BEAUTY
Collagen – Is This All You Need to Look and Feel Younger?
BY SMARTERCHOICES - JANUARY 17, 2023 - 4 MINS READ

Collagen has been around for longer than you might think. Now there are more collagen products on the market than ever before. But, what does collagen do? This vital protein has been viewed as a “Fountain of Use” for centuries. Ancient Chinese women would routinely eat foods rich in collagen, such as shark fins, donkey skin, and pig’s feet – not because of the appeal of the food alone, but because of the promise of stronger, healthier joints and more beautiful flawless skin.

It wouldn’t be until the 1980s when we would see collagen break into the mainstream of American and Western culture. During this time collagen became well known as a popular (and expensive) injectable used to plump lips and soften wrinkles.

Collagen was commonly used as a filler in the 1980s

Although injecting collagen has fallen out of practice, today there are more collagen products than ever before. Even better, they are significantly more affordable now (as supplements), compared to their cosmetic surgery days of the 1980s. Companies have discovered far more simple and appealing ways for their clients to consume collagen as well. Powders, flavored coffee creamers, pills, gummy bears, and more. If you can name it, you can probably find it containing collagen.

Collagen is being talked about now more than ever too, with more and more people taking it daily for its incredible effects on vitality and anti-aging. Collagen has become so popular that the market is expected to be worth nearly $6.5 Billion by 2025. Everyone from Lady Gaga to the Kardashian sisters swears by collagen.

The Scaffolding That Holds Your Body Together
Collagen is often compared to scaffolding or glue. It is the substance that literally holds your body together. It roughly makes up 75% of the dry weight of your skin, and it is the collagen within the skin that keeps it elastic and wrinkle-free. It is also rich in the amino acids proline and glycine, which is used to maintain and repair damage to your tendons, bones, and joints. Collagen also helps with nail and hair growth and strengthening.

Adding a collagen supplement can help you maintain a youthful appearance
As we age, our bodies naturally produce less and less collagen, and eventually, we begin to lose collagen faster than we can naturally replace it. This usually starts to really ramp up around age 30, making supplementation more important as we get older.
What’s the Best Way to Take Collagen?

Simply eating or drinking collagen is the easiest and most convenient way to get it in your system. Although there are hundreds of flavored products, we always advise getting an unflavored powder that can be mixed into water, juice, coffee that includes collagen, or any of your favorite beverages.

We recommend an unflavored powder as there is no reason to consume unnecessary sugars and preservatives. Good collagen powered will taste-neutral and will mix instantly in liquid.

As we age, our bodies naturally produce less and less collagen, and eventually, we begin to lose collagen faster than we can naturally replace it. This usually starts to really ramp up around age 30, making supplementation more important as we get older.
The most convenient way of taking collagen is simply adding the powder to your favorite drinks
Want to Know More About Collagen, and Which we Recommend?

Here at Smarter-Choices we highly recommend Primal Collagen, by Primal Harvest. This product is easily the easiest to mix out of all the collagen powders we tested. Primal Collagen is packed with everything a great collagen supplement should have. Even better, the collagen in Primal Collagen is exclusively from grass-fed bovine, meaning there was no factory farming involved in the creation of this product. Check out our full review on the Top Collagen Products in 2020, and learn what to look for, and what to look out for when selecting a collagen supplement. Or if you want collagen in a pill form, check out the best multi collagen products.

Make sure to check out the other great articles on collagen, like this one on gelatin vs collagen! Remember to share this article and leave a comment if you found it helpful.