Benefits of Collagen
Anti-aging, gut health, and more!
I started using collagen peptides about two years ago and it has been LIFE CHANGING! You’ve probably heard of collagen powder and maybe seen influencers sharing their favorite brands on social media, but do you actually know what it is and how supplementing collagen can impact your health?
Well, I did some digging into the research to bring you answers!
To start, what actually is collagen? Collagen is a fibrous protein found throughout your body in your organs, muscles, skin, hair, nails, teeth, bones, joints and your digestive system. It comes from the Greek word “kolla” meaning “glue” because essentially collagen is the glue that holds your body together.
Naturally, as you age, you start producing less collagen and your body depletes its source faster than it can reproduce it. Adding a collagen supplement therefore can help slow the impact of depleting collagen.
Now, getting into the benefits of collagen!
Helps repair leaky gut and support proper gut health! 80% of your immune system is housed in your gut, which is one reason gut health is so important. Leaky gut can cause toxins and food particles to pass through the intestinal wall into your bloodstream, leading to inflammation, and over time, possibly autoimmune disease. Your intestinal wall is actually built from collagen, so collagen supplementation can help heal perforations in the gut lining and over time, healing leaky gut. Incorporating collagen was an important factor in my personal gut healing journey and I’ve continued to use it for 3 years now!
Beneficial for your skin, hair, and nails. You may already know that it’s collagen depletion that causes skin to sag and wrinkle as we age. Though collagen supplements or peptides won’t completely prevent aging, it is shown to have beneficial effects in improving skin’s elasticity which can slow signs of aging and reduce the appearance of cellulite and stretch marks. I noticed a HUGE difference in the growth and strength of my nails when I started incorporating collagen peptides! I used to have very brittle and weak nails that would break constantly. I could never grow them long. Now, my nails grow out of control and are so much stronger!
Improves joint health. As mentioned above, your joints also contain collagen and it’s actually what allows tendons and ligaments to glide smoothly. Over time, with the depletion of collagen, your joints become stiff and less mobile. Collagen contains important amino acids that support joint mobility and can decrease inflammation in the joints.
You see? SO many benefits! And these are only a few. Studies show collagen can also play an important role in maintaining a healthy weight, supporting your liver’s detox function, and maintaining a healthy heart.
So what kind of collagen should you be using? It’s important to use a high quality collagen and for the best results, find one that uses different types of collagen (there are Type I, II, III, V, and X). Collagen is most often sourced from animal bones (chicken and bovine), eggshell membranes, and fish. Each source results in a different type of collagen. It’s important to ensure your collagen is being sourced from pasture raised chickens, grass fed bovine animals, and wild caught fish for highest quality. This is why is recently switched to Vitauthority collagen protein. It’s the first collagen powder I have found that contains ALL 5 types of collagen from quality sources, plus Hyaluronic acid and Vitamin C for added benefits! Their collagen is sourced only from grass fed bovine, free range chickens, and wild caught fish. Although true collagen can only be sourced from animals, Vitauthority has also created a vegan collagen supplement that helps boost your body’s natural collagen production all through plant based sources. This company prides themselves on transparency, which in the supplement world, is super important with the lack of regulations in this industry. Check them out here and use code ERICA11 for 11% off.
How to take your collagen? My favorite way is in my bulletproof coffee! Head to my IG Reels to read the benefits of bulletproof coffee and how I make mine. You can also simply add to your coffee no matter how you take it, or blend into a smoothie. This collagen powder dissolves quickly, is odorless and tasteless! Super easy way to get your daily dose.
Let me know if you start incorporating collagen into your diet and what effects you see?! It truly is an amazing supplement that I will never be without.
Live. Life. Clean
Erica