There are lots of reasons you need to take care of your body all year round, but it can be even more crucial in autumn. Why is that, you ask? It’s the time of year when your body experiences a lot of changes.
Colds and sniffles make it essential to boost your immune system in autumn. Chilly, damp weather can make your joint pain flare up, and moisture-stripping winds may cause dry skin. That’s not to mention the reduced daylight hours, which can impact your mood, making you tired and lethargic. That said, do you really need to take collagen in autumn?
What is collagen, and why is it important?
Collagen is a key component in bones, skin, muscles, and other body parts. It’s the most abundant protein in your body, made from several things, including vitamin C and amino acids. Its role is to give cells strength, elasticity, and flexibility. This helps with bouncy skin, strong hair, robust joints, muscle building, and wound repair.
Your collagen levels are high when you’re young but begin to decrease around your mid-twenties. This can cause fine lines, wrinkles, muscle weakness, fatigue, brittle hair, and a weakened immune system.
Reasons you should take collagen in autumn
You need collagen whatever the time of year, but is it really essential over autumn? Read on to find out exactly what collagen does and why you need it throughout the season of crunchy leaves, pumpkin pies, and cable-knit jumpers.
Collagen can defend against autumn hair loss
Autumn is a tough time for hair. Your luscious locks are constantly in contact with friction-causing materials like sweaters and scarves, which can cause your strands to split and break. The dark nights and approaching holiday season often induce stress, which can cause hair thinning and hair loss. But collagen can help.
Collagen contributes to the production of keratin, a protein that makes up your individual hair strands. When you have enough, your hair grows healthy and strong. Collagen also increases blood circulation, helping nutrients to reach your hair follicles. This can be tricky during autumn when people venture outside less and fall into a sedentary lifestyle, but a collagen supplement can help.
Read more: How to protect your hair using collagen in autumn.
Collagen can improve your immune system
Your immune system is particularly vulnerable over autumn when there are lots of viruses going around. Even a simple cold can leave you feeling drained, headachy, and struggling to concentrate.
Collagen contains arginine and glutamine, amino acids that work to keep your immune system strong. Collagen also helps to make antibodies, which attack and break down invading pathogens to restore you back to health.
Collagen may help minimise seasonal joint pain
Cold, damp weather can trigger your autoimmune response, causing cells to swell. This can be a problem when you have weak joints or a joint injury, making them feel more achy and uncomfortable than they do over the summer.
Collagen is an anti-inflammatory and calms aggravated cells (including those in your knees, elbows, and fingers) to relieve pain. It also contributes to muscle building, tendon strength, ligament elasticity and lubrication around the joints. All these things help protect tender joints so they can move easily and retain strength during autumn.
Collagen reduces dry skin in autumn
Collagen helps maintain your skin barrier, essential for preventing moisture loss. Cold air during autumn can easily inflame your derma barrier, causing the cells to swell and compromising your skin. Moisture starts escaping, leaving you with itchy, dry skin.
Collagen helps reduce inflammation and provides cells with strength and elasticity to keep the skin barrier intact. This combats dryness and helps you retain that autumn glow as the weather changes.
How to get more collagen in autumn
Now you know why you need collagen over autumn, how do you get enough throughout the season?
Take a collagen supplement in autumn
The fastest way to get more collagen is to take an Arella Beauty Collagen Liquid Supplement. It’s a fast-absorbing formula enriched with amino acids that help your body build collagen quickly and effectively. It also has extra collagen-making ingredients (read on to find out more).
Consume collagen-making ingredients
Making sure you get enough collagen is essential, but to super boost your autumn collagen, take additional collagen-making ingredients. We’ve included the below collagen-enhancing ingredients in our liquid collagen supplement to give you everything you need.
Panax ginseng
Panax ginseng is an adaptogenic plant that grows in Asia and is one of the star ingredients in our collagen supplement. But why?
A 2012 study showed that ginseng increased type 1 collagen production in human dermal fibroblasts. Type 1 collagen is responsible for supple skin and healthy hair. Therefore, ginseng holds the potential to reduce wrinkles by improving the skin's elasticity and contributes to strong hair growth.
A later 2015 study looked into the anti-inflammatory and wound-healing aspects of ginseng and found that 10 ng/ml of ginseng extract significantly improved collagen synthesis. Ginseng is also a potent antioxidant that protects your skin from UV damage, further nurturing your skin and taking care of your body.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is responsible for healing connective tissues and plays a role in the essential enzymes, lysyl and prolyl hydroxylase, which contribute to collagen synthesis.
A 2018 preclinical study found that vitamin C supplementation speeds up wound healing, increases type 1 collagen production and reduces oxidative stress. An earlier 1998 study concluded that vitamin C enhanced collagen in the fibroblasts and could be an effective anti-ageing treatment. That’s why you’ll find vitamin C in our collagen supplement.
Hyaluronic acid
Hyaluronic acid is a humectant, meaning it attracts water from its surrounding environment. This is effective for adding moisture to the skin, providing lubrication to the joints, and keeping hair soft and shiny. Hyaluronic acid also helps stimulate the fibroblasts (collagen-making cells) to make more collagen.
You commonly find hyaluronic acid in skincare products, which are applied topically. However, a 2014 study found that ingesting hyaluronic acid effectively treated dry skin and added moisture. Of course, eating your skincare isn’t the best idea, so we’ve included hyaluronic acid in our collagen supplement.
Read more: 7 Unique Benefits of Hyaluronic Acid to Reduce Wrinkles.
Eat collagen-rich foods
You can get collagen naturally from foods, both animal and plant-based. Specific foods contain vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that your gut absorbs to build collagen cells. Opt for the best autumn foods to promote collagen for maximum benefits.
Love your body throughout autumn with Arella Beauty
Keep your body and mind in the best shape possible during autumn with our powerful Liquid Collagen Supplement. Powered by VeCollal® and bursting with other collagen-enhancing ingredients, you can rest knowing you're producing enough collagen over autumn. Try our award-winning collagen supplement today.
Read next:
- The best autumn foods to promote collagen
- The Ultimate Autumn Superfoods List
- How To Boost Your Immune System In Autumn
—
Written by Emma Carey for Arella Beauty.
Emma is a holistic beauty and wellness writer. She has three years of experience in the well-being industry and a Master’s degree in Creative Writing and Wellness. Check out her portfolio and follow her on Instagram.
