How can collagen prolong life? - Ulyana Luneva

Collagen is a fibrillar protein that serves as a structural basis for various connective tissues in the body: tendons, bones, cartilages, skin, blood vessels, etc. With advancing age, this component is no more synthesized, which provokes many problems. For example, bone, which is essentially a composite material, loses elasticity and becomes fragile without sufficient collagen. Skin loses its elasticity, and the cartilage tissue becomes thinner.

Not only can you make up for collagen deficiency, you have to. Natural collagen can be consumed, for example from bone broth. After heat treatment, it turns into gelatin, which is perfectly absorbed by the body. The next step of easy digestibility is hydrolyzed collagen, a bioactive supplement often used in sports nutrition.

A fact from the famous program with travel journalist Dmitry Komarov

In one of Japanese season episodes, Dmitry visited a long-liver island Okinawa. He was amazed by the fact that elderly people, average age 90+, lead an active life on the island and have fun: they play speed games and golf, dance and play music. Dmitry noted the funny fact that you cannot wish such old people the habitual “Live to be 100 years old!”, because centennials are a common thing for the inhabitants of the island. One have to rephrase it to "Live to be 150!"

One of the secrets to the longevity of the Okinawans lies in their diet. First, they only eat natural food; second, there is a lot of boiled meat in their diet - mainly pork on the bone, steamed in broth for 7-8 hours. During such heat treatment, cholesterol is evaporated and collagen remains. In fact, this reminds Russian special jellied meat, only in liquid form. When the Okinawans make soup from such a broth, they boil the rest of the ingredients separately and combine everything on the plate.

Another fact about "collagen long-livers", but this time, from antiquity: the ancient historian Herodotus (484-425 BC), in one of his ethnographic encyclopedias, told about the "long-living" Ethiopians who lived up to 120 years and even longer. Ichiophages from Elephantine came to the Ethiopian king with a request to reveal the secret of such longevity. The king replied that the traditional food of his people is boiled meat on the bone and milk.

Scientific studies have not revealed any negative effects of collagen on the body. Positive dynamics was noted not only in prevention, but also in treatment. Collagen supplements treat osteoarthritis and other joint and muscle conditions. Unfortunately, however, this protein is useless in cosmetic formulas such as creams or facial masks as the skin does not absorb its molecules.

And yet it turns out that collagen is an excellent framework for good body health, which cannot be broken even in a 100-year-old person. But do not expect a sharp surge of vitality, its effect is rather cumulative.

Nutrition specialist Ulyana Luneva.