Collagen has long been marketed as a beauty product for women — offering the promise of glowy and youthful skin when ingested. But collagen can have great benefits for men too.
According to Tara Kaff, the in-house nutritionist at Amazonia and ex-sports dietitian and performance nutritionist for the South Sydney Rabbitohs NRL team, these outcomes can include boosting athletic performance, thickening beard growth and building muscles.
“Collagen is a type of protein that is found in a large number of connective tissues found throughout our body,” Kaff told TheLatch—. “It’s the glue that holds us together. Collagen is primarily found in tendons and the skin.”
Despite the marketing towards females, Kaff says that collagen is great for all genders.
“Most women see it and use it as a beauty-related product,” she said. “However, collagen can fit well in the supplement regime of a male. This is due to most men living very active lifestyles including labour intensive jobs and high training loads, therefore, increased stress on their joints. This is where the support of collagen can make a world of difference.”
According to Kaff, the health benefits of consuming collagen include:
★ Joint health: “Collagen is a key factor in building, repairing and maintaining the cartilage in our joints,” said Kaff. “Our joints rely on the cushioning that the surrounding tissue and cartilage provide, but once the cartilage is damaged by time or overuse, you begin to get joint pain and stiffness. Collagen feeds the tissue and cartilage that make our joints work smoothly and effortlessly, add keeps the joint areas soft and flexible.”
★ Gut health: “Issues like Leaky Gut develop when the lining of our gut becomes porous, allowing undigested food particles and more to ‘leak’ through what should be a natural barrier and straight into our bloodstream, leading to inflammation, low energy, foggy head, weight gain and more. Enter collagen, the superhero that promotes healing and sealing.”
★ Exercise recovery: “Collagen is a key ally in your ability to bounce back from a tough workout. If you are a powerhouse at the gym, but hurting the next day — you can speed up your recovery time with collagen, which helps to fight inflammation while also repairing, maintaining and restoring muscle mass.”
★ Hair growth: “Collagen can also support a healthy head of hair — up top and on your face. Collagen is a key component of healthy skin, nails and hair. As we age and face declining collagen levels, this depletion has been linked to age-related hair loss.”
When it comes to consuming collagen, you can do so via food or with a supplement.
“As collagen is the predominant protein found in connective tissue and meat product comprise of connective tissue, meats are high in collagen,” Kaff said. “There are a number of foods rich in collagen however, such as fish and eggs. To increase the absorption and synthesis of collagen, combining it with a vitamin C food and/or supplement would be recommended.”
When looking at adding a collagen product to your diet, make sure the product is formulated with marine collagen.
“Science shows that marine collagen can be used for regenerating and forming new tissue, and is a critical part of skin, hair, nails, joints, and bones,” said Kaff. “Hydrolysed collagen supplements can be used to support joint health providing significant relief of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.”
One such product is RawFIT Collagen Build by Amazonia, which is designed to support active bones and muscles.
“Each serve is formulated with 5000mg of collagen and 250mg of plant-based chondroitin, which naturally makes up the majority of our cartilage,” Kaff said.
“Boosted with Vitamin C for collagen synthesis and Vitamin D3 to increase calcium uptake for enhanced muscle function and stronger bones to help you perform your best.”
You can buy Amazonia RawFIT Collagen Build online for $42.99.