Unexpected Ways to Boost Collagen to Look and Feel Better
Collagen is one of those health foods that’s taken the world by storm over the past few years.
Which is funny to me, since collagen isn’t new, and it’s not complicated, and it’s not expensive (or, doesn’t have to be).
Collagen is simply a matrix of proteins that help to form most of the connective tissue in your body. Without collagen you wouldn’t be able to hold yourself together, that’s a fact. And I’d hate to see a person who doesn’t have collagen in their body.
So what exactly does collagen do? Or rather, how can you benefit from increasing your collagen production?
Glad you asked, or that I inspired you to ask.
Maintaining a healthy intake of collagen can make your achy joints feel less achy. It can help to restore the appearance of your skin and make you look younger. And, it can help to improve the function of your gut by helping to restore digestive function and prevent the perforation of the gut lining which allows for toxic food “stuff” to leak into your blood.
That’s a high-level overview of what collagen can do for you.
When it comes to ensuring you have enough in your body, I’m about to give you some unexpected ways to boost collagen to look and feel better.
Here’s How to Boost Collagen In Your Body – Naturally
The interesting thing about collagen is that your body actually makes it.
However, there are different kinds of collagen, 16 of them in fact.
The main 4 that you find in supplements are:
- Type I. This type accounts for 90% of your body’s collagen and is made of densely packed fibers. It provides structure to skin, bones, tendons, fibrous cartilage, connective tissue, and teeth.
- Type II. This type is made of more loosely packed fibers and found in elastic cartilage, which cushions your joints.
- Type III. This type supports the structure of muscles, organs, and arteries.
- Type IV. This type helps with filtration and is found in the layers of your skin.
Like I said, you can get all of these in supplements…
But there’s another way to get collagen.
Food…AKA your diet.
In this article I’m going to tell you about some of the best dietary sources for the nutrients that help to form collagen connective tissue in your body.
1 – Bone Broth:
Not everyone knows the best way to get collagen from your diet is drinking broth. Broth that you make by simmering bones and other connective tissue for hours on end doesn’t just taste great, it helps to nourish you with collagen-forming proteins which can drastically alter your health.
2 – Berries:
Berries truly are superfoods, they’re generally low in sugar, high in fiber and contain tons of micronutrients. But guess what else? Their high vitamin C content can help boost collagen production in your body, which is pretty awesome.
3 – Fish & Shellfish:
You can increase collagen production using collagen and shellfish, too. The way you make that happen is similar to making bone broth,
Fish and shellfish contain bones and ligaments which are made of collagen, and while some smaller species of fish can be consumed whole (anchovies and sardines for example) you can also make stock out of fish parts for collagen production.
Fish stock isn’t super popular in American culture, and yet, it forms the basis of some of the most flavorful dishes on the planet.
If you buy whole fish, oysters, mussels, etc. you can make stock out of the skin and bones. That stock can be transformed into a variety of dishes which will elevate your diet and add a ton of variety to your life.
4 – Chicken:
While you can make collagen-boosting bone broth with chicken bones, you can also boost production just by eating chicken.
How?
Poultry contains a ridiculous amount of connective tissue. Just think about how much you see in a chicken breast or thighs when you’re cutting them up to throw in a recipe.
In fact, studies have shown that chicken neck and cartilage are capable of helping to resolve arthritis symptoms!
5 – Garlic:
I like how versatile garlic is. It’s rich in antioxidants and has numerous properties that lend itself to being known as a superfood.
Sulfur helps with collagen synthesis as well, helping to prevent the breakdown of collagen in the future.
Throwing a few cooked cloves of garlic into a meal is a way to lessen the offensive bite garlic is known for while adding to sulfur intake.
6 – Eggs:
Eggs, too, are tremendous health foods and are one great food to take for helping support your collagen production.
Here’s how:
“Chicken eggs have two membranes located between the shell and the white of the egg which defend the egg from bacteria. They are also a great source of collagen.
Research conducted in the 1980s found that the outer and inner membranes contain a substance similar to two types of collagen known as type I and V collagen. More recent research has also established that collagen is present in a chicken’s egg yolks.
Type I collagen is by far the most abundant form of collagen in the human body. It is extremely strong and is mainly found in skin tendons, scar tissue, bones and arterial walls. At least 90% of the collagen present in our bodies is the type I form. Type V collagen which is also found in egg membranes is present in the hair, the cell surface and in the placenta.”
Of Course, Supplements Help Too
At the end of the day you noticed I’ve focused heavily on diet for collagen production.
That’s easily the best way to start.
But if you need extra collagen, either for supporting skin and hair health, joint condition, digestive health, or whatever you want, taking a supplement is great.
There are so many different kinds, so if you’re in our store, don’t forget to ask our staff about which will work best for you!