Collagen – you might have heard the word being floated around by beauty magazines and social media enough to be familiar with what it is by this point. And if you have not, collagen is one of the main proteins found in the human body, and the one responsible for the youthful look and elasticity of the skin. And of course, it is a main component of only your skin, but your muscles and bones as well. That alone should give you an idea of just how important this component is for the human body. Nowadays, collagen supplements can be found in just about anything – from beauty powder to capsules and powders in your food. This is yet one of the latest fads in the world of beauty and health, but the question is, does increasing your collage intake, whether by ingesting it or otherwise, really have a health benefit in store for you? Find out below!
- Skin ageing – the most popular claim behind collagen products is that it is capable of preventing the ageing of the skin. This is why most people buy beauty powders that contain collagen (and conversely, it might be difficult to find one that foregoes collagen). The exact science behind this is not clear, but what is hypothesized is that a higher amount of collagen improves skin elasticity, and with it, the tightening of your skin tissue. As most individuals age, the normal process is to gradually lose the amount of collagen in the tissue, and this has been proven to lead to wrinkling, sagging of the skin and lines. By applying powders, creams or even ingesting collagen, it is believed that the amount of collagen in the tissue could increase and thereby prevent such ageing effects on the skin.
- Helps with cellulite – another unwelcome visitor of the ageing process is cellulite, or the manifestation of lumps and bumps in certain areas of the body as a result of fat below the skin layer pushing it upwards. Collagen is thought to be able to prevent the appearance of cellulite, as many studies have shown in the past.
- Joint pain – as mentioned in the very beginning, collagen is not found only in your skin, but also in your bones, and this is why an increased intake in collagen may help you better manage your joint pain. For people suffering from arthritis and similar conditions, it is often worthwhile to try and add collagen Australia products into their diets – studies have shown that individuals reported lower levels of pain after a diet supplemented by collagen.
- Muscle building – if you are one to frequent gyms a couple of days per week, you might want to try out a collagen supplement as well. This is because collagen has been shown to improve the muscle mass, whilst also helping to burn down fats in the body – a win-win situation for most people.