What is Collagen?
Skin Care Skincare What is Collagen
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Collagen is actually the primary structural protein within the various connective tissues found in your body. As the primary building element of connective tissue in our bodies, it constitutes up to 25% of our total protein content, making it up of the most important protein content in our skin. Just like other proteins, collagen is subject to wear and tear due to daily activities. However, in response to these wear and tear factors, the skin produces less collagen leading to wrinkles, sagging skin and age-related loss of elasticity in our skin.
The human body contains many natural collagen stimulants, such as elastin, hyaluronic acid and enzymes. These naturally occurring components work together to keep our tissues and organs functioning properly. Unfortunately, when the functions of these natural collagen stimulants decrease, more harm is caused to the body. This is where supplementation comes into the picture.
Collagen supplements are effective because they increase collagen levels in your skin cells and tissues. The body uses collagen to replace those natural collagen fibers which have been depleted due to normal aging process. With regular use of collagen dressings, you can help increase your body's natural collagen levels thereby reducing fine lines and wrinkles and improving the firmness of your skin.
One way to increase collagen production is by ingesting animal derived collagen. The collagen ingested by us come from the meat of cows, pigs and sheep. Although it may sound weird to consume something in your meat product, most people do ingest some collagen in their diet on a daily basis. This is because cow's milk is rich in collagen.
Not only is collagen produced naturally in our body, but our dermis also contains many different types of collagen. When damage occurs to the human body or when we are experiencing aging-related symptoms, the collagen in our dermis is replaced by new types of extracellular matrices which make up the connective tissue. The different types of collagen found in our body are commonly referred to as einkara, extramural, myoglobin and matrix metalloprotein. When you exercise, your body produces collagen. This happens because exercising stimulates the secretion of growth hormones (glutamine and epinephrine). The growth hormone is an essential protein required for growing and repairing muscles and bones. When you workout, your muscles grow larger and the bones become stronger, which leads to a higher density of bone in your body.
Loss of collagen in the skin leads to sagging skin, wrinkles, age spots and dark rings around the eyes. Since collagen is an essential protein that is needed for good skin, you need to look for products that contain natural ingredients that can help replace collagen in your skin. You can also use anti wrinkle cream containing natural ingredients. The anti-aging effects of this anti wrinkle cream will be less over time but it will provide faster results than the artificial counterparts.
Another reason why your skin loses elasticity and becomes more easily damaged is because the body does not fully develop connective tissue and muscle growth occur only after puberty. You can speed up the muscle growth by performing resistance training. Resistance training can be done by using free weights or machines, or even better; resistance bands. The bands allow you to work out longer muscles at one time without getting tired, unlike machines. If you want to speed up the production of collagen, you need to boost your body's supply of amino acids. Your diet plays a crucial role in this aspect, so it is essential that you take in enough protein, healthy fats and vitamins. Amino acids are essential nutrients that your body needs in order to produce the proteins necessary for strong, healthy skin, nails and hair.
The best thing about collagen supplements and anti-aging skin care treatments is that they don't have to cost you an arm and a leg. You can try some of these natural home remedies to improve the look of your skin, while avoiding the expensive expenses associated with mainstream collagen products and injections. With a little bit of effort, you can improve your look today with simple, natural ways to boost your metabolism, build muscle and improve the look and feel of your skin.