Collagen is the most abundant protein in one’s body, accounting for approximately 30% of total protein. It is the primary structural component of your skin, muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments, and other connective tissues. Since collagen is present in significant amounts throughout the body, it serves a variety of functions in addition to keeping our skin looking young by replacing and restoring damaged skin cells, maintaining skin elasticity, and promoting the growth of new cells.
Furthermore, it protects the body’s delicate organs such as the kidneys and strengthens bones, tendons and joints to withstand tension. Vitamin C is a requisite for collagen synthesis because the body cannot form, store, or synthesise collagen without it.
Every year as we get older, we produce less collagen in our skin therefore the tendency toward wrinkles and thinning skin as we age. This explains the recent surge in the popularity of collagen supplements in our social media feeds. The right treatment, though, might not be solely the collagen pills and powders that are being advertised.
Given the plethora of trendy and pricey collagen supplements currently on the market, you may be unaware that there is a wide variety of collagen-rich foods proven to stimulate collagen synthesis
A collagen-rich diet boosts collagen production and provides the basic elements needed to achieve skin goals and delay sink ageing. Here is a list of foods that you can incorporate into your diet to assist you in replenishing your collagen levels.
1. Berries
Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries, all of these fruits are rich in vitamin C and nutrients that help the body build collagen. A diet rich in vitamin C is essential because our body doesn’t make it naturally.
2. Broccoli
Another tasty, healthy and easy way to include vitamin C to our diet is broccoli. One cup of cooked or raw broccoli contains a full day’s dose of vitamin C, a nutrient essential for building collagen. Vitamin C is also required to synthesise collagen and it is advisable to avoid the consumption of collagen-rich food or collagen supplement with them.
3. Fish
Scales, skin, and bones are where fish collagen is most concentrated. So, if you enjoy fish, choose a fish that will be eaten whole or as much as possible. Marine collagen is reportedly one of the collagen that is absorbed the most readily.
4. Egg Whites
Unlike many other animal products, eggs don’t contain connective tissues, but they do contain large amounts of proline, which is one of the amino acids required for collagen production.
5. Beans
Beans are high in protein and frequently contain the amino acids required for collagen synthesis. Furthermore, many of them are high in copper, another nutrient required for collagen production.
6. Cashews
If you want to snack on something while working late at night, try cashews. These filling nuts contain zinc and copper, both of which aid the body to produce collagen.
7. Leafy greens
We are all aware of how important leafy greens are to a healthy diet. It turns out that they may also provide aesthetic advantages. They contain chlorophyll, and consuming chlorophyll tends to increase the precursor to collagen in the skin.
8. Chicken
There’s a strong reason why chicken is the source of many collagen supplements. This white meat is rich in dietary collagen thanks to the abundance of connective tissues it contains.
