Collagen for Healthy Joints

Collagen is a type of protein that makes up cartilage, joints, ligaments, bones, and other tissues which gives our body structure and helps keep them functioning well. It’s a complex protein made up of amino acid chains such as arginine, proline, glycine, and glutamine. As we get older our bodies naturally start making less collagen, thus affecting our joints. This can start as early as your mid-30s and goes into older age. Other factors include lifestyle habits, eating a poor diet, too much or too little activity, and high stress. One should eat a diet that’s nutrient dense including getting in enough antioxidants, protein, and natural collagen sources like bone broth. Joint health supplements can provide our bodies with the amino acids needed to produce collagen. Collagen powder is considered to be one of the best supplement options for joint health. Benefits of collagen for healthy joints include its ability to support comfort and mobility, as well as supporting healthy energy levels, exercise recovery and performance. Collagen helps promote joint health as a whole by contributing to range of motion, flexibility, and mobility. Type 2 collagen specifically helps give cartilage its strength and elasticity as it comprises 50% of all protein in cartilage. Amino acids found in collagen are often called “building blocks of protein” and they function to stimulate cells in the joints and cartilage that aid in the normal growth and repair process. Collagen can possibly help lower cartilage degradation and maintain healthy cartilage. Specific types of collagens can also support exercise performance and recovery by helping reduce stiffness in the knees and general discomfort from it in a short period of use. Within collagen there are certain amino acids like glycine that help form creatine. Creatine is a substance that has the potential to help support strength, growth of muscle mass, exercise abilities, and healthy energy levels. Collagen in general can help support strong bones, thus contributing to joint mobility and stability by taking some stress and pressure off our joints. Type 2 collagen is abundant in chicken cartilage in high amounts which can be synthesized for use in powdered collagen and bone broth supplements. It’s found in chicken bone broth that’s made with nutrient-filled animal parts like bones, connective tissues, and ligaments. Type 2 collagen naturally contains chondroitin and glucosamine which are two compounds that aid in support of healthy cartilage. General dose recommendations for collagen for most adults is to take somewhere between 1-3 scoops/servings per day, equating to roughly 10-30g of collagen protein. As for how to use collagen powder, it can easily be mixed and dissolved into coffee, tea, smoothies/shakes, oatmeal, soups, and baked goods such as pancakes or muffins. In addition to joint supplements as part of your daily routine, you can also incorporate “collagen-boosters” and collagen-rich foods in the diet to support healthy connective tissues. These sources include bone broth, organ meats, grass-fed beef, wild-caught fish, foods high in antioxidants and vitamin D like leafy greens and berries.