Collagen: What is Collagen & What Does it Do for Your Body?
Reading Time: 5 minutes Collagen is your body’s glue.
It holds you together, making up 30% of your protein.
It’s the secret behind strong skin, resilient tendons, and smooth-jointed movement. From your muscles to your bones, even your blood vessels and gut lining rely on collagen.
Built from amino acids like proline and glycine, collagen forms a triple-helix structure—tough yet flexible.
But it doesn’t work alone.
Nutrients like vitamin C and zinc power its production, keeping your body’s framework durable and elastic.
Without collagen, life would unravel—literally.
Types of Collagen
There are 28 identified types of collagen, varying by molecular assembly, cellular components, and functional location in the body. The five main types include:
- Type I: Comprising 90% of the body’s collagen, it provides structure to skin, bones, tendons, and ligaments.
- Type II: Found in elastic cartilage, supporting joints.
- Type III: Found in muscles, arteries, and organs.
- Type IV: Present in skin layers.
- Type V: Located in the cornea, some skin layers, hair, and placental tissues.
What Does Collagen Do?
Collagen provides structure, strength, and support throughout the body. Specific roles of collagen include:
- Assisting fibroblast formation in the dermis, promoting new cell growth.
- Replacing dead skin cells.
- Protecting organs with a structural covering.
- Supporting skin strength, elasticity, and structure.
- Aiding blood clotting.
What Happens to Collagen During Aging?
Collagen production decreases with age, leading to faster breakdown and lower quality.
Women, particularly post-menopause, experience significant reductions.
By age 60, collagen levels decline for most individuals.
Signs of Collagen Decline
Decreased collagen levels can lead to:
- Wrinkled, sagging skin.
- Hollowness around the eyes and face.
- Muscle weakness and aches.
- Stiffer tendons and ligaments.
- Joint pain or osteoarthritis.
- Digestive issues from thinning intestinal lining.
- Reduced blood flow.
Lifestyle Factors That Damage Collagen
Collagen damage is caused by lifestyle habits and conditions, including:
- Smoking: Reduces production, damages existing collagen and elastin, and slows wound healing.
- Excessive sugar and refined carbohydrate intake: Produces advanced glycation end products, weakening collagen.
- UV light exposure: Breaks down collagen, leading to wrinkles.
- Autoimmune diseases: Conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus attack collagen.
- Genetic mutations: Conditions like Ehlers-Danlos syndrome disrupt collagen production.
How to Improve Collagen Naturally
Supporting collagen production and reducing the effects of aging can be achieved through consistent lifestyle habits and dietary choices.
By combining these practices, you can enhance your body’s ability to produce collagen and maintain healthy, youthful skin and tissues over time.
Protect Your Skin From UV Damage
Ultraviolet (UV) rays break down collagen and accelerate skin aging, causing wrinkles and loss of elasticity.
Wearing sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher every day is one of the best ways to protect your skin.
Apply sunscreen generously to all exposed areas and reapply every two hours, especially after sweating or swimming.
Complement this with protective clothing like wide-brimmed hats, UV-blocking sunglasses, and lightweight, long-sleeved garments when spending extended time outdoors.
Consume Collagen-Rich Foods
Nutrition plays a key role in collagen production.
Following a balanced diet, such as the Mediterranean diet, provides your body with the nutrients it needs to produce collagen naturally.
This diet emphasizes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and seeds, which are rich in vitamins and minerals essential for collagen synthesis.
It also includes moderate amounts of seafood, lean proteins, and dairy, which supply the amino acids needed to build collagen.
Although collagen from food cannot be absorbed in its whole form, the body breaks it into amino acids, which are used for various needs. Foods supporting collagen production include:
- Vitamin C sources: Oranges, strawberries, broccoli, potatoes.
- Proline sources: Mushrooms, cabbage, fish, meat.
- Glycine sources: Red meat, chicken, pork skin.
- Copper sources: Liver, nuts, dark chocolate.
- Zinc sources: Oysters, beans, green leafy vegetables.
Incorporate Collagen-supporting Nutrients
Focus on foods rich in vitamin C, zinc, copper, and glycine, as these are vital for collagen formation.
Include citrus fruits, bell peppers, strawberries, and broccoli for vitamin C; oysters, nuts, and seeds for zinc; and leafy greens and dark chocolate for copper.
Glycine-rich foods, such as chicken, turkey, and pork skin, also contribute to collagen production.
Stay Hydrated
Proper hydration helps maintain skin elasticity and supports the overall health of connective tissues.
Drinking enough water daily ensures that your body can effectively utilize the nutrients required for collagen production.
Avoid Harmful Habits
Smoking and excessive consumption of sugar or refined carbohydrates can damage collagen.
Smoking reduces blood flow to the skin and depletes nutrients required for collagen synthesis, while sugar creates advanced glycation end products that weaken collagen fibers.
Minimizing these habits can help protect your body’s natural collagen reserves.
Consume Collagen Supplements
Collagen supplements are not FDA-regulated and lack extensive randomized controlled trials.
Studies are often industry-funded, raising questions about reliability.
Furthermore, the body distributes collagen peptides as needed, not necessarily to the areas desired.
However, collagen supplements, often sold as peptides or hydrolyzed collagen, are absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract.
They can improve skin elasticity, hydration, and joint health while aiding muscle recovery after exercise.
Additionally, research highlights their effectiveness in reducing wrinkles, alleviating joint pain, and supporting cartilage integrity.
However, choosing a high-quality supplement is essential, as not all products are created equal.
Trusted brands like Purely Inspired, NOW Foods, and Vital Proteins offer options tailored to specific needs, from budget-friendly choices to those that combine collagen with hyaluronic acid for enhanced benefits.
In my opinion, Purely Inspired Collagen Peptides is the best budget-friendly option, offering high-quality, grass-fed bovine collagen at an affordable price, perfect for those new to collagen supplements or on a tighter budget.
Last update on 2025-01-17 / This article includes affiliate links/Images via Amazon Product Advertising API. I may earn commissions on purchases made through these links.
For premium quality, Vital Proteins stands out with its hydrolyzed bovine collagen, enhanced with hyaluronic acid and vitamin C, making it an exceptional choice for supporting skin, joints, and overall health.
Last update on 2025-01-17 / This article includes affiliate links/Images via Amazon Product Advertising API. I may earn commissions on purchases made through these links.
