Turmeric and Collagen Benefits: The (Unknown) Ultimate Tag Team for Skin, Joints, and Gut Health

Are you looking for the perfect tag team of supplements to help improve your skin, joints, and gut health? If so, look no further than turmeric and collagen.

What is turmeric?

Turmeric is a spice; it’s what gives curry that well-known yellow color. It contains compounds called curcuminoids that have medicinal properties. The most important curcuminoid is curcumin—the main ingredient in turmeric. Turmeric is a powerful antioxidant that also has anti-inflammatory properties.

Turmeric has many additional health benefits. Studies have shown that it helps increase what’s known as the brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which plays a role in both learning and memory. Healthline explains that it may also help improve mood, as it plays a role in “boosting the brain neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine, reducing inflammation, and encouraging brain plasticity.”

Additionally, turmeric “helps improve the function of the endothelium or the lining of your blood vessels,” which leads to better heart function and may play a role in reducing the risk of cancer, as it may “contribute to the death of cancerous cells, reduce angiogenesis (growth of new blood vessels in tumors), [and] reduce metastasis (spread of cancer).”

Further, in studies of people with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, both of which involve inflammation of the joints, researchers have found that turmeric helps alleviate pain.

Turmeric may also “revive your skin by bringing out its natural glow,” and it may even help your body heal wounds to the skin. Masks made of turmeric might help reduce acne scars, and some studies have shown that turmeric can help improve psoriasis.

Right now, I bet you’re thinking, Where can I get turmeric? And while of course you can get it pretty much anywhere, we want to introduce you to Performance Inspired’s Turmeric Curcumin, as it’s made with 10mg of BioPerine, a black pepper extract that helps with the body’s absorption of turmeric. Each capsule contains 500 milligrams of turmeric. Because our products are third-party tested, do not contain junky fillers, and are made in the US, you can trust that they are of great quality.

What is collagen?

Collagen is a protein that, according to the Cleveland Clinic, “accounts for about 30% of your body’s total protein.” It goes on to explain that “collagen is the primary building block of your body’s skin, muscles, bones, tendons and ligaments, and other connective tissues. It’s also found in your organs, blood vessels and intestinal lining.”

The main job of collagen is to provide strength, support, and structure throughout the body.

There are five types of collagen—types I-V. The Cleveland Clinic explains each:

Collagen Type I.

This type makes up 90% of your body’s collagen. Type I is densely packed and used to provide structure to your skin, bones, tendons and ligaments.

Collagen Type II.

This type is found in elastic cartilage, which provides joint support.

Collagen Type III.

This type is found in muscles, arteries and organs.

Collagen Type IV.

This type is found in the layers of your skin.

Collagen Type V.

This type is found in the cornea of your eyes, some layers of skin, hair and tissue of the placenta.

Our bodies stop producing collagen as we age, which can lead to many different types of health problems. For instance, our skin may begin to sag or get wrinkles. Our joints and muscles might start to feel achy. We may experience a reduction in blood flow throughout the body. And some people even experience a thinning of the lining of the digestive tract, which leads to gastrointestinal problems.

Though we cannot prevent the loss of collagen as we age, we can help mitigate the reduction and even boost our body’s production of it. We can also take action to reduce the amount we lose. Smoking, eating too much sugar and processed carbs, and exposure to sunlight all reduce the collagen in our skin. So if you smoke, stop. If you don’t use sunblock, now is the time to start. And as always, fill your diet with whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and lean meats.

You can also help boost your body’s production of collagen by taking supplements. While not many studies have been done on collagen supplements, those that have been done have “found that collagen peptides are possibly effective for improving skin hydration and skin elasticity [and] also possibly effective for relieving pain and improving joint function in people with knee osteoarthritis.”

It’s important to note that our bodies cannot absorb collagen unless it’s broken down into smaller amino acids called peptides. So any supplement must be in this form.

Performance Inspired offers three forms of collagen peptides: gummies, powder, and capsules. So you can determine which works best for your lifestyle and diet.

It’s also important to understand that, while collagen is intended to help the joints and skin, your body will absorb it where it needs it most. So if a certain part of your body is more deficient than others, that is where it is likely to be absorbed.

How do turmeric and collagen collaborate?

Turmeric and collagen work well together and even have a synergistic effect on each other, thus enhancing the benefits of each. While collagen provides the necessary support for healthy joints, turmeric’s anti-inflammatory properties will help reduce inflammation in the body, thus helping to alleviate pain.

This is great news, especially for older people and those whose bodies are deficient in collagen.

As with any supplement, check with your doctor first before beginning. And while turmeric is generally safe, make sure that you do not take more than the recommended daily amount, as too much will cause health problems.

But once you have the green light to add these supplements, try taking them together to enhance the benefits and to experience less gut discomfort, more flexibility, less joint pain, and better skin. We think you will be pleasantly surprised!