We talked about the health benefits of collagen on skin and hair in a previous post.
But did you know that collagen can also be good for your nails?
Whether you’re interested in natural sources of collagen such as fish or bone broth, or prefer collagen peptide supplements for their ease of use and better absorption, one thing’s for sure.
Collagen might have a lot to offer when it comes to your hair, skin and nails. And while the benefits of taking oral collagen supplements needs to be studied more, science reveals that collagen may have some very promising health benefits.
So let’s dive deeper.
Collagen is most widely known for its skin benefits. Which is why you’ll see it advertised everywhere from lotions to creams to serums.
But for a good reason.
Research indicates that consuming some bioactive collagen peptides helps reduce wrinkles and improve skin appearance and texture. This, in turn, has anti-ageing effects since our skin loses its firmness and hydration as we become older.
Collagen consumption is also found to stimulate our body’s natural production of collagen as well as elastin and fibrillin; two proteins that provide structure to our skin.
However, topical collagen treatments, as well as oral collagen supplements, are more effective when they contain collagen peptides or collagen hydrolysate. These are made from breaking up larger collagen molecules into smaller chains for ease of absorption and may even absorb better than natural collagen.
Collagen can be really effective for achieving richer locks.
You might already know that our hair is primarily made up of a protein called keratin. When you consume collagen, the body breaks it down into amino acids which are then used to produce keratin.
Additionally, there are other ways that collagen may help your hair and scalp.
Due to its positive impact on skin, collagen may help improve the elasticity and strength of the scalp. Since the scalp is what’s holding your hair follicles this can, in turn, strengthen the hair and reduce hair fall and thinning.
Collagen may also have antioxidant properties which means that it may fight hair damage caused by external stressors such as stress, pollution and UV damage. These antioxidant properties may also help with greying hair.
Some clinical studies conducted on the effects of oral marine collagen supplements conclude that ‘A dietary supplement containing a marine complex and other natural ingredients can safely and effectively promote hair growth and decrease hair shedding in women and men with thinning hair.’
Collagen may not only improve the strength of your nails but it can also help them grow faster and longer.
Here’s how.
Our nail bed contains small pockets known as the ‘matrix’ from which new keratin cells are produced. As these new cells are formed, the old ones get pushed out forming the white part of our nails that we cut off.
Since collagen is important for keratin production and its levels naturally decline as we age, less keratin is formed making our nails weak and brittle. Collagen peptides can help solve this problem by activating keratin production.
They also contain arginine which helps supply the nail bed with essential nutrients by increasing blood flow to them. A healthy blood supply to the nail bed ultimately means new cells are continuously formed making the nails healthier and shinier.
A study shows that bioactive collagen peptides supplements promoted a 12% increase in nail growth and a 42% decline in the frequency of broken nails. Participants of this study also noted a visible improvement in the appearance of their nails.
Some studies show that consuming collagen peptide supplements may have promising effects on hair, skin and nails.
These supplements are largely considered safe to use for most people and contain more bioavailable forms of collagen that can be readily absorbed by the body.
Will you consider trying a collagen peptide supplement like Sash Vitality’s Marine Collagen?
Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Proksch, E & Schunck, Michael & Zague, V & Segger, Dörte & Degwert, Joachim & Oesser, S. (2013). Oral Intake of Specific Bioactive Collagen Peptides Reduces Skin Wrinkles and Increases Dermal Matrix Synthesis. Skin pharmacology and physiology. 27. 113-119. 10.1159/000355523.
Inoue N, Sugihara F, Wang X. Ingestion of bioactive collagen hydrolysates enhance facial skin moisture and elasticity and reduce facial ageing signs in a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled clinical study. J Sci Food Agric. 2016 Sep;96(12):4077-81. doi: 10.1002/jsfa.7606. Epub 2016 Feb 10. PMID: 26840887.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26840887/
Hornfeldt CS. Growing evidence of the beneficial effects of a marine protein-based dietary supplement for treating hair loss. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2018 Apr;17(2):209-213. doi: 10.1111/jocd.12400. Epub 2017 Sep 16. PMID: 28921826.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28921826/
Hexsel D, Zague V, Schunck M, Siega C, Camozzato FO, Oesser S. Oral supplementation with specific bioactive collagen peptides improves nail growth and reduces symptoms of brittle nails. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2017 Dec;16(4):520-526. doi: 10.1111/jocd.12393. Epub 2017 Aug 8. PMID: 28786550.
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