What is collagen?

Collagen is a protein your body synthesizes, functioning as the primary building block of your skin, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and other connective tissues, but also present in your blood vessels, organs, and intestinal lining. Collagen accounts for approximately 30% of total protein, making it the most abundant protein in your body.

Collagen helps your body replace dead skin cells, preventing wrinkles and premature aging. While the body produces less collagen as ones age, eating certain foods can support collagen production.

What is the benefit of collagen?

The benefits of collagen include:

• Providing your skin strength and elasticity.
• Helping new cells to grow.
• Replacing dead skin cells.
• Help blood clotting, thereby protecting you from excess bleeding.
• Protect your organs.

How many types of collagens are there?

There are approximately 28 types of collagens identified. Their differences largely depend on molecular assembly and where they exist in the body. Five main types of collagens are:

• Type I, constituting 90% of your body’s collagen, is packed densely and gives structure to your bones, skin, ligaments, and tendons.
• Type II provides joint support and is present in elastic cartilage.
• Type III, found in muscles, organs, and arteries.
• Type IV, found in the layers of your skin.
• Type V, found in the cornea of your eyes, placenta tissue, and hair and skin structures.

At what age will my body’s collagen start to decline?

The collagen in your body decreases with age, especially after age 60. Women can also experience this collagen reduction after menopause. As one gets older, collagen quality degrades and can break down more rapidly.

Signs and symptoms of decreased collagen?

Signs and symptoms of declining collagen include:

• Wrinkled, crepey, or sagging skin.
• Hollowing in and around the eyelids and face.
• Muscle aches.
• Atrophy and weakening of muscles.
• Stiff, less flexible ligaments and tendons.
• Osteoarthritis (joint degeneration) due to worn cartilage.
• Mobility loss due to stiffness or joint damage.
• Blood flow problems.
• Gastrointestinal issues are caused by the thinning of the digestive tract lining.

How to prevent collagen in my body from decreasing?

Although the collagen in your body decreases as you age, there are ways to prevent collagen from declining. These include:

• Eating a balanced diet.
• Wearing sunscreen daily (SPF 30 or higher).
• Wearing clothes and accessories that protect your body from direct exposure to sunlight.
• Avoiding tanning beds.

What are the habits that damage collagen in your body?

Habits that damage collagen in your body include:

• Too much sugar consumption: Sugar interacts with proteins to form advanced glycation end-products, which cause collagen to become dry and weak. Avoid consuming too much sugar and refined carbohydrates to prevent your skin from premature aging.
• Smoking reduces your body’s ability to produce collagen, causing wrinkles and slowing wound healing.
• Exposure to ultraviolet light: Too much sunlight causes collagen to break down more rapidly. Sunlight also decreases your body’s ability to produce collagen. So be sure to wear sunscreen (SPF 30 or higher) before going outside and avoid excessive exposure to sunlight.

Foods that increase collagen in your body

Eating collagen-rich foods doesn’t increase the level of collagen in your body because your body cannot absorb collagen in its whole form. When you eat collagen-rich foods, your body breaks them into constituent amino acids.

So, you should eat foods which support collagen production. These include:

• Vitamin C: strawberries, oranges, broccoli, bell peppers, and potatoes
• Proline: mushrooms, asparagus, cabbage, wheat, peanuts, egg whites, fish, and meat
• Glycine: red meats, chicken and pork skin, turkey, granola, and peanuts
• Copper: oysters, lobsters, liver, shiitake mushrooms, leafy green vegetables, nuts and seeds, tofu, and dark chocolate
• Zinc: oysters, milk products, poultry, pork, red meats, nuts, beans, chickpeas, whole grains, broccoli, and green leafy vegetables

Collagen keeps your skin hydrated, firm and prevents premature aging.

Collagen, the most abundant protein in your body, prevents skin from aging prematurely and keeps your skin hydrated and elastic. Although your body produces less collagen as you age, foods rich in vitamin C, copper, and zinc can help promote collagen production. Avoiding excessive sugar consumption and exposure to sunlight also helps slow collagen decline.