Collagen is a type of protein that exists abundantly throughout your body. It is used by your cells to support structures such as skin, tendons, ligaments, and bones.
Unfortunately, when we turn about 26 years old, our body’s natural production of this important protein slows.
Therefore, while we believe collagen protein should always be a part of a post-surgery diet, but we also know that a daily supplement is just the ticket to help promote healthy joints, prevent future injuries, keep your skin strong and healthy, improve the density of your skeletal system and even help you maintain a healthy weight.
Plus, since collagen protein is something your body naturally makes, it’s not only completely safe to take a supplement every day, but actually recommended.
So, stop thinking of it as something you just need for recovery or when you are on a special diet and think about adding liquid collagen protein to your daily supplement routine. Even better, add hydrolyzed collagen protein. It’s easy to digest (no upset stomachs or energy slumps) and is quickly absorbed by your body – but we’ll get into that in a bit.
What Is Collagen Protein?
Your body is filled with millions of proteins. Proteins are large, complex molecules that are built out of amino acids. They play many critical roles throughout your bodily systems. Proteins provide structure, help to regulate the activity in your tissues and organs, and are vital for thousands of functions.
Collagen is one of the most abundant proteins found in your body, accounting for about ⅓ of the total proteins that build your organs, muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
The word “collagen” is derived from the Greek word “kólla” which means glue. Which is kind of a good way of thinking about what it does for your joints, ligaments and more. Collagen acts as a sort of glue that holds things together.
Think about how your skin is strong and elastic throughout your life despite constant contact and motion. Or how your bones are attached firmly to muscles even as you exercise or engage in physical labor. This is due, in part, to collagen protein.
What Are Natural Sources Of Collagen?
Collagen is found in the connective tissues of most mammals. Chicken, pork, and beef skin are all excellent natural sources of collagen protein. And, while some cultures consume animal skin, this is not common in Western culture. For this reason, many people are choosing to take a collagen protein supplement. This provides an easy way to receive the benefits of quality collagen without needing to integrate new cooking methods or worry about whether you’d hit your daily suggested serving.
Another source of collagen is bone broth, which is made by boiling down the bones and tissues of animal products. You can make homemade bone broth or find quality broth in the store.
5 Reasons You Should Have Daily Collagen Protein
There are many evidence-based health benefits of collagen protein, with little to no downsides reported, even when taken as a part of your daily diet. Here are a few things collagen can do for you as an adult.
1. It Helps Promote Healthier Skin (and Wrinkle Reduction)
One of the most studied – and touted – benefits of collagen is improved skin health. Collagen is a major component of your skin and contributes to its strength, elasticity, and hydration. While your body can make collagen on its own, remember that production declines as you age. This is believed to be a major reason for the aging of the skin.
While we can’t reverse time (and really, do you want to relieve the mistakes you made in your 20’s?), a liquid collagen supplement may have you feeling like you did.
Studies have shown that regular intake of collagen protein visibly reduced eye wrinkles in as little as 4 weeks. And, when the subjects were tested after 8 weeks, there was a significant increase in their procollagen type I (65%) and elastin (18%). Other studies found that supplementing with collagen peptides may also reduce dryness and wrinkle depth. Women who drank a liquid collagen protein supplement daily for 12 weeks experienced a reduction in wrinkle depth as well as superior skin hydration when compared to the control group.
2. It Can Be Used for Healthy Weight Loss/Maintenance
Your body craves quality protein. When you consume a diet rich in protein, this leaves your stomach full and happy, as it takes longer to break down and absorb protein than most nutrients. This can naturally decrease your appetite – and the likelihood you’ll reach for a mid-afternoon sugary snack.
There are studies and our customers’ very own case studies showing that increasing protein intake is a successful strategy for losing weight, preventing obesity and making lifetime weight management a little bit easier.
Collagen protein supplements are easy to add to your diet, even if you are busy or don’t enjoy spending time in the kitchen. With one serving of ProT Gold liquid protein, you can drink ⅓ of your daily protein requirement, move closer to your fitness goals and support your bones, joints, and skin.
3. It May Ease Your Joint Pain
Each of your joints is surrounded by cartilage, a rubber-like tissue that protects your joint bones. When this cartilage is damaged or weakened, you may experience joint pain, stiffness, and even arthritis.
Collagen is one of the major components of cartilage, and taking a daily collagen supplement has been found to improve painful joint symptoms. Some research even suggests collagen may help to ease signs of osteoarthritis and collagen protein is something we recommend when people are looking for the best diet for arthritis.
4. It Could Help Speed Up Injury and Post-Surgery Recovery
Generally speaking, the older you get, the more susceptible your joints and bones are to injury. It also means that your body may take longer to heal and recover from those injuries.
While we always recommend a high-quality protein supplement after surgery, taking a liquid collagen protein supplement before there’s an issue may help maintain healthy bone and joints. As they say, the best way to heal an injury is to prevent it!
But what happens if you’ve already sustained the injury and had surgery? Studies have found that your body’s healing process is heavily reliant on the synthesis of collagen and other proteins. Therefore, insufficient protein intake (or not consuming enough whole proteins) will impede healing and increase inflammation, while consuming enough complete protein and eating a whole foods diet may help speed up your post-surgery recovery time.
5. It Could Increase Bone Density
Collagen helps to give your bones structure and strength. And, like your body’s collagen production, bone density also slowly declines with age.
We don’t need to tell you twice that that can lead to an increased risk of arthritis symptoms, breaks, and fractures. Supplementing with collagen protein may help slow down the loss of bone density and ward off other signs of osteoarthritis.
In one study, women who took collagen daily for 12 months improved their bone mineral density by 7%. Similar results were found in another study where women took a combination of calcium and collagen.
So, Is Liquid Protein Safe To Drink Every Day?
The short answer? Yes!
Like other types of protein, collagen can be made into a powder and a liquid form. Many people enjoy taking a liquid collagen supplement because it doesn’t require mixing, is filling, easy to consume, and tastes good. Busy adults, people healing from injuries, or those who want an easy nutrient-dense snack all enjoy the convenience of ProT Gold Liquid Collagen Protein.
Our liquid collagen protein is a complete protein source that’s made of hydrolyzed collagen peptides, which means it’s fast-absorbing and gentle on your digestive system.
Why does that matter? Naturally, collagen itself is a pretty large protein. And, depending on your current health, it can be difficult for the body to digest. Hydrolyzing collagen is a process that breaks down the amino acids into smaller, more manageable pieces. Once digested, the body can take these pieces and build them into whatever collagen structure it needs at the time.
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) classifies ingestible collagen as Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS). As long as you are purchasing your collagen supplement from a reputable brand, drinking liquid collagen daily should be very safe and beneficial. Our collagen supplement, ProT Gold, is recognized as a medical food and trusted by over 3,000 medical facilities.
Finally, it is important to recognize that collagen is derived from animal products, which means it is virtually impossible to receive it from plants. If you are a vegan or vegetarian, this is something you will have to consider. Even still, some people who choose to follow a mostly vegan/vegetarian lifestyle are okay with drinking a collagen supplement because it helps boost their protein intake and to get the benefits collagen can provide.
