You can increase collagen production in your body by eating certain foods. You should include these collagen-rich foods in your diet, according to science.
There is a lot of interest in collagen. According to Grand View Research, the industry is expected to be worth $7.5 billion by 2027. Anti-aging skin benefits are the major reason for its fast rise to fame. In studies that involved participants who took collagen supplements regularly, researchers have found that collagen supplements had a positive anti-aging effect (reduced fine lines, wrinkles, crow’s feet, etc.). Additionally, collagen has been found to help college athletes recover from exercise and people with osteoarthritis, and athletes experiencing joint stiffness.
The truth is that collagen supplements are only for some, despite their awesome and legit benefits. It is also possible for them to be expensive. Truthfully, some of us prefer to begin with a food-first approach. Collagen is still a good thing to consider, even if you don’t want younger-looking skin or joint pain relief: we begin losing collagen in our 20s, and our bodies lose about one percent of collagen every year after we turn 40.
The 10 Best Foods to Boost Your Collagen
Here are ten collagen-rich foods you should incorporate to boost your intake.
Chicken Skin
Taking collagen supplements made from chicken cartilage improved fine lines, wrinkles, crow’s feet, and skin elasticity for middle-aged women (39 to 59 years). Go for skin-on chicken if you want to put food first. It’s also possible for your butcher to grind skin-on breasts or thighs for you if the ground chicken includes the skin.
Beef Bone Broth
The bovine animal-aka cattle, is one of the top four sources of collagen on the market. A good source of collagen type I is beef bone broth, which is great for skin, hair, and nails because it is rich in collagen type I.
Pork Bone Broth
Pig byproducts are another common and rich source of collagen. This is why porcine collagen is often used in healthcare settings to repair and reinforce skin, wounds, and tendons. According to our research, its similarity to human collagen does not make it superior to other collagen for beauty or fitness.
Organ Meats
The concentration of collagen type I is naturally found in organs. There are other ways to get collagen type I into your diet if you don’t eat animal organs such as the liver, heart, brain, and kidneys.
Sardines
The bones, skin, and scales of fish contain collagen in similar amounts to other animal sources. When choosing a fish for collagen, pick the one you’ll eat most or all of, such as sardines. The skin on other fish, like salmon fillets, should also boost collagen if you eat the skin after cooking it.
Drinks With Collagen
That’s right. Bone broth has already been discussed. Among the collagen products you can think of are collagen water, lattes, smoothies, etc. The journal Molecules published a study in 2019 indicating that beverages containing hydrolyzed collagen are easily digestible and well absorbed in the body. How is hydrolyzed collagen different from regular collagen? Collagen peptides, or smaller collagen molecules extracted from their original source (chicken, beef, fish, etc.), are used as supplements. Collagen-rich beverages are available at many coffee and smoothie shops.
Berries
Choose what you like, whether you prefer blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, or blackberries. Vitamin C, which helps your body build collagen, is found in these foods. Our bodies cannot naturally produce vitamin C, so we must consume it. Strawberry cups contain 150 percent of your daily vitamin C target, while raspberries and blackberries contain 50 percent. Research has found that vitamin C-rich diets have improved skin appearance and fewer wrinkles: vitamin C is found to have its own skin health benefits.
Aloe Vera Juice
In animal studies and in laboratory experiments (so-called “in vitro” studies), aloe has been shown to stimulate collagen synthesis. It may also help with anti-aging: a study of Japanese women found that those who took aloe vera supplements for 8 weeks had fewer wrinkles on their faces and appeared less pronounced. The results were published in the journal Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology.
Gummy Candy
There are better ways to get collagen than this since it comes with a lot of added sugar, but a lot of gummy candy is made with gelatin, which is made from partially hydrolyzed collagen. Gummies made from vegetarian- and vegan-friendly ingredients won’t contain collagen since not all gelling agents come from animal sources. Gelatin made from plant-based sources such as agar-agar is vegan gelatin.
Broccoli
Broccoli is another tasty, easy way to consume vitamin C. A cup of cooked or raw broccoli contains one day’s worth of vitamin C. Vitamin C plays an essential role in collagen production. In addition, vitamin C can be consumed along with collagen-rich foods or collagen supplements. Your diet should contain both over the course of the day.
There are many sources where you can get collagen, so you do not need to necessarily have to do any drastic procedures to make your skin youthful.
