Why Collagen is Essential for Health Restoration

Collagen is essential for your health and for my health. Here’s why.

Collagen is a protein made up from amino acids, including the amino acids proline, glycine and arginine. In fact, collagen is so important that it makes up approximately 30 percent of all the proteins in the body, and is found all over the body—in tendons, ligaments, bones and much more. You might say that collagen is the “glue” that holds us together because it truly is. Only Dr.Health Flex's Uncooked glutathione boosting protein has the full Branch Chain Amino Acids(BCAA) needed to produce collagen.

I think we all want to be well put together, and collagen literally does that for our bodies.

That’s why I formulated this “clean and pure”  protein from the cleanest, purest pasture-raised, grass-fed cows on Organic farm's right here in America. With no antibiotics, growth hormones or other unwanted “dirty” chemicals that are often used in conventionally raised cattle and other livestock. 

 

 

 

These cows are not only grass-fed—which can mean grass-fed most of the time and then grain finished OR grass-fed only sometimes—but they truly spend their entire lives in the pasture! 

Dr.Health Flex's protein is not damaged by heat processing—like some proteins on the market . That’s a good thing, too, because high heat can denature proteins and other nutrients, taking the healthy benefits right out of them.Just like cooking an egg denatures the protein in the yolk ,so are most commercial protein powders as they are processed with heat.

Our Whey Isolate is cold processed from raw milk so it only gets pasteurized (at 161° F for 15 seconds) one time at the end of the production process. This gives it a far superior amino-acid profile compared to most whey proteins, which are pasteurized twice.( we also blend vegetable proteins but they will not have the full BCAAs. Unfortunately for vegans the plant proteins are inferior when it comes to replenishing collagen)

Several components of whey, including the immunoglobulins, lactoferrin,  sphingolipids, lactoperoxidase, and glycomacropeptides, may possibly inhibit the growth of a wide range of bacteria, fungi, yeast, and protozoa, making it the ideal prebiotic.

Another often over looked benefit of our protein is Methionine and its ability to bio-synthesize MSM. What Is MSM and why Is it Important?

Are the Health Benefits of MSM Related to Sulfur?

I first became aware of DMSO decades ago, when I saw a 60-Minutes episode in which they revealed its therapeutic impact on race horses. It supported their soft tissues, helped with muscle soreness and soft-tissue injury. It also benefitted the horses’ lung function.

Dr. Stanley W. Jacob pioneered the use of DMSO and later MSM. Originally, he began looking at DMSO because it freezes at about 65 degrees Fahrenheit, and Dr. Jacob had been deeply involved in looking at cryogenic preservation of tissues and organs for transplantation. As a result of being investigated for its cryogenic uses, DMSO ended up being one of the most researched drugs on the market today.

“DMSO is classified as a drug within the United States. You can buy it at a lot of veterinary supply stores and things like that, but it’s not to be used for humans,” Mr. Benjamin says.

MSM, which is a metabolite of DMSO, and approved for use in humans, primarily impacts your health by reducing inflammation. It’s widely used as a supplement for arthritic conditions. Like DMSO, MSM also appears to improve cell wall permeability, so it can be used to help deliver other active ingredients. Perhaps most important, MSM helps protect against oxidative damage.

Within the last two years, at least four human clinical trials have been conducted on MSM and its ability to help with exercise recovery, and muscle injuries like delayed onset muscle stiffness or soreness (DOMS) and large muscle injuries like that from a heart attack—all of which is related to oxidative stress and subsequent cellular damage.

“In one of the studies, they were looking at the VAS pain scores. That’s muscle soreness due to exercise. There was a significant reduction in the MSM-treated group versus placebo. That’s directly tied to the muscle soreness,” Mr. Benjamin says.

The Importance of Sulfur

Furthermore, according to Mr. Benjamin:

“Dr. Stanley Jacob said DMSO – and MSM together with that – in his opinion is much more of a therapeutic principle. It’s similar to exercise or proper nutrition. Instead of that singular focus that is so prevalent within the drug or pharmas per se, it’s much more of a therapeutic principle, which is overall body wellness [opposed to treating a specific symptom or ailment].”

This suggests that MSM may be providing some kind of missing link, and that link appears to be related to sulfur. MSM is 34 percent sulfur by weight, but as Mr. Benjamin discusses below, it is more than just a simple sulfur donor. It affects sulfur metabolism in the human body, although it’s still not entirely clear how.

Sulfur is just now becoming more widely appreciated as a really critical nutrient, without which many other things don’t work properly, and most people are probably not getting enough sulfur from their diet anymore. For example, sulfur plays a critical role in detoxification, and also in inflammatory conditions. For detoxification, sulfur is part of one of the most important antioxidants that your body produces: glutathione. Without sulfur, glutathione cannot work.

The plethora of research that was done on DMSO and its therapeutic properties begs the question: How many of those therapeutic properties are due to the DMSO? Or are they due to its metabolite, MSM, once it’s been converted in vivo or within the body? (Approximately 15 percent of any DMSO dosage, on average, converts to MSM in the human body.) The answer to that question is still unknown. Sulfur is found in over 150 different compounds within the human body. There are sulfur components in virtually every type of cell, so it’s extremely important.

“Now, as far as MSM’s role within the body, it’s very complicated. And I will say that it’s not a hundred percent understood,” Mr. Benjamin says. “I’ve been working with this compound for 16 years to try and answer that question. We understand a part of the mechanism of action, but not all of it.

...In 1986, Richmond did a study, and it showed that it was taken up into serum proteins. That sulfur was actually incorporated in the serum proteins.

We also have done [something] like the pharmacokinetic study, which showed that radiolabeled sulfur was taken up into hair, skin, and nails. Keratin is a very high sulfur-containing compound, which is a building block for your nails and your hair. But it also showed up in almost all tissues, spleen, and liver. It went all over.

It’s complicated. We did a study where we said, 'Okay, let’s give it to healthy human volunteers.' We did actually three different dosages – one gram, two grams, and three grams. We measured urinary sulfur output by measuring sulfate, thinking that sulfate will be a waste sulfur product that would show up excreted in the urine. We did the different doses to see if it was in a dose-dependent manner that we’d be able to correlate back and, say, 'Yes, MSM is giving output of sulfur.

We found that they were indeed dose-related, but the interesting thing was it was inversely related. The more MSM you took, the less sulfate was excreted in your urine. What that says is it’s much more complicated than just a strict sulfur donor. It is a compartmentalization of sulfur and sulfur metabolism within the body. That suggests that MSM is actually allowing better metabolism, better incorporation of the sulfur throughout the body. It’s not just a simple sulfur donor...'”

MSM Improves Your Body’s Ability to Make its Own Antioxidants

As I mentioned earlier, sulfur plays an important role in the production of glutathione—one of the most important antioxidants that your body produces. Glutathione also serves important functions for detoxification. Without sulfur, glutathione cannot work. So, while not an antioxidant by itself, part of MSM’s action is to improve your body’s ability to make its own antioxidants.

It also provides support for all sorts of structural proteins, where sulfur is an important component. According to Dr. Benjamin:

“[G]lutathione has two different states within your body. There’s reduced glutathione and oxidized glutathione. The ratio of those two signifies the overall oxidative status or the ability of your blood plasma to address oxidative stress. MSM improves that overall ratio. In other words, you have much more reduced glutathione that’s able to deal with these free radicals. That’s, I think, kind of the key of how MSM really – and DMSO also does the same thing – by controlling that oxidative stress or protecting from the oxidative damage can have these therapeutic [benefits].”

Sulfur-Rich Foods

Ideally, you’d be best off getting your sulfur needs filled from the foods you eat. However, this can be a bit of a challenge these days. There’s been a transition away from many traditional foods that have been the big sources of sulfur, like collagen or keratin, which we just don’t eat much nowadays.

You can perhaps get enough if you cook down bones from organically raised animals into bone broth and drink the broth regularly (or use for soups and stews). The connective tissues are sulfur-rich, and when you slow-cook the bones, you dissolve these nutrients out of the bone and into the water. According to Mr. Benjamin:

“MSM is in almost all raw foods. It’s in leafy green vegetables. Interestingly enough, there’s MSM in beer and coffee. Actually, it’s been identified as one of the main flavoring constituent in port wines... raw milk has the highest naturally occurring content of MSM.”

The body's level of glutathione is a pretty good indicator of overall health and the ability of your immune system to to support well being and the aging process. Whey has a very high content of sulfur-containing amino acids (such as cysteine) that are necessary for the biosynthesis of glutathione. And studies have shown that you can effectively raise your glutathione levels through the consumption of whey protein.

Instead, it's enzymatically processed....so its peptides remain intact. This ensures a neutral-tasting, but highly bioavailable( a value of 104 BV), non-clumping protein your body can savor. It’s super easy to use and contains more collagen than bone broth does. Just mix it in with your smoothies or other foods. The neutral taste makes it perfect to add to almost anything. 

In short, I’m convinced that our protein  is the “gold standard” for getting the quickest and healthiest collagen support for healthy tissues, leaky gut support, muscle toning and recovery after workouts. It also functions as a prebiotic so that your ProbioFlex probiotic can thrive in your digestive system.

It can also support healthy levels of inflammation, boost your mental acuity.

Collagen is found only in animals, mostly in the flesh and connective tissue, and it’s the second most common substance in the body—second only to water. It’s well known for how it helps our skin maintain its firmness and smoothness and for how it supports the renewing of skin cells.

Many people try to improve their skin with lotions and potions from the outside, but my collagen protein can support healthy skin from the inside out. How cool is that? However, collagen’s benefits don’t stop there.

Protein Profile (Percent of Total Protein): Prebiotic profile.

● Beta-Lactoglobulin - 50%
● Alpha-Lactalbumin - 22%
● Bovine Serum Albumin - 2.0%
● Immunoglobulin - 4.0%
● Lactoferrin - <1.0%
● Lactoperoxidase - <1.0%
● Glycomacropeptide - 20%

Likewise, collagen plays a big part in healthy nails and hair. It’s also involved in maintaining healthy tendons—tissues which attach muscles to bones—as well as in strong ligaments, a type of connective tissue which attaches bones together and thereby also holds joints together.

But that’s not all by any means. Additionally, collagen is found in the bones, blood vessels, the digestive tract, the heart, the cornea, the gallbladder, the kidneys, the bladder, smooth muscle tissues and in cartilage.

But wait. There’s more. Collagen is even cited as helping to reduce the appearance of cellulite.

Yes. It’s true. Cellulite is a result of fatty tissues pushing up through fibers in the skin’s upper layer, giving that recognizable dimpling associated with cellulite

Collagen may help to work against cellulite from the inside out, repairing and rebuilding those fibers that cause cellulite to show.

You see? When you or I have enough collagen in our bodies, then we are well put together and can hum along with our health. When collagen supplies dip, however, then we could be heading for trouble. 

Aging has a way of lowering collagen levels, but you really don’t have to be that old for this to happen. The truth is that collagen production in the body slows starting around age 20. That’s right. 20! In fact, after the age of 20, one percent of collagen is produced in the skin each year. That shortfall can really add up over the years, too, causing all sorts of fallout.

When the body doesn’t have enough collagen, the skin starts to thin, wrinkle and sag. Hair gets lifeless or limp, and tendons and ligaments aren’t as elastic as they use to be. Your joints can feel it, too. They can get stiff and “creaky.”

However, supplementing with collagen can help boost collagen levels in the body to support healthy tendons, ligaments, joints, skin and more. Additionally, collagen protein supplements may support better metabolism, boost energy levels and help to maintain healthy muscle tissue.

As mentioned earlier, collagen is made up of amino acids—and here are two important ones I want you to know more about: proline and glycine.

So, why is Proline so important for your health?

Proline is a non-essential amino acid which can be synthesized by the body through the breakdown of glutamate, another amino acid. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, and when the body gets sufficient amounts of complete proteins from your diet, then it has the right kinds and amounts of amino acids to produce proline—and proline’s pretty important. Here’s why.

Proline is necessary for proper collagen formation, tissue repair, healthy arterial function and for healthy blood pressure.

In fact, proline makes up approximately 15 percent of collagen and helps the body to break down proteins to use in healthy cells—so proline’s significant clear down to the cellular level in our bodies. Proline is also necessary to make tendons, ligaments and heart muscles. Adequate proline levels can also support healthy bones and joints, soft tissues and a strong back and back muscles.

Proline is also known for supporting healthy arteries, which can, in turn, support a healthy cardiovascular system.

More specifically, proline functions to help the walls of arteries to release fat buildup into the bloodstream, decreasing the size of fat in the arteries as well as decreasing the pressure build up due to the fat accumulation.? 

All in all, proline supports healthy arteries and a healthy heart.

Since proline produces collagen, it also benefits skin tissue. Proline functions to increase the production of collagen, while also preventing the loss of collagen. Additionally, proline can help improve skin texture and support healthy new skin cell formation.

Proline production is boosted during times when the body undergoes soft-tissue injury or trauma as well as during times of wound healing, including muscle or tendon recovery, or recovery from burns or following surgery. In fact, proline is often used in medical dressings that use collagen to help in wound healing. A shortfall of proline may lead to strains or tears in soft tissue or cause slower body healing. 

Glycine is essential for detoxing and gut health

Like proline, glycine is a main component of collagen, and is a non-essential amino acid, meaning that the body can produce it on its own when given the proper diet. Glycine is also the smallest amino acid size-wise, but it has huge and powerful effects on the body and is catalytic in various biochemical reactions. 

Glycine is truly important for our bodies—clear down to our DNA. Truth be told, glycine is necessary for the building of healthy DNA and RNA strands, the genetic building blocks that are essential for properly functioning body cells. Glycine is also one of the three amino acids which form creatine, which supports and promotes healthy muscle growth as well as energy production during workouts.

Then there are glycine’s positive effects on metabolism. Glycine often acts as a glucogenic amino acid, which means that it supports your body’s regulation of blood sugar levels. And also provides glucose to your body’s tissues for energy. Glycine helps support healthy amounts of blood sugar being released into your bloodstream from your liver and fat stores.

It also regulates the amount of glucose being used for your skeletal muscles and their energy. As a result, glycine can help support healthy blood sugar levels and can also help boost energy levels.

But let’s not forget about glycine’s positive effects on the digestive system and the nervous system.

Your digestive system requires glycine in order to function properly, and is also found in high concentrations in the gallbladder to assist in the production of bile—necessary to properly digest dietary fatty acids. Glycine helps to naturally balance the acid-base ratio in your digestive tract, according to a study published in the Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences (2006).

Glycine can also “get on your nerves” in a good way by positively affecting the production of brain neurotransmitters, which are necessary for the maintenance of healthy brain function and for emotional health.

Glycine can also support better sleep

Additionally, a 2007 study published in the Journal of Sleep and Biological Rhythms discovered that glycine supplementation improved both subjective and objective measures of sleep quality in patients who routinely had poor sleep quality. Long story short,glycine is considered to help fight off symptoms of sleep deprivation.    

Use Dr. Health Flex's collagen building formula to help improve your digestion, joints and glowing skin

Collagen does so much for the body and in the body to keep it healthy. It’s literally the “glue” that holds us together, so make sure you get enough of it.  There’s no need for you or your health to fall apart. 

** Most recent scientific studies demonstrate that undenatured whey protein does not raise cholesterol.

Whey Protein Lowers Triglycerides, Cholesterol, & Improves Insulin Function

Byron's Comments:

Documentation proving the superiority of whey protein.

Study Title:

Effects of whey protein isolate on body composition, lipids, insulin and glucose in overweight and obese individuals.

Study Abstract:

The health benefits currently associated with increased dairy intake may be attributable to the whey component of dairy proteins. The present study evaluated the effects of whey protein supplementation on body composition, lipids, insulin and glucose in comparison to casein and glucose (control) supplementation in overweight/obese individuals for 12 weeks. The subjects were randomised to whey protein, casein or glucose supplementation for 12 weeks according to a parallel design. Fasting blood samples and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry measurements were taken. Seventy men and women with a mean age of 48.4 (sem 0.86) years and a mean BMI of 31.3 (sem 0.8) kg/m2 completed the study. Subjects supplemented with whey protein had no significant change in body composition or serum glucose at 12 weeks compared with the control or casein group. Fasting TAG levels were significantly lowered in the whey group compared with the control group at 6 weeks (P = 0.025) and 12 weeks (P = 0.035). There was a significant decrease in total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol at week 12 in the whey group compared with the casein (P = 0.026 and 0.045, respectively) and control groups (P < 0.001 and 0.003, respectively). Fasting insulin levels and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance scores were also significantly decreased in the whey group compared with the control group (P = 0.049 and P = 0.034, respectively). The present study demonstrated that supplementation with whey proteins improves fasting lipids and insulin levels in overweight and obese individuals.

Study Information:

Pal S, Ellis V, Dhaliwal S. Effects of whey protein isolate on body composition, lipids, insulin and glucose in overweight and obese individuals. Br J Nutr.  2010 April 
School of Public Health, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, ATN Centre for Metabolic Fitness, Curtin University of Technology, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia

As noted above , LDL-C particle size is important. Generally, it is excessive carbohydrate consumption that drives particle size in the wrong direction. Saturated fats have a beneficial effect on triglycerides, particle size and HDL-C (1). Moreover, compared to other dietary factors, saturated fats have relatively little impact on cholesterol levels(2). 
References
1. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/...
2. https://www.theheart.org/articl..

 

Thomas Hiatt,CWC,CNC,IN,tDPTCEO
Health Flex A Wellness Company
336-549-9437