Collagen supplements … manufacturers want us to believe that we need extra collagen out of a bottle. Do we? When do we need it? What is collagen?
By Dona Suri
Collagen for glowing complexion
Collagen for supple joints
Collagen for long, strong nails
Collagen for men
Collagen for women
Collage for dogs and cats
Organic … grass-fed bovine…, wild-caught marine… pure vegetarian with vitamins…
Patter and puffery, celebrity endorsements and spiel of earnest looking actors dressed up to look like doctors … who wouldn’t be tempted to shell out for a bottle of Softer, Smoother, Younger ? The market is huge and customers are ready and able to lay down $50 or more for a month’s supply for self or pet.
Let’s say that you buy “hair & nails collagen” and consume as directed.
It hits your stomach and then zooms right through the system, and goes to work on your hair and nails?
Nope. You do not get to decide where the body is going to use what you have consumed. In fact, ingesting collagen does not mean that you are going to have more collagen in your body.
By the way, collagen supplements are peptides, not complete proteins. This is because the body can break down little peptides quicker and easier than big, full-fledged proteins.
Here’s what actually happens.
When we eat protein, it is digested and broken down into amino acids. Same goes for packaged collagen peptides. The body takes the protein molecules apart and then reassembles the amino acids in them according to its requirements at the moment. The body can make lots of things out of an assortment of amino acids.
Now if that is the case, why spend a lot of money on some pill or powder? Why not just stick with your usual chicken salad or tofu kababs? Protein-rich foods provide the amino acids your body needs, food is economical compared to supplements and a good meal is satisfying in a way no pill can ever match.
Your body is perfectly capable of taking amino acids out of your regular healthy balanced diet and repurposing them into very nice, multi-purpose collagen.
For the benefit of the very few people who DON’T know what makes up a healthy, balanced diet, here it is:
Moderate amount of seafood, meats, poultry, dairy and eggs.
Lots of vegetables and leafy greens, beans, whole grains, nuts and fruits,
Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated cooking oil (as opposed to oils with trans fats),
Light on the carbohydrates
Ultra light on sugar.
Everybody knows that oldies look wrinkly and saggy because their skin has lost collagen. Collagen quality at age 70 compares very poorly to collagen quality at age 17. This is particularly true for women because estrogen also plays a role in collagen production and quality. With aging, collagen in the deep skin changes from a tightly organized network of fibers to an unorganized maze. For both men and women, collagen loss shows up in shriveling, aching muscles, stiff tendons and joints, and in vascular problems.
Age is the enemy of collagen but not the only one:
Sun
Sun damages collagen fibers reducing their thickness and strength, leading to wrinkles. If you get 10-20 minutes out in direct midday sun three or four times a week, that’s enough to you’re your Vitamin D up to full strength. Don’t go out without sunscreen (30+SPF), wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses, clothes that keep sun off the skin. Avoid getting tanned.
Smoking
Smoking decreases collagen production. It damages collagen and elastin, leading to wrinkles and slow wound healing. Nicotine constricts blood vessels near your skin’s surface, preventing the delivery of oxygen and nutrients. Don’t smoke and avoid second-hand smoke.
Stress
Chronically high cortisol levels can decrease collagen production.
Sleeplessness
The body repairs itself while we sleep. Your skin needs rest. This means at least seven hours a night.
Exercise
When you keep your heart healthy, your circulatory system is also healthy; ample oxygen-rich blood flows into the muscles and skin and this can only help your collagen.
Best advice for keeping your collagen:
Give your body the ‘tools’ it needs to make collagen. That means eat an adequate amount of protein (the body processes protein into essential amino acids), and eat foods rich in vitamin C, zinc and copper.