- Why Do You Need Collagen?
- What is Collagen Protein?
- Types of Collagen
- Benefits of Taking Collagen Supplements
- How To Get More Collagen in Your Diet
- Conclusion
Why Do You Need Collagen?
When you’re flying high in your 20s, you can feel invincible, like you have all the energy in the world and your body can last through anything. But aging is inevitable, and it means that, to stay healthy, you must look at your body realistically. People are living things, and our body gradually ages and can slow much faster if we don’t maintain it properly. We all know of the great benefits to proper diet, exercise, and healthy sleep, but there are other ways we can supplement our well-being and ensure a long and healthy life by eating foods rich in structural proteins like collagen protein.
Collagen protein composes your teeth, bones, joints, connective tissues, and skin. It also helps your blood clot. Your body can consume collagen by eating collagen-rich foods or taking collagen protein supplements. Collagen is the most abundant of your body’s proteins (it comprises one third), and because of the sheer number of collagen protein benefits, is among the most important.
What is Collagen Protein?
Premium сollagen protein is a naturally-occurring structural protein that acts as a sort of glue in the structure of many of your body parts (its very name comes from the Greek root kolla, which means glue). You can find collagen protein in most of the functional parts of the body, providing structure for skin, bones, tendons, ligaments, and muscles, and it can also be found in blood vessels, the corneas, and teeth, and in the soft tissue of the organs. It cannot be overstated what a beneficial protein collagen is to the body. Collagen protein structure contains abundant quantities of the amino acids glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline, all of which contribute to further collagen production.
Collagen protein is made up of long chains of amino acids which can form dense structures that are used for several vital bodily applications. Collagen protein function can be found in wounds to facilitate healing, in dense sheets that hold organs in place, wrapping around tubular structures (blood vessels), and in corneas to aid in focusing light.
Types of Collagen
There are multiple types of collagen protein function, at least sixteen types. However, the body mostly uses four key types:
- Type I Collagen: 90% of your body’s collagen is Type I. Type I collagen protein is comprised of densely-packed fibers that provide structure to bones, skin, teeth, fibrous cartilage, and connective tissue. Type I collagen, pound for pound, is the best collagen protein, stronger than steel, and has a high stretch potential, making it well-suited for tendons.
- Type II Collagen: This type of collagen is less densely constituted and more fibrous than Type I. This collagen protein is more suited to absorbing shocks in the body, ideal for protecting joints in the form of cartilage. Type II collagen is smaller in diameter, and is better for taking impact due to being imbedded in a gel-like substance.
- Type III Collagen: This type of collagen protein is mostly found in soft tissues. Type III collagen comprises a delicate structure that protects the cells in organs such as the liver, and provides structural support in other organs, muscles, and arteries.
- Type IV Collagen: Type IV collagen is found in layers of the skin and is used for filtration.
Benefits of Taking Collagen Supplements
Although your body produces collagen naturally, the production slows down after you pass your 20s. As your natural production of collagen protein diminishes, signs of aging become visible, such as wrinkles and proneness to skin dryness. Since collagen protein benefits almost all facets of your body, slowing down is not good news for everything from your bones to your teeth to your organs.
In recent years, there has been a trend toward mitigating the process by consuming what is normally called collagen supplements. Collagen supplements – also called “collagen peptides”, “collagen powder,” or “hydrolyzed collagen” – are powders made from hydrolyzed collagen protein that can be infused into drinks. Collagen supplements both augment your body’s intake of this important protein and help to make up for a lack due to an absence of collagen protein in your diet.
Bulletproof collagen protein powder is a popular alternative for people whose diets may be lacking in collagen. It is common for people to add Bulletproof powdered collagen protein to hot drinks for easy consumption. The best collagen protein benefits include hydrating skin and keeping it youthful, preventing the onset of skin wrinkles, and strengthening your body’s collagen structures.
How To Get More Collagen in Your Diet
There are, among the more common ways to get the best collagen protein into your system, several dietary staples with high amounts of collagen. Foods with high amounts of collagen include bone broth; skin from pork, salmon, and chicken; and egg yolks and shell membranes. Vitamin C also synthesizes one of the amino acids that stabilizes collagen, as well as zinc and manganese, which are both commonly found in leafy greens and whole grains.
Several nutrients also stimulate collagen protein production. Proline is found in egg whites, dairy products, asparagus, wheat germ, and mushrooms. Glycine is found largely in pork and chicken skin. Finally, copper is found in sesame seeds, lentils, cashews, and cocoa powder.
Conclusion
Whether you get it in your diet or in a Bulletproof collagen protein powder, there should be no doubt by now of the importance of collagen protein in the human body. Although supplements are often used to delay the effects of aging, the benefits are vast, touching just about every part of your body. Those looking to take the supplement route will often go for supplements from Bulletproof, which a simple search will show garners phenomenal powdered collagen protein reviews. Any way you take it, collagen protein is extremely important, and its lack can be detrimental to your well-being in almost every way.
