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Collagen, The Latest Buzzword, and its Benefits for You

What is Collagen Collagen is often referred to as a “complex protein,” it contains a 19 different amino acids. These include a mix of both nonessential and essential types. Collagen is a particularly great way to get more conditional amino acids, like arginine, glutamine, glycine and proline. Arginine breaks down into nitric oxide within the…

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Brain

What is Collagen

Collagen is often referred to as a “complex protein,” it contains a 19 different amino acids. These include a mix of both nonessential and essential types. Collagen is a particularly great way to get more conditional amino acids, like arginine, glutamine, glycine and proline.

  • Arginine breaks down into nitric oxide within the body, which is an important compound for arterial and heart health.  Arginine has also been shown to improve circulation, help strengthen the Immune System and has a positive influence on male libido.
  • Glutamine is both created within our muscles and also obtained from food sources. Research shows that glutamine has benefits for preventing anxiety, tension, sleep disorders/insomnia, a lack of concentration, poor digestive health, a weakened Immune System; low energy and it’s been shown to have positive effects of production of growth hormone, which can improve aspects of mental health, such as helping with release of GABA that boosts feelings of “inner calm and tranquillity.”  Nitrogen, created by glutamine in high amounts, also helps with wound healing and prevents muscle wasting and joint pains.
  • Glycine, the smallest amino acid, ensures our cells function properly and helps build healthy DNA strands. It’s also one of three amino acids that form creatine, which promotes healthy muscle growth and boosts energy production during workouts.
  • Proline and glycine, play a major role in ensuring your body’s running smoothly. Proline helps protect integrity of blood vessels, improve joint health and has various cardiovascular benefits.

Collagen is the most abundant protein in your body. It’s found in muscles, bones, skin, blood vessels, digestive system and tendons. It’s what helps give our skin strength and elasticity, along with replacing dead skin cells. When it comes to our joints and tendons, in simplest terms, it’s the “glue” that helps hold the body together.

Our body’s collagen production naturally begins to slow down as we age. We can thank this degenerative and lifestyle disease process for signs of aging, such as wrinkles, sagging skin and joint pains due to weaker or decreased cartilage. Collagen-related diseases most commonly arise from a combination of either genetic defects, poor intake of collagen-rich foods, nutritional deficiencies and digestive problems affecting production (synthesis) of collagen.

Collagen Benefits

Collagen Improves Health of Skin and Hair

As we age, collagen production declines we develop looser skin, more wrinkles and less elasticity. Increasing collagen levels can help your skin look firmer, increase smoothness, and help your skin cells keep renewing and repairing normally. A teaspoon of Collagen can make all the difference! And for those that are daring you can even make a skin ‘balm’ type mask from Collagen.

Collagen also reduces cellulite and stretch marks. When skin loses its elasticity as a result of decreased collagen, there’s another side effect: more visible cellulite. Because your skin is now thinner, cellulite becomes more evident. Improving your skin’s elasticity through collagen helps reduce that dimpling on your skin.

Collagen Reduces Joint Pains and Degeneration.

When we lose collagen, our tendons and ligaments start moving with less ease, leading to stiffness, swollen joints and more. Collagen allows us to move without pain! Collagen helps your joints move more easily, reduces pain often associated with aging and even reduces the risk of joint deterioration; helps osteoarthritis; rheumatoid arthritis and other joint pain and disorders.

Collagen Helps Heal Leaky Gut

If you suffer from leaky gut syndrome, a condition where toxins are able to pass through your digestive tract through small ‘leaks’ in the gut, collagen may help. Collagen also helps break down proteins and soothes your gut’s lining, healing damaged cell walls and infusing it with healing amino acids. Collagen helps form connective tissue and therefore “seals and heals” the protective lining of the gastrointestinal tract.

We know that many illnesses can actually be traced back to inflammation or irritation stemming from an unhealthy gut. Poor gut health — including changes in the gut microbiome and permeability in the gut lining — allows particles to pass into the bloodstream where they can kick off an inflammatory reaction which leads to most of your auto-immune conditions and disease.

Amino acids in collagen build the tissue that lines the colon and GI tract, supplementing with collagen can help treat gastrointestinal symptoms and disorders, including leaky gut syndrome, IBS, acid reflux, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Collagen also helps with the absorption of water within the intestines, keeping things moving more freely out of body.

Collagen Boosts Metabolism, Muscle Mass and Energy Output

A boost in collagen may help increase your metabolism by adding lean muscle mass to your frame and helping with the conversion of essential nutrients. One of glycine’s most important roles is helping form muscle tissue by converting glucose into energy that feeds muscle cells. And remember that retaining muscle mass is crucial as you age, since it helps support posture, bone health and burns more calories than fat. When consuming collagen, you can benefit from also consuming vitamin C to ensure your body can convert the collagen into a useable protein. This can begin to restore the source or your energy and vitality.

Collagen Strengthens Nails, Hair and Teeth

Collagen protein is the building block of your fingernails, hair and teeth. No more splitting! Adding collagen into your diet regimen can help keep your nails strong and possibly reverse signs of hair loss.

Collagen Improves Liver Health

If you’re looking to detox your body of harmful substances, improve blood flow and keep your heart young, collagen is extremely helpful. That’s because glycine helps minimize damage your liver experiences when it absorbs foreign substances, toxins or alcohol that shouldn’t be passing through it.

Collagen Protects Cardiovascular Health                                                                                                                                    

The amino acid proline helps your artery walls release fat buildup in the bloodstream, shrinking the fat in the arteries and minimizing fat accumulation. Proline is needed for tissue repair within the joints and arteries, plus it helps control blood pressure. As part of collagen found within joints, it buffers our bodies from the effects of vibration or shock and helps us hold on to valuable cartilage as we get older.   It’s also linked with the prevention of arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) since it helps our arteries stay clear of dangerous plaque buildup.

Arginine helps with nitric oxide production, which allows for better vasodilation — meaning the widening of arteries and relaxation of muscle cells and blood vessels that allows for better circulation.

At Imsyser we aim to serve and even though we have not sourced our own vegan collagen ‘yet’ – we await eagerly – we can supply a really good brand for those that need. Simply call 086 010 3859.

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