When it comes to maintaining healthy skin and bones, collagen supplements could be the key! New products are hitting the market to help you boost the building block protein that we all lose as we age.
Sun exposure, smoking, dehydration and sugar all contribute to collagen loss, making us look older. But, what if you could turn back time? Proponents of the latest collagen craze say, it's possible!
Tania Reuben's fountain of youth is in the blender, but it's not the fresh fruit and veggies in her morning shake helping rewind the clock.
“I also add two different supplements. One is a joint supplement that contains collagen," says Reuben.
She says collagen supplements have eased her joint pain and made a visible difference in her hair and skin. She's not the only one noticing a difference using these supplements.
As demand grows, the variety of collagen supplements are quickly expanding from pills to powders, even grab and go drinks! Fueling the fire of a collagen craze that already includes popular beauty products and the trendy bone broth diet. Adding to a more than 140 billion dollars people around the world are already spending to try and hang on to their youth.
American Academy of Dermatology's Dr. Debra Jaliman says you can get collagen from a high protein diet.
“It’s very important to have a lot of collagen in our system because, as we age, we have less collagen. Our collagen actually breaks down and that’s why we start to sag. We get wrinkles. We get aches in our bones and our joints,” says Dr. Jaliman.
Dr. Jaliman says to her surprise, collagen supplements work!
"What the studies found is if you take ingestible collagen, after 12 weeks they found that the moisture content of your skin would be better, fine lines would be improved, the texture of the skin would be better and, overall, you would look a little bit younger.”
Taking too much collagen can lead to constipation or bone pain, so Dr. Jaliman says it's important to follow the suggested doses. She also says you need to continuing eating well and making healthy choices while taking the supplements.
The FDA doesn't review or approve supplements based on their safety or effectiveness though the agency does review medical claims. The FDA says there are no specific warnings for any current collagen supplements.
