Collagen is a great thing for our health. Supplementing with collagen can make our skin smoother and radiate a new glow from the inside out. Many people say that eating pig's trotters can supplement collagen. Is that really true?
Braised Pig's Trotters
What is collagen?
Collagen is a very important protein in our bodies, mainly found in connective tissue. Collagen has strong tensile strength and is a major component of ligaments and tendons.
In addition, collagen is the main component of the extracellular matrix. It keeps our skin elastic. The aging of collagen will cause our skin to slowly develop wrinkles, making people look much older. Collagen is also the main component of our eye cornea, but it is in the form of crystals.
Can eating pig's trotters really supplement collagen?
75% of our skin's dermis is collagen, and collagen decreases as we age. The loss of collagen brings problems such as dry skin, fine lines, and sagging, and signs of aging begin to appear.
Therefore, collagen is very important for women who fear aging. Many people say that eating pig's trotters can supplement collagen, so they eat a lot of them. Is this really effective?
In fact, the collagen content in pig's trotters is not as much as one might imagine. It only exists in the skin layer of the trotters. Underneath the skin is a large amount of fat. Whether that small amount of collagen can be absorbed and utilized by our body is still unknown. However, a large amount of fat will make us gain weight first. Although fat is good for the skin, consuming too much fat will cause great harm to our body. Not only will our figure become out of shape, but our body will also become more bloated. Obesity can also lead to various diseases.
Therefore, eating a large amount of pig's trotters to supplement collagen is a得不偿失 (not worth the effort) behavior.
Our bodies can actually supplement collagen themselves
Collagen is an incomplete protein among proteins. Its synthesis requires a large amount of amino acids. Collagen is present in our skin and bones, and its production requires the help of vitamin C.
When vitamin C is deficient, the synthesis of collagen in our body is impaired. But as long as vitamin C helps, and protein and other nutrients are sufficient, and blood circulation is good, hormonal balance will become normal, and the human body can supply enough collagen by itself.
Collagen is a good thing, but we must not supplement it blindly, so as to ensure our body's health.
A cabbage bun