What are collagen supplements?

Collagen supplements can be described as dietary supplements, which are generally available in a capsule form. These supplements are generally recommended for people who are suffering from the symptoms of arthritis as well as bone pain. Collagen supplements are also known to promote healing and to improve the tone of the skin. All mammals, including human beings have a natural protein in the body, known as collagen, which make the bulk of their connective tissues, like the skin, teeth, cartilage, bone, tendons and organs.

It is the presence of collagen in the body that supports the softer tissues and helps in healing. Most younger and healthy people have adequate amounts of this protein and do not need to take any collagen supplements. However, in case of people who are older, or who need to take medication for bone pain, collagen supplements may be recommended. Since these supplements also improve the quality of the skin, many women take them for a youthful appearance.

Benefits of collagen supplements

Apart from managing bone pain, there are several other benefits of collagen supplements, which is why there are many people who take time. Given below are some of the best collagen supplement benefits:

• It helps reduce joint pain caused by arthritis, thereby increasing mobility
• It improves the appearance of hair, nails and the skin
• It can be used to plump up the lips, correct skin indentation and remove wrinkles
• It is believed to help in weight loss, as protein is good for building muscle mass

Hence, many health, skin and hair care experts advise people to use either capsule or liquid collagen supplements on a regular basis.

Collagen supplements side effects

There are a few possible side effects of collagen supplements that people should carefully consider before deciding to add this supplement to their diet. First of all, most collagen supplements are made from either chicken or cow products and therefore, may pose a danger to people suffering from food sensitivities. People suffering from autoimmune disorders should be very careful while taking these supplements, as they could see a flare up. Some of the side effects associated with collagen injections include scarring, abscesses, infections and skin necrosis.

Collagen supplements; do they work?

There is a lot of controversy surrounding collagen supplements and if they work or not. While some may claim that collagen supplements helped them considerably, others may say that they saw no difference to their health, skin or hair with these supplements. Therefore, before taking even the best collagen supplement, it is important for people to speak to their doctors.

Submitted on January 16, 2014