This post should REALLY be called Collagen at 20+.
After the age of 20, a person produces about 1 percent less collagen in the skin each year. As a result, the skin becomes thinner and more fragile with age, hair loses its strength and luster and nails become brittle. Collagen decreases even more in women after menopause. As estrogen levels drop, so does the collagen in your skin- studies show up to a 30% decrease during the first five years of menopause.
I wish I knew this when I was in my 20s. Though I was an early collagen adopter, I literally started taking collagen in my early 40s. I became aware of all its amazing health and beauty benefits from a dear friend who owns a fantastic supplements company (shout out to ProHealth and ProHealthLONGEVITY). He shared clinical studies on supplementing with collagen which I found impressive, and inspired me to add collagen peptides along with hyaluronic acid, vitamin C and hibiscus flower extract to my daily supplements regime in the form of capsules and tablets.
Here I am, over 23 years later, having consumed 6g of hydrolyzed collagen peptides daily. I have ongoing health challenges that I live with, so am humble about any positive physical strides I have made, but firmly believe collagen has greatly contributed to these beauty benefits:
- I have very few lines on my face (Botox does not prevent all lines by any means, especially around the eyes)
- My skin everywhere is less dry than it was in my pre-collagen-taking 30s.
- My hair remains strong and thick
- My nails are not brittle
- I rarely have joint pain
- My bones are dense
- I have consistently good intestinal health
Can eating collagen daily be credited for all these beauty and health benefits to a significant degree? Don’t good genes and healthy lifestyle choices play a part in how well one ages? Yes they do, but I also utilize every advantage I can, and am certain that eating collagen peptides daily for over 20 years has been essential to my healthy aging.
Read on about collagen and its multi-systemic benefits and decide for yourself if it sounds right for you.
Boost your skin’s elasticity.
Consuming collagen can boost your skin’s elasticity and increase the process your body uses to repair your skin. Studies have shown that hydrolyzed bovine collagen peptides, which contain both Type I and Type III collagen (superior to marine collagen which is Type I and Type II), can help improve skin quality and strengthen nails and hair.
Strengthen your hair, nails, bones. Maybe even postpone greying.
Your body uses the amino acids in collagen to build hair proteins and strengthen the skin that contains your hair root – it could possibly postpone greying hair. Collagen is also one of the major proteins that helps to feed the nail bed, promoting its health and growth. Existing research has even shown collagen to have promise as a joint pain reliever. And importantly, studies have shown that taking supplemental collagen helped to inhibit the bone breakdown that leads to osteoporosis.
Get a healthier gut.
Peptides can help to promote intestinal barrier health. A healthy gut is associated with lower cholesterol, heart health, weight and blood sugar control and even brain health.
However, you can have too much of a good thing and very high collagen peptide consumption can lead to microbiome dysregulation and organ stress. Glow Beauty Fuel bars have 6g of hydrolyzed collagen peptides, which is considered a recommended collagen dosage and an optimal amount for beauty results.
Age with strength and health.
No wonder collagen supplementation, like Glow Beauty Fuel Bars, is increasingly considered a vital part of healthy aging. We don’t want to just sit back and watch our collagen diminish over time. Plus Glow Beauty Fuel bars also contain my powerhouse combo of beauty supplements which boost the efficacy: Bioactive Collagen Peptides + Hyaluronic Acid + Vitamin C + Hibiscus Flower Extract.
Glow Beauty Fuel bars are also carefully crafted with quality culinary ingredients to be extra delicious. I’ve never been a homemade smoothie person, and don’t much enjoy washing blenders. I also learned that adding collagen powder to hot coffee negates many of its beauty benefits. The challenge of creating a scrumptious beauty protein bar became a three year obsession. If you are reading this post to the end, I think you have probably tasted some other collagen bars. Is it less of a treat and more of a strangely-textured, weirdly-flavored rectangle? A bit of a chore to get down?
We believe that health and beauty can be made delicious and as we age we deserve to treat ourselves.
As we age we gain so much more than we lose. Increased emotional intelligence, deeper self-knowledge, a wider range of experiences and a more solid confidence in our own skin. We do want that skin to be at its best- hydrated and glowing.
In the words of the fantastic, inspirational Frances McDormand ‘With aging, you earn the right to be loyal to yourself.’
Indulge Daily. And treat yourself like someone you love.
By Maren Jensen, Founder Glow Beauty Fuel
