Collagen. The most abundant protein in our body and a major building block of the bones, skin, muscles, tendons and ligaments. But as we age, we naturally lose collagen. And by the time we hit 50, there are a lot more signs of lower collagen production. There are the visible signs like wrinkles and loss of skin firmness and then there the ones we can feel, like muscle loss and joint pain. As we celebrate our fearless leader Lisa’s 54th Birthday, we thought it was the perfect time to delve into the importance of collagen in our 50s. 

Often referred to as the body’s scaffolding, collagen binds tissues and is the glue that holds the body together. Collagen makes up about 75% of the skin and is responsible for keeping our skin firm and bouncy. But it does a lot more than that! It benefits the hair and nails and can help reduce the appearance of cellulite. It is also key to building muscle mass, supporting bone and joint health and helps to manage exercise related pain, even promoting healing after an injury or surgery. It even supports cardiovascular health, improves digestive health and supports a healthy liver.  

Unfortunately, as we get older, we start to lose collagen. The body’s ability to produce collagen slows down and even produces lower-quality collagen. Additionally, the body is constantly producing collagenases, enzymes that break the peptide bonds in collagen, essentially eating away at our natural collagen. 

We start losing about a percent of collagen per year in our mid-20s and lose as much as 30% during the first 5 years of menopause, which for most of us in our early 50s. Environmental factors such as sun exposure, smoking and diet also play a big role in the destruction of collagen. (Sugar and refined carbs are really bad for collagen - did you know that sugar interferes with collagen’s ability to repair itself?!?) 

So now that we know all the ways collagen benefits the body and we know that our collagen levels have declined sharply, it only makes sense that we make a collagen supplement a permanent addition to our wellness routine. The addition of a collagen peptide, like the one found in Glotrition’s Super Beauty Elixir, can help stimulate new collagen growth. We talk a lot about how a collagen peptide supplement improves skin health - you already know that the Bioactive Collagen Peptide in the Super Beauty Elixir has been clinically proven to spur new collagen growth with increased skin firmness and reduced wrinkle depth in 30 days. But a collagen peptide supplement has multiple benefits beyond the skin. 

It can improve joint health, protecting against joint damage and deterioration and may even calm joint inflammation. Collagen Peptides can help the body naturally increase bone density which becomes a bigger issue in our 50s. It can also help build and maintain lean muscle and may even help healthy weight management which we all know gets harder as we age.  

So if you’re in your 50s and haven’t started supplementing your collagen, today is a good day to start! Now who’s ready for a piece of Birthday Cake? (It’s ok to treat yourself on special occasions! 😊)