It is unbelievable that you could naturally source out collagen from the groceries store! It is pretty amazing, honestly. Without us realizing fully, at one point, our kitchen could have stored rich sources of collagen boosting natural ingredients. But, first, let us answer some few questions. What is collagen? What benefits do we get from it? How could we boost our collagen mass?
All about collagen
Collagen is a naturally occurring type of protein essential for our body's over all maintenance and health. Our body itself produces collagen. There are four main types of collagen, but we will focus our brief discussion on Type I collagen only. This particular collagen type is present in our skin, ligaments, ligatures and bones. Its mainly provides tensile strength, firmness and elasticity, particularly to the fatty tissues beneath the skin surface.
Together with elastin, collagen molecules combine together to form collagen bundles. These bundles give shape and elasticity to our skin. Absent collagen bundles, the skin begins to sag and develop wrinkles.
Factors causing collagen loss
There are various factors affecting the gradual decline in the amount of collagen in our body. One is inevitable. The natural process of aging largely contributes to the decline in collagen content of the body. Starting at the age of 25 years, the body loses 1.5% of its collagen. By the time we reach the age of 45 years, one third of the total collagen would have been lost. The body system weakens and its efficiency in replenishing collagen is no longer optimal. There are also many other factors that contribute to its decline.
Pollutants, which carry toxins, promote oxidation which, in turn, produces free radicals. These free radicals cause cellular damage by stealing one electron of each cell. Free radicals are also known causes of varied serious diseases, like cancer. Smoking, imbalanced diet poor in micro nutrients, unhealthy processed and packaged foods rich in harmful chemicals and lack of regular exercise are just some of the factors that hasten collagen loss.
People, like you and me, who want to look younger, continuously search for ways to boost collagen regeneration. Who likes wrinkles anyway? Many techniques are being developed to help the body replenish collagen. Some require direct injection of collagen mass into the deeper layers of the skin. Nahhh... I hate this. Why not just help the body produce collagen in the natural way, right?
Certain skin care products, like anti-wrinkle creams, do really contain collagen and elastin. A careful look into the behavior of collagen molecules and the structure of your skin reveals that these products are actually ineffective. It is simply because the collagen molecule is large enough to be absorbed by the deeper layers of the skin.
Luckily, advances in nutrition research educate us that various natural sources could actually supply us the necessary elements that enhance the collagen factory of our body. Among those leading substances and their sources are the following:
1. Cynergy TK. This is a specific type of keratin, another protein. It is commonly found in the wool of the sheep and is taken through a process that should not involve heat or acid. Once inside the body, it converts into functional keratin which allows the collagen to grown again.
2. Hyaluronic acid. This is a mainly taken from an exotic kelp used for centuries in Japan. Hyaluronic acid helps the collagen and elastin fibers bind together to form collagen bundles. It is also responsible in helping repair and replace damaged and dead collagen cells.
3. Coenzyme Q10. You can find this abundantly in fresh heart tissues of herring and mackerel. It helps boost collagen regeneration inside our body.
4. Active Makuna Honey. Beekeepers in New Zealand set up their beehives in wild and uncultivated areas where Makuna bushes abound. The honey produced is rich in collagen boosting substances.
5. Genistein. This is an isoflavone that primarily serves as an anti-oxidant. Its other function is in giving the ideal condition for the regrowth of collagen molecules. You can abundantly find this in soya products.
Go natural. These natural sources of collagen hold the promise of keeping you look and feel young.
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