Collagen makes up 30% of the body’s nutrition. Collagen gives your skin, bones and muscles, or tendons structure, stability, and strength. Most collagen products lack scientific evidence, but a well-balanced diet provides your body with the necessary materials it requires to produce collagen organically.
Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. Proline, glycine, and hydroxyproline are the primary amino acids used to produce collagen. These amino acids generate protein fibrils with a triple helix shape. To form the triple helix, your body also need adequate amounts of vitamin C, zinc, copper, and manganese.
The primary function of collagen is to provide structure, strength, and support throughout the body.
Collagen’s specialised functions include:
promoting the formation of fibroblasts in the dermis (middle skin layer), which aids in the growth of new cells.
Playing a function in the replacement of dead skin cells.
Giving organs a protective coating.
Giving your skin structure, strength, and suppleness.
Aiding in the clotting of your blood.
Are there various forms of collagen?
There are at least 28 different kinds of collagen. They differ in terms of how the molecules are built, the cell components that are added, and the location of the collagen in your body. At least one triple helix structure can be found in all collagen fibrils.
The five primary forms of collagen and what they perform are as follows:
Type I. This kind accounts for 90% of the collagen in your body. Type I powdered collagen is densely packed and is utilised to form your skin, bones, tendons, and ligaments.
The second type. This type is present in elastic cartilage, which is used to support joints.
Type III is found in the muscles, arteries, and organs.
The fourth type. This kind is present in the skin’s layers.
Type V. This type can be found in the cornea of your eyes, some layers of skin, hair, and placental tissue.
What happens to my collagen as I get older?
As you become older, your body creates less collagen, and existing collagen degrades faster. Your collagen supplementation is also of lower quality than it was when you were younger. After menopause, women’s collagen production drops significantly. After the age of 60, everyone has a decrease in collagen production.
Can I determine if my collagen levels are dropping?
Collagen cannot be detected in a blood test, for example, but there are signals that your collagen supplement level is diminishing. These are some of the signs and symptoms:
Wrinkled, crepey, or sagging skin.
Allowing air to enter your eyes and face.
Muscle shrinkage, weakness, and pains.
Tendons and ligaments that are stiffer and less flexible.
Osteoarthritis is caused by worn cartilage in the joints.
Mobility loss caused by joint injury or stiffness.
Gastrointestinal issues caused by weakening of the digestive system lining.
Issues with blood flow
