Collagen supplements have become especially popular over the last several years. Many people are wondering, is collagen good for men? The short answer is yes. After all, collagen is the primary building block for the body’s connective tissue and the most abundant protein in the human body.

One of the reasons collagen supplements for men have become so popular, is because the body has a difficult time creating enough collagen naturally later in life. Moreover, foods that contain collagen; bone broth, sardines and gelatin, can be challenging to incorporate into a regular diet. As the collagen in your body decreases, you can run into problems such as fragile bones, weak muscles, slow recovery, and achy joints.

In this article, we’re going to explore some of the potential benefits of collagen for men. Let’s take a look.

7 Benefits of Collagen For Men

Hair Growth

There are few things men dread more than going bald. As it turns out, collagen may help promote a healthy head of hair in several different ways. The first of which, is by providing the building blocks for hair growth.

Hair is made up mostly of keratin. Your body breaks down collagen and other proteins into amino acids, which are then able to be used for building new proteins, and other compounds. Collagen is made up hydroxyproline, glycine, and proline. Proline is the primary component of keratin (which your hair is made up of). This means that collagen may help fuel your body with the right compounds it needs to grow thick hair.

Another way that collagen may help you keep a full head of hair, is by fighting off damage caused by free radicles. Free radicles develop in the body in a number of ways, including being stressed, having a poor diet, coming in contact with pollutants and toxins, and more. Having excessive amounts of free radicles can cause all sorts of problems, including DNA, cell, and protein damage.

Free radicles also cause damage to hair follicles. And since your body’s resistance to free radicles decreases with age, you are more susceptible to hair follicle damage, as time goes on. However, collagen is known to be a powerful antioxidant. Antioxidants help fight off the damage that free radicles cause, and in turn, this may help reduce damage to hair follicles.

Due to collagen’s antioxidant properties, it may also help slow down the graying process by fighting off cell damage.

70% of your dermis—the center layer of your skin—is made up of collagen. This center layer of skin is what contains the roots of your hair. Collagen contributes to the strength and elasticity of your dermis. Since the body makes less collagen over time, this may be one contributing factor to hair thinning. So supplying your body with more collagen may benefit your hair all the way down to their roots.

Workout Recovery

Collagen may help speed up workout recovery. As your workout your muscles, or run long distances, your body is put under a lot of strain, which causes inflammation. Collagen helps to promote a healthy inflammatory response, by repairing damaged connective tissue quickly.

Ligaments and tendons are primarily made up of collagen. As you work out, the stress you put on your body can damage your tendons and ligaments. In your younger years, your body may be able to supply enough collagen naturally to repair the damage efficiently. However, after about 25 years of age, the body begins using more collagen than it can create. Therefore you may need to use collagen supplements to efficiently repair your body’s tendons and ligaments.

Joint Health

Many men, especially adrenaline junkies, cause damage to their joints (especially their knees) in their younger years. This damage often surfaces later in life, and can be very painful. Collagen is the critical component that helps rebuild damaged joints. It feeds the tissue that offers joints with cushioning and smooth functioning.

This means that collagen can help you improve your joint health, and can even prevent joint deterioration and pain. Since the body produces less and less collagen as you get older, supplementing collagen may be the best way to boost your joint health.

In one study, athletes that took 10 grams of collagen each day for six months experienced significantly less joint pain than those who didn’t. This suggests that collagen may help with long term issues, such as chronic joint pain.

Bone Support

As your body’s ability to create collagen reduces with age, your bones won’t get the collagen they need to stay healthy and strong. After all, collagen is the primary structural protein for your bones. Taking collagen supplements can help support healthy bones and prevent the development of weak, and brittle bones, over time. Some studies show that collagen supplements can reduce bone breakdown, and loss of bone density, which leads to osteoporosis.

Weight Loss

Many men struggle to keep their weight under control, and collagen may help men to better control their weight. Collagen, like other proteins, can help promote the feeling of fullness, and satisfaction, after a meal. In short, the faster and longer that you feel full, the less you will feel the need to eat.

Using this to your advantage, you can consume collagen with your meal, and fight off cravings. Collagen shakes, or smoothies, can also be an excellent alternative to other processed snack foods.

Gut Health

Collagen may benefit the gut by healing damaged cell walls, breaking down proteins, and soothing the lining of the gut. These benefits can help prevent problems such as leaky gut syndrome, and boost overall gut health.

According to one study, decreased amounts of collagen were found in those with IBD, and leaky gut syndrome. Supplementing collagen may help increase the overall concentration of collagen, and improve the health of the gut.

Heart Health

Some researchers believe that collagen supplementation may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular conditions. Collagen supplies the arteries with their structure. Without enough collagen, these arteries can become fragile. This may cause a narrowing of the arteries (also known as atherosclerosis), which can lead to a heart attack or stroke. Additionally, collagen may help promote healthy cholesterol levels, which supports a healthy heart.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Products discussed are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.