Collagen – So Popular Right Now!
I wanted to let you all know my thoughts on collagen…as it is currently a buzz supplement in the health world. So I thought I would tell you all about what collagen is, what it does in your body and where you can get collagen in your food and quality supplements.
Collagen is a protein that makes up the connective tissues throughout your body. In fact the word collagen comes from the Greek word ‘Kolla’ meaning Glue. This glue-like property of collagen creates the elasticity and strength in your bones, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, skin, and muscles. About 30% of your body protein is collagen! We need to ensure that we have adequate amounts so that we can regenerate tissues for growth, recovery, repair and longevity.
Our body is clever! It constantly makes collagen out of protein and amino acids. This is why it is really important to make sure you get enough good quality protein in your diet every day. A good guide is to consume 0.8 to 1 gram of protein per kilogram of your body weight. If you weigh 60 kg then if you eat 60g of protein you should be right. The magic happens with the help of cofactors…and when it comes to making collagen Vitamin C is essential. You can get Vitamin C in your diet from oranges, grapefruits, berries, chilies, and vegetables, such as broccoli and capsicums. I also recommend Green Nutritionals Organic Vitamin C Powder or Locako Native Vitamin C…you can pop in and get these from me at the studio…or arrange to have them sent directly to your door.
Body Collagen
There are several types of collagen in your body, actually there are way more than that, but there are 3 main types:
- Type I – skin, skeletal tissue, tendons
- Type II – cartilage which is in your joints
- Type III – blood vessels , endothelium, intestine, skin, uterine wall
As we age our collagen depletes!
This loss of collagen can lead to wrinkles in your skin, stiffness in your joints, brittleness of hair and nails, loss of bone mass, osteoarthritis, inflammatory gut conditions and slow healing.
Our skin is made up of a lot of collagen – about 75%. So ensuring our body has all the good stuff to keep making healthy skin is important as we age. Adequate protein in your diet is essential, good hydration and good skin care…might help reduce the effects of aging on your skin.
The cartilage in our joints is also made of collagen. This needs to be healthy so that our joints can maintain mobility and so that we don’t experience joint pain.
In one study participants found that after taking 10 grams of collagen daily for 6 months they had reduced joint pain.
Collagen for The Gut
Guess what is a major constituent of our gut wall? Collagen! Your gut wall has 4 layers and the innermost layer is the epithelium. The epithelium requires amino acids for its structure and function. The gut is the most highly regenerative organ in your body! It renews its lining every 5-7 days. This means it can withstand wear and tear while it breaks down food, absorbs nutrients and eliminates waste. Collagen contains large amounts of the amino acids glutamine, glycine, and proline which are required for our gut lining to be healthy. Collagen might be one of the most useful supplements to helps ease the symptoms of and potentially prevent ‘leaky gut’. It improves intestinal permeability.
It appears to help to heal and protect the gut lining and can be used where there are symptoms of leaky gut and inflammation. It might help conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, gastric ulcers, and even coeliac disease.
Collagen in Your Diet
Eating like your ancestors could be a good idea! They made use of the whole animal. No waste! Typical ancestral diets are high in protein and collagen. Even though I was a vegetarian for 16 years, many years ago, I now believe an animal based, ‘nose to tail’ way of eating might just be the ticket to good health. I love homemade bone broth and love Gevity Bone Broth Paste – just add a teaspoon of it to a cup of hot water. These are ways to increase your consumption of collagen. Whether you are making your own bone broth or buying paste, powder or liquid broth…be sure to source non-GMO, pasture or grass fed products. Buy from reputable suppliers and read the labels. Unfortunately, heavy metals are stored in bones and these may be released during cooking or production. Buy the best you can afford.
If you eat fish, eggs and protein rich foods you’ll be getting the good amino acids necessary for health.
Eating gelatin in the form of gummies can be an easy way to top up your supply of collagen. I put a recipe up on my social media for gummies not so long ago – here is the link.
Collagen Supplements
There are a few brands I use and recommend:
- Designs For Health Active Body and Whole Body Collagen – no taste and awesome
- Locako Keto Collagen Powder – tastes great and is a low carb snack option
- Bioceuticals KetoActive Protein
- Nutra Organics
Good quality collagen supplements contain collagen peptides which are ‘bioactive’ or ‘hydrolysed’. This means they are more easily absorbed. This also means they generally mix better into foods and even mix easily into tea and coffee.
I can help you choose which collagen to suit you best. I can supply you with the best quality practitioner only supplements and advise which retail brands are worth spending money on.
During a naturopathic consultation I can help you review your diet to make sure you are getting adequate protein, and nutrients.
The best supply of any nutrient is from nutrient dense, whole, fresh, local, and seasonal foods. Remember…food first!
Then if you think you might need a bit of a boost…substituting with a high quality collagen protein supplement might be just thing you need.
