Enhanced Collagen Relax

Do I need to take collagen? Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body. It’s made naturally in the body. It’s also the protein that gets produced less as we age.In fact by the time we reach the age of 25, the amount of collagen our body produces starts to decline. Yikes!As a result, many are turning to supplementation. Do you need it? What is it good for? What Is Collagen? Collagen is naturally found in the body and is a protein with many functions. It’s the main component in your connective tissues, muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints and skin.Collagen can be thought of as the “glue” that helps hold the body together. It's responsible for keeping your skin firm and elastic, your joints strong and stable, and your digestive system healthy and working.It’s a hard-working protein that your body has a limited supply of.If you are thinking about taking collagen as a supplement, there are several benefits. 6 benefits to taking collagen 1. Supports Healthy Gut You may have heard that a healthy gut is the key to overall health. It’s true. Building a stronger intestinal lining, preventing its breakdown or weakening, and protecting it from unwanted bacteria is the goal. When the digestive tract is weakened, it can lead to pain and discomfort but also “leaky gut.” Leaky gut (where bacteria flow into the bloodstream from the gut) can cause fatigue, allergies, poor immunity, and more.Collagen can help. Loaded with the amino acid glutamine, it's been proven to be effective in preventing leaky gut and the subsequent chronic inflammation that can wreak havoc on the body.[1] 2. Improves Skin Quality Since collagen is the structure that helps with skin elasticity, it makes sense that as the body loses it, skin quality goes down. However, diet can help influence skin health. Diets high in sugar and processed carbohydrates cause our bodies to produce advanced glycated end products (AGEs), which reduce the density of collagen fibrils, leading to wrinkles and aging skin quality. Chronic sun exposure also further damages collagen fibers.To counteract that, consuming collagen peptides may help. Supplemental collagen has been shown to reduce the harmful UV-B induced skin damage to support superior skin quality.[2] Taking collagen supplements orally has been shown to increase skin elasticity, hydration and density of the skin.[3][4] Collagen supplementation is generally safe with no reported adverse events. [3] 3. Fights Joint Pain The building blocks of healthy joints come from your diet. These include key amino acids like proline, lysine, and glutamine, which support the natural production of collagen in the body. Recent studies show improvement in pain and physical function after supplementation with hydrolyzed collagen peptides.[5] Consuming enough quality protein and digestible collagen can really support the joints long-term. Chronic pain and arthritis are two of the most common reasons for patient visits to the doctor. The solutions often prescribed from those visits are ointments and drugs that help ease the pain, but do not address the root of the problem. The building blocks of healthy joints come from your diet. These include key amino acids like proline, lysine, and glutamine, which support the natural production of collagen in the body. Recent studies show improvement in pain and physical function after supplementation with hydrolyzed collagen (see Figure 1.0)[3]. Ensuring you eat enough quality protein or easily digestible supplemental collagen is fundamental to healthy joints in the long run. 4. Supports Weight Loss Collagen supports weight loss in a unique way. It’s not thermogenic or stimulant, like most weight loss supplements, but rather it impacts your satiety levels by naturally inhibiting the main hormone in the gut that triggers hunger [6]. What that means is that consuming collagen peptides can keep you from craving mid-afternoon sugar-laden snacks and unnecessary snacking. Adding collagen to your mid-morning coffee or mid-afternoon tea can be a great strategy to curb cravings and make it through to your next meal. 5. Improves Athletic Recovery If you’re active, training intensely, or always on-the-go, then your joints are likely suffering from some wear and tear. You will want to do some form of muscle recovery after high performance. It’s been found that taking collagen 1-hour before exercise or rehab activity increases the uptake of collagen into your joints, which accelerates recovery. [7] Unlike muscles, which can soak up nutrients for hours after activity, your joints suck up the surrounding water and nutrients within the hour after exercise, making the timing of your collagen intake crucial for supporting joints. Tip: Add a little vitamin C from lemon juice or a fruit snack to further increase absorption. 6. Supports Deep Sleep It seems more than ever; people are craving a restful sleep. Interestingly, studies have shown how collagen can help support the deep sleep your body longs for. Collagen contains the amino acid glycine. Glycine helps your body decompress and unwind, and is needed for quality sleep. Quality sleep helps to keep energy levels up, give your body strength to fight off viruses and infections, and thrive in your daily life. [8] I need to take collagen, how do I add it to my diet? The easiest and simplest way to consume collagen is through supplementation. In fact, that’s how many of the studies on collagen were done. For digestibility, hydrolyzed collagen peptides are a great solution.A high-quality collagen supplement, such as Organika’s Enhanced Collagen is ideal. Voted Canada’s #1 collagen powder, it’s made with bovine collagen and is beneficial for bones, joints, gut, hair, skin and nails.Check out the full Enhanced Collagen line up! There are many variations of collagen supplements, however, depending on what you prefer or your lifestyle, one may work better than another. You can get collagen in powder, capsule, and liquid form.You may enjoy adding collagen in powder form to your beverages or smoothies. You can even mix it into your yogurt or add it to baked goods.Maybe you prefer taking your collagen in liquid form, easily adding it to water or juice.Want to try collagen but you're vegetarian? We have a Vegetarian Collagen in easy to take capsules. The options are endless and the benefits are so worth diving into! Incorporate more collagen into your diet and feel the difference for yourself. References 1. Rao, R. Samak, G. Role of Glutamine in Protection of Intestinal Epithelial Tight Junctions/ J Eptihel Biol Pharmacol. 2012 Jan: 5(Suppl 1-M7):47-54. 2. Tanaka, M et al. Effects of Collagen Peptide Ingestion on UV-B-Induced Skin Damage. Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem, 73 (4), 930–932, 2009. 3. Choi FD, Sung CT, Juhasz ML, Mesinkovsk NA. Oral Collagen Supplementation: A Systematic Review of Dermatological Applications. J Drugs Dermatol. 2019 Jan 1;18(1):9-16. 4. de Miranda RB, Weimer P, Rossi RC. Effects of hydrolyzed collagen supplementation on skin aging: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Dermatol. 2021 Dec;60(12):1449-1461. 5. Bello A, Oesser S. Collagen hydrolysate for the treatment of osteoarthritis and other joint disorders: a review of the literature. CMRO. Vol 22, 2006 – Iss 11. 6. Halden G, et al. Evidence for a Role of the Gut Hormone PYY in the Regulation of Intestinal Fatty Acid-binding Protein Transcripts in Differentiated Subpopulations of Intestinal Epithelial Cell Hybrids. J Biol Chemistry. Vol. 272, 1997. No. 19, Issue of May 9, pp. 12591–12600. 7. Hagarty, P et al. The effect of growth factors on both collagen synthesis and tensile strength of engineered human ligaments. Biomaterials 2012. doi:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2012.05.045. 8. Yamadera, W et al. Glycine ingestion improves subjective sleep quality in human volunteers, correlating with polysomnographic changes. Sleep & Biological Rhythms. Vol 5, Iss 2, April 2007, pg 126–131. Check out Organika®'s collection of collagen products

There's amazing results you can look forward to after taking collagen for months. So, you have decided to take collagen supplements. You may have some questions about the benefits you can expect and when. While you cannot reverse the effects of aging, most reviews and experts indicated that you can expect to see some results over a four-to-six-week period of daily use. Take collagen every day First off, like many supplements, the results take some time. You are re-incorporating a protein into your body, which requires some time to build all the structural integrity back into skin tissues, bones, joints, and cartilage. Like many supplements, it is recommended to take collagen every day. Results and time for results may vary from person to person. Studies have shown that collagen has had a positive impact on skin integrity, hair strength, muscle composition, decreasing bone loss, and helping joint pain. You may notice improvements in skin As collagen is lost in your skin tissues, over time, you may notice that your skin is thinner, drier and less elastic. In numerous studies, it’s been shown that supplementing with collagen has improved aged skin. Collagen has been linked with better hydration and elasticity in the skin after supplementing for 90 days. To elevate skin health, it’s a great idea to take hyaluronic acid and vitamin C with collagen... if that is your goal, a collagen blend like Enhanced Collagen Pure Beauty may be best. You may see increased hair growth or thickness Your hair is made of a protein called keratin. And this protein is made from amino acids naturally found in collagen. As a result, taking collagen is associated with keratin production. In fact, taking collagen has been linked in studies to support hair regrowth, preventing hair loss and even thicker hair. You may increase your muscle mass with resistance training Collagen is not a complete protein; therefore, it doesn’t replace your actual protein intake. Because collagen is involved in tissue integrity, there have been studies that show that your muscle mass, in your body composition, can increase when collagen is taken alongside resistance or strength training. It’s also been linked with decreased fat mass and increased muscle strength. You may have stronger bones Bone density decreases with age. Because collagen impacts your bones' structure, it’s not surprising that taking collagen daily has been linked with increasing bone density. This has been especially seen in postmenopausal women, where it becomes critical to supplement with bone building minerals. Collagen peptides are said to play a role in helping the bone minerals become deposited. You may experience less joint pain Many studies have been linking collagen supplements and collagen peptides to reduced joint pain and helping those with osteoarthritis. A recent study has even shown that a daily dose of 5 to 15 g of collagen peptides per day decreased joint pain compared with those who did not consume collagen. To maximize the support of joint health, it’s a good idea to try a blend of collagen with joint supportive supplements like Enhanced Collagen Bone & Joint. What do experts say? We asked Registered Holistic Nutritionists their opinion on collagen supplementation and what to expect. Allow at least 8 weeks of supplementing with collagen daily before assessing whether collagen is working for you. Collagen turnover is a slow process. As such, no matter your goal for using collagen, it will take at least 8 weeks (about 2 months) to experience noticeable results Most studies use a minimum of 8 weeks (about 2 months) to assess collagen’s effects on skin health and joint pain relief, but other studies use longer periods, such as 12 months, for bone health. It's not an overnight thing, it's a lifestyle. Your body knows what it needs. Our bodies have a way of prioritizing. So, if we need protein for wound healing, that’s going to be the body's number one priority in terms of where it’s going to allocate amino acids and build the protein. For example, we might be taking collagen for our skin but once they are digested and absorbed, the body may allocate the amino acids to where they are needed most, this means it may take 4 weeks for one person to notice benefits in their skin and the other may be 4 months. So, start your journey, build your routine, and stick with it. Your goals are within reach. Take this short quiz to help you narrow down what products fit your health goals and lifestyle so you can build your own personalized healthy routine. TAKE QUIZ

I often refer to myself as a ‘needy sleeper’. As in, I don't think I’ve ever in my life just spontaneously fallen asleep while sitting on a chair, I don't sleep in planes, trains or automobiles, and I’ve don’t ever dozed off while watching a movie. I’d rather just turn off the tv, and go to bed. Why? Because I need to be *key word* horizontal, on a nice comfy bed, with the temperature not too warm but not too cold. Are you understanding the ‘needy sleeper’ thing now? This unfortunately doesn’t translate to being a ‘good’ sleeper. I usually wake up in the middle of the night a few times (hello cortisol levels), and each night, I enviously listen to my partner drift off to lalaland while I struggle to come to terms with the fact that I probably sent one too many exclamations marks in an email earlier that day. Ugh! Falling asleep is sometimes a challenge, and so is staying asleep. This is even more the case nowadays, during COVID, because of the lack of mental stimulation and connection throughout the day - our minds tend to run wild at night. Recently I’ve been on a mission to improve my sleep quality. Sleep is one of the main pillars of health and is monumentally important for us to feel and function optimally. I’ve incorporated a few well researched supplements, and other tips and tricks to help improve my sleep. Here are 10 simple things you can start doing to help improve you sleep: 💤 Melatonin: a neurohormone secreted by the pineal gland in the brain. It is very well researched for initiating and regulating sleep. The primary use of melatonin is to normalize abnormal sleep patterns by helping to decrease the time it takes to fall asleep. The benefits of melatonin are not dose-dependent; meaning, taking more will not help you fall asleep fast. 💤 GABA: a neurotransmitter that regulates many of the depressive and sedative actions in brain tissue and is critical for relaxation. GABA’s primary function as a supplement is to improve sleep. 💤 Magnesium Glycinate: this form of magnesium is binded to the amino acid glycine, which has been successfully researched to improve sleep quality. 💤 Blue light blockers: blue wavelength light from screens tricks your brain into thinking it’s daytime, which inhibits the production of melatonin. Some studies suggest that blue light blocking glasses may increase melatonin production in the evening, improving sleep. 💤 Dim the lights and opt for candles instead. Light suppresses our melatonin production. The more we can limit light, the better. 💤 Trade in the scrolling for page flipping. Start setting boundaries with your phone and laptop and try to keep both out of the bedroom as much as possible. Reach for a book instead. 💤 Pour yourself a cuppa herbal tea. Chamomile, lemon balm, valerian root or passion flower are all well researched herbs that help us relax. 💤 Wash your face earlier in the evening. I like to do it right after dinner. I feel much more ready for bed and it also ensures that I’m never too tired to wash my face! 💤 Get some new pillows! Invest in some better quality pillows and linens and get excited about getting into bed. 💤 Speaking of beds - they should only be used for sleeping (or sex). Your bed should be a sacred space, not a place to work or be on your phone. Setting these boundaries will help condition your brain to know that being in bed means that it is ready to fall asleep. Enhance Your Bedtime Routine Enhance your bedtime routine with Enhanced Collagen™ Sleep, formulated with GABA and melatonin to support deeper, more restful sleep with the added benefits of collagen! GABA: Gamma-Aminobutyric acid is a major neurotransmitter that regulates much of our brain function. It inhibits neural activity, reducing mental and physical stress, promoting relaxation and sleep quality and length, proving effective in treating insomnia and other sleep disorders. MELATONIN: Melatonin is a hormone made by the brain, helping to regulate circadian rhythm and promoting the onset of sleep. Melatonin supplementation helps those who struggle with sleep due to jet-lag or shift work, helping to reset the sleep-wake cycle and promote deeper, longer sleep. Shop New Enhanced Collagen Sleep