Top Collagen Boosting Foods to Eat

Aging is a process we can’t avoid – it will definitely happen. In fact, due to hectic lifestyle, pollution, stress, and other factors, many start to show premature signs of aging even before hitting 30. However, there is a way to take good care of skin, and keep those nasty signs like lines and wrinkles at bay.

How to go about it?

Naturally produced collagen found in connective tissues, like muscles, skin, and the digestive system, helps provide elasticity and structure. As you age, the production of collagen starts to decline. Collagen breaks down over time, which manifests in the form of wrinkles, lines, sagging skin, etc. It can begin to break down the muscles and joints as well. Eating collagen-rich foods help to boost collagen in the body, while helping you get extra protein.

Here are some collagen boosting foods – take a look:

Bone Broth

Bone broth is made by cooking beef, chicken, or other animal bones to extract collagen and minerals. The process takes a lot of time if you do it yourself – it could take hours, or even a day. But you can always buy high quality bone broth products online or in stores.

Citrus Fruits

Vitamin C helps to link amino acids during collagen production. Fresh citrus fruits are packed with high levels of vitamin C to aid in this process. For instance, one medium-sized orange contains 70 mg of vitamin C. So make sure to include these fruits in your diet, in the form of a fruit salad or juices.

Egg

The egg whites specifically contain glycine and proline –main amino acids that make up collagen. Even the yolk contains vitamin D and healthy fats that help maintain the health of skin, bones, and muscles. So whether you prefer them soft-boiled, fried, or scrambled, they are the ideal protein-packed meal you should start your day with.

Fish

Fish is rich in amino acids that are needed to produce collagen. It is advisable to have fish with the skin on, as it contains a high concentration of Type I collagen, which accounts for majority of collagen in the skin.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes, especially sun-dried ones, contain lots of vitamin C needed for collagen production. They also have the antioxidant lycopene, which can shield skin from sun damage and prevent breakdown of collagen. You can try eating raw tomatoes with a bit of olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper – it tastes amazing! If not, you can always add them in your salad or pasta.

Leafy Greens

Greens such as spinach, kale, collard greens, and rainbow chard contain several nutrients, including vitamin C. Use these in your stew, whip up a salad, or make a smoothie (kale) – choice is yours! These greens also contain chlorophyll, which has been found to increase the amount of procollagen (the precursor to collagen).

Nuts

Minerals like zinc greatly help in collagen production. Nuts are full of zinc and protein, so even a handful is sufficient to increase collagen in the body.

Red Bell Peppers

Vitamin C is one of the key ingredients involved in collagen synthesis, and red bell peppers are packed with it. However, it doesn’t mean green and yellow varieties are to be dismissed. Red peppers are just super ripe green peppers, while yellow peppers are somewhere in the middle. Each variety has a healthy amount of vitamin C, but the older the pepper gets, the more vitamin C it contains.

Berries

Strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries etc, contain ingredients that work wonders for skin, which include giving it an excellent collagen boost.

While collagen boosting foods are great, you could also consume supplements like Marine Collagen Crushes. Marine Collagen is a Type 1 collagen extracted from fish collagen peptides. It is the highest, most bioavailable source of collagen available on the market. So try it in different flavors such as Coiffee, Matcha, Turmeric or Lucuma – go ahead and take your pick!

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