Why your life depends on collagen.

Most people think that calcium is the most important element for bone health, and to prevent osteopenia and osteoporosis.

Wrong. That's milk marketing propaganda at work.

In fact, bones are built with collagen and it makes up 1/3 of bone structure.

Collagen is the main structural protein found in the body's various connective tissues: bones, ligaments, tendons and skin. As the main component of connective tissue, it is the most abundant protein in mammals, making up from 25% to 35% of the whole-body protein content. 

Calcium plays a much lesser role (and supermarket milk is not the best source of it).

Our skin, bones, and connective tissue are always turning over: repairing and growing new cells. 

Collagen provides the building blocks for this.

Collagen is a complex long-chain protein made up of 19 different amino acids. (Predominantly glycine, proline, alanine, hydroxyproline, glutamic acid and arginine.)

It's this repair and renewal from daily stresses, exercise and entropy that utilise the collagen to build dense, strong bones, connective tissue, skin and hair.

Without collagen, bones become spongy and brittle.

Without collagen ligaments, and tendons become fragile and weak.

This weakness leads to fragility and instability.

In old age, this means falling over more easily and breaking bones.

Where does collagen from and go to?

During childhood, we store a lot of collagen.

In our mid 30's our collagen production slows down.

By our mid-40s collagen stores are depleted quickly.

By the age of 60, 50% of our collagen stores will have disappeared.

Unless we actively supplement our diet with more.

What foods contain collagen?

Better to ask, what foods contain the 19 amino acids in the most bioavailable low energy form.

The answer is the same as where we have it: in skin, bones, tendons and cartilage of animals.

The best way to consume it is to make bone broth.

I made a video if you're not sure how to.

There are other health benefits to consuming bone broth mentioned in the video so I won't repeat them here.