Spotlight on
Capsules, powders, lotions and liquids; the wellness market is full of collagen products that promise the world. What do you know about this nutritional wonder?
01. Ooh, I’ve heard of this one.
It’s hard not to – collagen is popping up everywhere from your skincare to your smoothie. ‘It’s the most common protein in the body,’ says dietitian Maeve Hanan (dieteticallyspeaking. com). ‘It provides structural support to many different types of tissue in the body, including skin, muscles, ligaments, tendons, blood vessels, bones, teeth and eyes.’ It’s got some serious multitasker vibes.
02. Where can I get it?
‘You’ll find it in foods such as fish, meat, poultry and bone broth, but your body also creates collagen,’ says Hanan. Whenever you consume protein, your body breaks it down into individual amino acids to be used to create whatever particular protein your body needs. ‘It means consuming enough protein – including a variety of amino acids – is important, rather than consuming collagen specifically,’ adds Hanan. She notes that dietary collagen will be broken down in the same way as explained above, so that expensive bone broth may not end up being the cheek plumper you hoped it would be, if your body has other plans.
03. What about its skin promises?
‘Collagen is found in the deeper layer of your skin called the dermis,’ says Dr Shaaira Nasir, consultant dermatologist at Sk:n. ‘Production declines as you age, leaving your collagen irregular and disorganised, resulting in skin wrinkling and sagging.’ But hold off rushing to the skincare aisle. ‘Collagen molecules are too large to be absorbed by the skin, so to restore it, focus instead on diet and using products such as retinol, which can help promote collagen production.’
04. So is there an amount to aim for?
Not of collagen itse
