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5 Benefits of Taking Collagen Peptides in your 50’s & 60’s

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There are numerous benefits of collagen peptides, but how do those benefits change as you age?

As you start to get into your 50’s and 60’s, collagen peptides benefits are still numerous, and in some cases, liquid collagen benefits could be even more obvious. 

Your body is continually changing as you get older, and once you reach 50, you may start to notice that your joints and muscles don’t quite feel the way they used to. 

Collagen is one of the essential proteins in your body, and as early as age 25, your natural collagen production begins to decrease. By the time you are 50, you will have started to see more of the effects of reduced collagen synthesis in your body.

Since collagen is essentially the structural support system of your body, it makes sense that you would start to feel aches in your joints or weakness in your bones as you age. 

Collagen builds up all of your bodily supports like cartilage, bones, ligaments, and other connective tissues. This is also part of why if you are injured or have surgery after age 50, it can take you much longer to heal compared to when you were 20. 

Although collagen can be produced naturally in your body, it is also natural for your body to create less collagen over time. So, taking a collagen protein supplement could help your body in several different ways. Let’s take a look at some of the best collagen peptides benefits. 

Collagen peptides benefits in your 50s & 60s

By the time you hit 50, you may start to experience some of the more visible and noticeable signs of lower collagen production. Wrinkles, muscle loss, less skin firmness, and joint pain are just a few of the most common signs that you aren’t producing as much collagen anymore. 

Other than age, things like your environment, unhealthy diet, and stress can also impact collagen production. 

If you are experiencing side effects from a lack of collagen, here are just some of the collagen peptides benefits you might see if you decide to take supplements in your 50s or 60s. 

1. Collagen peptides may improve joint health

If you’ve started to notice more joint pain by the time you’re 50, then you are not alone. Since the amino acids in collagen promote the growth of tissues like cartilage, and your body is no longer producing much collagen, those support systems surrounding your joints are weakened.

Especially as cartilage starts to weaken or become unable to repair itself, the stress of cushioning the bones during movement becomes much more challenging to manage. 

Collagen peptides benefits not only include protecting against joint damage and deterioration, but some evidence suggests that collagen may also stave off some joint inflammation

The risk of arthritis also increases with age. There is some evidence suggesting that collagen production could have something to do with joint and cartilage health, specifically joint inflammation.

If you are already experiencing joint pain, then it could be that your joints are already damaged or deteriorating, or that you are struggling with some inflammation. 

Introducing high-quality protein like collagen to your diet has the potential to address some of these specific issues by assisting your body with the process of synthesizing collagen and distributing it to areas of the body that need it most. 

2. Collagen peptides may increase bone density

Just like your joints are impacted by age, your bone density is likely to decrease with time. Although the risk of losing bone density varies from person to person, postmenopausal women in particular are at high risk for osteoporosis and other bone density related issues. 

Collagen peptide supplements may be recommended to postmenopausal women or people with osteoporosis because one of the collagen peptides benefits is helping the body naturally increase bone mineral density

One study suggests that an increase in collagen protein in the diet of postmenopausal women may not only help repair bone damage, but could also reduce bone degradation.

3. Collagen peptides could help build and maintain lean muscle 

The size of your muscles naturally decreases as you get older. However, this is mainly due to inactivity or linked to a physical disability of some kind, especially in sarcopenia

Simply taking collagen alone may begin to improve muscle health, but adding strength training and exercise to a daily routine along with the collagen supplement is more likely to improve muscle health.

One noteworthy study does show promising results regarding supplementing exercise with a collagen protein to improve muscle health and strength. Within the study, two groups of older men participated in strength exercises to improve muscle strength. 

One group took collagen protein along with their exercises. The group that took supplements saw some great collagen peptides benefits. They experienced a more pronounced increase in muscle strength and a decrease in fat than the people without supplements. 

Just as this study suggests, though, it is essential to note that taking collagen in tandem with physical activity will be far more effective than only one or the other on its own. 

4. Collagen protein may promote weight loss and healthy weight management

Another common issue that many people start to have is difficulty in maintaining or managing a healthy weight. This could potentially be because as we age, it becomes more uncomfortable to move around. After all, if your joints and bones hurt, it is hard to motivate yourself to get outside for that walk or bike ride, let alone do a strength exercise. 

If you are overweight, the stress on your joints and bones is more accentuated as well.

So, by the time you get into your 50’s and beyond, losing weight or maintaining your healthy weight becomes even more important. 

As you age, your joints and bones naturally become weaker, so taking away the stress of extra body weight can prevent unnecessary inflammation and pain. And, while collagen may help restructure and prevent more injury to joints and other connective tissues, collagen peptides benefits also include the potential to help aid you in reaching your weight loss goals. 

Evidence suggests that adding a high-quality protein to your diet helps you feel fuller longer and could balance hunger hormones, so you don’t feel hungry as often. 

As with any weight loss or weight management plan, it doesn’t come with a “magic pill” and won’t happen overnight. That said, collagen could help you on a weight loss journey if it is paired with a healthy diet and regular physical activity. 

It’s important to note that you could gain weight if you are consuming too much protein and substantially increasing your calorie intake. Conversely, if you are taking protein supplements and doing regular strength exercises, you will likely gain more muscle and lose fat, which could result in healthy weight gain.

It can help to start your weight loss and weight management journey with a medical nutritional therapist and/or personal trainer after consulting your doctor. That way, you can be sure your diet and exercise plan fits your needs – and that you are getting the most collagen peptides benefits.

5. Collagen peptides may improve skin health

It is no secret that your skin changes with age, and you may have a few more wrinkles and lines than you used to by the time you are 50. 

Collagen is well known in the health and wellness industry for promoting healthy skin, hair, and nails. Because of that, adding collagen into your diet as part of your anti-aging routine could be beneficial. 

The reason that collagen might be effective in promoting healthy skin is that some possible collagen peptides benefits include: improving skin elasticity, reducing wrinkles, and protecting your skin from sun damage. 

Just as collagen supplements may help rebuild and support the connective tissues in your joints, when you take an oral collagen supplement, the protein-building amino acids may also be distributed to your skin to protect and repair damaged areas. 

Although topical collagen products are on the market, it is suggested that oral collagen is far more effective in promoting skin health. That’s because collagen synthesis doesn’t happen on the surface of your skin, and the amino acids your body needs to build new collagen aren’t easily absorbed through the skin. 

It is far easier for your body to process and apply collagen peptides benefits when collagen is included in your diet. 

How to add more collagen to your diet

There are various ways that collagen can be added to your diet, but not all of them will give you the same results. You can get collagen from animal products that you eat day to day (i.e., bone broth), and in the form of supplements like ProT Gold liquid collagen. 

One critical mention is that collagen can only come from animal sources, and therefore there are no vegan collagens available. There are some vegan “collagen” supplements on the market, and these are made up of antioxidants and other collagen-building boosters, but will not contain any actual collagen. 

When choosing a collagen supplement to add to your diet, should should also make sure you are considering the molecule size.

The size of the collagen molecules is significant because if the molecules are too big, your body will not absorb them or receive all the collagen peptides benefits. 

To find collagen that will be easy for your body to process and use, look for a hydrolyzed collagen. When collagen is put through the process of hydrolysis, the molecules are broken down to be small enough to fit through the pores in your stomach. This makes sure you can receive all the collagen peptides benefits as it is easy for your body to absorb and digest. 

Beyond the size of the collagen molecules, the form of the collagen you’re taking matters too. For instance, ProT Gold is liquid collagen. Liquid collagen benefits include fast absorption and easy consumption. 

When using powder collagen, you need to have a way to mix it, and it doesn’t always dissolve very quickly or easily in cold liquids. Liquid collagen comes in single-serve pouches, making it easy to take on the go and add to your routine.

Enjoy all of the collagen peptides benefits 

Health begins to become more of a priority with age, and by the time you are 50 or 60, your body has gone through some noticeable changes. These changes don’t have to be negative, and the less favorable things like achy joints don’t have to be something that you suffer through with time. 

Making positive lifestyle changes, and integrating a high-quality protein like liquid collagen into your diet, may help you manage a few of those physical aspects of aging. 

Along with a balanced diet and an active lifestyle, collagen has the potential to improve your skin health, help you build and maintain lean muscle, promote weight loss/management, and collagen may even help to repair damaged joints and bones. 

Whatever your personal health goals are as you age, collagen peptides benefits will be well worth the investment!