5 Collagen-Rich Foods For Body's Natural Production

Collagen is a component naturally found in our bodies, and it has high potent anti-aging properties. This has multiplied the number of collagen supplements on the market. But, we don’t need to supplement. Instead, we can eat foods rich in collagen.

Our bodies decline in collagen production when we hit 25 years old and it starts to produce less and less every year. That’s why when we age, we develop the tendency toward wrinkles and thinning skin.

According to a registered dietitian, Carrie Gabriel reported to Healthline that “foods like bone broth contain a bioavailable form of collagen your body can use right away, making it arguably superior to supplements.” That said, we’ve rounded up five collagen-rich foods to boost your collagen production.

Bone Broth

Collagen is a protein that is found mostly in hair, skin, nails, bones, and ligaments, both in humans and animals. That’s what makes bone broth rich in collagen, besides other nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, and many others.

To guarantee the quality of your broth, try making your own bone broth with bones obtained from a reliable local butcher.

Fish

Like other animals, fish and shellfish are rich in collagen. However, fish contain less collagen than other “meats” like chicken and red meat. The fish parts that have the most collagen we don’t normally eat — like the head, scales, and eyeballs.

Citric Fruits

For the plant-eaters, good news. You can still get your collagen boost with fruits too. Vitamin C is the body’s precursor to collagen, so citric fruits like orange, lemons, limes, mandarins, and grapefruit are packed with other nutrients besides vitamin C.

Leafy Greens

Leafy greens are loaded with many nutrients and are a key element to a healthy diet. Besides that, salad greens such as kale, spinach, bok choy, cabbage, arugula are rich in chlorophyll, which increases collagen levels in our bodies.

Tomatoes

Another great source of vitamin C, tomatoes can provide up to almost 30% of this vitamin for collagen. Moreover, tomatoes also contain lycopene, one of the most powerful antioxidants among others. Lycopene is known also to be beneficial for the skin.