartilage, which protects your joints. Much like with your skin, as your body begins to produce less collagen the integrity of your cartilage begins to deteriorate and your risk of osteoarthritis increases.
By taking extra collagen, you can lessen the symptoms of osteoarthritis and ease joint pain. Many athletes take collagen supplements daily to maintain their joints.
The supplements not only provide an extra collagen intake but can also stimulate tissues to make more collagen again.
3 – Prevents Bone Loss
Collagen isn’t just vital to your joint ligaments, but also the bones themselves. Bones are made of collagen and need it to stay healthy and strong. When your collagen levels decrease, so does your bone mass which can lead to osteoporosis and a high risk of fractures.
While calcium is the supplement you might reach for first when worrying about your bone health, collagen is an important factor too. Studies show that taking calcium and collagen together improves your bone mineral density more than just taking calcium alone!