Collagen is a very abundant protein in our body, approximately 30% of the proteins in our body are collagen. It is found in bones, muscles, skin, and tendons. It helps the body to have elasticity and resistance and, in this way, the skin is smoother and the tendons, cartilage and bones become stronger. In addition, collagen is a very important cell rejuvenating agent, which is why many people today inject collagen into their skin. However, it is not necessary to go through surgery to acquire collagen, since many foods are rich in this protein naturally and by taking them we can increase the production of collagen in our body. In this FastlyHealarticle, we show you what are thefoods rich in natural collagen.
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Collagen-containing meats
Meats are one of the foods that you can consume to increase the amount of collagen in the body. In addition, they are a very nutritional food that does not usually fail in a good Mediterranean diet, so you can take advantage of its easy acquisition to take it more often.
The meats that have the highest amount of collagen are chicken, beef or beef or goat meat, although it is not so common. Pig trotters are also rich in this protein, which contain large amounts of collagen due to their gelatinous skin. However, a part of animal meat that contains large amounts of collagen, but not everyone likes is offal. Pig trotters are very gelatinous due to the high amounts of collagen they contain, but we can also include cow’s snouts or feet.
Fish
Another of the foods rich in natural collagen is fish, in fact, it is one of the foods that contains the most. It is because they contain Omega-3 fatty acids , that what they do is help protect the fatty membrane around the skin cells, which makes them grow and strengthen. Therefore, these fatty acids from fish can help not only provide collagen, but also help your cells retain it.
Fish is a very healthy food and can help your skin look more elastic and youthful. Some fish with large amounts of Omega-3 are tuna or salmon.
Gelatin
Gelatin as such has almost 90% collagen derivatives and, in addition, it is low in protein, so it can be a good food in your diet to increase collagen. And how do I consume gelatin? You can consume it in desserts or integrate it in some type of sauce. You can find gelatin in the supermarket in various formats, from envelopes to gelatin sheets that you will have to hydrate. What is not recommended is to take the gelatins that are already prepared, since most of these desserts are very sugary and have many preservatives and sweeteners so it is not advisable to abuse.
Gelatin sheets that hydrate in water are also known as fishtail and, in fact, come from it. Therefore, they are a very good source of collagen.
Green vegetables
And why green? Vegetables of this color (which are not all) are richer in collagen than the rest. In addition, these types of vegetables contain large amounts of vitamin C that contains antioxidants, which helps the enzymes responsible for breaking down collagen to stabilize and not become unbalanced. Thus, you will not only increase the amount of collagen with these vegetables, but you will also help it not decrease due to an imbalance of these enzymes.
You can include vegetables such as spinach, chard or kale in your diet , which are rich in this protein. There are many vegetables of this type and surely there are some that fit into your diet or you can choose if you do not like others. Also, if you like vegetables a lot, you can always have them pureed.
Red vegetables and fruits
We have seen that green vegetables contribute collagen to our diet. Now we go with the red color, not only in vegetables but also in fruits. These red foods contain lycopene, a substance that acts as a natural sunscreen and protects collagen production from damage caused by the sun. For this reason, this type of food, rather than providing collagen, will help us not to lose it, which will make us maintain adequate levels of this protein.
Exposure to the sun can cause a very large loss of collagen, but taking red vegetables or fruits you can recover it. Lycopene is an antioxidant and therefore helps prevent damage and improves cell function.
You can include vegetables such as red peppers or tomatoes and fruits such as strawberries or apples in your diet . Goji blueberries are very good at recovering collagen after sun exposure.
Carrots
Carrots and, in general, any orange vegetables will help improve collagen production , as they contain vitamin A. Therefore, they help delay the loss of collagen and elastin. In addition, carrots themselves are foods that contain collagen, so taking them will increase this protein.
Vitamin A makes the dermis where the collagen is found thicker and, therefore, improves collagen, in addition to circulation in the area. It also repairs the structure of cells and helps protect us from ultraviolet rays.
Soy and its derivatives
A food that is now very fashionable and that you can take advantage of is soy. And not only this one, but also its derivatives. Nowadays, there are many people who opt for vegetable drinks instead of the traditional cow’s milk and this, although you may not know it, helps in the production of collagen. If you are one of those who continues to drink cow’s milk, you could try switching to this new drink or adding it without having to leave the old one.
But not only vegetable soy milk is rich in collagen, as we have said. the same soy or its derivatives are, so you can also take tofu or tempeh , a lesser-known food but very similar to tofu. Tempeh also comes in the form of a cake and comes from the fermentation of soybeans.
This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to Foods rich in natural collagen , we recommend that you enter our Food category .
I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.