Collagen: everything you need to know about the protein that holds the body together!

Currently, most people think they know what collagen is and what its role is in the body. But how correct is the information I have? Considering the major role that this protein has in the human body, it is fundamental that these are true. Concretely, according to the definition provided by the authors of the work "A Comprehensive Review on Collagen Type I Development of Biomaterials for Tissue Engineering: From Biosynthesis to Bioscaffold" , more precisely by Ibrahim N. Amirrah, Yogeswaran Lokanathan, but also by the rest, collagen "is the most the abundant structural protein found in humans and mammals, especially in the extracellular matrix".

This article contains all the information you need to know about collagen, including what it is, what its role is and what collagen is good for, especially if you practice a sport or if you are part of the wellness and well-being niche. So, if this topic is of interest to you, read to the end to find out everything about collagen!

Contents:

1. Collagen - General information
   1.1. What is collagen?
   1.2. What does collagen help in the body?
   1.3. From what age is collagen taken?
   1.4. What natural sources of collagen are there?
2. Collagen health benefits
3. Types of collagen
4. Lack of collagen - symptoms
5. Contraindications of collagen
6. Collagen - side effects

1. Collagen - General information

Collagen is a protein that, according to the information presented in the work "Protein sequences from mastodon and Tyrannosaurus rex revealed by mass spectrometry" , written by several authors, including Buckley M., Walker A., ​​Ho SYW., Yang Y. , Smith C., mentioned in the writing "COLLAGEN STRUCTURE AND STABILITY" by authors Matthew D. Shoulders and Ronald T. Raines, was discovered intact in the bones of a Tyrannosaurus Rex fossil, 68 million years old. This discovery is truly amazing, because until now, it is the oldest protein detected by scientists. However, it is not the only impressive information in the content of this article. To convince yourself, it is necessary to carefully read the ideas presented below.

1.1. What is collagen?

If you wonder "what is collagen?" and you want to receive an exact answer, taken from reliable sources, then now is the time when you will find out. From a scientific point of view, as already defined, collagen is a soluble protein, normally produced by the human body. However, natural collagen can also be consumed from food. Of course, only in certain ways. In order to better understand this topic, some of them will be mentioned below.

Collagen structure

Another question that will be answered in this article is "what does collagen contain?". The respective protein is mostly composed of glycine, proline and hydroproxyl.

Definition of collagen

In the previously mentioned work, more specifically "COLLAGEN STRUCTURE AND STABILITY" , the authors Matthew D. Shoulders and Ronald T. Raines described collagen as "an abundant structural protein in all animals". An interesting observation, existing in this writing, is the fact that, in vertebrates, 28 different types of collagen composed of at least 46 distinct polypeptide chains have been identified.

Collagen - advantageous properties

According to the mentions in the work entitled " A Comprehensive Review on Collagen Type I Development of Biomaterials for Tissue Engineering: From Biosynthesis to Bioscaffold" , written by Ibrahim N. Amirrah, Yogeswaran Lokanathan, and other authors, collagen has several advantageous characteristics, such as be:

• Various sources;
• Biocompatibility;
• Durability;
• Low immunogenicity;
• Porosity;
• Biodegradability.

All these aspects are important to know better what collagen is good for. On the other hand, there is a lot of information about collagen that needs to be found out, such as what benefits and contraindications collagen has, when to take collagen, adverse reactions and many others that will be discussed in detail in the following lines.

1.2. What does collagen help in the body?

The author Marcel E. Nimni, in one of his works, called "Collagen" , Volume 1: Biochemistry, talked about this topic of interest as a whole. Specifically, he stated that "collagen fibers appear early during embryonic development at a time when the differentiation of the structure begins to appear".

After which, according to his words, collagen fibers become responsible for the functional integrity of tests, such as:

• The bones;
• Cartilages;
• The skin.

In addition, it contributes to the structural framework of blood vessels, but also of most organs.

What does collagen do?

Moreover, according to the findings of the work " A Comprehensive Review on Collagen Type I Development of Biomaterials for Tissue Engineering: From Biosynthesis to Bioscaffold" , written by Ibrahim N. Amirrah, Yogeswaran Lokanathan, and the rest, the role of collagen is to holds the body together.

1.3. From what age is collagen taken?

In recent years, collagen supplements, face creams and serums have become more and more popular among people concerned about their health and the way they look. Of course, before making the final decision regarding the purchase of a collagen product, one must know its possible benefits, but also which categories of people are compatible in this regard.

Collagen as a supplement - what are its benefits: it can help slow down the visible signs of aging, but also joint pain in both women and men.

Next, we will talk about the administration of collagen for each gender separately.

Collagen for women

In the case of women, the collagen level decreases after 25 years, but more so after menopause. Representatives of the beautiful gender in this period of life can consider the option of collagen supplements, since, according to studies, their long-term administration is beneficial for increasing bone mineral density.

Collagen for men

If you are an adult and you are curious about your position regarding the administration of collagen supplements, it is recommended to ask for the advice of a qualified person in the field, with whom you can have a dialogue in this direction. For example, it can clearly communicate to you the benefits of collagen powder, from what age it is okay to administer it and for how long.

1.4. What natural sources of collagen are there?

With age, the body's collagen production decreases, which will cause the appearance of certain health problems. It is impossible to prevent collagen loss, but fortunately there are some effective methods by which you can slow down this process. You are probably asking yourself "what is the best source of collagen?". Therefore, to help you, here are some useful tips and suggestions for foods with nutrients to produce collagen in the body and, of course, to significantly improve your quality of life.

Give up unhealthy habits : vices that include excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, taking illegal substances, eating ultra-processed and/or sugar-containing products, etc.

Take supplements with vitamin C, Zinc and Copper : to provide the necessary nutrients in your body.

Adopt a healthy diet : composed of quality proteins that contain amino acids. For example, add red meat, poultry, vegetables, seafood and dairy products to your diet.

The nutriland.ro store, with over 10 years of experience in the field, offers you a wide range of quality health supplements , made from plants and natural extracts, from which you can choose the best option to help your immunity and not only. They are available in the form of powder, tablets, capsules or liquid and are supplied by well-known manufacturers and distributors on the market (from Germany, the USA and the EU). In addition, if you want, you can also try Omega fatty acids, because they are essential nutrients for health.

2. Collagen health benefits

In recent years, many specialists in the field have talked about collagen in their works, because this concept is of real interest among people, especially athletes and those in the wellness and well-being niche.

So, now that we have clarified what collagen is and what it is used for, it is essential to clarify its benefits for consumers. Therefore, in the following lines, the main advantages of this protein will be presented.

The benefits of collagen for bones

Researchers James P. Lugo, Zainulabedin M. Saiyed and Nancy E. Lane created the work "Efficacy and tolerability of an undenatured type II collagen supplement in modulating knee osteoarthritis symptoms: a multicenter randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study" with the aim to evaluate the efficacy of UC-II, which is a nutritional ingredient containing type II collagen, for knee osteoarthritis pain and associated symptoms compared to placebo and glucosamine hydrochloride. According to certain information from this study, taken from the work " Estimates of the prevalence of arthritis and other rheumatic conditions in the United States" , written by the authors Lawrence RC, Felson DT, Helmick CG, Arnold LM, Choi H, Deyo RA, but also by others, osteoarthritis is a condition that involves the destruction of the articular cartilage and the remodeling of the adjacent bone and is the most common form of arthritis.

Collagen effects - study

Following this study, it was concluded that UC-II significantly improved knee function in subjects with knee osteoarthritis up to day 180 compared to placebo and glucosamine hydrochloride. Moreover, they tolerated it well.

However, the authors of the paper stated that more research needs to be carried out on this subject in the future to confirm the recorded results, but also to provide additional, relevant information.

These results add value to this article by the fact that people who lack collagen in their knees will know that there are options that can contribute to improving the problem they are facing.

In this context, it is ideal to mention the fact that the nutriland.ro store team offers specialized recommendations for each individual customer. Specifically, the counselors have training in the field of nutrition, which makes it possible to guide people towards the right products for them. So, if certain supplements for bones and joints , with various flavors and shapes, including collagen, caught your attention, but you don't have enough information about them, you don't have to worry, because you will receive all the support that you need.

Potential benefits of collagen for hair and skin

According to the information present in the work "Sources of Collagen for Biomaterials in Skin Wound Healing" , designed by the authors Evan Davison-Kotler, William S. Marshall and Elena Garcia-Gareta, among all types of collagen, type I and type III are the more abundant inside the skin.

Moreover, Ruta Ganceviciene, Aikaterini I. Liakou and three other authors spoke about collagen and whether it is good for the skin, in the work "Skin anti-aging strategies ", published in 2012. They declared the importance of stopping the degradation of structural components of the skin, including collagen and elastin, because otherwise the risk of wrinkles and other signs of aging will increase.

Therefore, according to the studies carried out, the following extremely important idea can be outlined: collagen maintains both the firmness, elasticity and hydration of the skin, as well as the normal appearance of the hair and nails.

3. Types of collagen

Are you wondering what is collagen synthesis and where is collagen in the body? If the answer is positive, then you will find out soon, in the following lines. In the work "COLLAGEN STRUCTURE AND STABILITY" , the authors Matthew D. Shoulders and Ronald T. Raines talked about the fact that there is a super-family made up of more than 20 types of collagen. However, in the following, the five most important types will be highlighted and their distribution in the body will also be specified.

Type I collagen : it is abundant and found in the dermis, bone, tendon and ligament;

Type II collagen : it is distributed in cartilage and in vitreous osteoarthrosis;

Type III collagen : found in the skin, blood vessels and intestine;

Type IV collagen : found in the basement membranes;

Collagen type V : it is distributed in the bone dermis, cornea and placenta.

So, now that we have found out what collagen is good for, but also that the most important of them have been discovered, there are only a few pieces of information left to find out on this topic of discussion.

4. Lack of collagen - symptoms

As stated above, collagen is the most abundant protein in the body, with the function of maintaining the normal structure and resistance of connective tissue, skin, bones, tendons and cartilage.

Some of the factors that can cause the loss of collagen in the human body are:

• High level of stress;
• Vitamin C, Copper and/or Zinc deficiency;
• Unhealthy food (for example, products with sugar, food additives and white flour);
• Smoking;
• Excessive alcohol consumption.

If you are worried that you might have a low level of collagen in your body, then you should know that there are some signs that indicate the presence of this condition. However, you don't have to worry, because stimulating collagen production is possible. Things that signal that your body is facing a problem in producing or maintaining the normal level of collagen will be listed below.

Here are the most common symptoms of a lack of collagen in the body:

• Dull, dry skin with wrinkles and freckles;
• Osteoporosis and osteopenia;
• Joint pains;
• Muscle pain;
• Thin, sensitive hair and nails;
• Blood pressure and circulatory problems.

Some people notice only one sign, while others show several of the symptoms listed above. If you have noticed one or even more, it is recommended to seek the help of a qualified person in the field to help you in this regard. Only this is able to offer you a collagen treatment, respectively for the joints, suitable for you. It is her duty to provide you with all the information you need, such as the recommended daily collagen requirement, what it contains, its benefits for wrists or other similar aspects. In addition, he will tell you in detail, if necessary, how long the treatment with collagen and hyaluronic acid takes. Besides, if you want to lose a few kilos to feel better in your skin, it can clarify if collagen helps you lose weight or if, on the contrary, it makes you fat.

5. Contraindications of collagen

Studies have proven that collagen supplements have a good safety profile for people who want to try them. But, according to experts in the field, there is a risk that certain component ingredients, more specifically plant extracts, may not interact well with people's prescribed medicines. Also, the chances that some collagen supplements are not suitable for pregnant or lactating women are high.

6. Collagen - adverse reactions

Following studies conducted in recent years, collagen supplements have not been associated with adverse side effects. Therefore, there are no adverse effects on collagen.

However, if you have questions about the characteristics of certain products or about the possible risks, it is recommended to ask a professional in the field. In addition, as already stated, the nutrition advisors from the nutriland.ro team are at your disposal to help you select the products you need. Moreover, they will answer all the uncertainties you have on this topic.

In conclusion, collagen is, according to the definition, a beneficial protein for the human body from several points of view and is, according to its structure, composed of glycine, proline and hydroproxyl. If you want to buy collagen supplements, they must be of high quality, such as those from nutriland.ro, and selected according to the advice of a counselor with training in the field of nutrition, in order to make the most suitable choice for you.

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References:

1. Bioengineering Free Full-Text | Sources of Collagen for Biomaterials in Skin Wound Healing (mdpi.com)
2. Biomedicine | Free Full-Text | A Comprehensive Review on Collagen Type I Development of Biomaterials for Tissue Engineering: From Biosynthesis to Bioscaffold (mdpi.com)
3. COLLAGEN STRUCTURE AND STABILITY - PMC (nih.gov)
4. Efficacy and tolerability of an undenatured type II collagen supplement in modulating knee osteoarthritis symptoms: a multicenter randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study | SpringerLink
5. Full article: Skin anti-aging strategies (tandfonline.com)
6. Nimni, Marcel E., "Collagen", Volume 1: Biochemistry.