Beauty from the Inside Volume 2 – (Article 2 of 6)

by Dr Marli Botha

With the current COVID-19 anxiety and the detrimental impact of stress and a lack of sleep on overall skin appearance, natural ingredients are rising in popularity to have beneficial effects on skin and hair health and appearance. The best way to fight this is to avoid too much sugar and refined carbohydrates and consume foods high in collagen to maintain youthfulness, energy, and beauty.

7 Healthy facts about collagen:

1. The middle layer of your skin, called the dermis, is held together by an important structural protein called collagen. The breakdown of collagen as you age is one of the primary causes of sagging, wrinkled skin. While we can’t stop the aging process altogether, we can help make sure our bodies have all the nutrition they need to keep producing healthy collagen.
2. Foods like bone broth contain a bioavailable form of collagen your body can use right away, making it arguably superior to supplements.
3. You can support your body in making collagen by feeding it plenty of vitamin C. Fortunately, most people love at least a handful of foods that are abundant in vitamin C. Try grilling up those luscious peppers growing in your garden or roasting a head of broccoli. On the fruit side, oranges and other citrus are traditional favorites, but you can also find loads of vitamin C in strawberries, guavas, and cantaloupe.
4. Guava also boasts a small amount of zinc, another co-factor for collagen production.
5. Though citrus tends to get all the glory for its vitamin C content, berries are another excellent source. Raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries offer a hefty dose, too. Furthermore, berries are high in antioxidants, which protect the skin from damage.
6. Another healthy habit is to prevent summer and travel dehydration with a cooling fruit juice, hence protecting and building your skin while rehydrating it.
7. That said, collagen isn’t only for smooth, elastic skin. Collagen may also help with joint pain, muscles, or digestion.

It is important to mention that no food is meant to be a cure-all for any condition, though there are certainly health and skin benefits contained within them. The one thing you should always do before using a new skincare product is to do a patch test to look for allergies and sensitivities.