Collagen is super fashionable right now, and for good reason! It is responsible for several biological functions, one of which is to provide ‘structure, strength and support’ to various parts of the body including skin, nail, hair, tendons, joints and bones.
What Does Collagen Do?
Collagen is an essential protein found in abundance in the human body. It is present in all of our connective tissues, tendons, ligaments and bones and is also responsible for skin elasticity and suppleness. Collagen is the main insoluble fibrous protein in the extracellular matrix (ECM), in other words, collagen is literally scaffolding for your skin.
Different Types Of Collagen
There are 16 types of collagen but around 80-90% of the collagen found in our body consists of just 5 of the most common types. These include:
- Type I: The most abundant and most beneficial for skin health.
- Type II: Found mainly in cartilage and most beneficial for joint health.
- Type III: Improves skin elasticity and is beneficial for skin health.
- Type V: Positively affects the growth of the placenta so important during pregnancy.
- Type X: Beneficial for bone health and development.
Collagen is created naturally in the body. However, over time, the production of collagen slows down which is why supplementation is essential to restore collagen depletion.
Collagen can be taken in powdered form, pills, softgels, water and coffee creamer. Hydrolyzed marine collagen is touted as the elite option as it is the most absorbable (by up to 1.5 times) and more effective than any other type of collagen. You should aim to consume 8-10mg of collagen per day.
Dietary food choices also play a significant role in naturally boosting collagen.
How To Naturally Boost Collagen With Food
If you are looking to naturally boost collagen, here are the top 9 foods that can make a real difference.
#1 Bone Broth
Bone broth is a source of gelatine when is broken down in the body as collagen. Just think of cold chicken soup (as in real chicken soup made from the bones, skin and joints) and the top fatty layer that congeals when cold, this is where all the goodness is.
Bone broth is made using bones and connective tissue of animals (chicken and beef mainly) placed in water and boiled for a very long time. This process extracts collagen and other beneficial ingredients such as sodium, zinc, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, glucosamine, chondroitin, amino acid, and other valuable nutrients.
There are many ready-made options out there that come in both liquid and powder form. However, if you are looking for quality, homemade cannot be beaten. Using top-notch ingredients from a reputable butcher is the best way to ensure great results.
Note: Bone broth can be frozen (for up to a year) so you can batch cook and make ahead of time.
#2 Chicken
This most popular meat contains an abundance of connective tissues, skin and joints that make it an ideal source of dietary type II collagen. One study directly positively linked ‘chicken legs’ to preventing or treating Osteoarthritis and many other studies support chicken collagen as being beneficial for joint issues. Cooking it for a long time makes the collagen rich parts super soft and edible.
#3 Garlic
Garlic benefits versus the odour – age old debate! However you swing on this, garlic provides a powerful source of sulphur, a trace mineral that “helps synthesize and prevent the breakdown of collagen.” Great news but the downside, you need a lot of it so aim for doubling up what you use when cooking your favourite recipes.
#4 Fish & Shellfish
Fish are abundant in collagen but not the parts you would want to eat. Collagen rich parts include eyes, head, scales, skin and bones. So your fillet of fish, or sardines on toast isn’t going to cut it when it comes to getting a high dosage of collagen.
Because marine collagen absorbs 1.5 times faster than any other type of collagen, it may well be worth looking for a marine collagen supplement for an easy way to ingest this type of collagen.
#5 Eggs
Egg whites are super rich in the amino acid proline, which is a precursor in the production of collagen. Sugar free meringues could be your new guilty pleasure for a natural collagen boost!
#6 Leafy Greens
Leafly greens such as swiss chard, broccoli, spinach and kale are rockstars in the fight against anti-aging as they provide huge antioxidant benefits. These rich green veggies contain chlorophyll which is full of antioxidant goodness. Research has shown that consuming chlorophyll increases the antecedents to collagen production in the skin. Stock up on the greens.
#7 Berries
Vitamin C and collagen production go hand-in-hand. Albeit everyone hails the citrus fruits for optimal vitamin C content, the berry family give them a run for their money. Strawberries outweigh, pound for pound, the humble orange when it comes to dishing up a serving of vitamin C.
Eating foods rich in vitamin C and amino acids can increase the levels of hyaluronic acid and collagen in the body both important for optimising skin health. As an added bonus, they offer rich antioxidant protection to help preserve skin and maintain skin cell renewal. Win win! Bring on the berries.
#8 Cashews
Packed full of copper and zinc, these satiating nuts should be your first choice to snack given both these minerals promote collagen production in the body.
#9 Legumes
Beans are a high-protein food that often contain the amino acids necessary for collagen synthesis. Also abundant in copper, another mineral necessary for collagen production. A bean stew or homemade houmous are great options to enjoy a serving a collagen rich legumes.
#10 Food to Naturally Boost Collagen
OK, I know I said 9 but this one I just can’t leave out. And, it isn’t really food, but it counts a lot! My bonus extra #10 ‘food’ to naturally boost collagen is – water. If you want to naturally restore collagen in your body to improve your skin health, water is a key player in your game of anti-aging. You should drink at least 2 litres of water a day, 1 litre before midday and another litre by the end of the day.
If you cannot stomach just plain old water, try adding lemon or strawberries (extra vitamin c measure to boost collagen!) to pimp it up a little. Drinking a satisfactory amount of water daily is important for overall general health because water helps with digestion, circulation, absorption and hydration.
If your skin doesn’t get the right amount of water, it will become dehydrated and dry, flaky and tight leading to wrinkles and fine lines. So stay hydrated.
Boosting Collagen Naturally – The Take Home
There is no denying the huge benefits of collagen for maintaining the integrity of your skin as you age as well as optimizing hair, nail and joint health also. Foods that naturally boost collagen are easy to include into your daily diet and super beneficial for your health anyway, so why not give them a go!
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