What is Collagen?
Collagen is the long-chain of amino acids that builds our skin, connective tissue and bones but cannot be absorbed through our diet. It is made primarily of three amino acids- proline, hydroxyproline and glycine – which gives it unique functional properties different from all other proteins. This also makes it the most important structural protein in the body.
Collagen is a fibrous protein that’s created in the body and required for many vital biological processes. In fact, collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body, and it’s a required building block for healthy nails, hair, skin, bones, tendons, ligaments, and more. Quite literally, collagen provides the scaffolding for the structure of our body. Any time you move, whether you’re stretching in a yoga class or walking down stairs, be grateful for collagen. The most recent research into this seemingly miraculous protein demonstrates that as we age and put our body under stress, collagen production declines. Therefore, maintaining healthy collagen levels is necessary for optimal body functioning, and it’s sometimes necessary to help regenerate our limited supply.
It’s found in muscles, bones, skin, blood vessels, digestive system and tendons. It’s what helps give our skin strength and elasticity, along with replacing dead skin cells. When it comes to our joints and tendons, in simplest terms, it’s the “glue” that helps hold the body together. Our body’s collagen production naturally begins to slow down as we age. Lifestyle factors do contribute as well.
As we age, with the hopes that it is gracefully, we do not produce collagen as effectively as we would like. This is where fine lines, wrinkles, achy joints, hair loss/thinning, and abdominal distention/bloating come into play. Lifestyle factors- like eating a diet high in sugar, smoking and high amounts of sun exposure- also contribute to depleting collagen levels. It’s been found that collagen-related diseases most commonly arise from a combination of either genetic defects, poor intake of collagen-rich foods, nutritional deficiencies and digestive problems affecting production (synthesis) of collagen.
Cattle, fish, chickens, and eggs.. Oh my!
Most collagen supplements are produced from the bones, skin, and connective tissue of animals, including cattle, fish, horses, pigs, or rabbits. I think we can all agree there’s nothing beautiful about drinking a powder of animal bones and connective tissue.
Here’s a little secret (hence the title of the magazine.) You don’t need to consume collagen powder, bone broth, or other animal parts to boost your body’s collagen levels. Seriously!
Here are 5 potential side effects of animal-based collagen:
-MedlinePlus, a website supported by the National Institutes of Health, states high calcium levels or hypercalcemia may occur as possible side effects of collagen supplements. Collagen that come from marine sources, such as shark cartilage and shellfish, contain high amounts of calcium, which can significantly raise the calcium levels of the consumer using the supplement.
-Bone broth and collagen products can contain hazardous contaminants including antibiotics, prescription drug metabolites (breakdown products of drugs), steroids, insecticides and parabens.
-Factory farmed animal products are problematic for many reasons, such as accelerating antibiotic resistance, poor conditions for the animals, and because the farms contribute to severe environmental pollution.
-Researchers found that broth made from chicken bones had 10 times the amount of lead as the broth made identically but without the chicken bones.
-Collagen supplements that come from eggs and their derivatives can also cause food sensitivities.
“There is some evidence that if animals are fed foods high in a certain pesticide it could concentrate in the collagen protein,” per WebMD.
You don’t need to consume animal-based collagen powder, bone broth, or other animal parts to boost your body’s collagen levels.
Many experts are recommending increasing consumption of collagen building blocks as well. This includes vitamin C and anti-inflammatory, antioxidant-rich leafy greens such as kale and spinach. This way, your body will have what it needs to preserve and produce the collagen needed. It’s important to note that there are many factors that support the formation and use of collagen in the body.
Vitamin C plays an important role in collagen synthesis, so without vitamin C, your body’s natural collagen production will be impacted. Without vitamin C, collagen production is disrupted and can result in a wide variety of problems throughout the body. To put it even simpler… without vitamin C, there simply is no collagen!
Hyaluronic acid has also been shown to improve skin moisture and suppleness and reduce wrinkles when added to the diet. With the use of a vegan hyaluronic acid due to a fermentation process, we are able to add this powerhouse collagen booster!
There’s been a lot of hype about collagen peptides in the health and fitness circuit lately, and for good reason. Rice peptides have undergone a process to break them down into shorter chains of proteins making them very easy to digest and support optimal collagen production. Isolated rice peptides were demonstrated to possess antioxidant, anti-hypertensive, anti-tyrosinase and/or anti-inflammatory activities, while all were shown to be neither cytotoxic nor irritant. Rice peptides are used mainly for strengthening the cell hydration.
Natural Collagen Booster!
There are SO many collagen products on the market and each will have a benefit for different individuals. There is concern amongst many with taking animal-based collagen products. Are they safe? How will our bodies respond to these ingredients? I love how consumers are getting more involved in their overall health and wellness!
I may be biased here, but the best way to do this is… drum roll…
Sunwarrior has developed a collagen building peptide powder that is uniquely brilliant! With the support of Vitamin C, Sea Buckthorn, Rice Peptides, Hyaluronic Acid, Tremella Mushrooms, Biotin, Trace Minerals, Spirulina, and Green Leafy Vegetables from raw, plant-based sources; this powerhouse of ingredients will boost your natural collagen production! Giving your body what it needs to shine day and night from the inside out!
I am fortunate to work with such an amazing company in research and development. This is a product I wanted to help create for years so it is exciting times! After researching the collagen structure, I learned what the biochemical co-factors and co-nutrients are to boost and build our natural collagen production. Sunwarrior’s Collagen boosting peptides contains heavy hitters for assisting the body to build healthy collagen for overall health, wellness, and anti-aging effects.
Why ingest animal derived collagen when your body was designed to generate its own from natural foods? Sunwarrior offers the plant-based solution, tailored to boost your body’s inherent collagen and elastin production. It is our inside out approach for healthy bones, glowing and supple skin, thick and shiny hair, decreased joint pain, plus all the additional benefits of collagen. Give your body what it needs to shine day and night from the inside out! So, enjoy daily.
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