Do You Know How to Naturally Produce Collagen?

Are you wondering how to naturally produce collagen within the skin?  The collagen protein has been the subject of much scientific study over the years.  The triple helix structure of the tropocollagen is unique. 

Its form has even been copied in geometric and modern art.  Only recently have scientists been able to make a synthetic reproduction of the protein in the laboratory.  This discovery may have numerous applications in surgery and other medicinal areas.

The understanding of how to naturally produce collagen within the human body has changed over the years and with new discoveries.  It could change again by the time that you read this article.  Basically, according to the current understanding, we need the amino acids glycine and proline. 

We don’t need to get those amino acids from the foods that we eat, but we must get enough serine in the diet, because that amino is necessary for the production of glycine.  We must also get enough L-glutamate, because it is needed to synthesize proline.

The collagen protein is also composed of hyroxy-proline and hydroxy-lysine, which are derived from proline and lysine, another essential amino acid.  You see, the collagen protein is a long chain of amino acids that bind together with the help of enzymes and have disaccharides (a form of glucose or sugar) attached to them.  Vitamin C is needed as a cofactor for the production of a fiber and the whole process begins inside of a cell that secretes pro-collagen, the precursor, and a shorter chain of amino acids.

If you are talking about how to naturally produce collagen fibers within the skin, tropocollagen molecules form from the pro-collagen and they spontaneously assemble themselves into fibrils, which bundle together to form a fiber.  The collagen protein is only one important component of the skin’s layers.  Elastin and keratin proteins are also important.  Hyaluronic acid, an amino acid, glucose complex, serves a variety of roles, as well.

In addition to how to naturally produce collagen, it is also important to consider what causes it to degrade.  For many years, it was thought that the degradation of the fibers that compose our skin was just a natural part of the aging process.  But, with a little better understanding and the observation that some people seem to age more quickly than others, scientists began to take a closer look.

When the fibers of our skin degrade, we see wrinkles and sagging, dark circles and bags under our eyes.  It was noted that people who spent a great deal of time outdoors had rougher, older looking faces.  But, the cause is not the sun, itself, but molecular activity that is stimulated due to exposure to UV rays from the sun.

The molecular activity is commonly referred to as free radical damage.  It can negatively affect collagen protein formation, but antioxidants can prevent that from happening.  Now that you know a little more about how to naturally produce collagen, you might want to learn about free radicals, antioxidants and how we can effectively delay the signs of old age. Please take a look at my website now.