Collagen has become a hot topic as of late and I’ve had a few people ask me about collagen peptides and what their heath benefits are.
So there are a two types of collagen you can purchase which are bovine and marine, bovine obviously from cows and marine from fish.
There are different types of collagens found within the body and they are a type of ‘intracellular glue’ that give shape, support and bulk to your blood vessels, for example:
Type 1 – Composes our tendons, ligaments, bone, teeth and skin
Type 2 – Cartilage in knees, shoulders and joints.
Type 3 – Your connective tissues found in liver, heart and kidneys
Type 5 – Makes up your hair and presents on the skins surface.
Collagen diminishes after the age of 35 (sorry folks we all age), and loss is accelerated by smoking (which is why people who smoke can look older than their age). Excessive sunlight /frequent sunburn and a diet high sugar and low in antioxidants.
So what can we do to naturally boost our collagen levels?
Well you can of course supplement with one of the many products available or you can support your collagen production through food such as:
Vitamin A rich foods like carrots and sweet potatoes
Leafy greens
Onions/garlic are sulphur rich and important for cartilage production
High antioxidant foods such as berries
Vitamin C rich foods such as kiwifruit and oranges
Bone broth
Nuts like almonds and walnuts
Legumes and seeds
Increasing your collagen intake through supplementation or food may help with the following:
Improve skin, nails and hair health
Reduce wrinkles
Reduce cellulite
Improve Osteoporosis symptoms
Help repair a leaky gut
I hope that has helped answer a few questions. 😊 If you would like to speak further about any health concerns please book in a consult via this website or call the gold coast based nutrition clinic on 0451056489.