Can Collagen Pills Help Your Skin?

Today's question is this; do collagen pills help your skin by providing the tools necessary for building collagen fibers? There is no short answer to this question. If you want to make an informed decision about what kind of supplements to buy and why, below you will find the information that you need.

First, building collagen is a complicated process. The human body is an amazing piece of construction equipment. Only recently have scientists been able to duplicate the process in the laboratory, creating synthetic collagens.

There are a number of different collagens throughout the human body. 28 different types are present in nature. About 90% of the collagens found in the human body are types I, II, III and IV. These different types make up different parts of the body. In order to break the subject down, I have included a little Q&A.

Do collagen pills help your skin, when the supplement is derived from chicken bones or marine sources?

Human skin, tendons, blood vessels, ligaments, organs and bones are composed primarily of Type I collagens arranged in different patterns. When they combine to form bones, minerals are attached to the array. Type I and III combine to form the skin's fibers and vitamin C is a necessary co-factor. Type IV is created to form cells. Type II is the main component of cartilage.

Most supplements on the market are derived from chicken bones or marine animals. The actual content of these protein supplements is not fully defined on the bottles.

When the supplement hits the digestive system, it is broken down into its component amino acids, vitamins and minerals. While those things are necessary for building collagen, there is no way to determine which part of the body will get the nutrients. In the body, vital organs always come first.

Do collagen pills help your skin, when the supplement is derived from other sources?

The only proven benefit of the supplements is to increase protein intake, while only slightly increasing caloric intake. They were not originally developed for building collagen fibers in the skin, joints or elsewhere in the body. They were developed for body builders.

Do collagen pills help your skin, your joints, your muscles or other parts of the body?

The body needs protein, not only for building collagen. It needs the different amino acids that are found in various proteins to build muscle, replace damaged tissue, bone, fiber and reproduce cells throughout the body. Some amino acids are used to make hormones. Others are used to make brain chemicals and neurotransmitters.

In short, proteins are the building blocks of all life. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Supplementation could be beneficial in many ways. This brings up one final question.

Do collagen pills help your skin look better? Any increase in protein intake "could" help you look better, but applying specific nutrients directly to your face is more efficient and works faster, as long as the manufacture of the skincare product includes the right ingredients.