Collagen for Beautiful Skin

Collagen Can Help Improve Your Skin

Loss of collagen is one of the biggest contributors to visible signs of aging, such as wrinkles and dull or sagging skin. When your collagen level is high, your skin will tend to be soft, smooth and firm, because the collagen allows skin cells to repair and renew themselves continuously.

By the time you reach your 80s, you have about four times less collagen than you did in your youth, which brings about the skin issues. A collagen-rich diet can go a long way toward slowing down these visible signs of aging. It also benefits your hair and nails.

That said, certain environmental and lifestyle factors can also have a negative impact on your collagen production, regardless of your age, making healthy, youthful skin hard to attain. Factors that can slow your body's ability to manufacture collagen include:

Hormone imbalances and thyroid dysfunction

Pollution and dust

Overwork

Hydrogenated cooking oils

Processed foods

Nutritional deficiencies

Fluoridated water

Radiation

Excessive sun exposure

Sugar

Stress

Poor liver or kidney function

If you're vegetarian, you may also have a more difficult time keeping up your collagen intake, because it's stored in animal bones. It’s one of the reasons why bone broth is now considered a superfood.

When it comes to skin health, it’s important to realize that topically applied collagen cannot cross into deeper skin layers, so most collagen-containing skin creams are likely a waste of money. To really make a difference, you need to tackle the problem from the inside-out, making sure you’re getting enough collagen, either through collagen-rich foods or a supplement.

Which is why I add a collagen supplement to my daily Chai Tea Latte I make at home, and why I make my own bone broth. Bone broth can be used as a base for soups, you can cook whole grains in bone both for extra nutrition and flavor. Or just savor a hot cup of bone broth with a little seasoning and salt. Once you get in the habit it is easy to add collagen to your daily diet.