They say true beauty starts on the inside—and they weren’t kidding. To keep your skin looking young and your muscles strong, your body needs an important protein—collagen.
The word collagen comes from a Greek word meaning glue—and that’s essentially what collagen is. Collagen holds together muscles, tendons, bones, and skin.
Using vitamin C, your body combines amino acids to make collagen. You get these ingredients most easily from food, such as citrus fruits and bell peppers for vitamin C. Amino acids come from meat, tofu, bone broth, and beans.
As we age, our bodies produce less collagen, which explains why our skin gets wrinkly and our joints start hurting.
Benefits of Collagen
Youthful skin
Collagen in our skin keeps us looking fresh and vibrant, so collagen supplements have become very popular for counteracting the effects of aging. In a recent study, women with an average age of 50 reported that supplementing with collagen improved their skin’s elasticity, density, and smoothness.
Topical collagen creams are also marketed, but the research favors oral supplements. Ingesting collagen affects deeper layers of the skin, which is what you need to see a real difference.
Working joints
Collagen is an important element of all the components that make our joints work: cartilage, ligaments, and tendons. As collagen breaks down, so do the critical parts of our joints. Early research shows that supplementing with collagen might reduce the effects of arthritis and improve joint pain.
Strong muscles
Because collagen is a protein, it can also help with strength. A 2019 study showed that men who took collagen supplements during a strength-training regimen increased their muscle mass more than those who did strength training alone.
It’s amazing what one wonderful, beautiful little protein can do.
Let’s stay healthier, together,
Your friends at Santo Remedio
