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Hey ladies! 💁‍♀️ Let's chat about our skin, hair, nails, and joints because they deserve all the love!

After 40, we definitely notice some changes as our hormone levels fluctuate and begin to decline. Hair thinning, brittle nails and sore joints just to name a few!

Well, say to hello collagen supplementation! It is like our beauty BFF, and the evidence is stacking up like a perfectly curated skincare routine.

The hype around it is has been happening for years now and I have been closely watching the emerging research and it is looking very positive!

Collagen helps keep our skin plump, hair glossy, nails on point, and joints doing their happy dance.

It can be added to our daily diet through collagen peptides in powder form so let’s take a look at this today in the Snack Bar.

But before we dive in ...

🦴 What about Bone Broth? Doesn't it contain collagen?

Yes it does! Similar to "stock", bone broth is made by slow-simmering the bones of grass-fed animals to extract the collagen, protein and amino acids.

Simmering animal bones for over 12 hours helps extract collagen—providing specific amino acids like arginine, glutamate, hydroxylysine, hydroxyproline, proline and glycine—from the bones.

The final broth is also rich vitamins, and minerals.

It is definitely a powerful super food!

📝 Bone Broth: The Facts?

✅ It is a rich source of amino acids including glutamate and glycine and minerals including calcium and magnesium.

✅ It can help protect joints and reduce osteoarthritis.

✅ It may help reduce gut inflammation as a result of the amino acid glutamine. This helps heal the lining of the digestive tract and assist with overall gut and immune system function.

During perimenopause and menopause our protective gut mucosa lining thins and keeping this healthy is a priority, through a diverse diet rich in fibre and superfoods like bone broth.

✅ While bone broth is a rich and nutritious addition to our diet, the amount of collagen/ amino acids vary from product to product.

It is a very healthy addition to our diet. Check out todays sponsor.

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📝 Collagen: the facts

✅ Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body, forming part of skin, hair, nails, bone, ligaments and tendons.

It provides structure and support to allow these tissues to be strong, durable and pliable.

✅ Collagen is made up of 19 amino acids however it is not a complete protein source. It is mainly made up of proline, alanine, glycine and hydroxyproline.

It will add to your total protein for the day but should not replace other complete protein sources needed to drive muscle protein synthesis.

✅ Collagen production unfortunately declines with age.

✅ Collagen is a useful addition in pain management for inflammatory conditions (tendonitis) and helps to reduce activity-related joint pain and can assist with the prevention of osteoarthritis.

✅ Collagen supplementation supports the repair of various tissues, including bone, skin and ligaments/ tendons during injury rehabilitation

✅ Collagen can help increase bone strength and reduce fracture risk

📚 What does the latest evidence say about collagen?

Collagen supplementation does make it all the way to our skin! This has been widely scrutinised, but more and more studies are proving that collagen does make a difference to our skin quality.

The most recent 2023 review on collagen which included 26 randomised controlled trials showed significant effects of collagen on skin elasticity and hydration.

There is also positive research regarding joint pain and osteoarthritis from 5 randomised controlled trails as well as exciting evidence in injury, including tendon repair when taken prior to rehab exercise.

And the good news for collagen doesn’t stop there, it is also great to keep our bones healthy and strong!

A 2020 randomised controlled trial has shown that supplementation of collagen with calcium and vitamin D combined enhances bone metabolism in postmenopausal women.

💊 Collagen: How much and when?

🔯 15-20g per day with Vitamin C (which is a co-factor in collagen synthesis)

🔯 Preferably taken 40-60min before exercise or rehab, as this is the time taken for it to peak in the blood which helps 'switch-on' uptake into the connective tissue, tendons and skin.

💊 Where can I buy collagen

There are many collagen products on the market. Here are some I have tried and tested.

•  Vital Collagen 

• True Collagen with Vitamin C

Remember, it's always wise to consult with your healthcare provider before starting any new supplement routine.

Ready to Change the Things You Can Change?

While we can’t wind back the clock, we can add a few things into our daily routine that are evidenced based that make a real impact on our health and wellbeing.

Supplementing with collagen and adding some bone broth daily are really simple actions that you can start today.

I usually take my collagen in the morning or if I am working out in the gym, I take it an hour before.

Reflection

Do your own research on some of the collagen products available and see if you can find one that suits your needs and budget.

The Snack Bar by Strong Woman Project

Medical Disclaimer:

The Snack Bar by Strong Woman Project provides information for informational purposes only and is not intended to substitute the advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a qualified medical professional. The user should always speak to their doctor, physician, or other qualified medical professional with any medical questions they may have. The Snack Bar by Strong Woman Project and its editors do not advocate nutritional supplementation over proper medical advice or treatment. If the user is using any pharmaceuticals or drugs given to them by a doctor or received with a prescription, they must consult with the doctor in question or an equally qualified medical professional prior to using any nutritional supplementation. The Snack Bar by Strong Woman Project does not assume liability for any actions undertaken after visiting The Snack Bar by Strong Woman Project and does not assume liability if one misuses supplements. The Snack Bar by Strong Woman Project and its editors do not claim that unforeseen side effects will not occur even at the proper dosages, and do not assume responsibility for any side effects from supplements or practices mentioned on The Snack Bar by Strong Woman Project and its content. The Snack Bar by Strong Woman Project neither makes any representations nor recommends or endorses any specific tests, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on The Snack Bar by Strong Woman Project. Reliance on any information provided by The Snack Bar by Strong Woman Project, its directors, officers, employees, affiliates, agents, contractors, interns, suppliers, service providers, or licensors (collectively, its “Representatives”), or any visitors to The Snack Bar by Strong Woman Project is at the user's own risk.