Collagen is one of the most important components of healthy skin, hair, and nails. As we age, our body’s natural collagen production begins to decline, leading to wrinkles, dryness, and sagging skin. Boosting your collagen levels through diet can help reduce the visible signs of aging and promote overall health.
Eating collagen-rich foods is one of the best ways to boost your body’s natural levels and keep your skin looking young and healthy. From leafy greens and vibrant vegetables to fish, eggs, and select proteins, there are a variety of foods you can incorporate into your diet that has high levels of collagen.
To unlock the amazing potential that these foods have for keeping you looking younger for longer, get to know the 13 best collagen-rich foods you should be eating!
What is Collagen?
Collagen is a protein found in the body and it serves several important functions. It forms a type of connective tissue that helps to hold everything together, providing shape and support to your skin, muscles, bones, and joints.
It also acts like glue, helping to provide resilience to damaged skin so that it can quickly repair itself after injury or new growth during pregnancy. Collagen also helps to keep the skin hydrated and reduces wrinkles. By consuming the right foods you can boost your collagen production for healthier-looking skin.
You can increase your collagen levels by consuming foods that provide omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, fish oil supplements, and walnuts. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables also helps because these are high in both vitamin C and antioxidants which help the body to produce more collagen.
Plant-based sources of protein such as quinoa, buckwheat, oats, and legumes are also good for increasing collagen production as they contain amino acids which help with tissue repair processes in the body.
Some other key ingredients for boosting collagen are gelatin (found in bone broths), eggs (a great source of biotin), and dairy products like cottage cheese (which contains casein protein). Dark chocolate is another tempting way you can give your collagen level an extra boost; it has lots of minerals like copper which helps cells produce more of this necessary protein.
Eating a whole food diet instead of processed or fast food will always be beneficial too – even if you don’t get all 13 recommended superfoods into your diet every day!
Benefits of Collagen
Collagen is a fibrous protein found in connective tissue, such as skin, bones, and tendons. It provides the necessary structural building blocks for an array of organs and tissues. Without collagen, our capacity to heal wounds and build strong muscles would be significantly decreased.
Collagen offers a wide range of benefits to the body, including aiding in skin elasticity, reducing joint pain, improving gut health, and helping with cardiovascular health. This explains why many people turn to supplements or specific dietary measures to increase their intake of this important nutrient.
Consuming foods high in collagen can help the body replace broken-down or used-up collagen faster. While animal sources are higher in collagen than plant sources, there are some plant-based foods that contain suitable amounts. The following 13 foods each contain substances that promote collagen production:
•Organic bone broth
•Wild fish
•Berries
•Green tea
•Garlic & onions
•Leafy greens (e.g., kale, spinach)
•Tomatoes & red peppers
•Mushrooms (e.g., reishi & cordyceps)
•Sprouted nuts & seeds (e.g., flaxseeds & pumpkin seeds)
•Avocado & coconut oil
•Lemon juice
Foods That Boost Collagen
Collagen is an important protein found in our bodies that helps with the production of hair, skin, nails, tendon, and ligaments. Eating the right foods can help to boost collagen levels so that your skin can stay looking youthful, your hair can remain luscious, and your nails can stay strong. Here are 13 of the best foods that can help boost collagen naturally.
Bone Broth
There’s an exciting new trend in dieting and nutrition that involves supplementing your meals with bone broth. Bone broth is a rich, savory liquid made from simmering animal bones for a prolonged period of time.
It’s becoming increasingly popular for its many health benefits and nutrient-rich properties. Bone broth has long been used as an ancestral healing food due to its properties as a collagen-rich superfood.
Bone broth is rich in collagen and contains high levels of key minerals, including calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphate, and zinc; amino acids (including glycine, proline, and glutamine), glucosamine sulfate; vitamins A and K2; helpful enzymes; and other beneficial compounds.
These key ingredients can help restore joint health while also providing anti-aging benefits by supporting healthy skin tone and promoting healthy hair growth. Additionally, bone broth helps support the digestive system due to the presence of gelatin which helps promote intestinal healing by aiding digestion.
Drinking bone broth can also help protect against oxidative damage caused by free radicals with zinc which acts as an antioxidant to neutralize them.
Reap the rewards of bone broth’s natural ability to protect your joints, slow the aging process, or enhance digestive health just by regularly drinking it – either as part of a meal or on its own!
Citrus Fruits
Citrus fruits are a great source of collagen-boosting vitamin C. When it comes to boosting your body’s natural production of collagen, vitamin C plays a key role in activating the enzymes that form pro-collagen.
This essential nutrient also helps strengthen collagen networks, and some studies have found that it may even reduce existing collagen breakdown. Oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruits—it doesn’t matter which type you choose— all citrus fruits offer up a hefty dose of vitamin C for an all-around healthy boost to your skin and body.
Citrus fruits are also packed with minerals like potassium and magnesium that support bone health as well as other valuable vitamins like folate and B vitamins that support healthy blood circulation.
Garlic
Garlic is chock full of collagen-boosting minerals, including sulfur and zinc. Studies show that zinc helps give skin its strength and elasticity, while sulfur helps in the production of proteins like collagen.
Garlic contains many antioxidants and allicin — an antioxidant compound linked to improved skin health — that can help reduce the damage caused by stress and aging on the skin. You can add garlic to almost any dish or take it in a supplement form if you don’t like its taste.
Green Tea
Green tea is a powerful and nutrient-dense beverage loaded with catechins, which are natural compounds that possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Research suggests that catechins support the synthesis of collagen and elastin, two proteins found in the skin.
Additionally, green tea is a good source of folate, which may help reduce inflammation in the body while helping to promote healthy cell growth and the development of collagen. Studies have found that green tea can also protect our skin from damage caused by ultraviolet radiation, increasing its ability to produce new collagen.
Drinking a cup or two of green tea each day may help preserve the building blocks of our skin structure and keep it healthy up to old age.
Oysters
Oysters are a nutrient-rich option when it comes to boosting your collagen levels. They are an excellent source of zinc, which helps promote healthy skin and the production of collagen fibers. Zinc can also improve the strength of hair and nails.
Additionally, oysters contain selenium, a trace mineral that helps your body produce its own natural antioxidants, which can protect your collagen from damage. Oysters are also rich in vitamin C and proteins, both of which can help with collagen production and may be beneficial for preventing premature signs of aging.
Red Peppers
Red peppers, especially bell peppers, are known to have a high concentration of vitamin C. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and an essential nutrient for creating collagen and elastin, the proteins that give skin its structure and firmness. Eating red peppers can help to replenish your body’s stores of these proteins, which in turn can help keep skin looking younger and healthier.
Red peppers also contain carotenoids, including lutein, which provides further protection from the aging effects of free radicals. Red peppers also provide some plant-based proteins that can further support the production of collagen in the body.
Spinach
Spinach is an excellent source of vitamins A, C, and K as well as a wide range of minerals like calcium and magnesium. Spinach also contains zinc, which plays an important role in the regeneration of collagen. Eating spinach regularly can help you maintain the proper levels of zinc in your body and increase the production of collagen.
It’s also rich in antioxidants that will not only benefit your skin but have a whole host of other health benefits as well. To make use of its benefits, you can consume it cooked or raw.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are an excellent source of the antioxidant lycopene which can protect against environmental skin damage and pollution. Lycopene is known to act directly on collagen, making it more resistant and less prone to break down.
Tomatoes not only contain lycopene but vitamin C as well which helps boost collagen production. Eating tomatoes in your daily diet may help increase collagen levels, reduce wrinkles and preserve a youthful glow.
Additionally, tomatoes have been found to have anti-aging properties due to their high amount of antioxidants which can help fight inflammation and oxidative stress. So, incorporating more tomatoes into your diet can take your beauty regimen up a notch!
Walnuts
Walnuts are a nutrient-dense powerhouse providing a good source of healthy fats, protein, and fiber. But beyond the nutritional benefits, walnuts are also packed with L-lysine, which is essential for the production of collagen. A small handful of walnuts contains about 5g of protein and offer an array of benefits for your skin health.
Studies have shown that consuming walnuts daily can enhance skin elasticity and reduce wrinkles in mature skin by up to 10 percent. Walnuts are also a very versatile food — they can be eaten raw or roasted, used as ingredients in sweet or savory dishes or muesli bars, crushed into nut butter, or ground into flour.
Wild-Caught Fish
Wild-caught fish is an excellent source of collagen-boosting proteins, vitamins, and fatty acids. The fatty acids in fish, such as omega-3s, nourish and strengthen the proteins that makeup collagen.
Additionally, fish is packed with vitamin C, a nutrient necessary for collagen production. Including wild-caught fish in your diet on a regular basis can not only help you consume increased amounts of vital nutrients, but it can also promote healthy collagen production.
Some types of wild-caught coldwater fish to add to your diet include salmon, herring, mackerel, sardines, and anchovies. Make sure to buy wild-caught whenever possible and look for sustainable sources if you can!
Adding some freshly caught seafood to your weekly meals is an excellent way to support your health while also benefiting the environment at the same time — win/win!
Yogurt
Yogurt is a great way to boost collagen levels naturally. Yogurt is rich in probiotics, which can help promote healthy skin and improve the health of the microbiome. Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that play a role in maintaining our skin’s structure, improving overall immune function, and helping to reduce inflammation.
Additionally, yogurt contains proteins, vitamins, and minerals that all play an important role in the production of collagen. By incorporating yogurt into a daily diet, individuals can promote healthy skin and help to reduce wrinkles as they age.
Berries
Berries are a great source of antioxidants and vitamin C, which play a role in skin health and boosting collagen levels. Vitamin C works with various enzymes to promote the production of collagen, as well as other tissue components that form the foundation of healthy skin.
Berries like strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and cranberries contain high levels of antioxidants that can help protect skin from damage caused by pollutants and UV radiation from sunlight. Eating these colorful fruits will not only improve your collagen levels but will also benefit your overall health.
Furthermore, adding berries such as raspberries, strawberries, or cherries to your smoothie or yogurt may enhance the flavor while providing the necessary nutrients for collagen production.
Dark Chocolate
Dark Chocolate is a powerful source of antioxidants and polyphenols that are known to boost collagen production. It also helps to promote healthy skin by fighting off free radicals, reducing inflammation, and even stimulating the production of elastin — a sweat protein also known as the “anti-aging hormone”.
Dark chocolate should be consumed in moderation and contains no more than 70 percent cocoa solids for optimal benefits. The lower the cocoa content, the higher the sugar content. Consuming too much could lead to excessive weight gain and affect overall health.
Conclusion
In conclusion, collagen is an important component in good skin health and overall well-being. Although you should check with your healthcare provider to ensure that a collagen supplement is safe for you to take, you can also naturally increase your body’s production of collagen by consuming foods that are rich in collagen-producing nutrients like vitamin C, zinc, and fatty acids.
Eating adequate amounts of lean proteins (such as fish or poultry), fresh fruits and veggies, nuts and seeds, beans and legumes, dairy products, whole grains, avocados, olive oil, garlic, ginger, and green tea can help boost collagen levels in the body for healthier skin.
Adding these foods into your regular diet or incorporating them into a healthy eating plan given to you by a qualified medical professional or nutritionist will help ensure that your body gets the right amount of building blocks that it needs to produce its own collagen over time.
