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What is Collagen and Why do We need it?
Collagen is the main structural protein found in humans (and animals) and it’s found in connective tissue, skin, bones, muscles and tendons. It’s the very thing that holds everything together. The reason that our skin sags as we get older is because we lose collagen.
In fact, we lose collagen at a rate of 1% every single year – how scary is that? And for a woman the news is worse.. for a woman, she will have lost almost 50% of collagen by the age of 50 so it’s even more crucial for a woman (especially post-menopausal) to look after her collagen levels and we will tell you how in just a moment…
What is Collagen Needed For?
Our body relies on collagen in many ways, but the main ones are as follows:
- To keep our skin strong so that it looks more youthful with less sagging and wrinkles.
- To keep our muscles strong so that they can support our body’s into our senior years.
- To also keep our bones healthy because once the collagen is gone, that’s when osteoporosis sets in.
- To keep our joints supple so that we can move freely and easily.
What Affects Collagen?
Collagen production is affected by ageing as we’ve mentioned but also what we eat (our diet and the nutrition we’re receiving), the time spent in the sun (sun damage), environmental factors, pollution, smoking and drug use.
What Can You Do to Boost Collagen Then?
- Always wear a natural sunscreen and a hat when outside.
- Keep your body hydrated by drinking 2 litres of pure filtered water.
- Eat a balanced, nutrient-dense diet that’s loaded with various organic fruits and veggies, healthy fats and other whole foods.
- Quit smoking
- Don’t take recreational drugs
- Avoid too much pollution
- Rid your body of harmful toxins such as heavy metals with products like chlorella.
- Eat more lutein-rich foods such as eggs and leafy greens like spinach. Lutein has been found to improve the elasticity in our skin and also can naturally help to prevent harmful UVB rays (ultraviolet B).
- Take a high-quality, pure collagen supplement such as hydrolyzed collagen powder.
How Hydrolyzed Collagen Powder Can Improve Your Skin
Hydrolyzed Collagen is made up of small amino acids that can help the body form new collagen. It’s derived from bovine bone and cartilage and usually the bone is crushed, ground and soaked in hydrochloric acid and then in sodium hydroxide, to eliminate the calcium present in them and in order to tear down the natural bonds present in collagen; it is soaked once again to break the collagen bonds and then dehydrated. The result of this is unimpaired amino acids that have not been mutilated. The amino acids formed can be absorbed quickly into the bloodstream, and they are used as the new building blocks of new collagen.
Is there a collagen that’s not soaked in acid?
Yes there is and the bones/cartilage have actually been soaked in an enzyme bath rather than in acids like hydrochloric and sodium hydroxide. You can get it here.
There are numerous health and beauty benefits of hydrolyzed collagen and have been recognised for many years now. It has been scientifically proven that 10 grams of hydrolyzed collagen daily can meet the recommended dose of an adult person to enjoy the benefits.
Research suggests that it can promote skin health with its anti ageing properties, it increase lean muscle mass stores, helps to treat arthritis and can even help repair some organ damages. There are no known side effects when hydrolyzed collagen powder is taken, still a doctor’s recommendation is suggested.
Hydrolyzed collagen powder has become an essential ingredient in many foods, beverages, dietary supplements and to a many cosmetic industries. It is a valuable source of protein and is particularly used for high protein diet and sports wellness and nutrition.
History of Hydrolyzed Collagen
For over 100 years, hydrolyzed collagen has been used in cooking meals and has been known to enhance hair quality and hair strength. The first company that actually used hydrolyzed collagen to promote commercially is Knox gelatin (gelatin food) or as food product. Hydrolyzed collagen powder can also be consumed supplement for convenient usage.
Potential Benefits of Hydrolyzed Collagen Powder
- Hydrolyzed comes from a natural product with a high percentage of oral absorption completely safe to use and doesn’t have any known side effects.
- It can help delay or prevent the progressive degeneration of cartilage tissue and osteoporosis.
- Hydrolyzed collagen powder strengthens and moisturises the skin. It can help maintain the softness and smoothness of the skin, wrinkles and fine lines, giving the skin a plumped up youthful radiant look and feel. It can even help with double-chin*.
- Collagen is a good source of amino acids that can recover complex structures, like strengthening of the hair, reducing hair loss, increasing hair volume and providing shine, vigour and healthy appearance.
- It can also harden and strengthen the nails.
- By taking a collagen supplement such as hydrolyzed collagen you can improve your joint and muscle health for better mobility.
- Hydrolyzed collagen may prevent heart disease by restoring the elasticity of the valves in the blood. It can also prevent hardening of the valves and maintains the blood pressure at a normal level.
*As we age, our body loses collagen, which can leave us with loose, excess skin under the chin. That is why is can be a good choice to add in a high-quality hydrolyzed collagen supplement twice daily to help boost the lost collagen and improve the skin's strength and elasticity.
A Controlled Study Concluded that Collagen Supplementation is Important
(a quote taken from Prevention.com)
“In a large double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in early 2014, women took 2.5g of a particular hydrolyzed collagen peptide once a day; after 8 weeks, researchers measured a 20% reduction in wrinkle depth around the women’s eyes.”
How Safe Is Hydrolyzed Collagen Powder?
Hydrolyzed collagen powder is considered a safe and healthy ingredient. The raw materials for the manufacture of hydrolyzed collagen powder come from registered and trusted slaughterhouses in which all animals are examined carefully by veterinarian whose meat has been approved for human consumption.
A standard practice of slaughter, control and approval procedure guarantees that the raw materials used for the hydrolyzed collagen powder is examined and approved by the government and follows strict statutory provisions.
The European commission and the World Health Organisation both confirmed the use of hydrolyzed collagen powder as SAFE under the consumer protection program.
Is Bovine or Marine Collagen Better?
They both have potential benefits but marine collagen is more difficult to source sustainably and may not be as pure or as good for you. We write an article about this a little while ago, you can read that one here.
How is Perfect Hydrolyzed Collagen Different?
As a health and wellness company, Perfect Supplements realises its mission by providing the highest quality, all natural, superfood ingredients. Their suppliers meet the rigorous standards reflected in their family values.
What are Premium Supplement Ingredients?
All natural & whole food ingredients; nothing synthetic or artificial. They’re organic or wild-harvested with no toxic pesticides, fairly traded and ethical labor; Perfect Supplements will never profit at the expense of another human being.
The supplements are backed by scientific research, minimally processed – raw, freeze-dried, or fermented, and always processed without chemicals. They are third-party tested for quality.
Low quality/nasty ingredients that you will NOT find in Perfect Supplements
- NO cheap fillers, such as rice or silica
- NO flow agents (learn more about magnesium stearate)
- NO binders (glue-like substances that form powders into tablets)
- NO artificial colours or flavours
- NO GMOs
- NO Glyphosate!