collagen illustration. gundersenhealth.org Merdeka.com – You may be familiar with collagen. This name is often mentioned in skin care and products. Collagen is well known for its ability to moisturize the skin, minimize fine lines, reduce the appearance of stretch marks, and promote hair growth.
Collagen is actually also available in the body, and is the most abundant protein in your body. Collagen is an essential component of connective tissue that provides structural and functional support for bones, skin, muscles, tendons and organs.
However, as we get older, collagen production starts to slowly decline. This natural process can cause a number of problems if you don’t replenish these nutrients.
Moreover, not many studies support the use of topical collagen applications. This is probably because the amino acids in collagen are too large to penetrate skin cells.
But to replace it, you can take collagen in supplement or powder form. This collagen supplement can provide a myriad of benefits, which of course have a positive impact on health.
The benefits of collagen are indeed very good for the body. Reporting from perfectketo.com, here are some of the benefits of collagen for the body.
Supports Brain Function
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The first benefit of collagen is to support brain function. One type of collagen, known as collagen IV, is considered to prevent Alzheimer’s disease. In one study, collagen IV can protect the brain from the protein amyloid-beta, which is believed to be one of the causes of Alzheimer’s.
By increasing your collagen intake, you can create a form of protection for your brain to combat the same amyloid-beta protein that can attack neurons and cause Alzheimer’s disease.
Improve Heart Health
The second benefit of collagen is to improve heart health. Collagen can help lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease. In one study, participants took collagen twice daily for six months to see if it could help prevent plaque buildup in their arteries.
And as a result, their ratio of LDL to HDL cholesterol was significantly reduced, which is good news because a higher ratio can increase the risk of heart disease. Apart from that, collagen also prevents and treats plaque buildup in their arteries
This plaque buildup clogs the arteries, preventing blood from flowing to other organs. Collagen can help prevent this plaque buildup in blood vessels, and will protect against heart attacks and strokes.
Supports Intestinal Function
The third benefit of collagen is to support intestinal function. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and leaky gut syndrome are two painful conditions in which the digestive tract and stomach lining are inflamed and irritated.
Nutrients and toxic substances that “leak” back into the bloodstream instead of being processed. Stress, poor diet, prescription drugs, too much alcohol, and sedentary lifestyle can all contribute to this gastrointestinal disorder.
Research shows that patients suffering from IBS and similar inflammatory conditions, such as ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD), tend to have low IV collagen. What’s more, animal studies suggest that supplementing with collagen can help repair damaged intestinal lining.
This suggests that collagen supplementation could potentially benefit those with intestinal inflammation, and provide healing to the gut.
Relieves Joint and Knee Pain
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The fourth benefit of collagen is to relieve joint and knee pain. Apart from athletes, joint pain can also affect other people. Some people who are very sensitive to sharp weather changes can also develop stiff joints.
Collagen may provide a natural sense of relief. In a 24-week study, researchers gave collagen supplements to athletes without joint disease to see how it would affect their cartilage and pain levels.
The results showed that collagen reduced pain when standing, lifting heavy objects, and even at rest. Although more research is needed, this research does support the possibility that collagen may help slow joint damage in individuals, such as those with arthritis or rheumatoid arthritis.
Supports Back Health
The fifth benefit of collagen is to support back health. If you have back pain, you may need collagen to relieve it.
In one study, 200 participants (over the age of 50) with upper or lower back pain were given 1,200 milligrams of collagen a day (or a placebo).
At the six-month mark, more than 20% of the collagen group saw significant improvement in their back pain after taking daily collagen.
Supports Skin Health
Apart from drinking lots of water and limiting sun exposure, consumption of collagen may be one of the anti-aging practices you need to do. In one recent study, scientists wanted to see how collagen affects the collagen peptides in the skin.
The study looked at 69 women between the ages of 35 and 55 for eight weeks. Women taking collagen supplements showed improved skin elasticity compared with women taking placebo.
More interestingly, the older women in the collagen group had a more pronounced increase. This may be because collagen production decreases with age, leaving more room for improvement.
Repair Brittle and Broken Nails
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Collagen can help strengthen nails so they are not brittle and break easily. In one study, 25 participants were given a single 2.5 gram dose of collagen peptide daily for 24 weeks. As a result, 12% had an increase in nail growth, 42% had a decrease in nail fracture, and a 64% increase in overall nails that were previously brittle. What’s more, 88% of the participants also reported this positive change seen in just four weeks.
Increases Bone Mineral Density
The next benefit of collagen is that it can increase mineral density in bones. Bone mineral density (BMD) is a measure of the amount of bone mineral in your bone tissue. This is one of the best ways to assess bone health and whether a person is at risk for osteoporosis.
As we get older, bone mineral density becomes much more important. This is especially true in postmenopausal women. Collagen peptides have an anabolic (growth-promoting) effect on bone. Hence, these nutrients can increase BMD by increasing bone formation.
Increase Muscle Mass
The last benefit of collagen is that it can increase muscle mass. Collagen can support your muscles in several ways. First, collagen is an integral part of your extracellular matrix (ECM), which provides a scaffold-like structure to tissues and organs. ECM of your muscle tissue plays a role in muscle repair, function, and maintenance.
Second, the amino acid glycine, which is abundant in collagen, has been shown to protect muscles from wasting. In one study, researchers studied collagen’s effects on sarcopenia (muscle wasting) by giving 53 men collagen supplementation for 12 weeks followed by an endurance training protocol. At the end of the trial, the participants showed an increase in muscle mass and muscle strength.
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