Beauty industry is getting more and more convinced that inner nourishment is more important than external solutions in delaying the aging of the skin. This seems to be good news, because no cream exists that would make us younger, but optimal doses of nutrients improve the health of the skin and the body.
Besides vitamins, collagen is the most popular product, available in the form of a drink or as tablets. Collagen is a protein chain that can be found everywhere in the body, but after 25 years of age we lose about 1% of it yearly. This process slowly leads to the skin becoming less firm, the connective tissues becoming saggy, and the cartilage starting to deteriorate, the reason being that collagen is responsible for maintaining all these parts of our body. How can we solve this problem?
Don’t destroy collagen!
If somebody would like their fibroblast cells to produce collagen of good quality and sufficient quantity, they can do three simple things: avoid sugar, stop smoking and protect their skin from harmful UV rays.
Sugar makes collagen fibers rigid – not only regular sugar, but every kind of carbohydrates. No wonder fashion models need to be on a low-carb diet. Also, smoking and the process of processing nicotine uses up a huge amount of vitamin C, and the lack of ascorbic acid leads to a poor synthesis of collagen as well, as the body first deals with repairing existing damage. Finally, sunbathing makes free radicals to multiply, which destroy collagen cells.
Replenish your collagen!
There are countless collagen products available, in the form of tablets, drinks and drink powders. Usually these products are made from collagen extracted from fish, but they don’t taste like fish. Usually it is recommended to consume these products in cures, in doses of 5000 mg per day. However, there is even a product that uses 9000 mg of collagen in a dose.
The synthesis of the collagen can be enhanced by taking vitamin C. If somebody is a smoker, their body needs much more vitamin C than the generally recommended daily dose.