Wonder Woman contended with Ares. Captain Marvel fought her past and every man who ever told her she couldn’t do her job because she was a woman. And women today have their own demons to fight.
To be an amazing warrior woman in the twenty-first century, you need superior health. You can’t do it all from under your covers in bed.
Thankfully in our day and age, we have weapons at our fingertips that can battle illness with ease. In particular, collagen supplements can help you achieve superior health.
What is Collagen
So seriously, what is this magical new potion?
Truthfully, collagen has existed as long as humans have. Our bodies make it.
Did you ever wonder why your baby’s skin was pudgy and soft and yours was turning thin and scaly? Collagen.
Our bodies make the protein collagen naturally. Collagen is so important that it makes up 30 percent of structural protein in the body.
But even though our bodies make it naturally from what we eat (amino acids, vitamins, and minerals, not to mention animal proteins), it begins to decrease as we age. Thus we see the paper-thin skin in elderly people.
We can boost our decreasing collagen levels by using collagen supplements. The supplements come in two different forms: type II and type I. Type II is derived from chicken cartilage, and type I is from cow bones and hides or fish scales.
A variety of supplements exist from collagen pills to collagen powder. Supplements like Phi Naturals, for example, provide consumers with all benefits that natural collagen can provide.
Benefits of Collagen
While your body ages, it produces less collagen. And additionally, the choices we make to abuse our body with smoking, alcohol, and sunburns can cut the body’s natural production of this wonder protein.
Enter baggy eyes, saggy skin, and the natural elderly look, not to mention the achy joints and general lethargy.
Thus, we need collagen. So, you may be thinking, “why not just eat more foods with collagen?”
Quite simply, you cannot boost collagen in one specific area. You need to supplement and not spot treat.
On the positive side, collagen does more than just give you a lustrous look. It helps reduce the symptoms of another common malady of aging: arthritis.
Reduce Joint Inflammation
Studies are showing collagen supplements can reduce inflammation. In fact, a 2009 study by the International Journal of Medical Science reports that osteoarthritis patients who took type II collagen supplements saw pain drop an average of 40%.
In a nutshell, collagen supplements can help you get out of bed again, not to mention climb the stairs.
Reduce Gut Inflammation
As women age, they begin to fight digestion issues as well as joint problems and sagging skin. And once again, collagen supplements can help.
Similar to how the amino acids fight the inflammation in joints, the same proteins can help fight inflammation in the gut.
Avoid Heart Disease
Heart disease kills more women than any other disease. But collagen can help reduce the artery stiffness that leads to heart disease.
If you’re still wary about taking pills, you can always attempt to boost your collagen by focusing on foods high in amino acids (salmon, chicken, and steak). After all, some foods can actually make you happier.
But taking a supplement will give you the boost that may just make you feel like you’re twenty again.
Concerns
If collagen is such a wonder drug, and if collagen benefits can change a person’s life so much, why doesn’t everyone use it? Why isn’t it a regular, recommended part of the average person’s diet?
Like any supplement, collagen supplements can come with side effects. After all, not all collagen pills (or powders) are made alike.
Like many supplements, collagen supplements are not regulated by the federal government. Some have even been recalled by the FDA.
Additionally, like anything good, collagen supplements can be expensive. Some companies charge as much as up to $50 for a single month’s supply.
Feeling good comes with a price tag.
Don’t assume all collagen supplements are a rip-off, though. Many supplements have helped people.
As you look, use the following ideas as a test for the supplement:
- Check to make sure the product has not been recalled
- Look for a supplement with the least ingredients
- Do not worry about getting a collagen supplement with flavor
- Look for third-party certification
Because the FDA does not regulate collagen supplements, you need to do your homework. And no, Google doesn’t count. Go to the FDA’s website to make sure the product hasn’t been recalled.
See who else endorses this product. Do not just trust a celebrity endorser. Look for an authoritative source that you can trust.
Also, monitor your usage. It’s worth researching a little to know the possible side effects of the particular collagen supplement you’re looking at.
Some individuals taking collagen pills have reported negative side effects such as allergy symptoms and even increased anxiety. But again, every individual is just that, an individual.
Find Superior Health with Collagen Supplements
We, women, have much to deal with in our lives. We battle the doubts of those around us, not to mention our own doubts.
We need to stay healthy to accomplish everything life is asking of us. And while an apple a day and a walk in some fresh air is a good start, some times we need a boost.
In the end, women need to weigh benefits with the risks when looking at collagen supplements. Certainly, collagen pills and powders can make a difference.
Keep yourself privy to all of the ways you can stay healthy by checking out our articles on health. We want to teach women how to be happy, beautiful, and stylish. Staying healthy is the best way to do just that.