Although Halloween is right around the corner, painful and stiff joints are not the type of scare you want! We rely on our joints for all kind of movement – everything from reaching for that tub of collagen on the top shelf to going on bike rides to getting up from sitting on the couch.
Maintaining healthy joints means keeping our connective tissue healthy. The connective tissue found in joints is what forms cartilage, ligaments, tendons, and bones. Luckily, collagen can play a role in that.
Enter Collagen
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body and is found in our connective tissue that surrounds the bones that form our joints, and in the bones themselves. Collagen preserves the structure, strength and integrity throughout our entire body and our joints are no exception. Unfortunately, we reach our peak collagen production in our early twenties, and then it begins to decline. This correlates directly with some of the signs that we’ve come to associated with aging such as stiff or painful joints and restricted movement.
There is a light at the end of this tunnel!
Collagen can help to slow this natural decline of collagen in our joints, thus helping to mitigate some of the symptoms associated with low levels of collagen in our joints.
Consuming hydrolyzed collagen peptides has shown to help with joint health! As we mentioned earlier, collagen is a large protein so looking for products (like ours!) that are hydrolyzed collagen peptides is key. This means that the collagen protein has been broken into smaller, shorter chains of amino acids. These collagen peptides, along with free amino acids, are the building blocks needed to make new collagen. In the case of joint health, you want to be looking for products that contain types I and III. By supplementing these into your diet daily, you are effectively restoring collagen levels in your body. The collagen peptides and free amino acids will accumulate in the connective tissue of your joints and help to slow deterioration and joint pain associated with that deterioration. Your body will thank you!
What does the science say?
Good news! The science shows that supplementing collagen through diet can help slow the loss of collagen as we age and help with the pain that is often associated with joint deterioration. A study done on athletes showed that supplementing with collagen helped to reduce the pain associated with joint deterioration after 24 weeks of supplementation compared to those who did not take collagen. Another study showed that joint pain in people over the age of 50 was reduced after 6 months of supplementing with collagen supplements compared to those who did not supplement.
The bottom line?
The science is there. While there is still much to investigate, science shows that supplementing with collagen results in higher accumulation of collagen peptides in our joints. Because of this, we can slow the decrease of collagen production and mitigate joint deterioration that comes with age and use!
We’ve Got Your Back
Looking for something to Sproos (we had to do it!) up your joints? Well, look no further. Our Joint Collagen contains grass-fed and finished bovine collagen plus 4 additional ingredients to help support healthy joints and reduce joint pain. It is also a delicious mango turmeric flavour so all you have to do is add a scoop of it to water or a smoothie and enjoy!
Flavoured products not your thing? Try out Grass-Fed Collagen. It is 100% pure grass-fed and finished bovine collagen, nothing else added. It is unflavoured so perfect to add to any beverages or even in cooking and baking!
What are you waiting for? Your joints will thank you!
