Recently I penned a fun article on Collagen for FIX.com. Supplemental collagen is so hot right now you should at least familiarize yourself with the basics so you sound super smart at parties. This article, and it’s associated infographic, are a quick way to get the collagen goods! Here is an excerpt.
“Many people know collagen as an injectable for wrinkles or as an expensive component of their skin care products. What many people don’t know is that collagen is the basic building block of your entire body. Your body is 30 percent protein, and of that 30 percent, 90 percent is collagen.1 Collagen is a short-chain amino acid comprising primarily glycine and proline. Derived from the Greek word “kola,” meaning, “glue,” this sticky substance makes up a large component of not only hair, skin, and nails but also muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bone. A hard, insoluble, fibrous protein, collagen is what gives these body parts their strength and structure.2 There are 16 types of collagen, but types I, II, and III account for 90 percent of it.
Typically, we can make collagen ourselves, but several factors can affect the production of this essential protein. For example, increased sugar, stress, sunlight, smoking, and autoimmune disorders all slow the production of collagen. In addition, the normal aging process, including hormonal changes such as menopause, can directly affect the body’s ability to produce collagen. Fibroblasts (cells that make up collagen) become less active, thicker, and easier to break with age, so the collagen percentage in the body starts not just to drop but to plummet. Studies show that collagen production starts slowing around age 25-30 and decreases 1 percent per year after that.3 Combine this natural drop with the external factors affecting collagen production in our bodies, and it is a recipe for disaster.”
TAKE ME TO THE FULL ARTICLE ON COLLAGEN
(There are fantastic collagen recipes at the end of the article to tempt you!)
NOPE, I PREFER TO LOOK AT COOL PICTURES INSTEAD (INFOGRAPHIC Below)
Source: Fix.com Blog
Wondering how to get Collagen into your diet? My two favorite ways are bone broth and adding it to my smoothie! Here are my favorite collagen products!!
BEEF GELATIN
COLLAGEN PEPTIDES
ORGANIC BONE BROTH
Since you are so interested in health, how about five free awesome Paleo recipes dropped in your inbox, right now!
9 Responses
I never knew much about the importance of collagen and how it’s so abundant in our bodies! Thanks for this article, and that beef broth recipe looks so easy to make!
Thank you! I love the beef bone broth and I like chicken a lot too!
Great graphic! I love collagen, and bone broth. I just recently started drinking bone broth and it is so good. I take collagen every single day it’s done wonders for my hair 🙂 Thanks for sharing this.
If it has done wonders for your hair think about your insides!! 🙂
Awesome! That’s a great infographic and nice, easy to do (or so they seem lol) recipes! I really wanna try to make the gummies! Thanks for sharing 🙂
I know. I love the gummies. Problem is I eat them all at once!
Wow I learned so much from this. Love the infographic!
Greta | http://www.gretahollar.com
Such a good article! I did not realize that collagen molecule is too large to absorb through the skin! Thanks for the bone broth recipe! Looks good!
Thanks!
Thank you so much for stopping by, Jennifer! Just got back from a conference that had a ton of updates on the benefits of collagen as well. Pretty cool!