Collagen

See also :

• Gelatin
• Eggshell Membrane
  

Other Names: Chicken Collagen Type II, Chicken Type II Collagen, Colágeno de Pollo, Collagen II, Collagen Type II, Collagène de Poulet, Collagène de Type II, Collagène de Type II de Cartilage de Poulet, Collagène de Type II Hydrolysé, Hydrolyzed Chicken Collagen Type II, Hydrolyzed Collagen Type II, Type II Collagen.

Collagen makes up about 25 percent of all the protein in your body, according to the Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics Protein Data Bank. Special cells manufacture collagen from basic amino acids, so you won't lack collagen if you don't eat collagen-rich food. If you eat complete proteins and consume enough vitamin C, your body makes collagen as needed. Without vitamin C, collagen production stops. Symptoms of scurvy begin when body tissues fail to repair themselves.Most collagen in food comes from animal sources, although your body can utilize the collagen found in mushrooms. To build tendons, ligaments or other collagen-based tissues, your body must first break down digested protein into its amino acid components. Special cells, such as fibroblasts and osteoblasts, reassemble the amino acids into the type of collagen needed. Animal collagen provides a good source of amino acid-building blocks, but so do other protein sources. If you eat several different types of vegetables, grains and legumes daily, a plant-based diet yields all the amino acids you need to build new collagen.

• Meat : Meat, fish and poultry products supply collagen, but the most collagen-rich parts usually don't make it to your plate. Tendons, cartilage and skin consist mainly of collagen and cooks often trim out these tough or fatty tissues. Bones also contain much collagen, but they seldom become part of the meal. You could make collagen soups with the scraps and bones instead of throwing them out. The liquid that accumulates in a roasting pan beneath meat or poultry also makes a thick collagen broth. As the liquid cools, the collagen portion forms a layer of gelatin in the bottom of the pan. Fat solidifies on top.
• Gelatin : Boiling collagen unwinds the helical structure of the protein and creates a mass of protein threads. As the collagen soup cools, the proteins absorb the water and form gelatin. When dried, gelatin becomes a yellowish powder easily reconstituted with hot water. By itself, gelatin has little color, flavor or odor. Adding sugar, food coloring and flavoring turns a soup made from cow and pig hides, bones and fish skins -- all primary commercial sources of gelatin -- into a tasty dessert pudding. Gelatin derived from animal byproducts forms the base for many popular desserts and candies.
• Supplements : If you don't find collagen foods appealing, you could choose collagen supplements instead. Shark cartilage provides calcium and sulfur as well as collagen, and chondroitin supplements compress the collagen found in the windpipes of cattle into a convenient pill. Concentrated gelatin supplements might yield the same health benefits as more exotic products. A gelatin supplement developed at at the Human Performance Laboratory of Ball State University reduced the knee pain of athletes during a test study conducted in 1997. Gelatin could help heal minor cartilage damage and prevent more serious injuries, according to associate professor David Pearson of Ball State.

Special Precautions of Collagen

• Collagen is a family of fibrous proteins that act as the building blocks for skin, bones, teeth, cartilage, tendons and other connective tissues, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Collagen, which helps in healing and repairing damaged bones and cartilages, also maintains the resistance, elasticity and mobility of joints and connective tissue. You can take dietary supplements to restore collagen levels; however, there are several side effects associated with doing so.
• High Calcium Levels : According to MedlinePlus, a website supported by the National Institutes of Health, high calcium levels or hypercalcemia may occur as possible side effects of collagen supplements. Collagen tablets that come from marine sources, such as shark cartilage and shell fish, contain high amounts of calcium, which can significantly raise the calcium levels of the patient using the supplement. Normal values for calcium levels range from 8.5 to 10.2 mg/dl--a reading higher than 10.2mg/dl is considered hypercalcemia. Too much calcium in the body causes constipation, bone pain, fatigue, nausea, vomiting and abnormal heart rhythms. Taking calcium supplements together with this type of collagen tablet should be done with caution.
• Hypersensitivity Reactions : Hypersensitivity reactions can result as a side effects of taking collagen supplements. As noted on the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases website, hypersensitivity reactions happen as an abnormal response of the immune system against allergens, such as food, drugs and supplements. Collagen supplements that come from shell fish and other marine sources may cause allergic reactions. Other collagen supplements that come from eggs and their derivatives can also cause food sensitivities, especially in children. Prior to giving injectable collagen, a test is done to check for hypersensitivity.
• Bad Taste in the Mouth : Some oral collagen supplements can leave a bad taste in the mouth, according to MedlinePlus. Collagen supplements made from marine sources usually have an unpleasant taste and odor that is not very favorable to most patients. Drinking fruit juice together with this type of oral collagen supplement can mask the unpleasant taste. Acidic fruit juices, such as orange, apple, grape and tomato, can lower the collagen supplement's strength and potency; therefore, they should be avoided.

The benefits of Collagen are

Collagen occurs naturally and commonly in the body. It is essential for the structure of muscles, cartilage, ligaments, tendons and bones. Collagen also supports the skin. Many people take collagen supplements for health benefits, because anecdotal reports speak of various improvements. There are 28 forms of collagen, each responsible for various processes in the body. However, there is little scientific research to support the idea that these supplements actually work.

• Skin Health : Collagen plays a vital role in skin health. It maintains its firmness and elasticity. Collagen, in the form of collagen hydrolysate, may also help keep skin hydrated.
• Collagen hydrolysates are often used in health and beauty products because of their moisturizing properties. A lack of collagen becomes evident during the aging process as skin begins to sag and lines and wrinkles begin to form.
• Cartilage, Joints & Bones : Cartilage is the hard but slick tissue that coats the ends of bones where they come together to form a joint. The combination of collagen mesh and water forms a strong and slippery pad in the joint that cushions the ends of the bones in the joint during muscle movement. Healthy cartilage allows bones to effortlessly slide over one another.
• Osteoarthritis : Osteoarthritis can develop slowly as a joint loses cartilage. This degenerative joint disease often occurs in the joints of the hip, spine, knees, fingers and feet. According to the Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center, stimulating the production of collagen may help cartilage to repair itself.
• It can help to fight aging. The symptoms of aging can be minimized when you consume a considerate amount of collagen. When you take a pure collagen supplement, you will be sure it will decrease your cellulite development, enhance your sleeping styles, clears wrinkles to give you nice fine lines, smoothens and protects your outer skin. This is the effect of taking collagen which it has on the skin and aging in general.
• If you consume collagen before you engage in any form of exercises or a work that needs bodily function, it will give you the energy benefit to carry out this activity instead of an additional need to take energy supplements. The collage supplement you have taken will do the work more than the way an energy drink will do it.
• It is known that collage supplement can help to retain and restore lean muscle volume to avoid the storage of fats in your body. It will in-turn see to it that you do not gain excess weight.
• Collagen is known to play the role of protecting your body from chondrodystrophy. This simply implies that it will shield the cartilages and synovia from declining in quality. It is the basic substance for restoring and producing cartilage. It has also been proven to lower harms to the joints caused by oxidation agents, thereby enhancing a vital decrease in joint pain, puffiness and discomfort.

Collagen Stimulants

A number of foods may help to naturally improve collagen production in the body. These include dark, leafy vegetables, flax seed, prunes and vitamin C-rich fruits such as oranges.