Does Collagen Help with Menopause? The short answer is, yes! Taking supplements to rebuild the natural collagen in your body can ease many of the symptoms that come with the menopause. Many skincare brands add collagen to their products in order to tackle collagen production from the outside, in.
One of the biggest changes during menopause occurs on your skin, as it becomes dry, dull and begins to sag from the lack of collagen production occurring as estrogen levels decline. Collagen supplements can help keep your skin plump and hydrated reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Type 1 collagen is considered the best type of collagen for menopause due to its role in supporting skin, hair, and nail health, as well as promoting bone strength and joint flexibility.
Studies have consistently shown a positive correlation between collagen and estrogen levels. That means the more collagen you have, the more estrogen you're likely to have.
No matter your age, it's never too late to start supporting your body's production of collagen and to see the benefits in your skin, hair, and nails.
You may choose to begin taking collagen as early as your twenties or wait until your natural collagen levels start to decline a little more at menopause. Although it's never too late to begin collagen supplementation, people with certain lifestyle habits and choices might benefit from starting sooner.
Collagen can help balance the hormones
Menopause subjects the body to extreme hormone changes. Oestrogen and progesterone plummet, leaving you feeling flushed, grumpy and unlike yourself. Amino acids can help with balancing the hormones and collagen contains 19 of the 20 essential amino acids the body needs.
However, the answer to this question is that taking collagen does not cause weight gain. The only way to gain weight is if you take in more calories than you burn and collagen doesn't contain too many calories. In fact, each pack of Absolute Collagen contains only 32 calories per 10ml serving.
To reap the benefits for skin health, the research recommends that you take between 2.5 to 5 grams of collagen per day (2). This amount is shown to increase skin elasticity and hydration in elderly women while reducing the depth of existing skin wrinkles in middle-aged women.
As your estrogen levels drop, so does the collagen in your skin. Eating foods with antioxidants may help make your skin stronger from the inside out. Look for brightly colored fruits and vegetables (they get their color from these healthy compounds) and try to eat every color of the spectrum.
Studies show that women's skin loses about 30% of its collagen during the first five years of menopause. After that, the decline is more gradual. Women lose about 2% of their collagen ever year for the next 20 years. As collagen diminishes, our skin loses it firmness and begins to sag.
As you age, your body starts producing less collagen. The skin becomes thinner, drier, and less elastic. The loss of collagen leads to wrinkle formation.
Collagen, according to dermatologist Dr. Anna Palabyab-Rufino, is the building block of protein that gives one baby skin. But due to pollution, stress, sun exposure and other toxins, the body's capacity to produce collagen starts to deplete at age 30.
B vitamins are essential for energy and mood—“two things a lot of menopausal women struggle with,” says Dr. Petrucci. She suggests a B complex supplement, which often includes vitamin B12, methylcobalamin, folic acid and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate.
There are 3 vitamins that are best for menopause: vitamin D, B vitamins and vitamin E. Vitamin D and B vitamins are important for supporting the nervous system which gets put under pressure during menopause. Vitamin D is also important for your bone health, whilst vitamin E is an essential nutrient for heart health.
Fruits and vegetables like apples, pears, peaches, carrots, celery, and cabbage all contain phytoestrogens. They are also loaded with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that can help protect against disease. When incorporated into your daily diet, these foods can help to boost your estrogen levels naturally.
The evidence from the reviewed studies suggested that both collagen supplements improve skin moisture, elasticity, and hydration when orally administered. Additionally, collagen reduces the wrinkling and roughness of the skin, and existing studies have not found any side effects of its oral supplements.
Collagen has been found to promote the feeling of satiety and act as a natural appetite suppressant, hence its importance in the process of weight loss that gets harder as we age and particularly so during and after menopause.
Collagen supplements may not be safe for: People with fish, shellfish, or egg allergies (collagen supplements may contain these allergens as ingredients)16. People with a Kosher or Halal diet. People with a vegetarian or vegan diet.
Yes, you can take collagen forever. Collagen is a protein that is found in the connective tissues of animals. It is responsible for giving our skin its strength and elasticity. As we age, our skin begins to lose its collagen, which can lead to wrinkles, sagging skin, and dryness.
Taking it at night tends to be the other tip that is most often heard regarding collagen supplements. This is because your body recovers while you sleep, allowing your body plenty of time to process the collagen.
Marine collagen supplements, in particular, thanks to their smaller particle size compared to other types of products, are considered more effective for women over 50s. Due to their superior bioavailability, these supplements are in fact easier to absorb by our bodies (up to 1.5 times more than other sources).