Collagen: Overcoming Its Deficiency by Including It in Your Diet

Many health-conscious individuals try to maintain their bone health by adopting a sustainable lifestyle. And despite taking good care of overall health, the chances are that one might be losing the collagen protein in their body. So, this article includes all the information related to collagen loss and overcoming the damage by taking a collagen-rich diet daily. 

What Is Collagen?

Collagen is a protein that maintains the tissue framework of the body. There are 28 different collagen proteins present in the body, and they have various important roles to play. 

This protein is mainly found in cellular communication, tissue repair, and between the joints. As per research conducted, collagen comprises 30% of the body’s protein, and its loss can cause severe ailments like osteoporosis. So, it is essential to observe the changes in a body with aging and understand the symptoms that indicate loss of collagen. 

How Does Collagen Loss Occur? 

Radiation Exposure

Exposure to harmful radiations like UV lights is responsible for causing mutation in genes that produce collagen in the body. These radiations also modify collagen composition in the body. 

Smoking

There is plenty of evidence to prove that tobacco smoke accelerates the aging process in the body. As such, with every cell division, the amount of telomere becomes less, impacting collagen production in different parts of the body. 

Genetics

If great skin texture runs in your genes, you will only have firm and elegant skin in your old age. But, it is vital to take care of your diet, stress index, and environment to maintain your skin texture. 

Cellular Stress

Reports suggest that due to changes in the lifestyle and adoption of unhealthy patterns, the stress index of the body increases gradually. This could be the result of exposure to harmful chemicals through environmental pollution. Meanwhile, this causes cellular stress in the body, which leads to the production of free radicals that decline the body’s collagen content. In this scenario, it becomes crucial to balance the collagen protein in the body through a collagen-rich diet. 

Collagen Intake

By applying the principle of “food first,” one can include a list of collagen-rich foods in a daily diet. And some of them are:

Fruits & Dry Fruits

Fruits like oranges, dry fruits and nuts like cashews are rich in collagen. Moreover, many pharmaceutical companies extract vitamin C from citrus fruits and formulate a serum rich in collagen and ascorbic acid.  

Collagen Supplements

There are plenty of collagen supplements available as powders and capsules. These supplements have an impressive safety profile and are commercialised after rigorous testing and approval from FDA. As such, including capsules and powders in the diet can help an individual recover from the declination of collagen in the body. 

Protein-Rich Diet

As collagen is a structural protein, a diet rich in protein content like egg whites, fish, chicken, and bone broth will boost collagen production. This can also reverse the problems like skin damage, hair fall, and weaker nails. 

A protein-rich diet is an excellent source of collagen protein and helps maintain the collagen content. 

By referring to multiple scientific papers, it is evident that food habits and lifestyles play an essential role in maintaining an individual’s health. Meanwhile, collagen has a lot of benefits, such as: 

• Keeping the joints healthier.
• Improving body mass index. 
• Providing primary immunity to the body.
• Maintaining the structure of tissues. 

So, a balanced diet consisting of fruits, green vegetables, proteins, and dry fruits will naturally boost bone density and keep you fit in the long run.