Recently there has been a lot of popularity surrounding collagen powders, especially in the beauty community. It is known as the compound that keeps you looking young and is found in many creams, serums and supplements but did you know it had other health benefits?
What is Collagen?
Collagen is a protein naturally produced in your body and found in your skin, bones, joints and connective tissue. There are 16 different types of collagen cells created in your body, but three types account for 90% of your body collagen production. The three main types are:
Type I Collagen: is the key to giving your skin, bones, teeth, tendons and ligaments the strength it needs.
Type II Collagen: helps strengthen your eyes and cartilage in your body.
Type III Collagen: found in your muscle and blood vessels, intestinal walls and helps support cardiovascular health.
As you age, your body production of collagen decreases. Signs of reduced collagen production in your body can be visible through your skin and joints. Other ways of damaging your collagen production include overeating sugar, smoking and too much sunshine.
However, collagen’s main ingredient is dependent on the animal it comes from, but most collagen contains gelatine. For anyone following a plant-based diet, this may not be the best option.
What is Vegan Collagen?
As most collagen products come from animals, Vegan collagen isn’t technically collagen. It’s genetically modified from bacteria that mimics the same properties as animal-derived collagen. Vegan collagen also uses amino acids, enzymes, antioxidants and vitamins, which can be found naturally in fruits and vegetables.
One of the main ingredients, Vitamin C, is responsible for helping and aiding the production of collagen in your body and antioxidants, which helps fight the free radical damage caused by aging. Vegan collagen is cruelty-free and provides the building blocks to help support your collagen production and helps prevent its breakdown.
What are the benefits of taking collagen supplements?
There are many health benefits of taking collagen; it does a lot more than help support your skin elasticity and moisture levels. The main advantages of taking vegan collagen supplements can include:
– Protect the skin against free radical damage.
– Boost hydration on your hair and skin.
– Strengthen nails and hair.
– Can reduce joint pain.
– Help with improving digestion.
– Assist damaged tissue repair.
How to get more collagen in your diet
You can boost your collagen by eating foods rich in Antioxidants, Vitamin C, and Amino acids; found in foods like berries, citrus fruits, garlic, leafy greens and cashews.
Another way of boosting your collagen is by taking supplements; supplements can be a great way to implement more superfoods in your diet without buying lots of products. You can add them to your favourite smoothies, sprinkle them on breakfast bowls or add them into your morning coffee.
Bibliography
- Lodish, H (2000). Molecular Cell Biology; Collagen: The fibrous Proteins of the Matrix. National Library of Medicine. Accessed <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK21582/>
- Jennings, K (2020). Collagen – What Is It and What Is It Good For? Healthline. Accessed <https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/collagen>
- Ala-Kokko, L, Di Lullo, G, Körkkö, San Antonio, J & Sweeney, S. Mapping the Ligand-binding Site and Disease-associated Mutations on the most Abundant Protein in the Human, Type 1 Collagen. Journal of Biological Chemistry. Accessed <https://www.jbc.org/article/S0021-9258(20)87534-6/fulltext>
- Peta Australia (n.d) What is Collagen, and Can It Be Vegan? Peta Australia. Australia. Accessed <https://www.peta.org.au/living/what-is-collagen-and-can-it-be-vegan/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw0oCDBhCPARIsAII3C_G7VMcFMzQr988fLsb8Humvd2ogTy8NpfCWRHKDxovbfvpvqlb1lvgaAkrqEALw_wcB>
- Reisdorf, A (2019). Here’s What You Need to Know About Vegan Collagen. Healthline. Accessed <https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/vegan-collagen>
- Healthdirect (2020). Vitamin C. Healthdirect. Accessed <https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/vitamin-c>
- Callahan, C (2019) What are free radicals, and how do they affect your skin? Today. Accessed <https://www.today.com/style/what-are-free-radicals-how-do-they-affect-your-skin-t150296>
- Garone, S (2019) 13 Foods That Can Help Your Body Produce Collagen. Healthline. Accessed <https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/collagen-food-boost>
About the Author:
Latasha Trenaman is a Sydney based writer who is passionate about healthy eating. Latasha’s partner was diagnosed with diabetes in 2018. She has made it her life mission to share her and her partners’ experiences living with diabetes by promoting healthy food, especially sugar-free options. She believes in the power of writing and how it can inspire others in their journey to becoming more healthy. When she is not writing, she is walking her dog or baking sugar-free treats.
