You might have encountered collagen in most beauty products in the market today. It’s gaining popularity in both the beauty and fitness world because of its vast benefits in the body. Collagen can be consumed orally and topically as it is available in both cream and capsule forms.
If you’re wondering if collagen might be useful for you, here’s some information about who needs collagen in their diet:
- Elderly people
It is known to many that older adults usually experience a sudden decline of collagen in their bodies as they age. It is visible through their skin as well as their bodies’ mobility. It is recommended for elderly people ages 40 and up to take hydrolyzed collagen, such as what’s found in Great Lakes’ Hydrolysate Collagen.
Collagen supplements are essential, especially for women who want to age gracefully. Collagen is an integral component of your skin, therefore, adding it to your daily dose of supplements can slow down and reverse signs of skin aging. It will prevent you from developing wrinkles and sagging skin.
Also, a number of collagen supplements are also helpful in alleviating pain associated in the joints and bones, which is, again, due to aging. It is an essential component of the cartilage, which serves as a protection for your joints. Replenishing collagen in your joints will maintain its strength and integrity. Therefore, you won’t be worrying about the pain whenever you’re too mobile or physically active.
A study has also confirmed that a regular intake of collagen supplements is beneficial in the treatment of osteoarthritis and other joint-related diseases. Osteoarthritis is a very common disease in older adults. Therefore, taking collagen supplements can prevent the risk of developing the disease and even aid in the treatment of the disease.
- Athletes
Those who are into fitness, like athletes, as well as physically active people, are also recommended to include collagen as part of their dietary requirements. Collagen is also one of the components of the muscles, and regular intake of collagen can promote their health. It also helps the muscle groups function well, especially during aerobic exercises.
A study proves that collagen is indeed helpful in building muscles, which is one common objective why people workout. The test subjects are men who can be considered as ectomorphs, meaning they have low muscle density and appear thin and fragile. In 12 weeks, along with exercise and collagen supplementation, the group that takes collagen showed an increase in muscle mass and strength compared to those who didn’t have collagen in their diet.
Besides, collagen also helps the body by digesting protein properly. This is essential to utilize protein needed by the muscles to make them work efficiently.
- Individuals with a family history of cardiac diseases
If you think you’re at risk of cardiac disease later in your life because of your family history, you might want to take the preventive approach by taking collagen supplements regularly. Collagen helps maintain the integrity of your circulatory system, most importantly the blood vessels in your body, based on a study proving that collagen helps keep the proper structure of the arteries. Strong arteries and blood vessels will prevent the development of atherosclerosis, which manifests if the vessels are weak and fragile, aside from the presence of fat deposits related to the disease.
Besides, collagen is also beneficial for the regulation of good and bad cholesterol in the body. As you all know, a higher proportion of bad cholesterol will increase the chance of developing heart diseases. Doctors would suggest to take food and supplements with high-density lipoprotein, commonly known as good cholesterol. The same study also found out that collagen increases the level of good cholesterol of those who take the supplements.
- Individuals in their early 20s
You might think one should take collagen when they reach the age of 40. However, most dermatologists are now recommending that developing the habit of taking collagen should start in the early years. This is because as early as their 20s, some people would begin experiencing a depletion of collagen in their bodies. If not properly addressed, this can cause premature skin aging that can be irreversible.
Taking collagen supplements even during the early years will give you long-term effects. Your older self will thank you in the future.
Final thoughts
One can start taking collagen supplements even as young as their 20s to prevent the effects of premature skin aging. Collagen, in general, has a lot of benefits not just for the skin, but even for the maintenance of good bone and cardiac health.
