BY CLAIR WHITTY
Collagen is essential for healthy, youthful, and glowing skin. It provides firmness and structure and helps to maintain the skin’s elasticity. As well as skin it’s found in hair, bones, joint cartilage, and tendons. But once we hit our thirties, we start to lose collagen by 1.5% every year. Our skin can become dehydrated and thinner and signs of ageing begin to appear. It affects the bones — reduced collagen levels can cause bones to become more fragile and breakable. Wear and tear on the joint cartilage can result in joint discomfort with many people reporting pains in their knees, elbows, or shoulder joints. Women in the perimenopause can experience stiffness and pain which can be associated with a deficiency of collagen. That’s not good news at all is it.
It can also cause problems in the gut. Collagen is needed to maintain and heal the gut, improving symptoms of leaky gut and IBS, and is especially beneficial for anyone who suffers with gut disease like Crohn’s disease or colitis. The amino acids in collagen build the tissue that lines the colon, which helps heal damaged cell walls and soothes the gut lining.
It can be a good idea to take a collagen supplement. For example, Irish brand Healthreach Collagen Pure. It’s a customer favourite. It’s derived from a 100% natural source and contains the highest quality hydrolysed collagen. This is a form of collagen that has been broken down into small peptide particles making it easier to absorb. You can choose lemon or unflavoured. Take 5g, one scoop, per day mixed with water or juice. It also contains vitamin C which is one of the building blocks of collagen. For optimal results continue taking for at least 3 months. Studies using only 5g of collagen per day showed a reduction in wrinkles of 10% around the eyes and 13% around the mouth. Fantastic!
Sugar, smoking, and high amounts of sun exposure are not good for healthy collagen levels. Foods that contain vitamin C and antioxidants will support collagen production. This can include all types of berries especially goji and blueberries, and brightly coloured fruit and vegetables. Protein is important too – eggs, poultry, and fish.
Look after your insides so you look and feel fantastic with Irish brand HealthReach Collagen.
Shop online at www.naturalhealthstore.ie where you’ll be able to take a look at these brands.
Natural Health Store, Market Cross Shopping Centre
Phone: 056 7764538
Email: info@naturalhealthstore.ie
