Collagen and aging

Aging and lifestyle directly affect several metabolic processes including our body’s ability to synthesize new proteins, including collagen. According to the Nutrition and Food Science Centre of the University of McGill, our body has to absolutely compensate with food the essential amino acids when it is unable to synthesize new proteins. It is also mentioned that if our body is under stress, due to injuries or degenerative problems related to aging, it would need even more amino acids than it normally does.

Unfortunately, the effects of aging, including a decrease in the synthesis of collagen proteins, appear when we are very young. If we analyze the available studies, this decrease starts at age 30 at an average of 1% per year. This phenomenon creates a reduction of functions in all our tissues and organs and a loss of resistance, elasticity and flexibility. This generates in the short or medium term a series of reactions that for most of us emerge as follows:

• Fine wrinkles and wrinkles;

• Lack of tonus;

• Stiffness;

• Joint and muscular stiffness;

• Slower healing of wounds;

• More frequent fatigue;

Ironically, the majority of individuals by the age of thirty accept to live with most of these aches; as we do not experience any major health problems or acute pain. However, as far as the reduction of collagen in our body is concerned; these problems are just the tip of the iceberg, as they proclaim, combined with aging, direct effects on our health and quality of life!