Top 5 Benefits of Collagen Supplements

Collagen is the most abundant protein in your body. It is the major component of connective tissues that make up several body parts, including tendons, ligaments, skin, and muscles.

Collagen has many important functions, including providing your skin with structure and strengthening your bones. Consuming collagen may have a variety of health benefits, from relieving joint pain to improving skin health.

1. Can improve skin health

Collagen is a major component of your skin. It plays a role in strengthening skin, plus may benefit elasticity and hydration.

As you age, your body produces less collagen, leading to dry skin and the formation of wrinkles.

However, several studies have shown that collagen peptides or supplements containing collagen may help slow the aging of your skin by reducing wrinkles and dryness.

2. Helps relieve joint pain

Collagen helps maintain the integrity of your cartilage, which is the rubber-like tissue that protects your joints.

As the amount of collagen in your body decreases as you get older, your risk of developing degenerative joint disorders such as osteoarthritis increases. Some studies have shown that taking collagen supplements may help improve symptoms of osteoarthritis and reduce joint pain overall.

3. Could prevent bone loss

Your bones are made mostly of collagen, which gives them structure and helps keep them strong.

Just as the collagen in your body deteriorates as you age, so does bone mass. This may lead to conditions like osteoporosis, which is characterized by low bone density and linked to a higher risk of bone fractures.

Studies have shown that taking collagen supplements may have certain effects in the body that help inhibit the bone breakdown that leads to osteoporosis.

4. Could boost muscle mass

Between 1-10% of muscle tissue is composed of collagen. This protein is necessary to keep your muscles strong and functioning properly.

Studies suggest that collagen supplements help boost muscle mass in people with sarcopenia, the loss of muscle mass that happens with age.

In one study, 27 frail men took 15 grams 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.

5. Promotes heart health

Researchers have theorized that taking collagen supplements may help 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.