By Maya Ling BHSc Clinical Nutritionist
Although collagen is present in abundance in our bodies, it gets the raw deal in that it degrades as we age by around 1% every year. This is due to the bodies inability to keep producing collagen proteins over a lifetime.
Collagen acts as a structural protein whereby a lot of its job is to provide support – visualize the strength of our bones, the fullness of the skin, the durability of our joints, and the integrity of hair and nails. It really is a strong contender in the aging process.
Though, collagen levels can be enhanced and supported with the right tools and various factors. And whilst there are certain periods of life when supporting your collagen levels may seem more beneficial, such as in postmenopausal women and approaching 50 for men, there is no time like the present.
So, what are the top signs your body is screaming out for more collagen? Read on for the science behind it all.
Joint Pain
Circling back to the point about collagen providing support, our joints are a major body part that, quite literally, depends on this. The actual joint capsules are made up of cartilage and connective tissue which is largely composed of collagen fibres. The wear and tear over a lifetime from weight bearing and repetitive activities (pivoting in netball – IYKYK), and the natural aging process causes cartilage to degrade often leading to the loss of joint function aka osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is typically seen affecting joints such as the knees, hips, and hands or wrists.
Another reason to start increasing your collagen intake is if you’re someone who experiences ACL or shoulder dislocation issues. If you have had a history with these joint issues, it may mean you are a carrier of the COL1A1 gene which genetically correlates with a furthered need for collagen in the diet.
Having joint pain? The cartilage within your joint capsule may need some TLC, we’re talking bone on bone here! To improve not only your joint cartilage but also your quality of life it is important to supply the body with collagen peptides daily alongside nutrients that help to build collagen proteins – vitamin C we’re looking at you.
Wrinkles
One of the leading offenders in the fight against skin aging is UV exposure. Why? When the skin is continuously exposed to UV radiation this causes biological damage through the creation of free radicals which are a form of inflammatory stress in the body. You may have heard this process being referred to as inflammaging which defines how when low-grade chronic inflammation, such as the build-up of free radicals, over a lifetime causes wrinkles.
To give you a visual, inflammaging causes a weakened connection between the epidermis (outer layer) and dermis (second layer) of the skin where free radicals are responsible for the breakdown of fibroblasts within the skin compromising the regeneration of collagen leading to wrinkles. Thank goodness that now more than ever wearing a cap on your hot girl walk is trending!
Slow Wound Healing
Keeping on the topic of skin, collagen is paramount for the healing of wounds. Normally, the skin advances through 3 phases of wound healing – inflammatory, proliferative and remodelling. Collagen proteins are the fibrous component of our extracellular matrix (ECM), a network of molecules that surround our cells. The ECM acts as structural support contributing to tissue frame working and permitting our cells the ability to resist mechanical stress.
The repairing of wounds is complex; however, collagen fits into this equation at the stages of clotting at the wound, and the proliferation of new skin cells and their remodelling. These processes of wound healing become impaired as we age and collagen levels in the body begin declining, lowering that ability to tolerate stress and therefore repair wounds.
Brittle Nails
Our nails are a physical insight into our health. As a clinical nutritionist I’m often examining my clients’ nails for signs of nutrient deficiency among other reasons to better understand their health picture holistically.
Having brittle nails is common – referring to nails that peel, are bumpy in texture, and irregularly shaped or uneven. Like our hair, the main protein in nails is keratin. However, the production of keratin relies on the availability of certain amino acids in the body. These amino acids are found in abundance in collagen peptides, and when taken regularly help to strengthen the nails keratin by providing the essential nutrients needed for its production.
A study in the supplementation of 2.5g of VERISOLÆ collagen peptides per day for 6 months in those with brittle nails described that 80% of participants reported their nails appearance improved and were 100% happy with the implementation of collagen peptides for the purpose of rejuvenating their nail health.
If you’re reading this and find you tick the box for one or a number of these signs, it’s a pretty good indication that it may be time to incorporate a daily collagen supplement. Active Collagen’s All-In-One Hair Skin Nails contains VERISOLÆ collagen peptides scientifically proven to deliver results. Plus, it packs a whopping 5g of collagen per serve making it easy to reach your daily therapeutic collagen targets. Check it out here.
Guo, R., Gao, S., Shaxika, N., Aizezi, A., Wang, H., Feng, X., & Wang, Z. (2024). Associations of collagen type 1 α1 gene polymorphisms and musculoskeletal soft tissue injuries: a meta-analysis with trial sequential analysis. Aging, 16(10), 8866–8879. https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.205846
Poljšak, B., & Dahmane, R. (2012). Free radicals and extrinsic skin aging. Dermatology research and practice, 2012, 135206. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/135206
Mathew-Steiner, S. S., Roy, S., & Sen, C. K. (2021). Collagen in Wound Healing. Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland), 8(5), 63. https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering8050063
Hexsel, D., Zague, V., Schunck, M., Siega, C., Camozzato, F. O., & Oesser, S. (2017). Oral supplementation with specific bioactive collagen peptides improves nail growth and reduces symptoms of brittle nails. Journal of cosmetic dermatology, 16(4), 520–526. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocd.12393
