Why Collagen is required for our body?
Collagen is a protein that is an important factor in the overall development of our body. It is a hard and fibrous protein that does not dissolve, but it is fact that 1/3 part of our body is made up of this protein. Mainly collagen plays a major role in the formation of our connective tissues, ligaments, and bones so it is required to know why we give so much importance to collagen. Today we will try to understand why collagen is needed for our body?
What is Collagen?
Collagen is a type of protein structure (or you can say a group of amino acids) that are found in our cells. When your body gets dietary protein, it automatically converts amino acids. These amino acids form the different types of proteins in our body, in which there is collagen or peptide, which is the building block of a protein that keeps our cells and tissues connected. It is most commonly found in mammals.
Collagen molecules are linked together in a fibrous structure called a “fibril”. These fibrils are bound with each other to provide strength themselves and keep our cells and muscles together. Its structure is like a helix and acts as a building block for the cells. Further, It strengthens the cells so that our muscles, bones, skin, and tendons stay connected.
Why we need collagen for our body & what are the benefits?
We will try to understand that why need collagen? Basically, Collagen is an important protein in our body that keeps our skin shining and protects us from aging, makes our ligaments & bones strong, and our muscles strong/powerful.
As we age, we start complaining of pain in the bones and joints of the body that is very common, but we should know why this happens. That’s because the formation of collagen in our joints and cartilage slows down or just stops as we age. This is the reason
We start having problems with arthritis and inflammation in the joints. For this, we need a collagen enriched diet and some supplements to maintain our body.
Our skin remains soft and supple for a long time if collagen is produced properly in the body. It is an essential protein that keeps your skin supple, keeping you looking young for a longer period of time.
As you age, the production of collagen also starts decreasing, causing dryness, sagging, and wrinkles in your skin. Therefore, if you want to look young and strong, then you must take a diet rich in collagen. Due to the lack of collagen, our hair, nails, and skin become unhealthy and their luster starts decreasing.
As we now know that collagen keeps our hair healthy and beautiful. But the protein that makes hair thick, shiny, and strong is “Keratin” which is produced by keratinocytes cells in our body. Both of these (Collagen and Keratin) are present in our cells. Therefore, both have their own function and play important roles for hair, skin, and nails.
Collagen is the caretaker of our muscles so that they remain strong and flexible. It provides strength and energy to our muscles so that they can protect our bones and nerves.
*Nowadays people take proteins in the form of peptides for making their own body. But it would be better to take it under the supervision of an expert.
What are the sources of collagen?
We can get collagen from animal sources and through fruits and vegetables. Let’s go through these sources and try to understand the health benefits of collagen.
Animal Sourced Collagen (for Non-Vegetarians)
Collagens are mostly found in animal proteins such as meat, eggs, fish, seafood, and chicken.
- Most collagen is found in bone broth (boiled soup bones from chicken and other mammals). If you are a non-vegetarian, then you can get collagen from those meat chickens. In many pieces of research and research, it has been found that the amount of collagen in the neck and cartilage of chicken helps in the treatment of arthritis.
- It has also been seen in research that collagen is abundant in the bones and ligaments of fish. Their scales, head, and eyeballs are good sources of collagen. That’s why it is often seen that people who consume more fish, their skin and hair have shone for a long time. The presence of omega fatty acids protects against many heart diseases, which act as antioxidants.
- Eggs are used in almost all countries of the world and in India as well. The egg’s white part is a prime source of collagen that contains 18 essential amino acids. It is known as “proline”.
Vegan Source of Collagen
If we talk about Vegetarian Foods in which a sufficient amount of collagen is available, they are;
- Citrus Food (Lemons, Cherries, Berries, Oranges, etc.), Red and Yellow Vegetables (Peppers), Tomato, Beets ie Beet, Spinach i.e. Spinach, Colored Greens, Broccoli, Black Garlic, Avocado.
- Vitamin C is found in abundance in all this At the same time, they are rich in amino acids. Antioxidants are also found in them, which remove harmful substances from our body, due to which our skin, heart, liver, and kidneys are all healthy.
“Citrus fruits not only increase the immunity of our body, but they also increase the level of collagen and reduce free radicals. Vitamin C and zinc are most needed to boost collagen and we get them easily. Therefore, include them in your regular diet so that you may be able to look healthy and beautiful.”
- Citrus food such as Vitamin C, raspberries, berries, sweet lime, orange or orange, guava, and cherries. Vitamin C plays an important role in boosting collagen and apart from this it also eliminates the free radicals from our body.
- We must eat citrus fruits according to the season so that our immunity remains intact and the level of collagen is maintained.
How much collagen should be taken and when?
If you want to take oral collagen, it will depend on your current condition and why you want to take collagen. But you should know that there is no such verified information about the daily dosage of collagen from any health authorities.
Your health expert or nutritional experts advise you to take 2.5 grams to 25 grams of hydrolyzed collagen i.e. Type of supplements.
If you have health-related problems such as joint pain, skin health issues, and hydration problems, then you can take 2.5 to 3 grams of collagen supplements.
If you want to increase your bone density, then you can increase its dosage up to 5 grams.
Although collagen is placed in the category of safe and non-toxic supplements, consuming too much can lead to stomach issues like bloating and uneasiness.
If you want to improve your body mass and muscles, then it is better to take the maximum dose of collagen peptides up to 25 grams, or else there may be a slight reverse effect on your health.
Some of the Best Collagen Supplements for You
If you are keen on taking collagen supplements, then you can definitely take the following products. These are great collagen supplements that can improve your body, skin, and hair.
