Avoid Premature Aging with Collagen

Lack of collagen in the body can directly affect the health of your nails, skin elasticity, bones and joints, leading to premature aging and making one look much older than their current age.

Do not underestimate the importance of this natural protein, especially if you’re between 20 and 30 years of age, because this is when the body’s production of it is drastically reduced.

Once the body loses the ability to produce collagen, hair thins out, becomes dull and lifeless; the joints also become less flexible and this is when you can also contract the dangerous disease, osteoporosis.

Wrinkles and collagen

Other symptoms related to premature aging that should be recognized if you are lacking this protein, is when you start to see wrinkles appear, and accentuated with age. You might also see a lot of expression lines on your lips, eyelids and cheeks. This process is started primarily by a loss of elasticity in skin.  As said before, collagen is absolutely necessary for keeping skin fresh and smooth.

It Affects Bones

With the passage of time, collagen begins to break down, which is why bone density could decrease, leading to painful joints.  Lack of collagen also leads to illnesses like osteoarthritis, lumbago and osteoporosis.  In women, this degradation process accelerates, and it can even affect the decrease in hormone levels during menopause.

What is collagen?

This is a complex structure protein that keeps skin strong and flexible.  As a structural protein, it is the fundamental component for the body’s support system: ligaments, bones, joints, muscles, tendons, gums, eyes, blood vessels, nails and hair.  If you eat enough collagen, your body will receive the necessary material to supplement and repair this supportive ability, and you won’t experience any problems.

How you get Collagen

The primary source of collagen is 100% animal gelatin.  It is obtained directly from animal bone marrow, and not from vegetable sources.  It is in meats, like pork, pigs feet, cod, and salmon, because  part of its structure is gelatinous.  In fact, when heating salmon, it generally gives of a sticky liquid that is generally collagen.  Remeber, just buying the most expensive creams on the market that state they contain collagen, isn’t enough.  You need to consume foods that contain it, and don’t wait until after you’re 30 to think about this.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is available in all vegetables, which is an essential nutrients for forming collagen.  This vitamin is one of the primary maker of healthy body tissue.  You can also find it in fruits, like citrus fruits, kiwi, tomatoes, and vegetables.

How to consume collagen

If you are choosing entirely dietary collagen, eating 10 grams a day will be sufficient for noticing its benefits within 1 to 3 months.  But always remember to see a professional before you begin to use it, so that you can know how much collagen your body requires.

Good diet for preventing premature aging

You should also keep in mind that a healthy diet can also considerably lessen the effects of premature aging.  Avoid prolonged periods of fasting.

Foods with collagen

BERRIES

Tasty and nutritious.  They are meaty and have seeds in the middle.  They are rich in vitamin C, which not only eliminates free radicals, but they increase collagen levels.  Include strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, raspberries, and more in your diet.

LEAFY GREEN VEGETABLES

Their antioxidant properties stabilize enzymes that reduce collagen production.  Both spinach and cabbage contain large amounts of vitamin C.  Consuming salads with vegetables will make your skin beautiful and radiant, preventing premature aging.

VEGETABLES WITH HIGH WATER CONTENT

Both cucumbers and celery have a lot of water, and they will help keep skin moisturized.  These vegetables contain sulfur, an indispensable element in the body’s collagen production.  So start including them in your daily diet today.

ORANGE COLORED VEGETABLES

Every vegetable that is orange in color, like carrots, are rich in vitamin A, a nutrient that restores collagen levels in the skin.

FISH

It is important that you contain fish that contain a lot of omega-3, like tuna and salmon.  They help stimulate collagen in the skin and keep cell walls strong, especially the membranes that protect the skin.

RED VEGETABLES

These foods contain antioxidants that protect skin from environmental damage, and that increase collagen production.  If you eat a lot of red vegetables, like tomatoes and red peppers, you are protecting your body from the sun’s rays.

All of these vegetables, fruits, and foods will help promote collagen in your skin.  We congratulate you for choosing these foods, and we encourage you to eat even more of them in tasty recipes.

Revised by: Dra. Loredana Lunadei on 05/16/2018

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