Who Needs Collagen? Why? by Onica Sinclair

It seems to be that collagen is all the buzz in in the cosmetics industry, but are women the only ones that need it?  Absolutely not!  Collagen is extremely important to both men and women of all ages.  Have you ever had a cut that healed and scabbed over?  That healing process occurs with the assistance of collagen.  So, what exactly IS collagen?

Collagen is actually a protein made up of glycine, proline, hydroxyproline, and arginine, all amino acids that support our body’s connective tissue like joints, skin, hair, nails, as well as gut health.  Let’s start with joints and arthritis, collagen can help.  As we age, our cartilage deteriorates.  Collagen helps to rebuild and support this cartilage so you don’t end up bone on bone.  Skin health!  Collagen actually helps reverse skin aging.  A 2014 study selected 69 women, ages 35 – 55.  Of those 69, 46 were given a collagen supplement.  After 4 weeks, the women that were given the supplement showed improvement in skin firmness and reduction of wrinkles.  Along the same lines, collagen also helps with the appearance of cellulite.  When it comes to your physique, collagen helps build muscle and burn fat.  The added boost of the protein complex supports muscle growth, and as you know, more muscle means less fat.  A group of 53-year-old males suffering from sarcopenia, or where you lose muscle mass due to aging, were given collagen and others were given a placebo.  There was a direct improvement in the men that were given the collagen supplement.  And then there’s the ever-so-important “gut health”.  Collagen helps by strengthening the lining of your digestive tract.  This helps reduce GI inflammation, a precursor of many digestive diseases.

Now that we know who needs it and what it can do for your body, it leaves us wondering, when did I “lose” it?  Well, it’s not entirely your fault, but some of your choices are literally halting your collagen production.  Some causes, such as air pollution and free radicals, we don’t see.  Others causes are unhealthy diets and smoking.  Do you want something that will help? Collagen, healthy eating, and exercise!

Unfortunately, we don’t carry foods that you can eat for help like oysters, fish, soy, red vegetables, dark green veggies, orange vegetables, citrus, berries, white tea and garlic, but we can help when it comes to a boost in your protein and direct collagen.  You’re in luck, because if you’re reading this, chances are pretty high that you’ve been to our awesome website, pi-nitrition.com.  Not only do we support you in all aspects of your athletic health and sports nutrition, but we have collagen for you!  Now that you know all the power one little protein can have, head over to the website, order some collagen.  Your joints will thank you.  Your skin will thank you.  Your gut will thank you.  Your future self will thank you!  Be proactive when you can, reactive when you can’t.