New York, NY, Sept. 19, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — It’s no secret that in today’s world almost everyone wants to look younger, which is why the global beauty industry is booming. It’s also widely known that collagen has some incredible anti-aging benefits. Many leading beauty brands sell creams that claim to increase collagen levels through topical application. But what most people don’t know is that topical creams can only produce very limited results, because collagen molecules are too large to be absorbed through the skin.
Renowned Beauty Nutrition Expert, Sandra Fuentes, recommends taking a much more holistic approach to anti-aging. She first explains what collagen is and how it works in the body.
“Collagen is a fibrous protein found in the bone, teeth, skin, tendons, cartilage, blood vessels, hair, and nails. It plays a key role in the structure and holding the body together. Interestingly, there are some types of collagen fibrils, gram-for-gram, that are stronger than steel! Think of collagen protein as a glue that sticks our body together,” says Fuentes
Sandra Fuentes then encourages us to look to the foods we eat for the best, easiest (and cheapest) ways to promote natural collagen production in the body.
“Foods that contain vitamin C, iron, silicon, proline, lysine, and threonine are the most important in the collagen production process,” explains Fuentes. She breaks down where to find the collagen-producing nutrients below:
Vitamin C – Can be found in citrus fruits, peppers, cherries, chives, parsley, rose hips, currants, guava, kale, tomatoes, leeks, and so many more.
Proline – The amino acid, is found in gelatin, cheeses, beef, soy protein, cabbage, yogurt, asparagus, bamboo shoots, seaweed, mushrooms, and sunflower seeds.
Lysine – Can be found in animal proteins and dairy. Lysine is also found in plant-based sources like avocados, apricots, mangoes, tomatoes, potatoes, pears, peppers, leeks, beets, legumes, soy, pumpkin seeds, cashews, pistachios, and grains like quinoa, amaranth, and buckwheat.
Silicon – Silicon rich nutrients are abundantly found in plant-based foods like oats, whole wheat, nuts, root vegetables, seafood, and organ meats.
Iron – Iron rich foods include animal proteins and organ meats like liver, kidneys, red meat, and shellfish. There are plant-based sources of iron which include spinach, legumes, quinoa, pumpkin seeds, molasses, broccoli, tahini, and tofu.
Threonine – Foods rich in threonine include lentils, peanuts, eggs, animal proteins, chickpeas, beans, and asparagus.
Sandra Fuentes concludes “As a society, it’s easy to wish there were magic creams or pills we could consume that would guarantee results quickly. But we know that anti-aging is more about engaging in long-term sustainable healthy eating habits and living well.”
