As we age, our bodies make less and less amounts of collagen. And the lack of collagen will result in all the common signs of aging… like wrinkled, sagging skin and stiff joints.
Collagen is a crucial component that your skin needs to stay young and healthy. This supplement is well-known in the health and beauty industry because of its beneficial results for your skin; it also makes your hair, nails and bones stronger.
Collagen, a natural healing supplement is believed to improve skin’s elasticity and brightness, giving you a much more youthful appearance.
While collagen is a great supplement to add to your routine, including it in your daily diet is often hard to accomplish. Hence, this is why supplementing with collagen has most recently been seen as an essential “must-do” for skin care. There are various ways to enhance collagen levels; here are some of them:
1. Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic Acid is an essential compound for retaining collagen in the skin. It is found in protein rich foods as amino acids, root vegetables, beans and soy. Adding hyaluronic acid to your meal plan will help to enhance collagen levels naturally. You can also find hyaluronic acid as a natural ingredient in skincare products.
2. Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a popular source of nurturing the skin and creating more collagen in the body. A variety of skincare companies add vitamin C to their creams and for good reason. It can be taken as a supplement or added to the skin and is also found in many edible items. Consume citrus fruits, green leafy veggies, strawberries, papaya, and broccoli, all rich in vitamin C.
3. Aloe Vera
Aloe vera gel is mostly used to treat the skin if any issues occur like sunburn or a rash. This natural plant has a variety of benefits. If you are suffering from skin damage, you can rid yourself of unwanted redness, rash and assuredly enhance the skin, simply by applying aloe vera.
Many people find it very beneficial to use skincare products that contain aloe vera, but if you happen to grow this plant, simply snip off a leaf and rub the juice onto the affective area. It can be used as a topical cream or also as an oral supplement.
4. Bone Broth
While bone broth is probably a popular option today, it might not be a reliable source, and certainly not for vegetarians. It is made by simmering discarded bones in water; chicken or beef and such a process is believed to extract the collagen. Be sure to season this broth with spices for flavor when making it at home. These animal derived bones are also a natural source of gelatin, which is packed with collagen.
Collagen is a protein made from amino acids, specifically glycine, proline, hydroxyproline, and arginine. Collagen peptide supplements are typically derived from bovine connective tissue or fish, from marine collagen. Simply look on the supplement label to determine where their collagen is derived.
5. Antioxidants
Free radicals are molecules that can damage your body. These free radicals, as a refresher, can assault your skin, damaging healthy skin cells and creating oxidative stress. Antioxidants are substances that will help you eliminate these damaging free radicals from your body. Antioxidants protect your skin from this and help reduce pigmentation and fine lines and wrinkles. You can find antioxidants in food and nature.
Food that includes antioxidants are:
- Blueberries
- Green tea
- Coffee extract
- Cinnamon
- Oregano and basil
6. Tomatoes
Collagen supplementation can be tricky for vegetarians, and those with other diet restrictions. These type diets can benefit from tomatoes. Tomatoes have a high level of vitamin C, which is required for collagen production and are also rich in antioxidants that help prevent the malfunction of collagen in the body.
Eating tomatoes may improve your skin’s health, resulting in fewer wrinkles and less inflammation. However, the only proven benefits are through eating tomatoes.
You may also try applying a tomato mask, though there’s no evidence a topical application of tomato provides your skin with these antioxidant benefits. We suggest eating them!
7. Fish
High quality collagen can also be obtained from fish like cod, herring and mackerel. This is an excellent alternative for people who do not want to consume chicken or broth. Try adding in a fish oil supplement with a high absorption rate which also provides other health benefits, like heart support.
To summarize...
What you eat can also affect your skin. So, make sure that you are consuming essential nutrients that are good for your skin. The list given above are all great options to keep your skin healthy, strong and attractive.
By incorporating a collagen supplement, it will increase your collagen intake and you can add in beneficial collagen-boosting foods that will also help. And… by eating foods rich in antioxidants you will also improve your overall skin health.
You can shop at a natural healing store to discover collagen-boosting supplements like Green Science.
This option incorporates collagen with your daily dose of greens. In one scoop daily, you can address both concerns… stay looking younger, longer, and subsequently boost your body's vegetable intake!
Our blog post is a collaborative effort by the founders of More Natural Healing in conjunction with Editors of Renewed Health Alliance, and our board of advisors including doctors, herbalists, and experts in using natural herbs and supplements to enhance our daily lives. We only provide information that has been researched, validated, and vetted for our posts and includes validation from experts in the herbal community. A person of interest on our team is:Cindy Burrows, B.S., M.T., Herbalist, and Nutritional Health Consultant. Cindy helps individuals start health programs to improve their life, wellness, and happiness. She is a speaker, writer, and entrepreneur of several businesses. Cindy is a contributing writer and blogger for More Natural Healing & Renewed Health Alliance