No matter your age, it's never too late to start supporting your body's production of collagen and to see the benefits in your skin, hair, and nails. Collagen is the protein responsible for smooth and firm skin, resilient nails, and strong hair.
For women in their 40's, 50's and beyond, it may be worth trying a collagen supplement consistently for a minimum of 6 months to see if they experience any positive effects related to joint pain improvements, changes in body composition, or noticeable changes in the appearance of their skin, hair or nails.
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.
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.
No matter your age, it's never too late to start supporting your body's production of collagen and to see the benefits in your skin, hair, and nails. Collagen is the protein responsible for smooth and firm skin, resilient nails, and strong hair.
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.
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.
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.
Collagen is a naturally occurring protein in the body. Supplementing with collagen may help people lose weight by promoting satiety, supporting joint health, and altering how the body stores fat. Collagen is one of the most important proteins in the human body and is present in all the body's tissues and organs.
Collagen supplements may not be safe for: People with fish, shellfish, or egg allergies (collagen supplements may contain these allergens as ingredients)16.
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.
How much collagen should a menopausal woman take? Scientists have yet to agree on the ideal amount of collagen to take. However, improvements have been shown with as little as 2.5g of collagen a day. 5g has been linked to greater benefits, such as improved bone density.
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.
The loss of collagen leads to wrinkle formation. Your body begins to lose collagen when you turn 30. The effects become noticeable after several years. Even though this is a natural process, it's possible to speed it up with UV exposure, pollution, bad habits, and poor diet choices.
More collagen means fewer wrinkles and smooth, lifted skin. Here are the topical products, in-office treatments, and lifestyle habits to practice for a healthier-looking complexion now.
Eat a healthy diet high in nutrients including vitamins A11 and C. Follow a daily skin care routine that includes sunscreen and topical retinol. Avoid smoking, as research shows that tobacco smoke reduces the production of collagen and elastin.
This makes your cells and connective tissue stronger and less loose, resulting in more hydrated skin, smoother skin, and effectively reducing wrinkles. Collagen is clinically proven to have positive effects on skin, as well as hair, nails, joints, muscles, and gut health.
Marine collagen supplements, in particular, thanks to their smaller particle size compared to other types of products, are considered more effective for women over 50s. Due to their superior bioavailability, these supplements are in fact easier to absorb by our bodies (up to 1.5 times more than other sources).
If you take too much collagen, it can throw off the balance of amino acids in your body and lead to side effects such as headaches, digestive issues, and fatigue. Additionally, some people may be allergic to collagen or have an intolerance to it.
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).
To ease crepey skin from within, you should ingest collagen from food sources. "Collagen-rich foods can significantly support skin hydration and elasticity," board-certified family physician and functional medicine expert Alejandra Carrasco, M.D., once told mbg.