Health Information - When you hear the word collagen, what
comes to your mind right now? Most likely related to facial health. Collagen is
an amino acid that has been considered capable of protecting the skin and
preventing it from premature aging even though the age of women is not young
anymore.
So, is collagen only related to skin
health? The answer is no. This very important amino acid also has many benefits
for the body, especially those related to stomach and joint health in the body.
Benefits of collagen for body health
In general, collagen is one type of amino
acid consisting of proline, glycine, glutamine, and arginine. These components
will bind to each other to provide enough benefits for the body. Here are the
benefits of collagen which is very large for the health of the body.
1. Improve skin and hair health
One of the great benefits of collagen is
maintaining the health of the skin. From several studies conducted, the
administration of collagen doses in a group of women aged 35-55 years, obtained
quite good results. Giving collagen can reduce levels in the skin and make the
skin more supple.
Collagen is also known to reduce the
decrease in the amount of water in the body and improve elasticity perfectly.
Giving collagen also prevents cellulite and stretch marks from occurring which
are very annoying, especially those that appear on the skin on the abdomen and
legs. You can eat foods with lots of collagen or take supplements if you're
afraid you can't get enough.
2. Overcoming joint problems
Each bone is connected by joints or
ligaments. In these joints there is a lot of collagen that can be used to help
with movement. If the amount of collagen in the joints decreases drastically
enough, you will often experience joint problems that can be very painful.
This joint problem is usually experienced
by those who are elderly. However, everyone can still experience it regardless
of age. If you don't want to experience painful joint problems, it's a good
idea to eat lots of foods that contain collagen, the list of which you can see
at the end of this article.
3. Help cure stomach problems
The stomach often has problems in the form
of surface damage due to constipation or indigestion and disposal. Collagen
which is a protein or amino acid can protect the outer layer of the intestine
and digestive tract so that wounds or inflammation can be healed quickly and do
not cause problems.
Collagen also maintains the number of
microbes in the gut. Finally, the intestines will not be disturbed and the work
of normal flora or good microbes in there can be maximized to participate in
decomposing food to help spending during defecation.
4. Increase metabolism
Eating foods with high collagen content
can increase metabolism in the body. Collagen makes the body have lean muscle
or fat free. When fat-free muscle grows enough in the body, metabolism will
also increase.
If you want to have large and fat-free
muscles, foods with high collagen content are quite recommended. Consume it every
day and vary it in your diet so you don't get bored
5. Strengthens teeth and nails
Teeth and also need to be strengthened so
as not to be cheap or experience porous. Teeth that do not get enough
nutritional intake are usually easy to chip away little by little and suddenly
become perforated in several places. Nails do too. If the intake of collagen in
the body is met, nails are easily broken and torn will not happen again.
Main source of collagen
Collagen can be obtained from several
foodstuffs. If you want to fulfill your intake of this amino acid, it's a good
idea to eat some of the foods below.
· Actually gelatin
is collagen that is made into a dry powder. Gelatin is usually made from some
tissue from animals such as cows. Gelatin processing is done by mixing it with
water or gelatin to give it a more delicious taste and easy to consume.
· Bone broth. Some
bones from cows usually still contain parts that are connected to muscles or
joints that will melt when exposed to hot water. After cooking for a few hours
all the juice from the bones and the substances around it will dissolve and can
be used as a source of gelatin.
· Egg whites. If you
eat egg whites regularly, your body will get intake of glycine and proline
which are collagen-forming amino acids. You can consume egg whites every day or
3 times a week to supply collagen in the body.
· Plants that come
from the sea and fall into the category of algae or algae contain a lot of
collagen-forming amino acids. In addition, spirulina, which is widely used as a
supplement, also contains a lot of iron.
· Citrus fruits and
the like. Oranges contain glycine and proline which are elements of collagen.
By eating oranges, the need for collagen in the body, especially the skin, will
be met. In addition, oranges also contain vitamin C which is good for
increasing endurance.
· Foods that contain
sulfur or have a bad smell. Some types of food that fall into this type are
garlic, onions, broccoli, and cabbage.
Collagen is a very important nutrient not
only for the face. If you want to get a healthy body at all times, add foods
that contain enough collagen to your diet. Next always set a good diet and
never forget to exercise.