Is collagen worth the hype?

Collagen is one of the latest buzz words in the health community. Its hard to escape a grocery store or an Instagram feed without spotting collagen creams, drinks and various potions that promise a youthful appearance for years to come.

So what is collagen?

Collagen is the most abundant protein in our bodies that accounts for about a third of the protein composition. Collagen is one of the major building blocks of bones, skin, muscle, tendons, and ligaments. You can think of it as the glue that holds everything together. In fact, throwing my ancestry in the mix, the word stems from the Greek word ‘κόλλα’ which means glue. As we age our body produces less and lower quality collagen. One of the most visible signs of this is your skin, which becomes less firm and supple. So, are there benefits to collagen supplements, and are they effective? Two types of supplements are gaining popularity, hydrolyzed collaged or collagen hydrolysate and gelatin. Gelatin is created when collagen, sourced from animal hooves and hides. These have already broken the larger proteins down to smaller peptides which are more easily absorbed in the body. There have been a few studies that insist collagen might have a priming future for muscle mass arthritis and skin elasticity. Collagen is found in the connective tissue of animal foods e.g. in chicken and pork skin. This definitely does not make it vegan, however there are vegan alternatives on the market. There is a debate whether eating collagen-rich foods increases the collagen levels in your body. When you eat protein, it's broken down into amino acids and then reassembled. So, what you eat directly doesn’t translate to higher levels in your body.

Are collagen supplements more effective than natural sources of collagen?

Not necessarily. Like every supplement on the market, they are called supplements for a reason, meaning they are supplementing something. If sipping on bone broth in your lulu lemons whilst performing a headstand does not seem too intriguing perhaps maybe opt for a supplement flavored drink mix, some normal pants, and standing in a vertical upstanding position. But who am I to judge? Whatever floats your boat!

How to prevent collagen deconstruction?

As we mentioned earlier collagen and its production become damaged as we age. Although we can’t stop the clock from aging, yet. We can control outside factors that damage collagen and its production in our bodies. ‘How? ADELLE TELL US MORE!’ Okay, only because you insisted. Facial massages are an excellent way to encourage blood flow, collagen production, and youthful-looking skin. The BEAR is an excellent tool as the advanced microcurrent helps tone facial muscles, tighten the skin and smooth the look of wrinkles. In addition to bear, you can opt for the UFO 2 paired with our ‘Youth Junkie Mask’ to topically give you an added collagen boost and glow up for the skin.  There are three external factors we can avoid to assist the prevention of collagen deconstruction. Firstly, excess consumption of sugar simply interferes with collagen's ability to repair itself. So, unfortunately, try not to devour that Tim-Tam family packet whispering your name from the pantry, pick your battles. Secondly, overexposure to the sun. Ultraviolet radiation can reduce collagen production. So SLIP SLOP SLAP my friends and try to avoid excess sun exposure. Smoking tobacco aside from its a billion and one other reasons it's bad for you, it's bad for collagen production which can impair wound healing and lead to wrinkles. Whether you are still skeptical about its benefits or if it is just a beauty fad, test it out for yourselves! It can’t hurt to try on those yoga pants and give the collagen craze a crack 😉