The most important protein in your body, collagen, contributes to the formation of your skin, ligaments and tendons.
Although collagen is produced by the body, it can also be found in some foods and supplements, such as bone broth.
It might provide a number of health advantages, such fostering thick, healthy hair.
Provides Amino Acids That Can Be Used to Build Hair
Keratin, a protein, makes up the majority of hair. Your body needs a variety of amino acids, some of which are present in collagen, to make keratin.
Your body converts collagen and other proteins into amino acids, which are then used to create new proteins and chemicals, when you consume them.
Your body can create 11 amino acids that are not essential, but you must get the other nine through diet. Proline, glycine, and hydroxyproline are the three non-essential amino acids that make up the majority of collagen.
The primary element of keratin is proline. Consuming collagen that is high in proline should therefore give your body the building blocks it needs to produce hair.
Helps Fight Damage to Hair Follicles
Antioxidant collagen can protect against free radical damage.
Free radicals are substances that your body produces as a result of stress, air pollution, smoking, unhealthy eating, alcohol use, and other environmental factors. Your DNA, proteins, and cells might suffer damage from too many free radicals.
Free radicals may harm hair follicles, according to research. Older people are particularly vulnerable to hair damage since their body's capacity to fight free radicals declines with age.
To fight free radicals and promote healthy hair, your body needs antioxidants.
Numerous investigations in test tubes suggest that collagen, particularly those from fish scales, may have strong antioxidant potential.
In one study, marine collagen was shown to be able to combat four different types of free radicals, while in another, it was revealed that the protein may be a more potent antioxidant than a commonly used antioxidant found in tea.
However, keep in mind that research has only been conducted in laboratory using isolated cells. The antioxidant capacity of collagen in your body is therefore unknown.
could stop aging-related hair thinning
Your dermis, the middle layer of your skin that houses the roots of each individual hair, is 70% collagen.
Collagen, in particular, helps to keep your dermis supple and strong. Your body produces collagen less effectively as you become older.
Collagen supplementation may therefore aid in preserving a healthy dermis and preventing hair loss.
A 69-woman study conducted over an eight-week period discovered that daily collagen supplementation dramatically increased skin elasticity when compared to a placebo.
May Help Slow Graying
Collagen may be able to prevent cell deterioration and delay greying thanks to its antioxidant qualities.
Genetics play a big role in the age-related greying of hair, although free radical damage to the cells that produce hair colour may also be involved.
The cells that create the melanin pigment that naturally gives your hair its colour start to die as you get older. However, melanin-producing cells can also be harmed by free radicals brought on by a poor diet, stress, and environmental contaminants.
Your hair may start to grey if you don't consume enough antioxidants to prevent free radical damage. In fact, a test-tube study discovered that grey hair follicles had significantly reduced antioxidant activity than hair follicles that still maintained colour.
Collagen may, in theory, aid in preventing harm to the cells that make hair colour because it has been demonstrated to combat free radicals in test tubes. Therefore, it might stop early greying or delay age-related greying.
Easy to Add to Your Routine
Through food or supplements, you can include collagen in your diet.
It can be found in the bones, skin, and muscles of chicken, pork, cattles and fish since it is a component of the connective tissue of animals.
Collagen and gelatin, a cooked version of collagen, are both present in broth prepared from animal bones. This bone broth can be consumed as a beverage or as the foundation for recipes.
Additionally, consuming vitamin C-rich meals may increase your body's natural collagen production. Excellent sources of this vitamin include oranges, bell peppers, Brussels sprouts, strawberries, and bell peppers.