Introduction
1. What is collagen?
Proteins are biological macromolecules composed of amino acids as the basic unit, which are the material basis of life. Without proteins, there would be no life. Every cell and all important components in the body are involved in proteins. Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body, accounting for 30-40% of the total protein in the body.
2. What is collagen peptide?
Collagen is a large molecular protein with a molecular weight of over 300000, which is difficult for the human body to digest and absorb. Collagen peptides are small molecule proteins with a molecular weight of around 500-20000, which have good biological functions and high digestive and absorptive properties. The absorption rate can reach 95-100%. In the food industry, collagen actually refers to collagen peptides.
3. The effects of collagen on various parts of the human body
Skin - The skin can be divided into three layers: epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous tissue. The outermost layer is the epidermis, which can prevent foreign objects from invading. 70% of the subcutaneous dermal tissue is collagen, with a relatively large surface area. When the human limbs are active, best collagen in the skin plays a role, giving the skin a protective function with appropriate elasticity and hardness. Therefore, pure collagen can maintain the skin's firmness and softness.
The basement membrane of the epidermis is tightly bound to collagen in the dermis, and the wavy appearance of the dermis also causes the epidermis to undulate. The ability to freely bend hands and feet, and the elasticity during high jump, is mainly attributed to collagen protein. Collagen for skin tightly envelops the hair root sebaceous glands and cells in the dermis in the skin structure. After aging, the skin will lose its elasticity, mainly related to collagen protein.
The main component of corneal and conjunctival tissues in the eyes is collagen, and supplementing collagen capsules can effectively prevent eye diseases.
Hair - The key to the health of hair lies in the nutrition of the scalp subcutaneous tissue, which is the foundation of hair. Collagen for hair growth in the dermis is the nutrient supply station for the surface and epidermal appendages, mainly hair and nails. If the skin lacks pure collagen, the hair will dry and split. In addition, the structure of keratin and collagen, which make up hair, is extremely similar. Supplementing collagen can enhance hair moisture.
Teeth -18% of ivory, one of the main components of teeth, and most of the tissue components that make up gums and roots are collagen. Oral supplementation of collagen can effectively prevent dental and oral diseases such as gingivitis.
Nails - As mentioned earlier, collagen located in the dermis is is a nutritional supply station for the epidermal layer and its appendages. Nails are epidermal appendages, and the loss of clean collagen in the human body makes them prone to breakage, dullness, and dullness.
Chest - The breast is mainly composed of connective tissue and adipose tissue, and a tall and plump breast largely relies on the support of connective tissue. Collagen is the main component of connective tissue, and in connective tissue, collagen often interweaves with polysaccharide proteins to form a network structure, producing a certain mechanical strength, which is the material basis for supporting the body's curves and reflecting a straight and upright posture. Supplementing collagen can have a natural breast enhancement effect.
Visceral organs - There are no organs in the body that are not affected by collagen. Lack of collagen can seriously affect organ health and even lead to various diseases. Adequate supplementation of collagen can assist in nutrient supplementation and exercise of internal organs, effectively preventing diseases.
Bones -70% to 80% of organic matter in bones is collagen. When bones are formed, sufficient collagen fibers must be synthesized to form the framework of the bones. Therefore, some people refer to collagen as the bone in the bones. The loss or deficiency of collagen can cause diseases such as osteoporosis. Tendons -80% of the components that connect bones and muscles are collagen. Lack of collagen for bones can cause weakness in tendons and muscles. Therefore, calcium supplementation should first supplement collagen protein
Joint - A joint is the cartilage between bones, and 50% of the material in cartilage is best collagen for joints. The human body suffers from joint diseases due to the loss and lack of collagen.
The cosmetic effect of collagen protein
Collagen is the main component that maintains skin and muscle elasticity. But as age increases, the moisture in the skin and muscles decreases, marking the beginning of aging. At this point, collagen fibers begin to become smaller, and the elasticity of elastin decreases. The regular mesh structure formed by the interaction between collagen and elastin in the dermis will gradually collapse, ultimately leading to the formation of wrinkles. So supplementing collagen can keep the skin young. Experimental results have shown that a pure solution of 0.01% collagen has a good anti radiation effect and can form a good water retaining layer, which can supply all the water needed by the skin.
The efficacy of collagen protein in beauty can be summarized as follows:
1. Firming and smoothing wrinkles
After best collagen for skin enters the dermis tissue through the epidermis, it can quickly fill local collapse, improve sagging skin, tighten skin, reduce deep wrinkles, and smooth fine lines. Shrink pores, making the skin tight and elastic. Collagen makes cells fuller, thereby making the skin fuller, maintaining skin elasticity and moisture, maintaining delicate and smooth skin, relaxing wrinkles, presenting a texture and transparency, and effectively preventing aging.
2. Moisturizing
Collagen is a transparent substance composed of three helical peptide chains, which can firmly lock in moisture and nutrients, keeping the skin in a plump and tender state at all times. Natural collagen also contains hydroxyproline and serine, which are natural moisturizing factors that prevent water loss and maintain skin elasticity and vitality. In addition, due to the dual effects of collagen's water retention and tightening properties, it can also improve the secretion status of dry and oily skin, adjust the oil balance on the skin surface, and gradually make it tend towards neutral skin, with tight and delicate pores.
3. Restore elasticity
After collagen enters the human body, it is absorbed and generates new cells that combine with the original cells, filling the sunken areas and restoring skin elasticity, flexibility, and fullness.
4. Repair organization
After best collagen enters the human body, it gradually generates new tissue that coordinates with the surrounding normal skin, playing a corrective role, restoring normal appearance, and also reducing the physiological pain of patients. There is a significant improvement effect on enlarged acne scars, intradermal or subcutaneous tissue damage, epithelial contraction, deep wrinkles, or other soft tissue defects.
5. Whitening and lightening spots
Collagen can make cells adhere more tightly, prevent the conversion of tyrosine to melanin, and provide no hiding place for melanin and toxins, resulting in temporary whitening of skin tone and fading of pigmentation.
6. The role of weight loss and body beauty
Weight loss requires burning fat (breakdown metabolism), and collagen can increase and prolong this breakdown metabolism process, burning more fat to achieve the goal of weight loss. And the repair function of collagen on cells consumes a large amount of heat energy, which must be carried out during sleep. Therefore, taking collagen for weight loss can help you lose weight while sleeping, and the dream of easy weight loss has become a reality. Due to the mild and long-lasting effect of this weight loss method (oral collagen increases fat burning rate by about 60% when sleeping without eating), for people who are losing weight, oral collagen not only accelerates fat burning, but also promotes the tension and elasticity of deep fibrous tissue in the skin, making the skin still elastic and shiny after weight loss, preventing common weight loss complications such as skin relaxation, sagging, dehydration, etc.
The Health Benefits of Collagen Protein
1. The relationship between collagen and calcium supplementation
Calcium in the human body is mainly stored in bones and teeth, with a small amount in plasma (commonly known as blood calcium). Bone calcium and blood calcium are in a process of mutual regulation. Calcium in food is absorbed into the bloodstream through digestion by the intestines, and proteins in the plasma (mainly hydroxyproline in the base) transport calcium to osteoblasts for mineralization, forming tissues such as bone and teeth. If the calcium concentration in plasma is too low, bone calcium will dissolve and be replenished into the blood.
Generally speaking, the content of hydroxyproline in the blood is an important indicator of calcium absorption. Collagen contains abundant hydroxyproline and hydroxylysine, which cannot be compared with other proteins. Hydroxyproline is not only a carrier for transporting calcium from plasma to bone cells, but also an adhesive for collagen hydroxyphosphate calcium in bone tissue. Bone is the binding body of hydroxyphosphate calcium and bone collagen. From this, we understand a truth: supplementing calcium should prioritize the supplementation of collagen, followed by the supplementation of calcium. As long as the human body can consume enough collagen and the metabolic function of collagen is normal, there is no need to intentionally consume calcium excessively.
2. The hypoglycemic effect of collagen protein
Collagen protein contains collagen polypeptide chromium. Animal experiments in mice found that collagen polypeptide chromium (III) chelate has an obvious effect on reducing fasting blood glucose in diabetes, increasing the synthesis of liver glycogen and the activity of glucokinase, controlling triglyceride, cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and improving the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. The results indicate that this collagen peptide chromium has health benefits such as lowering blood sugar, lowering blood lipids, and resisting stress.
3. The antihypertensive effect of collagen protein
The three major modern diseases: obesity, hypertension, and high levels of triglycerides and cholesterol in the blood, seriously threaten the quality of human life. Collagen also contains a certain amount of collagen peptide, which can inhibit the activity of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) that causes hypertension. Animal experiments have also shown that it significantly reduces arterial blood pressure in hypertensive rats.
Collagen in food may also be hydrolyzed into nine peptides during the digestion process in the body, which have the effect of inhibiting the activity of angiotensin converting enzyme, reducing blood triglycerides and cholesterol, and thus lowering blood pressure. Collagen also has a significant promoting effect on the proliferation of vascular endothelial cells, which has a certain protective and repair effect on vascular damage. Therefore, it is beneficial for reducing weight and blood lipids, and is suitable for overweight patients and patients with arteriosclerosis.
4. Collagen and immune function
The level of human immunity varies from person to person for many reasons. However, the basic reason is that immune cells such as immunoglobulins, lymphocytes, and macrophages will surround and engulf foreign bodies when they detect them invading the body, and even sacrifice themselves to protect the body. So, the more immune cells there are, the stronger the body's immune system is.
Research has shown that the combination of collagen and immune proteins can effectively enhance the immune system of the human body. Therefore, collagen supplementation is important.
When immune cells flow through various parts of the body with the blood, they will pass through the blood vessel wall and approach foreign objects (such as bacteria, viruses, etc.). If this area is rich in collagen, immune cells will combine with collagen to fight against invading foreign objects. Once this biological activity occurs, the body is like receiving a general mobilization order, a series of immune functions are activated, and immune functions such as macrophages, lymphocytes, plasma cells, and immunoglobulins will be enhanced, enhancing the body's resistance.
