Who would want wrinkles on their faces, dry and sagging skin, and joint aches? I don’t, do you?
If only you could run after time, it’s as plain as the nose on my face that you would race against it just to have that feeling of youthfulness and strength you once had. But, it’s never too late.
These signs of aging can be prevented by slowing down their development. It’s so easy! Take that ridiculous thought of racing against time off of your mind. Just the thought of it makes me feel more aged!
All you need to do is understand why these things occur. It’s collagen or the lack of it that is responsible for the deterioration of your skin.
Collagen functions as scaffolding for our body. It is the fibrous protein constituent of skin, cartilage, bones and other connective tissue.
An appropriate and enough collagen supply in our body is extremely required, however it is not easy to maintain and achieve.
Unfortunately, it is established that our body loses collagen at a rate of 1.5 % per annum, starting at the age of 25. Collagen functions as a chondroprotective agent, which means that it protects cartilage and synovial fluid against degeneration.
The depletion of collagen in our skin leads to the formation of wrinkles and the occurrence of other signs of aging.
If this happens, collagen function simply defeats its purpose. Another collagen function is that it can reduce oxidative damage to joints, hence, stimulate major decrease in joint pain, and swelling.
After we have understood the importance of collagen functions, we now realize how important enough supply of collagen in our body is. This is when collagen supplements step in.
There are a wide variety of collagen supplements which are available at present. These collagen supplements replenish the diminishing supply of collagen in our body to perform its function.
Regular intake of collagen supplement makes your skin nourished, and reduces joint pain. These supplements are made from natural ingredients such as the ones found in different foods, therefore, it is safe.
For the collagen functions to be maximized, maintain the collagen supply in your body by taking collagen supplement.
The benefits these supplements give you include revitalizing your skin and keeping it healthy, reducing the occurrence of fine lines and wrinkles, strengthening your nails and improving the condition of your hair. If supplement is taken before exercise or any physical activities, collagen functions at its best, increasing both energy and performance. They can also maintain and replenish lean muscle mass to improve the administration of your body’s fat, therefore, take part in managing weight.
It is very important to know and understand the collagen functions in order for us to prevent the early signs of aging by slowing them down through regular intake of collagen supplement.
If you want to live your life to the fullest, feeling and looking young, take care of your health and replenish your body’s reducing supply of collagen.
Collagen Vascular diseases resulted from immune malfunction which also affect other organs of the body.
Collagen is a strong, glue-like protein that represents 30 % of body protein and shapes the structure of tendons, bones, and connective tissues. Immune system malfunction can affect these structures.
This is identified as collagen vascular disease. The collagen vascular diseases include: rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, dermatomyositis, and polyarteritis nodosa.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a never-ending disease that causes inflammation of the joints and surrounding tissues.
It can also affect other organs. Our body’s immune system normally fights off foreign substances, like viruses but, in an autoimmune disease, the immune system confuses healthy tissue for foreign substances.
As a result, the body attacks itself. This collagen vascular disease can occur at any age usually in people between the ages 25 and 55.
The course of the severity of the disease can differ significantly. Infection, genes, and hormones may add to the illness. Rheumatoid arthritis usually affects joints on both sides of the body. Wrists, knees, fingers, feet, and ankles-the most commonly affected.
Systemic lupus erythematosus is a chronic, inflammatory autoimmune disorder. It can affect the skin, joints, kidneys, and other organs.
Many researchers suspect it occurs after infection with an organism that looks similar to particular protein in the body which are later mistaken for the organism and wrongly targeted for attack.
This disease may also be caused by certain drugs. If it occurs, it is called drug-induced lupus erythematosus and is reversible when the medication is stopped. This can also occur at any age but usually appears in people between 10-50 years old.
Scleroderma is a diffuse connective tissue disease characterized by changes in the skin, blood vessels, skeletal muscles, and internal organs. The course and severity of this collagen vascular disease varies widely in those affected. Extra collagen deposits in the skin and other organs create the symptoms.
Damage to small blood vessels within the skin and affected orgasm also occur. In the skin, ulceration, calcification, and changes in pigmentation may occur.
Systemic features may include fibrosis and degeneration of the heart lungs, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tract. This usually affects people aged 30 to 50 years old and affects more on women than men.
Dermatomyositis is a connective tissue disease that is characterized by inflammation of the muscles and skin. No identified cause of this disease yet it is speculated that a viral infection of the skeletal muscle may cause the disease.
This collagen vascular disease can affect people at any age, usually at their 40 to 60 years old or 5-15 for children.
Muscle weakness may occur slowly, difficulty in raising you arms over the head, raising from a sitting position, and climbing stairs. Dusky, red rash may appear on your face, neck, shoulders, upper chest, and back.
Polyarteritis nodosa is a serious blood vessel disease. Small and medium-sized arteries become swollen and damaged when attacked by rouge immune system. Adults are more affected than children.
This collagen vascular disease damages the tissue supplied by the affected arteries because they are not receiving enough oxygen and nourishment without a proper blood supply.
Symptoms of this disease result from damaged to affected organs, regularly the skin, heart, kidneys, and nervous system.
These collagen vascular diseases don’t have any identified explanations as to the causes of these illnesses but they usually affect more women compared to men.
What is so scary about these illnesses is that it affects other organs of our body which makes things more complicated than it already is.
Oral Collagen Supplements
The best way to replenish your collagen supply is to take collagen supplements. Collagen is the strong fibers that interlace throughout our body for strength and support to exactly hold our together like glue can. It also is the most abundant protein in our body.
As we age, the ability for our body to produce collagen slows down. Eventually, a collagen deficiency manifests in our skin, joints, and other parts of the body; weakening the connective tissues which hold s together.
Due to the lack of collagen, wrinkles, weak hair, nails and skin, and joint pains will come up. Starting at the age of 25, collagen production in our body reduces for about 1.5 % a year.
To replenish the insufficient amount of collagen that our body produces, resulting in the drying up of our skin, lotions and creams are used. For fine lines and wrinkles, collagen injections, too, became popular.
But because these repairs only provide temporary results, people are becoming extra careful and aware of the real score. Prevention is definitely better than cure. This is now where collagen supplements step in.
Oral collagen supplements provide essential components needed to the maintenance of connective tissues. There are two common collagen supplements that are widely used, and these are the combination of collagen Type I and collagen Type oral supplements, and a collagen Type II supplement.
These are the richest types of collagen in our body. Collagen Type I and collagen Type III, are the ones found in our hair, skin, nails, tendons, ligaments, muscles, bones, eyes, teeth, and blood vessels. Collagen
Type II is the major component of joint cartilage, though, their presence is beneficial in joint tissues. Collagen Type II provides amino acids, hyaluronic acid, chondroitin, and glucosamine for maximum joint cartilage support.
There are many collagen supplements available in the market today and all of them claim to provide and replenish the slowly reduction of collagen supply in our body.
If there is enough collagen in our body, it would mean healthier skin, nails, hair, stronger joints, and other parts of our body.
The best way to replenish collagen in our body to slow down the aging process and to strengthen our joints is to take oral supplements. Lotions and creams can’t reach the area where collagen is needed the most, while in oral supplementation, it works from the insides.
Different Collagen supplements brands:
- Pure- Col
- Collagen Plus
- Toki
- Pure Logical Collagen Capsule
- Genacol Bio-Active Collagen Complex supplement
Below is a list of some of the brands of collagen supplements which are available. They all provide replenishment to the reducing production of collagen in our body.
Different brand names but with the same benefits, collagen supplements keep our skin healthy, and joints strong. Nourish from within and the result is amazing!
Camille McClellan, MD, DNM, MBS
Naturopathic practitioner
McClellan Natural Health, Wellness & Nutrition
Free Naturopathic/Homeopathic Consults Available
