Most of us tend to be overly conscious about skincare and haircare. Be it buying the latest hair or skin products or trying out remedies after watching videos on social media, we are always on the lookout for better solutions. After all, who doesn’t want their skin to have a natural glow and their hair to look like it has just been blown out? While serums and oils can certainly help, you won’t get the desired results if your body lacks collagen. Collagen is a protein that provides structure and strength to the skin, hair, connective tissues and organs. If your diet lacks collagen, you may not be able to get the skin and hair of your dreams. But how does one know if they need a collagen boost? Recently, nutritionist Simran Chopra shared three such signs on her Instagram handle. Take a look.
Also read: Boost your skin’s collagen naturally! Try this 2-ingredient drink
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According to nutritionists, here are 5 signs that you need more collagen for hair and skin:
1. Wrinkles and loose skin
Wrinkles and loose skin are a natural part of aging. However, if you start noticing them as early as your 30s or 40s, it could be a sign of a lack of collagen. Wrinkles and loose skin occur when our skin loses elasticity, which happens when our bodies lack collagen.
2. Pits around the eyes
A diet lacking in collagen-rich foods can also cause dimples to appear around your eyes. As we all know, collagen gives our skin its strength and elasticity. So, if you don’t have enough collagen, the skin around your eyes becomes thinner and more transparent.
3. Muscle and joint pain
Have you been experiencing muscle and joint pain lately? This could be a sign of a lack of collagen. Low collagen levels can lead to damage to bones or cartilage and conditions like osteoarthritis.
4. Delay in wound healing
Delayed wound healing is another sign of a lack of collagen in your body. Collagen plays a vital role in wound healing as it encourages the formation of new collagen in the wound bed. So, if you are wondering why your wound is not healing, this could be the reason.
5. Digestive problems
A diet lacking in collagen can also affect your digestive health. This is because collagen helps in many aspects of digestion such as regulating stomach acid, repairing intestinal walls, and reducing gut inflammation.
Also read: If You’re in Your 20s, Start Drinking This Anti-Aging Collagen Booster
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Which foods promote collagen production?
Now that you know the warning signs of collagen deficiency, you might be wondering how you can boost collagen production. Fortunately, there are many foods that can help you achieve this. Amla (Indian gooseberry), fish, chicken, and milk are great options to include in your diet. Apart from this, you should also eat lots of vegetables like broccoli, spinach, capsicum, potatoes, and carrots. All of these are powerhouses of essential nutrients and aid in the production of collagen in some way or the other. Click here for a list of collagen-rich foods.
Collagen is essential for the nourishment of our skin and hair. To keep both healthy, include it in your diet.
