Beauty 101: Is Collagen Safe For Your Body?

Updated on March 4, 2020
Portrait of beautiful mature woman on light background. Skin care concept

When people think of skincare products, the first thing that comes to their mind is a jar of night cream that they must religiously apply on their face to see noticeable results. But, taking care of your skin isn’t just a topical ointment that must sit on your face overnight. The signs of healthy skin only become apparent when you take care of your body holistically.

The availability of beauty supplements has been in the market for some time now – it’s most likely that it’s here to stay. While it doesn’t get the same attention as the topical beauty products, oral supplements with marine collagen ingredients can also enhance your skin condition in so many ways.

Does that mean that you should start adding collagen to your beauty routine? Read on to find out.

What Collagen Does

Collagen is a protein that your body is naturally abundant with. It’s a component found in your skin, bones, muscles, and connective tissues. 

Because your body recognizes collagen as a component that it needs, collagen is a safe ingredient that you can add to your diet. Since collagen is a vital protein, it can improve your overall well-being – not just your skin health but your muscle and bone health as well.

Here are ways collagen helps the body: 

1. Slows Down Ageing

Collagen is responsible for the elasticity of your skin. Having a constant supply of it in your body can lead you to have a more plump and youthful glow. That’s why those with mature skin can benefit from a collagen supplement. 

In 2014, a group of women were subjected to a study where they regularly took collagen supplements in a span of eight weeks. The results were favorable as most of them reported an improvement in their skin elasticity, water density, and skin texture.

2. Relieves Joint Pain

While more research is needed to determine the correlation of joint health and collagen’s contribution to it, some scientists theorized that the accumulated supplemental collagen in the cartilages of your joints stimulates your tissues to produce more collagen. Because of this, the inflammation that a person with a joint problem experience may significantly subside, relieving you with joint pains and provide better support and mobility.

3. Boosts Muscle Mass

Part of ageing is gradually losing your once-toned muscles. Because collagen is a supplement with anti-aging benefits, people who suffer from sarcopenia can include collagen in their diet. 

The National Center for Biotechnology Information conducted a study and found that men who exercised and took collagen to supplement them were able to gain more muscle mass and strength than those who exercised without the collagen supplement.

Adding Collagen to Your Diet

If you think you can use a little more collagen to aid in your general health, then you can do so by eating collagen-rich foods. Collagen can be found in many different types of food – most fatty fish are known to have lots of it. Green leafy vegetables are also found to be collagen-rich, particularly kale, lettuce, and broccoli. Other fruits, like different kinds of citrus and berries, also possess a significant amount of collagen.

If your everyday routine is hectic, and your work leaves you little to no time for grocery shopping and cooking, you can still supply yourself with the daily collagen that your body needs. Collagen also comes in oral capsules or powdered drinks that you can take or mix with your juice in addition to your diet and other vitamins.

If you wish to include collagen in your diet by taking it in oral form, purchase it from renowned stores to ensure that you’re getting the most out of your supplement. The safest and superior-quality ones are the ones that are made carefully and the ingredient is sourced from quality-controlled laboratories. Most of them extract it from marine animals since it contains the highest amount of collagen.

Conclusion

Enhancing your beauty can be done with the help of skincare products. In order for it to work, you must consider your overall physical health, not just the superficial layer that you see. 

If you take collagen supplements regularly, your well-being can be improved. Aside from the countless benefits that it can provide to your skin, your bones, and joints, your muscles can also be revitalized.

Before deciding to take collagen as a supplement, you must let your physician know about it, especially if you’re already taking other supplements or if you’re taking medications. Collagen may be a safe addition to your diet, but it’s best to take it when there’s nothing interfering with its benefits.

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