What is Collagen and what is it good for?

• Posted on 6 April 2022
• By Superior Nutrition
• 0

Collagen is a protein made up of 18 amino acids and these amino acids and proteins provide our bodies with the building blocks they need to heal, grow, repair and rejuvenate.

There are fundamentally two versions of collagen - firstly, there is the collagen that is made in, and found throughout, our bodies and the bodies of animals.

Secondly, there is the collagen we can consume as a supplement which is produced in powder form but which can then be manufactured into pills, gummies, liquids and shots. Supplements can provide our body with a very pure and very easy to absorb form of protein that can then support numerous bodily processes and functions, so it can be good for healthy skin, hair, nails, bones, joints, ligaments, muscles, organs, illness, injury, fitness, exercise and even gut health!

Collagen in our bodies

Collagen is made naturally in our bodies. Typically, it does a good job of this on its own until your mid-twenties. This is when natural production starts to slow down, and tell-tale signs begin to show (more on that later).

Collagen is a protein found throughout the animal kingdom. It is the most prevalent protein in the human body and is often referred to as the ‘glue’ that holds us together. Some 30% of the protein in our body is, in fact, collagen. Its job is to provide structure and integrity to our hair, skin, nails, tendons, joints, ligaments, and bones. It is also found in other body parts, including the stomach lining, blood vessels, heart and other organs, teeth, and even the corneas in our eyes. It’s almost a case of - name the body part, and you’ll probably find collagen has a starring role in either building and/or maintaining it.

What happens as your body’s natural collagen production levels decrease?

In a nutshell, you start to age! As your natural collagen production levels decrease, you begin to see, well, cracks in the maintenance. Typical tell-tale signs might include:

• Skin - fine lines, wrinkling, age spots, creping texture 
• Hair - lacklustre, prone to split ends, brittle, dry 
• Nails - brittle, weak 
• Joints - begin to ache or make those crackle and pop noises as you get up 
• Gut - stomach lining can be compromised, allowing toxins to leak into your system and a general microbiome imbalance 
• Recovery - from illness, injury, and even working out begins to take longer

Collagen Supplements overall help improve all of these changes and prolong the aging process!