No matter how old you are, it is highly likely that your age is perceived by the status of the largest organ in your body: the skin.

Fortunately, you can influence your skin's visible signs of aging. In fact, lifestyle factors play a role! Stress levels and your daily eating habits can affect how your genes express themselves! It might sound scary, but it's actually good news! This means that YOU have great control over just one substance that affects your health and beauty: the increased breakdown of collagen .

Why is collagen so important when it comes to appearance and skin health? 

Collagen is actually the most abundant protein in the human body. 70% of skin, hair and nails and almost 100% of connective tissue consist of collagen. Collagen is what holds your body together: from the hair on your head to every inch of your skin, to the mobility of your joints. Collagen even affects the health of the intestines and stomach.

What happens to collagen as we age?

As we age, the body's natural production of collagen decreases dramatically. Over 25 years? Then you are most likely already losing collagen. When collagen levels drop in the body, the skin begins to age, with less elasticity and a decrease in hydration. Cracked joints and intestines that do not function optimally can also cause it. A lower amount of collagen in the body can even mean thinner hair and brittle nails.

Is collagen good for healthy hair?

Hair consists primarily of the protein keratin. Your body uses several amino acids to build keratin - some of which can be found in collagen. When you consume collagen and other proteins, your body breaks them down into amino acids, which are then used to build new proteins and compounds.

There are 11 non-essential amino acids that your body can make and 9 essential amino acids that you need to get from your diet. Collagen mainly consists of 3 non-essential amino acids: proline, glycine and hydroxyproline.

Proline is also the main component of keratin. Therefore, consuming proline-rich collagen should provide your body with the building blocks it needs to create hair.

Is collagen good for nails?

Collagen is important for nail health. Collagen helps to hydrate the nail bed and cuticles, while acting as a nutritional supplement for brittle nails to replenish keratin - so nails grow longer, faster and stronger.

Here are some collagen statistics...

• A person loses approximately 1-2% of their collagen each year
• This loss usually begins around age 25
• This loss of collagen increases drastically when a person reaches the age of 40
• By the time a person reaches the age of 40, they will likely have lost 10-20% of their collagen
• Collagen production in an 80-year-old is up to 75% less than in a person in their 30s.
• This reduction in collagen can result in less mobility, less muscle mass, reduced muscle capacity and poorer skin health. But it's not just the natural aging process that robs us of our collagen... there are other "thieves" that reduce the body's levels of collagen ...

What causes the collagen to decrease?

• Bad sleep
• A high consumption of sugar
• Injuries and unhealthy joints
• High cortisol levels caused by psychological stress
• Overexposure to the sun
• A diet low in antioxidants
• Sedentary life with little activity
• Poor gastrointestinal health
• Free radicals
• Lack of vitamin C and zinc

  Collagen synthesis is like "a complex orchestra of intracellular and extracellular moments" that lead to the formation of collagen in our bodies, usually with the help of enzymes in the body. Basically, collagen cannot be created without certain important nutrients such as vitamin C and zinc. 

Fortunately, there are natural collagen boosters!

Top 5 Collagen Boosters…

• Broth made from animal parts, preferably boiled for 48 hours on bones, tendons and ligaments from, for example, chicken or meat, to extract as much collagen as possible.
• Adaptogenic herbs, for example ashwagandha (ashwagandha can lower the level of the stress hormone cortisol)
• Foods rich in vitamin C , for example citrus fruits, broccoli and peppers
• Sulfur-rich foods, such as garlic, onions, egg yolks and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and kale
• Herbs and spices rich in antioxidants, such as turmeric and green tea

All of the above examples are superb collagen boosters, but none of them compare to the world's best collagen booster: dietary supplements with collagen powder .