Collagen is that one thing we really miss once it’s gone. But there are tons of things you can do to keep it hanging around as long as possible. From collagen powders to bone broth, you may be wondering if there are other foods that boost collagen.
In today’s article, we dive into foods that boost collagen that can keep your skin looking and feeling its best!
Table of Contents
What is collagen?
I’ve gone through the specifics of collagen in another article (click here for a lesson on collagen!)
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body. You can find it in your skin, hair, and nails. Furthermore, it’s found in high amounts in the cartilage of your joints.
Collagen helps provide structure which gives your skin a plump, firm look.
As we age, collagen breaks down. When we have less collagen, we have less structure in our skin and as a result, start to see sagging and wrinkles.
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body. It makes up our skin, hair, nails, muscle, and joints.
How to prevent collagen breakdown
You can’t 100% prevent collagen breakdown. It’s a natural part of life.
However, there are a lot of things you can do to drastically slow this down:
- Stop smoking
- Get plenty of sleep
- Eat a diet high in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants
- Exercise regularly
- Wear sunscreen every day (even in the winter in Canada!)
- Limit your processed food intake
- Watch your sugar intake
- Manage your stress levels
- Get into a good skincare routine (cleanser, serums, moisturizer, SPF)
Foods That Boost Collagen
Can food really boost collagen?
Yes it can! While we’re still waiting on more research to come out, the research we do have says that diet can play a huge role in keeping our skin youthful.
Keep in mind that our body will send nutrients first to priority organs that sustain life such as our heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, and liver. After that, it will focus on the other organs such as our skin. So, it’s important to eat a nourishing diet with enough calories to sustain your entire body!
Here is a list of top foods that boost collagen:
Citrus Fruits
Without a doubt, adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet will keep your skin (and body) looking and feeling its best.
Citrus fruits are high in vitamin C, which crucial for collagen synthesis. It helps create pro-collagen, a pre-form of collagen.
Good citrus fruits to add to your diet include oranges, lemons, limes, mandarins, and grapefruit.
Other fruits high in vitamin C include kiwi, guava, red bell peppers, mandarins, cantaloupe, papayas, strawberries, blueberries, etc.
Berries
Along with being a good source of vitamin C, berries are very high in antioxidants.
A diet rich in antioxidants helps to prevent external damage to our skin from things like the sun, cigarette smoke, and a poor diet.
Antioxidants fight off free radicals that damage collagen. By protecting collagen, it’s able to heal and restructure.
Oyster
Whenever you’re looking to heal your skin, think of zinc.
Zinc is an amazing mineral that helps with skin remodeling. Plus, it’s a potent antioxidant that again helps to protect collagen from damage.
What’s more, it may help to increase elastin production, which is another important compound that keeps skin bouncy and free of wrinkles.
Nuts and Seeds
Collagen is a type of protein, which means that it’s made up of strings of amino acids.
Nuts and seeds are an excellent source of plant-based proteins. They’re also high in healthy fats which helps keep your skin membrane thick and plump.
Certain nuts and seeds are also high in zinc, such as pumpkin seeds and cashews.
Beans & Lentils
Beans and lentils are high in fibre which helps to slow down sugar absorption. Too much sugar in the diet can interfere with collagen healing as sugar molecules “stick” to collagen and prevent healing agents (antioxidants) from coming in.
They’re also high in zinc, antioxidants, and are a fantastic source of plant-based proteins needed to create collagen.
Meat, Poultry, & Fish
Meat, poultry, and fish are all excellent sources of protein.
In order to properly make collagen, we need to eat enough protein. Beef, chicken, and fish all provide massive amounts of protein in small amounts, making it easy to get your protein needs.
They are also high in two amino acids needed for collagen production: glycine and proline.
They’re also excellent sources of collagen themselves, especially the joints, neck, and skin. This is why collagen powders are derived from these sources.
Eggs
Eggs are a nutrition powerhouse and they are really underrated.
They’re packed with protein, B vitamins, zinc, selenium, and vitamins A, D, and E, which all promote healthy skin and prevent collagen breakdown.
Contrary to belief, eggs do not increase risk of heart disease and are definitely worth adding to your diet.
Sum it up
Collagen is crucial for healthy, youthful-looking skin.
Whether you take collagen supplements or not, this list of foods that boost collagen are key to healthy skin and good health.
Until next time,
Katey Davidson, MScFN, RD
xo
Sources
Alock RD, Shaw GC, Burke LM. Bone Broth Unlikely to Provide Reliable Concentrations of Collagen Precursors Compared With Supplemental Sources of Collagen Used in Collagen Research. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2019 May 1;29(3):265-272. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29893587
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. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26840887
Lin PH, Sermersheim M, Li H, Lee PHU, Steinberg SM, Ma J. Zinc in wound healing modulation. Nutrients. 2017;10(1). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29295546
Ogawa Y, Kawamura T, Shimada S. Zinc and skin biology. Arch Biochem Biophys. 2016;611:113-119. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27288087
Pullar JM, Carr AC, Vissers MCM. The Roles of Vitamin C in Skin Health. Nutrients. 2017 Aug; 9(8): 866. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5579659/
Stephens TJ, Sigler ML, Hino PD, Moigne AL, Dispensa L. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial evaluating an oral anti-aging skin care supplement for treating photodamaged skin. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2016;9(4):25-32. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27462385
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