Have you ever heard of collagen? What is it? Why does our body need it? This beyond wellness podcast is one of my favorites when it comes to this supplement. Not many people are educated on the many benefits collagen can provide to our overall health and wellness. Dr. Justin Marchegiani discusses the importance of this supplement, where it comes from, what it affects, and how it is related to gut/joint health with Evan Brand.

Two most frequently asked questions are what is collagen and what is it good for? Collagen is the main structural protein in your body with its major building blocks of bones, skin, muscles, tendons and ligaments. During this podcast, Evan Brand says that he asks women all the time what type of supplements that they are taking and collagen is mostly always apart of the list, but they have no idea what it is doing to help them. Women are always looking for the next best thing for their skin. We want to have healthy looking skin, so we are willing to pay money on products that is essentially just chemicals. Dr. Justin Marchegiani and Evan Brand discuss that the best ways to looking younger and having healthier skin is by reducing oxidative stresses that affect your skin (smoking, excess of sun, not enough sleep, nutritional issues, etc.) and supplement these stressors with collagen amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and play a vital role in our bodies. There are at least 16 types of collagen found throughout your body providing structure and support. Hydrolyzed collagen contains 19 amino acids and type II collagen is great for active and aging joints.

There are more ways than one when making sure you are intaking this supplement. There is a variety of different products like mixing powder into you drink, pill form, eating certain foods, etc. Dr. Justin Marchegiani and Evan Brad talk about one of the best ways to get more exposed to amino acids into your diet is by eating more bone-broth soups. This is one of the most highly nutritious ways to consume collagen into your body. Bones in themselves are rich in vitamins and nutrients, but not many people get enough of these nutrients in their daily diet. Drinking bone broth will help build and strengthen your bones. Bone broth collagen contains an essential amino acid to help rebuild connective tissue as well as skin.   

Did you know that anxiety and depression are highly linked to amino acid deficiency? Collagen can help nourish these amino acids. If you are experiencing low energy levels, mood swings, and an irregular appetite then collagen has been shown to boost brain health in many individuals because of the inhibitory neurotransmitter glycine.  

Overall, Collagen provides the mechanism for skin, cosmetics aspect, provides support on gut/joint health, and detox for the body. Listen to this Beyond Wellness Podcast with Dr. Justin Marchegiani and Evan Brand for more in depth detail of how to use collagen to improve your health!