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At Healthfully, we strive to deliver objective content that is accurate and up-to-date. Our team periodically reviews articles in order to ensure content quality. The sources cited below consist of evidence from peer-reviewed journals, prominent medical organizations, academic associations, and government data.
- National Institutes of Health: Vitamin C
- Mayo Clinic: Wrinkle Cream
- National Institutes of Health: Collagen Vascular Disease
The information contained on this site is for informational purposes only, and should not be used as a substitute for the advice of a professional health care provider. Please check with the appropriate physician regarding health questions and concerns. Although we strive to deliver accurate and up-to-date information, no guarantee to that effect is made.
How to Restore Collagen in Skin Naturally
Collagen is the protective fiber that serves as the connective tissue in the body. Made of protein, collagen contains large amount of two amino acids, according to the George Mateljan Foundation. Hydroxyproline and hydroxylysine provide collagen with the flexibility and strength to hold tissue and organs together, expand with growth and repair damaged cells. With age, sunlight and free radical exposure, collagen in the skin loses its elasticity and produces new cells at a much lower rate. While creams and collagen injections temporarily can restore lost collagen, other, more natural techniques may be preferable.
Eat foods high in vitamin C to provide your body with the tools to turn proline and lysine into collagen. The most effective sources of vitamin C include most fruits and vegetables, according to the National Institutes of Health 24. Particularly effective sources include broccoli, strawberries, tomatoes, blueberries and leafy greens.
How to Regrow Collagen in the Knee
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Include lean meats, egg whites and wheat germ in your diet to supply your body with sufficient amounts of lysine and proline needed to restore collagen. According to the George Mateljan Foundation, peanuts are another effective source of the amino acids that make up the structure of collagen.
Apply creams on your skin that contain tea extracts. According to the Mayo Clinic, oolong, green and black teas contain anti-inflammatory ingredients and antioxidants that can restore collagen and temporarily reduce the appearance of wrinkles 3.
Is It Possible to Rebuild Skin Collagen?
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Add garlic to your diet to support collagen production. According to the George Mateljan Foundation, garlic contains taurine and lipoid acid, amino acids that contain sulpher, known to help slow down the damage done to collagen.
Use foods high in phytonutrients to complete your collagen diet. Anthocyanidins found in fruits such as blueberries, cherries, raspberries and blackberries, has been found to strengthen the collagen fibers to maintain firmer and healthier skin tone.
Tips
Prevent additional collagen loss by always wearing sunscreen when outdoors, even in the winter and on cloudy days. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, you should use a broad spectrum sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB rays that provides at least 30 sun protection factor, or SPF, coverage.
Warnings
Beware of skin care products that use the words "natural," or "organic." According to the American Academy of Dermatology, those descriptions are marketing terms that don’t always mean the products are created in their natural state. For example, plant extracts undergo extensive processing before they can be used in a delivery system such as a cream or lotion.
Related Articles
References
- American Academy of Dermatology: Aging Skin Care
- National Institutes of Health: Vitamin C
- Mayo Clinic: Wrinkle Cream
- National Institutes of Health: Collagen Vascular Disease
- Enigmatic insight into collagen - PubMed
- The collagen family - PubMed
- Hydrolyzed Collagen-Sources and Applications - PubMed
- Hydrolyzed Collagen-Sources and Applications - PubMed
- Vitamin C in dermatology - PubMed
- Beneficial effects of food supplements based on hydrolyzed collagen for skin care (Review) - PubMed
- Collagen supplementation for skin health: A mechanistic systematic review - PubMed
- A Collagen Supplement Improves Skin Hydration, Elasticity, Roughness, and Density: Results of a Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Blind Study - PubMed
- Oral Collagen Supplementation: A Systematic Review of Dermatological Applications - PubMed
- Fish Collagen Surgical Compress Repairing Characteristics on Wound Healing Process In Vivo - PubMed
- The wound healing potential of collagen peptides derived from the jellyfish Rhopilema esculentum - PubMed
- Natural composite dressings based on collagen, gelatin and plant bioactive compounds for wound healing: A review - PubMed
- Oral Collagen Supplementation: A Systematic Review of Dermatological Applications - PubMed
- Daily oral supplementation with collagen peptides combined with vitamins and other bioactive compounds improves skin elasticity and has a beneficial effect on joint and general wellbeing - PubMed
- Oral Intake of Low-Molecular-Weight Collagen Peptide Improves Hydration, Elasticity, and Wrinkling in Human Skin: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study - PubMed
- Effect of collagen supplementation on osteoarthritis symptoms: a meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials - PubMed
- Efficacy and tolerability of an undenatured type II collagen supplement in modulating knee osteoarthritis symptoms: a multicenter randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study - PubMed
- Improvement of activity-related knee joint discomfort following supplementation of specific collagen peptides - PubMed
- Improvement of activity-related knee joint discomfort following supplementation of specific collagen peptides - PubMed
- A calcium-collagen chelate dietary supplement attenuates bone loss in postmenopausal women with osteopenia: a randomized controlled trial - PubMed
- Effects of 12 Weeks of Hypertrophy Resistance Exercise Training Combined with Collagen Peptide Supplementation on the Skeletal Muscle Proteome in Recreationally Active Men - PubMed
- Collagen peptide supplementation in combination with resistance training improves body composition and increases muscle strength in elderly sarcopenic men: a randomised controlled trial - PubMed
- Oral supplementation with specific bioactive collagen peptides improves nail growth and reduces symptoms of brittle nails - PubMed
- Lack of Collagen VI Promotes Wound-Induced Hair Growth - PubMed
- Hydrolyzed Collagen-Sources and Applications - PubMed
- Biochemistry, Collagen Synthesis - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf
- Type III collagen is crucial for collagen I fibrillogenesis and for normal cardiovascular development | PNAS
- Effects of orally administered undenatured type II collagen against arthritic inflammatory diseases: a mechanistic exploration - PubMed
- Hydrolyzed Collagen-Sources and Applications - PubMed
- Collagen and gelatin - PubMed
- Symptomatic and chondroprotective treatment with collagen derivatives in osteoarthritis: a systematic review - PubMed
- Functional and bioactive properties of collagen and gelatin from alternative sources: A review - ScienceDirect
- Hydrolyzed Collagen-Sources and Applications - PubMed
- Significant Amounts of Functional Collagen Peptides Can Be Incorporated in the Diet While Maintaining Indispensable Amino Acid Balance - PubMed
- A Collagen Supplement Improves Skin Hydration, Elasticity, Roughness, and Density: Results of a Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Blind Study - PubMed
- Oral intake of specific bioactive collagen peptides reduces skin wrinkles and increases dermal matrix synthesis - PubMed
- Effect of the novel low molecular weight hydrolyzed chicken sternal cartilage extract, BioCell Collagen, on improving osteoarthritis-related symptoms: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial - PubMed
- A calcium-collagen chelate dietary supplement attenuates bone loss in postmenopausal women with osteopenia: a randomized controlled trial - PubMed
- Specific Collagen Peptides Improve Bone Mineral Density and Bone Markers in Postmenopausal Women-A Randomized Controlled Study - PubMed
- Collagen peptide supplementation in combination with resistance training improves body composition and increases muscle strength in elderly sarcopenic men: a randomised controlled trial - PubMed
- Specific Collagen Peptides in Combination with Resistance Training Improve Body Composition and Regional Muscle Strength in Premenopausal Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial - PubMed
- Undenatured type II collagen (UC-II®) for joint support: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in healthy volunteers - PubMed
- Safety and efficacy of undenatured type II collagen in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee: a clinical trial - PubMed
- Symptomatic and chondroprotective treatment with collagen derivatives in osteoarthritis: a systematic review - PubMed
Writer Bio
Linda Ray is an award-winning journalist with more than 20 years reporting experience. She's covered business for newspapers and magazines, including the "Greenville News," "Success Magazine" and "American City Business Journals." Ray holds a journalism degree and teaches writing, career development and an FDIC course called "Money Smart."