HH335: Key Nutrients: Collagen

Welcome back to another episode of health hacks, as I round out the month, talking about key nutrients, and the ones that I'm talking about this week are perhaps lesser known, lesser used than the ones I've been talking about thus far. However, they are important, because as we age, our body makes less of them. So today I want to talk about collagen, which is the most abundant protein in the human body, and it is a key structural component of our skin, our hair, our nails, our joints and our bones. And as I said, As we age, natural production diminishes, and it's there for a popular supplement as we age, and taking it with vitamin C, zinc and magnesium helps it to work better. So what are the three or three of the top benefits of collagen? Well, first of all is skin health. It helps improve skin elasticity, hydration and reduces the appearances of wrinkles. And don't we all want that? And it also is very good for joint support. It's a major component of cartilage, which is essential for joint health, and so supplementing with collagen can help reduce joint pain and symptoms of osteoarthritis. And it's also excellent for bone health, because it provides structural support to our bones, and supplementing with collagen can promote bone density and strength, reducing the risk of fractures and supporting overall skeletal health. So what are some of the things to watch out for? Well, of course, you before starting any supplement, you always do want to check with your doctor or your pharmacist to make sure there's no contraindication with any medications you might already be on. Also, for those who have allergies to fish, shellfish or eggs, just be really careful read your labels, because some collagen supplements can be derived from those sources. And you also want to choose a good quality supplement, and what you want to be looking for are the hydrolyzed versions as they are more easily absorbed by the body. This one that I have here is by equilife. It's the one that I use, and I can put a link to it in the comments below. And this actually has three different types of collagen in it for maximum absorption by anybody who is wanting to use it. So I just wanted to share that with you, because it as I said, as our body ages, we need to support our body more with key nutrients. And this is such a powerful one. I hear so many people walking around complaining about aches and pains in their joints, and part of that can be due to inflammation and toxicity in the body and other triggers of inflammation. And part of it simply can be that the body isn't producing enough collagen anymore, and we need to support it. The other thing too to be aware of is digestive issues. So you always want to start off with a new supplement. Start off slowly and build up to the regular dose. Don't just start at the regular dose, especially if you're someone who has digestive issues. If you have any further questions or you'd like support with your key nutrients, running labs to see what your levels are at, or just discussing how best to support your nutrition, feel free to reach out to me. Melissa, at your guided health journey.com.