6 science-backed health benefits of taking collagen

• Major component of the skin
• Strengthen skin tissue, improve elasticity and hydration. As you age, your body produces less collagen, leading to dry skin and the formation of wrinkles
  • In one study, women who took 2.5–5 gm of collagen daily for 8 weeks experienced less skin dryness and increase in skin elasticity
  • women who drank collagen drink daily for 12 weeks experienced increased skin hydration and a significant reduction in wrinkle depth.

• Collagen helps maintain the integrity of cartilage that protects joints.
• As peoples get older, risk of developing osteoarthritis (degenerative joint disorders) increases
• Studies have shown that taking collagen help improve symptoms of osteoarthritis and reduce joint pain
  • In one study, 73 athletes who consumed 10gm of collagen daily for 24 weeks experienced a decrease in joint pain
  • In another study, adults took 2 gm of collagen daily for 70 days, had a reduction in joint pain and were better engage in physical activity

• Your bones are made mostly of collagen, which gives them structure and helps keep them strong#.
• Collagen inhibit the bone breakdown that leads to osteoporosis
  • In one study, the women taking calcium and collagen supplement had significantly prevent bone breakdown than those taking only the calcium
  • In another study, 66 women who took 5 grams of collagen daily for 12 months, showed an increase of up to 7% in their bone mineral density (BMD)

• Between 1–10% of muscle tissue is composed of collagen, which keep your muscles strong and functioning properly.
• Collagen helps boost muscle mass in people, who loss them with age osteoporosis
  • In one study, 27 frail men took 15 gm of collagen while participating in an exercise program daily for 12 weeks.
  • Compared with men who exercised but did not take collagen, they gained significantly more muscle mass and strength

• Collagen helps reduce the risk of heart-related conditions.
• Collagen provides structure to your arteries, (which are the blood vessels that carry blood from your heart to the rest of your body). Without enough collagen, arteries may become weak and fragile
  • In one study, 31 healthy adults took 16 gm of collagen daily for 6 months, they had experienced a significant reduction in measures of artery stiffness.
  • Additionally, they increased the levels of HDL “good” cholesterol by an average of 6%.

6. Other health benefits

• Hair and nails - Taking collagen may increase the strength of your nails by preventing brittleness.
• Gut health - Some health practitioners promote the use of collagen to treat intestinal permeability, or leaky gut syndrome.
• Brain health – Callogen protects brain cells against amyloid-beta proteins, which are widely thought to cause Alzheimer's disease
• Weight loss - Collagen can boost metabolism by increasing lean muscle mass. When combined with exercise, taking collagen helps increase skeletal muscle resulting in an increased metabolism over time

Source from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/collagen-benefits#1.-Can-improve-skin-health