Collagen is your body's primary protein that makes up 70-95% of the cartilage your joints. And in your 30s, you're less able to produce and replace collagen. The collagen in your body starts fading, affecting your ability and desire to run, to trek, to chase children around your home, and exercise.

Even if it's a regular sign of aging does not imply you need to handle it however. High quality collagen can help give you the foundation you require.

How collagen works in your body

Collagen is protein. That indicates it's comprised of amino acids. These amino acids can assist synthesize collagen in your body.

To clarify, when collagen is digested, it's broken down into amino acids. Your body takes this broken down collagen and provides it any place the requirement is greatest (believe tendons, ligaments, cartilage, skin, etc).

It's like having a cabinet with some drawers that are the very same size. To make it easier to relocate to another room, you take the drawers out. When you put it in its brand-new area, the drawers return in, but they might not remain in the very same spots they were in the past.

Does ingesting collagen keep healthy joints?

As previously pointed out, your body starts losing its ability to generate and fix collagen in your 30s. We likewise went over that collagen goes to where your body identifies it's needed.

Your joints certainly requires collagen, so your body will divert some amino acids there. Here's what the science says:

A 24-week study involving college athletes looked for to determine if collagen hydrolysate (collagen peptides) might support joint health. 97 athletes finished comparative tests when at rest and relocating to figure out any differences in between placebo and collagen Scientists found that collagen works at supporting joint health-- whether at rest or when a joint is doing work.

A study with 250 individuals taking collagen peptides over a 6 month duration also revealed collagen can support joint health.

2 randomized controlled trials sought to find the impact of collagen peptides over a 12 week duration. In this case, 2 various groups were evaluated to figure out if age could be an aspect: one with a mean average of 24 years, and another at 50 years. Both studies discovered collagen supported joint health whether activity- or functional-related.

Where to get collagen

The only sources of collagen are animal-based. It's present in the connective tissues (read: joints) and bones of animals. The most common sources you'll see are chicken, beef, pork, and fish.

Since bones and connective tissue aren't precisely easy to bite into, you've got to boil them in water for hours to be able to get the collagen out of them. This is what released the popularity of bone broth and is the trick to a number of its benefits.

The longer you prepare your bone broth, the more collagen-rich it will be. At least, it requires to go for 8 hours. But for bigger bones, it can take up to two days to extract the collagen.

Alternately, you can use a crockery pot, but it takes just as long. It's definitely not the most convenient method to get the collagen you require for your joints, nor is it necessarily the best.

A much better source of collagen.

There is a way to get collagen that doesn't need your attention, oven mitts, or hours of cooking time. Plus, this source will be far much easier for you to absorb. This is the crucial pointed out previously.

The issue with collagen you receive from bone broth is that it's a large particle. Collagen is a triple helix (think DNA, but with an extra twisty hair) that has a bunch of amino acids (the building blocks of protein). Your body can simplify, however it takes some time and works finest with a terrific gastrointestinal system (good stomach acid, digestive enzymes, etc)-- which you might or may not have.

So the very best way to get the benefits of collagen is to discover a product with hydrolyzed collagen (AKA collagen peptides). If you saw in the 3 research studies cited earlier, they all used collagen peptides.

If you're looking at labels online or in the supermarket, it's important to understand there is no real distinction between hydrolyzed collagen (or collagen hydrolysate) and collagen peptides. They're simply various names for the same thing.

Seeing any of these three names is your first mean discovering an extremely absorbable collagen.

Collagen peptides is collagen that's gone through hydrolysis to basically pre-digest it for you. The outcome is your body is much better able to put these peptides to utilize and can absorb them quicker than collagen. The reason you're able to do this is because the size of the molecules are smaller sized.

Back to the supermarket (or internet, if you prefer shopping from your computer system) ...

When you're taking a look at collagen products, preferably you wish to see "low molecular weight collagen peptides" (your 2nd tip). These are peptides that have been broken down even further and the type of collagen that is the easiest for your body to utilize.

Considering that low molecular weight collagen peptides are easier for your body to absorb and utilize, it's a lot easier to support your joint health with collagen peptides compared to consuming copious amounts of bone broth.

3 crucial takeaways about collagen and joint health

Collagen is the most plentiful protein in your body. That implies that you ought to ensure you're getting adequate regardless if you're looking for to individually support your joint, skin, nail, hair, or bone health. Collagen is a significant component in all of these locations.