As the late and great Betty White said in her 2011 book, If You Ask Me: And Of Course You Won’t,
“It’s not a surprise, we knew it was coming - make the most of it,” she suggested. “So you may not be as fast on your feet, and the image in your mirror may be a little disappointing, but if you are still functioning and not in pain, gratitude should be the name of the game.”
She’s talking about aging and telling us all to be grateful for getting older even if we aren’t as agile or young looking as we may have been in previous years. Betty knows a thing or two about gracefully aging to the ripe old age of 99 - sadly she passed on December 31, 2021.
As a woman in my late thirties, I for one am trying to be good at reminding myself that aging is a privilege so we need to embrace the changes that our bodies are going through - including the wrinkles, thinning and gray hair, and the snap, crackle, pop of the joints. Although a lot of people would love to slow these things down as we age, or eliminate them altogether even, unfortunately it’s inevitable and we can’t do too much about it. But there are some things we can do to assist our aging bodies with these things as we lose one of the most abundant proteins in our bodies - collagen.
What is collagen exactly and why is it so important? It is the substance that holds the human body together essentially - makes up one-third of our bodies. Collagen forms a scaffold to provide strength and structure. There are 25 different types but the most common are types I, II, III, V, and X as they are an absolutely essential part of our physical makeup and can be found all over the body:
- TYPE I: most abundant type found in humans; it helps to form our skin, bones, tendons, corneas, blood vessel walls and other tissues.
- TYPE II: the major collagen found in cartilage. Cartilage is connective tissue that protects the ends of long bones at the joints. It’s also the structural component of the ear, the nose, the bronchial tubes, the rib cage and more.
- TYPE III: a fibrillar collagen and is a major component of our skin and organs; often found in the same locations as type I.
- TYPE V: minor collagen component, forming interstitial collagen fibers - along with type I collagen - and plays a significant role in regulating the development of collagen fibers of connective tissue. Type V collagen co-exists with type II collagen in joint cartilage, while supporting healthy collagen fibers of type II collagen
- TYPE X: generally found in eggshell membrane collagen, this is a protein typically present in normal joint cartilage. Better known as a “network-forming collagen”.
Now age isn’t the only factor in how we lose these 5 main forms of collagen. A diet higher in sugar, poor sleep, smoking, too much sun exposure, autoimmune disorders, a sedentary lifestyle, emotional stress and genetic changes in our bodies also decrease the amount of collagen we have and can produce. So what can we do to help our bodies keep and produce more collagen? This can be done through some foods and/or a collagen supplement. The following 13 foods are rich in collagen or are foods that boost collagen production:
- Bone broth
- Chicken
- Fish and shellfish
- Egg whites
- Citrus fruits
- Berries
- Tropical fruits
- Garlic
- Leafy greens
- Beans
- Cashews
- Tomatoes
- Bell peppers
Now we know there are some of the above listed foods that a lot of people either don’t like or can’t eat due to dietary preferences or medical reasons. This is where a good collagen supplement can come in handy! If you didn’t know, Eat Well has partnered with Ancient Nutrition who carries one of the best collagen supplements on the market! Whether you want a little boost for your hair, skin and nails, your joints or even your gut, Ancient Nutrition offers a variety of single-source and multi-source collagen and collagen protein products that provide the collagen benefits you want for your body- or beauty-boosting support.
While Ancient Nutrition has quite a few collagen supplements, we here at EWN have started out with their Multi-Collagen Protein. With Multi Collagen Protein, you don’t have to choose between just the benefits I listed above, each serving brings you ten types of collagen from four real food sources (beef, chicken, fish and egg shell membrane) to provide a broad spectrum of benefits. This collagen formula is enhanced with clinically-studied ingredients like Vitamin C and probiotics for added support for your healthy immune system, gut health, and digestion. Multi Collagen Protein is more than just collagen - it’s real results you can see and feel, from ingredients you can trust.
These are just the highlights straight from their label, but there are so many more benefits!
- Provides support for your healthy hair, skin, nails, joints, and gut
- Promotes healthy hair thickness and growth, reduces hair breakage
- Improves the appearance of crow’s feet after 4 weeks
- Reduces collagen degradation with noticeable results
- Reduces joint discomfort and helps joints recover faster
- Reduces knee stiffness at 7 days
- Includes 10 types of collagen from 4 sources
- Includes 2 billion CFU (*at time of manufacture) of Bacillus coagulans
- Offers 100% DV of clinically studied Vitamin C, optimized for absorption
The key super ingredients in their formula that have been clinically studied and help your body reap all of the benefits listed above (and more) of this multi-collagen protein are:
- Fermented Eggshell Membrane Collagen
- Proven to provide real results as early as day one (this varies from person to person)
- SBO Probiotics
- Each serving includes 2 billion CFU (at time of manufacture) of an SBO probiotic strain called Bacillus coagulans. SBO, or soil-based organism, probiotics are a particularly resilient and effective strain. They’ve included it to provide added support for a healthy gut, digestive function, healthy bowel transit time and healthy gut flora.
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin C is known for its powerful antioxidant properties and the ability to support a healthy immune system. The vitamin C that is added is delivered in a gold-standard, lipid metabolite form that maximizes absorption for more sustained benefits. Each serving brings you 100% of your daily recommended value.
The benefits of this multi-collagen protein are endless it seems! Currently we carry 3 of their delicious flavors - pure (unflavored), vanilla and chocolate. All flavors are Keto and Paleo friendly, gluten free, nut free and dairy free, made without soy products, and non-gmo. The 4 sources (beef, chicken, fish and egg shell membrane) come from animals raised without hormones, raised without antibiotics, are pasture raised, grass fed and are sustainably sourced. Packaging is also BPA free!
Each of the 3 flavors listed above can be mixed in 8-oz of water or any beverage of your choice (my favorites are in my morning coffee or smoothie), but you can also add to your pancakes, oatmeal or cookie recipes. That’s right, you can cook with it even - such a versatile collagen supplement! Ancient Nutrition goes even one step further and puts out a handful or two of new recipes each month for you to try! I don’t know about you but I am ready to head on over to our supplement page and order me some more collagen ASAP as their Butternut Squash Queso Fundido and Birthday Cake Protein Bars with Cashew Cream Cheese Frosting sound so darn good right about now! Which ones are you going to try?!