Collagen as You Get Older
You can't measure exactly how much you have, but when it drops you may have symptoms such as joint pain or stiff tendons or ligaments. Your muscles may weaken. You could also have papery skin. Taking collagen supplements may help ease these symptoms.
Both UV rays damage the skin and the collagen fibres in our connective tissue. The collagen fibres lose their elasticity and this is how the first fine lines and wrinkles appear. The UV rays in sunlight can thus cause a collagen deficit.
While you can't measure your collagen level, you can tell when it's falling. Collagen decreases as you get older, contributing to: Wrinkles and crepey skin. Stiffer, less flexible tendons and ligaments.
Collagen levels decrease with age and, unfortunately, there's no way to prevent this. The good news is that there are several cosmetic treatments that can rebuild or restore collagen.
How can I naturally rebuild collagen? You can naturally support the collagen production process by using topicals such as vitamin C and retinol, collagen peptide supplements, eating a nutrient rich diet, and avoiding habits that damage the collagen (such as poor sleep and sun exposure.)
You can begin taking collagen supplements at the age of 20 to 25 as a preventative or, as you start to notice the more visible signs of ageing. We'd always recommend starting in your early to mid twenties to get ahead of the body's natural depletion as you age.
Some studies show that taking collagen supplements for several months can improve skin elasticity, (i.e., wrinkles and roughness) as well as signs of aging. Others have shown that consuming collagen can increase density in bones weakened with age and can improve joint, back and knee pain.
Research has shown indicated that adults can safely consume between 2.5 to 15 grams of collagen a day. Read the label on your supplement to see how much it contains. Many people take 1-2 tablespoons of collagen powder per day.
Eating foods rich in vitamin C and amino acids can increase the levels of hyaluronic acid and collagen in the body as both are important for skin. Foods such as oranges, red peppers, kale, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and strawberries are all rich in vitamin C.
The collagen tissues support the formation of bones, tendons, and cartilage that form depending on the level of mineralization. However, an individual can lose collagen components in the body due to exposure to ultraviolet light, tobacco, excessive intake of sugar, and aging.
Eggs don't contain fully synthesized collagen; however, egg whites are a rich source of proline, one of the two amino acids needed to synthesize collagen in the human body. They also contain some glycine. Pair eggs with foods high in vitamin C, copper, and zinc.
New collagen production can take up to 4 to 12 weeks to complete. It's also good to know that while restoring collagen can help to smooth wrinkles and preserve your firm look, results aren't permanent, making staying consistent with your collagen-boosting ritual a key step in continuing to see results.
There are a few ways that exercise can boost collagen levels: Exercise delivers nutrients, like vitamins and oxygen, to skin cells, helping them repair and multiply. Specifically, these nutrients feed the fibroblast cells in your skin that produce collagen.
Just five minutes a day of regular tapping:
plumps the face and smoothes wrinkles by stimulating collagen production; normalizes the activity of oil and sweat glands.
Vitamin C (Vit C) benefits to human skin physiology notably by stimulating the biosynthesis of collagen. The main cutaneous collagens are types I and III, which are less synthesized with aging. Vit C is one of the main promotors of collagen formation but it poorly bypasses the epidermis stratum corneum barrier.
Foods to boost collagen production
[6] These include fish, poultry, meat, eggs, dairy, legumes, and soy. Collagen production also requires nutrients like zinc that is found in shellfish, legumes, meats, nuts, seeds, and whole grains; and vitamin C from citrus fruits, berries, leafy greens, bell peppers, and tomatoes.