Benefits of Collagen

Collagen is the most abundant protein in our bodies. It’s found in muscles, bones, skin, blood vessels, digestive system and tendons. For this reason, collagen’s benefits are practically unparalleled and it can help your body with all of the following:

1. Improves skin elasticity, prevents hair loss, and builds stronger nails, bones, and teeth. It can even help to reduce the appearance of stretch marks and cellulite.
2. Support healthy joints and improves our mobility by helping to regenerate ligaments and tendons. Plus, it even helps reduce pain for those suffering with arthritis.
3. Improves gut health. Collagen helps form connective tissue that “seals and heals” the protective lining of the gastrointestinal tract. This helps to maintain a healthy microbiome and prevent inflammatory health conditions like leaky gut, IBS, acid reflux, ulcerative colitis etc. Plus, collagen helps with the absorption of water within the intestines, keeping things moving more freely out of body.
4. Boosts metabolism, helps to maintain muscle mass, prevent bone loss, and improves energy levels. A boost in collagen may help increase your metabolism by adding lean muscle mass to your frame and helping with the conversion of essential nutrients. The amino acid, arginine, boosts the body’s ability to make protein from other amino acids, which is important for repairing muscle tissue, healing wounds, and boosting the metabolism. And glutamine also helps maintain adequate energy by facilitating the synthesizing of many chemicals providing fuel to our cells.
5. Protects cardiovascular health because the amino acid proline helps your arterial walls release fat buildup in the bloodstream, shrinking the fat in the arteries and minimizing fat accumulation. Collagen also helps to improve circulation and lower blood pressure.
6. Helps build healthy DNA strands. It’s also one of three amino acids that form creatine, which promotes healthy muscle growth and boosts energy production during workouts. Our body’s collagen production naturally begins to slow down as we age, but a multi-collagen supplement can make a HUGE difference.

The key with any supplement of course is the quality. You want to be sure the collagen is from real food that is organic and sustainable, and free from hormones, antibiotics, and environmental toxins like mercury (which can be found in large predatory fish).

The reason a multi collagen peptide supplement is ideal is because there are 16 different types of collagen within the human body. These include collagen types 1, 2, 3, 5 and 10. However 90 percent consists of types 1, 2, and 3.

Here’s an overview of the different types of collagen and their primary benefits:

• Type 1/Type I: This is by far the most abundant. It’s made up of eosinophilic fibers that form parts of the body, including tendons, ligaments, organs and skin. Type 1 collagen also helps form bones and can be found within the GI tract.
• Type 2/Type II: Type 2 collagen primarily helps build cartilage.
• Type 3/Type III: Type 3 collagen makes up our organs and skin. It’s usually found with type 1 and helps give skin its elasticity and firmness. It also forms blood vessels and tissue within the heart.
• Type 4/Type IV: Type 4 collagen forms tissue that surround organs, muscles and fat. It lines the majority of our digestive organs and respiratory surfaces.
• Type 5/Type V: This type of collagen helps form the surface of our cells, as well as hair strands and tissue found in women’s placentas during pregnancy.
• Type 10/Type X: Type 10 helps with new bone formation and forming articular cartilage.

Personally for me I take Alaya Naturals Multi Collagen ** because it’s all from organic ethically sourced foods and it has a blend of MSM, Glucosamine and Chondroitin to support the benefits from the collagen. But again, if there is a brand you love just make sure the product is a multi collagen and that it’s from organic sustainable sources.

**Enjoy 20% off Alaya's Multi Collagen and all Alaya Naturals products using code JMBLOG