7 Reasons Collagen Benefits Men

Although this is a site geared toward women, most of us have men in our lives we care about--fathers, sons, brothers, husbands, partners. The answer to the question, should men take collagen, is definitely yes, here's why.

As we approach our 30s, men or women, natural collagen production starts to decrease.

Each year after that, production continues to decrease. Hence, we start to see wrinkles, fine lines in the morning, saggy skin on our knees and suffer through painful joints. Weak arteries in our heart, pulled ligaments and torn muscles become more common.

Along with decreased new collagen production, we add lifestyle activities that damage the collagen we do have. These include exposure to too much sun, smoking, not eating enough vegetables, eating too much processed food and/or sugar.

If we are proactive in maintaining our good health, we will feel and look younger, and be as active as possible, for as long as we can.

7 Reasons Men Benefit From Collagen

1. Helps avoid hair thinning/loss

Because collagen is heavily present in our skin, and our scalp is skin, it makes sense that men would want help to strengthen their scalp as much as possible.

This will allow hair follicles to stay put longer and provide a healthy environment to encourage new hair growth.

2. Encourages strong bones and joints

Arthritis is the deterioration and/or inflammation of the cushioning (cartilage) between our joints.

Collagen Type II is concentrated in the cartilage between bones. As we pointed out, collagen production lessens as we get older. Add on lifestyle and diet that may cause a further reduction, we have a situation of creaky joints and weak bones.

A research study concluded collagen is effective to reduce joint pain in older people. In addition to this, no harmful or side effects were revealed during the study.(1)

3. Contributes to increased muscle mass, strength and recovery

In addition, collagen includes important amino acids, like arginine for example. Arginine helps to increase muscle mass.

Muscle tissue is approximately 10% of collagen. A research study found those that added extra collagen to their bodies helped boost muscle mass and strength, even in men who are older.(2)(3)

4. Promotes a healthy heart

Collagen provides structure to many parts of our body, including arteries. In addition, collagen is known as an anti-inflammatory, fighting off the effect of free radicals in our environment.

Researchers found collagen helps to maintain flexibility in arteries and increase good cholesterol levels.(4)

In addition, collagen contains the amino acid proline. Proline works to keep arteries clear from fat.

5. Supports a healthy gut and digestive tract

Collagen is present in the cells that line the gut. It's this lining that allows nutrients to pass through and nourish other parts of our body.

Scientists believe when this lining is compromised, unwanted contents in our gut are allowed to leak out. As you can imagine, this can cause big problems from constipation, diarrhea, gastrointestinal pain and discomfort.

Glutamine is an amino acid in collagen that helps with digestion and been shown to support a healthy gut barrier.(5)

Way back when, we consumed more parts of animals than we do today. We no longer regularly eat organ meats and skin for example. Or we don't eat the collagen-rich soups made from the uneaten parts of animals.

Could this be part of why so many suffer from gastrointestinal disorders?

6. Encourages smooth, hydrated skin

The first signs of aging appear when seeing wrinkles in the forehead, crows feet around the eyes and sagging jawlines. All these symptoms are showing a lack of collagen in our bodies.

Yes, it's true that topical collagen doesn't go further down than the epidermis (the first layer of skin). However, collagen is an antioxidant which fights off free radicals that invade our skin through the air and food. In addition, collagen can boost the hydration in our skin, smoothing out those wrinkles fine lines.

Preliminary results for a recent study showed promise when the subjects used oral collagen supplements to help with skin aging and wound healing. Further, collagen is generally considered safe.(6)

7. Helps manage weight

A study showed gelatin (natural, concentrated collagen from bones, skin and joints from animals) is approximately 40% more filling than other proteins.(7)

A consistent feeling of fullness and satisfaction helps to avoid food cravings and unnecessary snacking.

How a Man Can Get More Collagen In His Diet

One way to feel and look youthful is to add more collagen to his diet. In today's world, it's easy for a man to add more collagen to his diet and improve the look of his skin.

Here are four easy ways:

-Eat collagen-rich and other superfoods
-Drink bone broth
-Take a high-quality collagen supplement
-Use skin-care products that contain collagen

Our body's process to make collagen is complex. Along with crucial amino acids in food, it's important to know that vitamin C is also required.

Clearly, we need to have sufficient vitamin C in our diets to make the most of our efforts to help create new collagen.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The largest protein in our bodies is collagen. Both men and women need a sufficient amount of collagen to maintain a strong internal structure and to look youthful.

Although more studies are needed, many performed already have shown the strong benefit of collagen as an anti-aging agent.

The important thing to recognize is collagen supplementation is considered safe. So why shouldn't a man add collagen supplements to his daily routine, drink bone broth and eat collagen-rich foods?

References

1. Alfonso E. Bello & Steffen Oesser (2006) Collagen hydrolysate for the treatment of osteoarthritis and other joint disorders:a review of the literature, Current Medical Research and Opinion, 22:11, 2221-2232, DOI: 10.1185/030079906X148373

2. Kirmse, M., Oertzen-Hagemann, V., de Marées, M., Bloch, W., & Platen, P. (2019). Prolonged Collagen Peptide Supplementation and Resistance Exercise Training Affects Body Composition in Recreationally Active Men. Nutrients, 11(5), 1154. doi:10.3390/nu11051154

3. Zdzieblik, D., Oesser, S., Baumstark, M. W., Gollhofer, A., & König, D. (2015). Collagen peptide supplementation in combination with resistance training improves body composition and increases muscle strength in elderly sarcopenic men: a randomised controlled trial. The British journal of nutrition, 114(8), 1237–1245. doi:10.1017/S0007114515002810

4. Tomosugi, N., Yamamoto, S., Takeuchi, M., Yonekura, H., Ishigaki, Y., Numata, N., … Sakai, Y. (2017). Effect of Collagen Tripeptide on Atherosclerosis in Healthy Humans. Journal of atherosclerosis and thrombosis, 24(5), 530–538. doi:10.5551/jat.36293

5. Kim, M. H., & Kim, H. (2017). The Roles of Glutamine in the Intestine and Its Implication in Intestinal Diseases. International journal of molecular sciences, 18(5), 1051. doi:10.3390/ijms18051051

6. Franchesca D. Choi BS RPH, Calvin T. Sung BS, Margit L.W. Juhasz MD, Natachs Atanaskova Mesinkovska MD PhD. (2019). Oral Collagen Supplementation: A Systematic Review of Dermatological Applications. J Drugs Dermatol. 2019 Jan 1;18(1):9-16.

7. Veldhorst, Margriet AB, et al. “A breakfast with alpha-lactalbumin, gelatin, or gelatin+ TRP lowers energy intake at lunch compared with a breakfast with casein, soy, whey, or whey-GMP.” Clinical Nutrition 28.2 (2009): 147-155.