That’s a big topic, as “quality of life” covers a wide range. But marine collagen supplements, and collagen protein in general, have a host of health benefits that can have a positive impact on your life. Let’s delve into some of them.
What’s so Important About Collagen Complex?
It’s hard to overstate the importance of collagen in the human body. And when the average person thinks of collagen they likely think of skin, as collagen makes up about 75% of our skin. But collagen also comprises about a third of the protein in your body overall, making it vitally important to muscles, bones, and even your blood.
The problem? Collagen isn’t produced by the body in unlimited amounts. While collagen levels are high during our younger years, the body produces less and less of it as we age, with production dropping about 1% each year. The collagen you do have breaks down without getting replaced in sufficient amounts. That’s a problem. The solution? For many folks, it’s taking a supplement with a collagen complex!
Marine Collagen for Maintaining Healthy Skin
Collagen is a big reason why young people look younger and older people look older. And isn’t your quality of life just better when you look better? But of course, having healthier skin is good for your health in general, with benefits that go far beyond diminished wrinkles on your face and hands.
Though you probably do want to take those wrinkles down a bit, right? Taking marine collagen supplements can help with that. Studies show collagen protein supplements help to lessen wrinkles and skin roughness by boosting your skin’s elasticity. One such study published by the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, in which participants took hydrolyzed collagen, found “improvement in facial skin conditions, including facial skin moisture, elasticity, wrinkles, and roughness.” A similar study published by the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology found that collagen supplements helped to “improve hallmarks of skin aging.”
Collagen to Help You Stay Fit
But the benefits of collagen protein go far beyond just making you look better. Supplements with a collagen complex can improve your physical wellbeing in lots of ways.
While it won’t give you an instant beach body, collagen can be helpful in building muscle mass. This was shown to be true by the findings of a clinical trial that were published by the British Journal of Nutrition. The trial’s participants were a group of men suffering from sarcopenia, a syndrome usually brought on by aging that causes loss of strength and diminished muscle mass. For twelve weeks some in the group of 53 men took collagen supplements while engaging in resistance training. A control group just did the workouts without collagen. At the end of the twelve weeks, the participants who took the collagen had gained considerably more muscle mass than members of the group who didn’t take collagen.
Pain management is another major plus with collagen supplements. From back pain to knee pain and discomfort with joints in general, collagen supplements have been shown to help. How? As your body loses collagen over the years much of that loss happens in the cartilage that acts as a cushion between your bones. This rubbery tissue loses its elasticity, and as a result, your joints ache. Collagen can help to hydrate and return elasticity to this cartilage.
And Let’s Not Forget About Bone Loss
Much like the skin, bones are mostly made up of collagen. And so, your bones are just as affected by the collagen loss the rest of your body experiences as you age. This loss often leads to conditions including osteoporosis, raising your risk of fractures due to low bone density. Studies on collagen have shown that taking a collagen supplement can help to increase bone density. And the quality of life is certainly improved by stronger bones.
There is no magic pill to make your life perfect or to turn back the clock on aging. But marine collagen is a good strategy to stave off the effects of aging and significantly improve your quality of life.
