COLLAGEN
Collagen is a protein synthesised by the body itself. In our bodies it fulfils a double role: it supports tissue structures and determines their elasticity and stretchiness. It is the effect of collagen that prevents us from feeling pain when we move, and which enables us to enjoy healthy joints and ligaments, as well as good condition of our skin, hair, nails and teeth.
However, after the age of about 25, the body’s ability to synthesise collagen weakens. By the age of 60, the collagen deficit of our bodies is up to 44%. The lack of collagen in the body is associated with pain in the back and other joints. One of the most evident signs of collagen deficiency is a deterioration in the condition of the skin.
Evidence of the body using more collagen than it produces is found in:
► reduced elasticity of ligaments and tendons;
► reduced muscle strength;
► joint pain;
► more frequent injuries;
► poorer appearance of the skin.
Principal reasons for reduced collagen production by the body:
► natural ageing of the body;
► effects of high physical exertion;
► injury: the healing of wounds requires increased amounts of collagen;
► the body is affected by unfavourable environmental factors: lengthy exposure to direct sun, smoking, alcohol, high consumption of sugar and highly processed food products, stress;
► disrupted hormone balance during menopause.