Collagen is one of the most abundant proteins in the human body, and it’s so important to have it as a natural part of our diet in order to help with our muscles, digestion, metabolism, skin, hair, and many other parts and processes.

Here are four reasons to add more of it to your diet:

1. Humans don’t make enough glycine (the primary amino acid in collagen) to cover our needs.

The human body requires at least 10 grams per day of glycine for basic metabolic processes, yet our body only produces about 3 grams of per day. We’re talking a huge deficit here!

When we consume extra collagen, we’re helping promote and increase our natural body functions in order to perform better and be healthier.

2. Collagen is good for our joints, skin, and hair.

Collagen concentrates where joints and connective tissues meet. Any glycine that we’re producing goes to maintaining those areas, not repairing injuries or helping with muscle recovery.

Supplementing collagen/glycine can help with remodeling and rebuilding broken or damaged tissues, muscles, etc. as well as helping to bounce back your skin and keep it from drooping, or helping to combat against cellulite or stretch marks.

3. Consuming collagen helps us make the most of our animal products.

Instead of only consuming the muscle meat, we can be more sustainable in our use and consume other animal products, reducing waste while providing more health benefits.

4. Collagen helps to improve our metabolism.

As we eat more meat, we use more glycine. Glycine helps to change glucose to energy to feed muscle cells. When we consume more collagen, we help in this process, thus boosting our metabolism!

Featured Image Credit: <a Travis Yewell