Collagen has gained widespread attention as a supplement that helps women retain a youthful look due to its wonderful mantra on various health aspects. However, collagen is not only for femininity. Read this article to learn the five excellent benefits of collagen for men.
RELATED: 6 Anti-aging Myths & Misconceptions
Not Just for Women – Collagen as the Fountain of Youth for Men
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body, accounting for roughly 35 percent of our protein content. It acts as the glue that connects most body parts, from muscles, bones, tendons, joints, and especially skin.
Preventing Hair Loss
Little is known about the effects of collagen on the hair. Although hair is not made of collagen but rather keratin, there is a close association between collagen and the hair cycle. During the growth stage of the hair, collagen increases around the hair follicles and then decreases after these follicles mature. This protein then rises again for the next phase of hair growth. Collagen is also linked to the production of keratin for hair growth.
Collagen keeps the hair follicles strong and thick, which serve as the locks that keep hair from shedding. Also, as our bodies produce more collagen, the hair layers are more capable of regenerating. This enhanced regeneration supports the hair follicles by allowing them to be re-introduced in the next growth phase and maintain a healthy hair cycle. You can add collagen to your diet through foods like fish, soy, and avocados or supplements.
Reducing Fine Lines and Wrinkles
Whether you are a man or a woman, collagen makes up a significant component of your skin, up to 80 percent. Due to this large proportion, collagen plays a vital role in maintaining skin strength, elasticity, and hydration. However, our body produces less collagen as we age, resulting in our skin showing signs of aging like fine lines and wrinkles. Supplementing collagen in men helps reduce the presence of these wearing-out indicators.
Nonetheless, applying collagen topically on the skin may not maximize the therapeutic benefits of collagen. This lack of effectiveness is due to its large molecular weight, making collagen too large to penetrate the top layer of skin. Men who wish to get the most out of collagen supplements should rely on other methods such as taking collagen capsules or implementing invasive procedures like chemical peeling or laser treatment to stimulate collagen production in the body.
Accelerating Muscle Recovery
Collagen is an integral component of muscle due to its contribution to the muscular texture. In terms of composition, collagen accounts for up to 80 percent of dry mass in a tendon or ligament. We all know how vital these connective tissues are to our muscle growth and recovery. Indeed, research also shows that collagen has moderate benefits for the recovery of muscle soreness after strenuous exercise.
Therefore, whether you are a fitness enthusiast or just a beginner wishing to build some muscles, collagen is an excellent protein for muscle recovery that helps build and repair the muscles, tendons, and ligaments exhausted after exercise. However, collagen is not superior to whey protein for building muscle or strength due to its low content in essential amino acids like leucine.
Enhancing Bone Health
There is a common belief that people need to consume adequate calcium to maintain bone health, as more than 99 percent of the body’s calcium is stored in bone tissue. However, calcium is not the only component in our bones. Bone consists of a considerable amount of collagen, which gives bones flexibility. Moreover, collagen contributes to the maintenance of bone mineral density, an essential measurement of bone health.
The association between collagen and bone flexibility and mineral content, in turn, largely determines overall bone health while preventing the development of some diseases. Your bones are more resilient against physical force during exercise if they are more flexible—meanwhile, the higher your bone mineral content, the denser and stronger your bones. Higher mineral density also prevents the onset of osteoporosis and the risk of bone fractures.
RELATED: Peptide Therapy for Autoimmune Skin Disorders
Maintaining a Healthy Gut
Collagen is essential in building and maintaining healthy connective tissue in our digestive tract. The connective tissue in our gut lining is made primarily of collagen. High collagen, therefore, contributes to the thickening of the gut wall for intestinal integrity.
Maintaining a strong and integral digestive tract and stomach lining is the foundation for preventing a leaky gut. This condition occurs when the lining of our intestine is damaged. A leaky gut may cause inflammation, bloating, and food sensitivity, potentially leading to other digestive disorders like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
As important as protecting our gut against digestive problems, aiding in repairing the intestinal lining is another essential benefit of collagen. When your gut lining is damaged, for example, due to a leaky gut, the body will produce collagen to regenerate new muscle cells to fill up the damaged parts.
Collagen is vital for various health aspects of both women and men. Given the progressive decline in collagen production with age, adding collagen to our diets through foods and supplements plays a tremendous role in preserving youthful health.
Yunique Medical provides FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE for optimized health and performance. We offer customized, scientifically advanced treatments to create a new state of human thriving. Why be ordinary when you can be optimal?
HUMAN 2.0 begins here!
Contact us to schedule your FREE consultation at one of our three locations in Florida – Ocala, Fruitland Park (The Villages), and Daytona.
UP NEXT: