Beauty from within

In the quest for eternal youth some people will pay a fortune and try the wackiest fads to slow the physical signs of aging. A plastic surgeon will slice it out, Botox may plump it up, creams can claim, cosmetics conceal, however, the construction of radiant skin starts many layers deep below the surface with the elastic 'glue' that holds the body together.  

This 'glue' is collagen, produced in the underlying layer of the skin, the dermis. Think of collagen as the filling in a mattress, with the outer skin (epidermis) as bed sheets. When collagen starts to break down, the “mattress” becomes saggy and wrinkles the sheets.

Prtacially all beauty supplement products revolve around the increase of collagen as it makes up about 25 per cent of the total proteins in the human body. Collagen is part of our connective tissue, and teams up with keratin to add strength and resilience to skin, hair and nails, and mobility for healthier joints. It also repairs connective tissues for improved elasticity, improves circulation, promotes wound healing, and glycine builds lean muscle to help burn fat while you sleep.

All this wonderful work happens naturally when we are in our youth and our collagen production is at its peak. It typically slows at a rate of 1.5 per cent a year after age 25, and the resulting signs are sagging skin, wrinkles, ligament and tendon injuries, and joint problems. Supplementing with collagen is one of the most dynamic ways to provide all the specific amino acids necessary to replenish the body’s collagen supply. Research shows that hydrolysed types I and III collagen increase collagen levels in the skin, support tendons and ligaments, and help with exercise recovery.

Collagen supplementation should be accompanied with vitamin C – key to the production of collagen, it helps skin repair itself, and as an antioxidant, it slows the rate of free radical damage to collagen.