Would you believe that the average man loses 1.5 pounds of collagen every year? And if you think that only women need to beware of skin damage and early wrinkles, studies indicate that men are not immune either.
As people age, they lose collagen at a rate of 1 percent per year especially once they reach their thirties. Men are also more prone to skin wrinkling than women, perhaps due to certain lifestyle habits like smoking, drinking, and tanning.
This piece seeks to shed some more light on the importance of collagen and whether men should supplement their natural stores.
What Exactly Is Collagen?
Collagen is a structural protein in connective tissue that plays an important role in skin and body appearance. Especially collagen type III, it provides support to connective tissues and tissues including skin, hair, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels.
Collagen is responsible for most of the cross-sectional flexibility in the body.
Natural Sources of Collagen
Vegetable and meat sources, such as fish, soybeans, eggs, and milk, and supplements are good sources of collagen. An adult can intake 2.5 ounces of cow’s milk daily or 2.5 ounces of milk and yogurt, for example, to get their 2.5 grams of daily dose.
It is reported that regular consumption of dairy products can boost bone health by up to three times compared to a non-dairy diet. Plant sources of collagen include a wide variety of mushrooms, bok choy, watercress, nuts, and seeds.
Certain foods also provide vitamins and minerals that help promote collagen production including watermelon, eggs, dark chocolate, strawberries, and fish.
Nonetheless, collagen is naturally made in the body rather than directly being acquired from the mentioned food sources.
Collagen Supplements: Do Men Need Them?
As earlier mentioned, the amount of collagen in the body steadily starts to decrease after the age of 30. This is to say that with aging, the body loses its natural ability to make as much collagen as it did when the person was a few years younger.
This is the biggest reason why men can benefit from certain collagen supplements. Taking a daily dose of collagen supplements can be a life-changing solution to keep your skin healthy.
Using a supplement like marine collagen cream pevonia, for instance, can help improve skin elasticity, strength, and hydration. Below are a few more reasons one would want to use collagen.
Ways Collagen Supplements Can Help Men
Some people look at collagen supplements as the fountain of youth, and in a way, they are. If you’re a man, taking them can help when you need to:
1. Promote Workout Recovery
If you work out often, you know how frustrating it can be to get sore and stiff muscles. Taking collagen supplements helps to heal your body faster.
2. Improve Skin Health
One of the main reasons why men want to use collagen supplements is because they can help you maintain your skin’s hydration levels. As earlier mentioned, they can also help you achieve that healthy, youthful glow, reduce wrinkles, and combat fine lines.
3. Boost Muscle Mass
Are you planning to start working out, or perhaps you’ve already enrolled in a gym? If you’ve always admired having a well-toned body, you may need to take collagen supplements to help you avoid wasting away your hard-earned muscle mass.
4. Enhance Weight Loss
Collagen supplements can help you build muscles while also losing fat because they are designed to help your body produce protein faster, which helps to metabolize your calories.
5. Combat Hair Loss
If you’re one of those men who want to have a smooth scalp, you can also use a daily dose of collagen to help prevent hair loss.
From improving skin appearance to boosting muscle tone, and boosting joint health, collagen supplements can indeed help men in various ways.
Nonetheless, it is advisable to always consult a doctor before using a collagen supplement. They can help you to confirm that your body needs it and determine how much you should take.
