Collagen is an indispensable component to body organizations such as the skin, bones and blood vessels. In addition to its decrease caused by aging, there are various factors that affect collagen even from our daily lifestyle. Here we will introduce the beauty and health functions of collagen you want to know about.
Blood runs through the human body. Blood flowing through “blood vessels” as a passage is called “blood flow”. Though we cannot control “blood flow”, the smoothness of “blood flow” can change depending on our daily lifestyle.
As introduced, “blood vessels” are passages for the blood and the important thing about them is the existence of “arteries” and “veins”. Though both are thick blood vessels that directly connect to the heart, their roles are different. The arteries deliver essential vital elements such as oxygen and nutrients to the entire body. Afterwards, the veins collect blood containing carbon dioxide and waste products.
Starting with these two large blood vessels, blood may not flow well if blood vessels are deteriorated and it may cause development of various diseases. Collagen plays an important role in each blood vessel to maintain a sturdy and healthy structure. The collagen in tunica medial and externa of the blood vessels creates “strong and flexible blood vessels” that maintain elasticity and keeps good “blood flow”.
When all blood vessels are supple and durable and that the blood flows to every corner of the body, it will lead to the health of the entire body.
The “capillary blood vessel” is responsible for connecting arteries and veins that control blood flow. It is about 1/10 of the size of one strand of hair. Capillaries are all over the body occupying 99% of the blood vessels. They function to deliver oxygen and nutrients to the cells in the body including the skin and carry back carbon dioxide and wastes. Also, they are known to be deeply involved in skin formation where collagen also plays an important role.
As introduced in “Collagen for Body Composition and Beauty”, all blood vessels are made with collagen, a main component.
The weaker the capillary, the less likely it is to maintain dermal stem cells, which are the creators of collagen-producing fibroblasts.
In order to increase the production of healthy collagen, it is important to maintain good internal cycle by strengthening capillaries and lymph vessels to improve blood flow and eventually create an environment where dermal stem cells can more easily exist.
In addition to capillary and dermal stem cell, the function of “growth hormone” is also imperative to maintain beauty and health. This body substance, also called “rejuvenation hormone”, is released into the blood from the pituitary gland and passed through the blood vessels to the whole body. Its promotions of protein synthesis, improvement of vitality and immunity and lipid metabolism lead to suppression of various aging-related changes that appear on the body and skin.
These growth hormones will decrease with age, but its secretion can be promoted by changing lifestyle.
“Good sleep” and “stress relief” in particular are important. In addition to adequate sleeping time, sleep before 10 o'clock at night, or before 12am when the date changes, if possible. The one-hour after falling asleep is the most crucial. This time period is called the “golden time” when secretion of growth hormone is the most active. It will lead to the collapse of the balance of autonomic nervous system if overlapped with sleep deprivation.
Furthermore, stress relief is one of the essential factors for increasing growth hormone secretion and improving beauty and health functions. Energy metabolism declines when one faces daily stress from work and human relations. Then, it becomes difficult for cells to function and restore leading to overall body fatigue and aging symptoms. To prevent the state where each cell mumbles, “I am tired” and loses vitality, it is important to improve lifestyle by maintaining a regular life, eating balanced meals and have quality sleeps as described above.
For the purpose of becoming healthy and beautiful, let's start by enhancing the original strength of blood vessels and the body and actively adjusting our daily lifestyle.
Fatigue and aging are all reasons of decrease in energy metabolism. “Coenzyme Q10”, also known to create energy and enhance cosmetic effect, relieves fatigue by efficiently converting food nutrients into energy. In addition, while preparing for skin metabolism by activating cell division, it has effect of reducing “active oxygen”, which is also a factor of aging.
It is a component that decreases with age. Since it is difficult to ingest a sufficient amount from food, it is necessary to make it up through supplements.
Further, “growth hormones” have a crucial relationship with the metabolism and aging of important vital organs. There are several ways to promote their secretion and ingestion of “ornithine”, a kind of amino acid, is one of them. It can be found in foods such as small freshwater clams and shimeji; and like coenzyme Q10, it has also been incorporated in supplements in recent years.
Let us be aware of our intakes of “coenzyme Q10” and “ornithine”, ingredients that are compatible with collagen, and aim to create a healthy beautiful body composition and beautiful skin.
