To reap the benefits for skin health, the research recommends that you take between 2.5 to 5 grams of collagen per day (2). This amount is shown to increase skin elasticity and hydration in elderly women while reducing the depth of existing skin wrinkles in middle-aged women.
And this leads to signs of aging like wrinkles and sagging skin. As collagen is an essential element of your bones, its decline also leads to weak bones and osteoporosis. Several different studies have shown that consuming collagen peptides might help older people with bone and skin health during the process of aging.
Research shows that taking 2.5 to 15 grams daily of hydrolyzed collagen is safe. A smaller dose benefits your joints and skin, while a larger amount may help with body composition and muscle mass.
Collagen Type
If you're taking collagen for the anti-aging benefits, look for type I, or a combo of type I and type III. Both are found in the skin and support skin health (think: improved skin hydration, firmness and texture, as well as fewer wrinkles, per a review study in 2019 in the journal Molecules).
However, studies have shown that taking 2.5–15 grams of collagen daily for 8–12 weeks may help improve skin elasticity, moisture, and wrinkles. It's best to follow the dosage recommendations on the product label or as advised by a healthcare professional.
Taking more than the recommended dosage may cause digestive issues such as bloating, gas, and diarrhea. It's also important to choose a quality supplement, as some products may not be pure collagen and may contain other ingredients that could cause side effects.
While there are plenty of suggestions floating around, really, the best time of day to take your collagen supplement is whenever works best for you. Suppose you like to take it in the morning, great. If you prefer it as a snack during the day, great, or if you want to take it before bed, that's also great.
Are collagen supplements a good option for tightening loose skin? A: Collagen supplements aren't the best option if you want to improve the appearance of your skin. That's mainly because there's no evidence-based science to prove they work ― or that they're safe.
Collagen is considered to be well tolerated with no major side-effects. Minor side-effects include: a feeling of heaviness in your stomach. mild diarrhoea.
Collagen supplements may not be safe for: People with fish, shellfish, or egg allergies (collagen supplements may contain these allergens as ingredients)16.
Eating foods that contain vitamin C and antioxidants, avoiding smoking, limiting caffeine intake, and protecting the skin from sunlight may all help preserve collagen or boost its production.
"There are no controlled studies that address this issue," Galligan says. "However, the popular literature is in agreement that collagen supplements seem to work equally well when taken at bedtime or in the morning."
In order the get visible effects of collagen on your joints, you need to take regular supplements for at least 12 weeks to 24 weeks. Studies show that bothersome symptoms of joint pain or joint aches may be improved by collagen around 3 months to 6 months.
They continue decreasing to about 60% at age 50, 44% at age 60, and 32% at age 70. Based on this timeline, you might want to start boosting your body's collagen supply as early as your twenties, but it's never too late to start.
Yes, you can take collagen forever. Collagen is a protein that is found in the connective tissues of animals. It is responsible for giving our skin its strength and elasticity. As we age, our skin begins to lose its collagen, which can lead to wrinkles, sagging skin, and dryness.
Collagen can reverse signs of aging
A lot has been said against and for this, but few randomized controlled trials that are conducted double blindly with a placebo, concluded that taking collagen improves skin elasticity.
Taking a collagen supplement will not cause you to gain weight. In fact, it can help support you on your weight loss journey along with proper diet and exercise. Collagen is beneficial to your bones, muscles, hair, skin, and nails.
Collagen's role in the body
Collagen is a protein that serves as one of the main building blocks for your bones, skin, hair, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. "Collagen is what keeps our skin from sagging, giving us that plump, youthful look," says dermatologist Dr. Ohara Aivaz.
A 2021 systematic review published in Amino Acids found that people treated with 5 to 15 grams per day of collagen peptide supplementation experienced reduced joint pain and functionality compared to those who didn't take the collagen. Taking this supplement daily may help people suffering from joint pain.
Collagen prevents skin from sagging and gives it a plump, full look. Elastin helps skin return to its original shape after stretching or compressing. Crepey skin occurs when the level of collagen, elastin, and other skin health proteins becomes depleted.
How can I naturally rebuild collagen? You can naturally support the collagen production process by using topicals such as vitamin C and retinol, collagen peptide supplements, eating a nutrient rich diet, and avoiding habits that damage the collagen (such as poor sleep and sun exposure.)
The most dominant amino acid found in collagen is Glycine. This amino acid has been linked to achieving more restful sleep and improved mood stability. Glycine can help with falling asleep faster, staying asleep longer, reducing insomnia, and achieving a deeper sleep.
This is because collagen is loaded with the amino acid glycine, an inhibitory neurotransmitter that calms the central nervous system and helps us to unwind, relax, and fall asleep.
Collagen peptide reduces post-exercise muscle soreness, fatigue in middle-aged men – RCT. The supplementation of collagen peptide has shown to reduce exercise-induced muscle soreness and fatigue in middle-aged men, making it a potential sports nutrition candidate, said researchers from Japan.