One of the most essential proteins in the body that is a major component of skin, hair, nails, muscles and joints is collagen. When the body’s natural collagen levels begin to deplete gradually after a certain age, collagen supplements come to the rescue. These dietary supplements have the potential to assist the process of repairing damaged tissues, particularly in the joints, musculature, and skin. This structural protein is vital for healthy joints as it acts as a building block for the cartilage, and it’s also instrumental for the skin being elastic, supple and radiant, and hair being healthy, luscious and voluminous.
When the body’s natural production of collagen slows down, things begin to change in the body, with fine lines and wrinkles forming on the skin, hair becoming lacklustre and brittle, and joint pain and bone loss increasing over time. This alone goes to show the importance of collagen in the body. Perhaps that’s why, having a collagen supplement regimen all through the year is a good idea. Having said that, including collagen peptides during summer is even more important. Want to know why? Well, let’s find out.
Why Are Collagen Supplements Very Important During Summer and How Does It Help?
The main problem with summer is the excessive amount of heat and sun exposure that we are subjected to, which can cause skin damage, hair fall, and poor gut health, among other things. Without protection or timely supplementation to replenish the declining reserves of collagen in the body, all these issues are only likely to exacerbate with time. Adequate hydration is critical to replenish the electrolytes and keep the body functions in place. However, water is not sufficient to maintain hydration levels in hair,skin and nails causing a need for collagen to bridge the gap and protect from further damage. We all know of the many benefits of collagen already. That’s why collagen supplements need to be taken regularly especially during summer.
Here’s how the body is benefited if we take collagen supplements regularly during summer:
- Skin Health: Skin health is the first thing to get affected due to lack of sufficient collagen and inadequate levels of replenishment when the protein is on the decline in the body. Despite applying sunscreen lotions, prolonged exposure to the sun’s rays can result in more wrinkles and a heightened skin discoloration. Without protection, these issues can lead to serious damage, leading to early skin ageing and overall poor skin health and complexion. That's why collagen for skin is very important, apart from the other vital vitamins for skin like vitamin C, D, and E that need to be consumed from time to time.
- Hair Health: Given that there is no SPF for hair, they are prone to severe damage in summer if not properly taken care of. Hair is exposed to a lot of heat and pollution in summer, which can result in scalp damage, excess sebum production, leading to acute dandruff and hairfall. When taken consistently, collagen can help our hair grow faster, stronger, and longer. It protects the hair from the effects of prolonged sun exposure such as dry, dull and brittle hair. It keeps the hair well-nourished and helps it retain moisture, preventing issues like dry scalp and eventually hair fall.
- Gut Health: With the scorching heat in full swing during summer, the digestive system is susceptible to become weaker and slower. These alterations in the weather not only result in heat exhaustion and stroke but also causes variations in the functioning of your stomach and intestine. Your stomach also tends to bloat during summer. Dehydration can further add to the woes by causing constipation and even nausea. Daily collagen supplementation can help keep the body properly hydrated. It contains large amounts of the amino acids glycine, proline, and glutamine which can be beneficial to the intestinal tract as well as the stomach.
- Joint Health: The soaring temperatures also take a toll on one’s joints. Studies show that humidity and temperature levels alter the thickness and level of fluid in one’s joints. This causes the synovial fluid (thick liquid located between the joints) in the joints to get inflamed. This inflammation then causes the joints to become stiff. Having collagen drinks daily prevents the alteration of the synovial fluid in the joints and also helps maintain the integrity of your cartilage, which is the rubber-like tissue that protects your joints.This further is likely to reduce the risk of degenerative joint diseases like osteoarthritis.
All the aforementioned points are reasons enough to drink collagen supplements daily. Select the best collagen powder in the market- 100% USDA organic, Japanese marine collagen peptides that come in delicious tropical flavours with zero side effects. They will make for great summer drinks. Now, let’s look at some of the interesting ways of including these flavoured collagen supplements to our everyday life, especially during summer.
So How Do We Add Flavoured Collagen Drinks to Our Daily Routine?
Here are some of the interesting ways of introducing flavoured collagen supplements to our daily life.
- Everyone associates mango with summer. Opt for flavoured collagen supplements that are available in mango and other tropical flavours. So they make for great summer drinks and are a healthier alternative to the high sugary drinks available in the market that tend to cause inflammation in the gut, impairing your overall health and wellbeing. You can add chia seeds, actual fruit pieces (corresponding to the flavour of the collagen supplement), ice, and mint leaves to make it even more nutritious and flavourful.
- You can also make popsicles using flavoured collagen supplements and water. All you need to do is put the flavoured collagen drink in popsicle containers and deep freeze it. And you’ll be good to go!
- You can add flavoured collagen supplement to your yogurt smoothie bowl. Add nuts and seeds and your favourite fruits and make a delicious yet nutritious smoothie bowl for breakfast or mid-day snack.
- You can also just simply add the flavoured collagen supplements to chilled water and have it as it is.
Hope these ideas help you this summer to make collagen a part of your daily life in a fun and interesting manner!