Regardless of gender, everyone needs collagen. While beauty products with collagen are typically marketed toward women, this essential protein can benefit anyone who uses it.
Collagen is a major part of the human body. It is a significant factor in skin health, but it also plays a role in many other ways. It helps with bone strength, building muscle mass, creating strong ligaments and tendons, improving wound healing, and joint health. While your body produces collagen, it simply can't keep up with aging and pollution, as well as lifestyle choices like sun exposure, smoking, and an unbalanced diet.
There are more than 20 types of collagen, but types I, II, and III are the primary ones the body needs. And when it comes to getting collagen, food is the best source. High-protein foods like bone broth, chicken, fish, beans, and egg whites are just some that help the body with collagen production. To boost collagen levels even more, supplements have become a staple in many diets.
And while we often hear about collagen concerning pregnancy, breastfeeding, and other circumstances specific to women, you may not realize that research shows collagen has potential health benefits for men.
Now that you know that collagen is essential for everyone, it’s important to know about the potential benefits that are particularly relevant to men.
It's crucial to remember that many of collagen's potential benefits are known through anecdotal evidence. There are very few scientific studies about collagen, but the results are almost across-the-board positive. Still, the research is preliminary and not definitive. With that caveat, here are some of the findings that point toward how collagen helps to support men’s health-related issues.
Collagen makes up to 10% of muscle tissue. It's important to keep collagen levels high to keep muscles healthy, but it may also play a role for those who want to build their strength. A small study showed that those who combined daily collagen supplement doses with resistance training built more muscle than those who only relied on resistance training.
A preliminary study showed collagen supplements helped build healthy blood vessels that carry blood to your heart. Study participants who took 16 grams of collagen each day had a reduction in artery stiffness.
A small study revealed that athletes who took collagen had reduced joint pain. Perhaps even more impressive is that the study showed that taking collagen may reduce the risk of joint deterioration.
A challenging workout leaves many people with sore muscles and aching joints, and that pain can last for days. Studies show that collagen can speed muscle recovery. But did you know collagen is also vital for healthy connective tissues? Although many people think of that tissue in tendons and ligaments, it's also present in bone and blood vessels, skin, cornea, and cartilage. Many health conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, may develop if collagen intake or production is not sufficient for connective tissues.
The reduction of collagen levels as you age leads to hair thinning. One study indicated that collagen can contribute to the dermis' elasticity, strength, and cell production. So collagen may help prevent hair loss and result in healthy hair and hair growth. Although there are claims that collagen also improves beard growth, there is no scientific evidence that supports this.
It's common knowledge that one of the signs of aging is fragile bones. Preliminary research showed an increase in collagen may help build up bones, so they are less likely to fracture. That is just one of the anti-aging benefits of collagen.
The above are just some of the conditions that collagen may improve. Other benefits include support for leaky gut, inflammatory bowel disease, heart health, and skin elasticity.
Although these scientific findings are not definitive, research does guide men on the use of collagen and what it may or may not help with.
Consider the following questions and answers to get a better grasp on whether a collagen supplement is a good idea for you and if it can potentially support your health goals.
There is no definitive answer to this question. The dosage depends on many factors, including specific health profiles. That's one reason it's vital to consult your physician before taking any dietary supplement, including collagen. Studies done with collagen usually involve daily doses that range from 2.5 g to 10 gram for both men and women. The number of weeks taken varies.
Studies underscore the safety of collagen. Researchers found no adverse side effects.
There are no definitive studies that show collagen increases testosterone. Early research on the topic, though, is positive.
Researchers have not found that collagen helps erectile dysfunction.
Did you know there are more than 20 types of collagen, each with a specific function? It’s true. And while that number seems overwhelming at first, you’ll be happy to know the human body relies mainly on the following, according to medical experts at Yale University:
"Type I collagen forms fibers and is found in most connective tissues with bone, ligaments, tendon, and skin having the high concentrations of type I collagen.
Type II collagen forms fibers but is less well organized than type I fibers. They are found mainly in cartilage.
Type III collagen forms fibers, but these fibers are much thinner than type I. Type III collagen makes up reticulin fibers in organs and help organize cells within organs.”
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does maintain oversight of dietary supplements, but their watchdog role is not as rigid as you may expect. The FDA does not classify collagen (or other) supplements as medicine. Instead, the FDA requires companies to ensure the consistency and safety of their products.
Although the FDA does play a watchdog role of sorts, you want to take care that you choose a high-quality supplement with a reliable track record. It's essential to read the ingredients on the label and ask the company any questions about the production process.
Red flags to watch for include supplements that have fillers, binders, sweeteners, and preservatives. Your doctor or another health care professional can help you analyze the various collagen supplements and choose the one that is right for you.
After speaking with your doctor and deciding that you want to start taking a collagen supplement, Brightcore's Revive® may be the right choice for your needs. Our high-quality multi-collagen protein powder is made from collagen peptides from wild-caught fish, cage-free chickens, grass-fed hydrolyzed bovine, and eggshell. It also includes vitamin C and hyaluronic acid. It's tasteless, too, so it won't alter the taste of beverages, soups, casseroles, stews, and other foods you choose to mix it into.
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Randy Derouen
October 30, 2021
I saw your product on Know the Cause. If your collegen works for I will use it the rest of my life