First a little about the collagen
Collagen is a protein that keeps the skin young and elastic. It is a very important building block in our connective tissue, skin, tendons, bones, blood, etc. Up to 36% of our bone tissue consists of collagen and up to 75-80% of the skin consists of collagen.
The body's collagen level already falls from the age of 25, but fortunately you can do something yourself to add collagen to the body, either in the form of nutritional supplements or through the diet. It just requires that you know which foods to sink your teeth into, and then you also have to expect to spend a little extra time in the kitchen.
Collagen-containing meals typically consist of simmering dishes that have been allowed to cook the collagen on bones and skin for several hours. So it is not in your takeaway or in processed food that you find the way to more collagen.
You can also do something yourself to reduce the body's breakdown of collagen. The biggest culprits that contribute to collagen breakdown are smoking, stress, sugar, toxins, too much sun and excessive physical exercise (increases the production of free radicals) and for menopausal women the low production of hormones also contributes. All of this contributes to destroying the body's collagen and reducing the production of new collagen.
In these foods you will find collagen
FISH
One of the best sources is fish skin, which has a high content of collagen. Many collagen supplements are just extracted from fish skin. In the kitchen, you can make delicious fish roe from the skin of your salmon or cod fillet by dry-frying the skin and sprinkling with salt - it tastes great as a side dish. In general, it is recommended to cook the fish so that the skin can be eaten, as this is where you get the most collagen.
SHELLFISH
You can, with a clear conscience, go the more exclusive route and enjoy the sea's riches of oysters, crab claws, crabs, spiny lobsters, prawns or mussels. They are collagen bombs and are also a good source of zinc. Cook soup or stock on the shells, which can be frozen - it's a wonderful shortcut to collage when the time is right.
MEAT
Both skin, bones and other offal from beef, chicken and pig have a high content of collagen, but to get the most out of the collagen you have to start with the simmering dishes. Cook e.g. a delicious bone broth on the carcass from a boiled chicken and herbs or indulge in classics such as osso buco, steak stroganoff or cog au vin. Fortunately, both stock and simmering dishes can be made in large portions and frozen, so you have easy, home-made dishes when you don't have to spend many hours in the kitchen.
VEGETABLES
Collagen is an animal protein. It is extracted from bones, skin and fur, so the best strategy for vegans is to protect the body's collagen against what breaks down collagen, namely tobacco smoke, sun, pollution and sugar. Vegetables and berries contain lots of antioxidants, which are used by your body to fight the so-called free radicals, which are constantly formed when the body consumes oxygen. Antioxidants are a whole chapter on their own, so we'll talk more about that another time.
COLLAGEN BOOSTERS
You can make sure you eat enough vitamin C, which contributes to the normal formation of collagen, which is important for normally functioning bones, cartilage, gums, blood vessels and not least your skin. Fruit and vegetables are good sources of the vitamin, and you can advantageously choose based on the season. Kale, Brussels sprouts, spinach, blackcurrant, hypen, grape, lemon or sea buckthorn to name a few easy and delicious vegetables and fruits to prepare.
Foods such as eggs, cheese, potatoes, seaweed, nuts, soy, beans and tofu are among others. rich in lysine. Lysine is a really good helper to promote and rebuild collagen in your body.
From old sim dishes to an inner-beauty trend
In the past, we got collagen naturally through the diet, but since it takes a lot of time to prepare collagen-containing meals, as our grandmothers and great-grandmothers did, an intake of collagen powder can be a good supplement in everyday life.
The skin is the body's largest organ, so it is important that we take care of it - up to 80% of the skin consists of collagen, which helps keep the skin firm and elastic.
From the age of 25, a completely natural process takes place, our collagen level starts to drop and we start to get wrinkles and fine lines. Therefore, collagen is an inner beauty trend that is on many people's lips.
Our collagen product recommendation
There are several different collagen products on the market. The difference between them is typically the source – that is, whether the collagen is extracted from fish, cattle, chicken or pig. In addition, there is quality and molecular weight.
See our collagen variants, which have been added with delicious natural ingredients or beneficial vitamins and minerals that can support your beauty and well-being. Some can even care for skin, hair, nails, connective tissue and mucous membranes.
Most people can start to see results after a few months of taking the collagen. After approx. 6-12 weeks you can start to see changes in your skin's elasticity and resilience.
