If there is one thing that holds your body together—the muscles, skin, nails, tendons, internal organs, and bones—it’s the collagen. The word is derived from the Greek word “kolla”, meaning “glue”, which is exactly what it does—it holds everything together like glue. It’s not only a vital nutrient naturally produced by our bodies; it is also the most abundant protein in our bodies. But like many other natural nutrients, its production slows down significantly around the age of thirty.

You get more wrinkles, weaker bones and joints, hair loss, and everything that comes to with old age. Although the symptoms are absolutely normal relative to aging, they can lead to negative health effects that can be prevented or reduced. In which case, foods that have high collagen content, like bone broth, and collagen supplements are hugely beneficial.

Here are some significant benefits of collagen supplement.

1. Reduces wrinkles.

Improvements to the skin are perhaps the most noticeable benefits that come with adding more collagen to your diet. As a person ages, their skin loosens and loses its elasticity, thus allowing the skin to crease. The upside is, saggy skin isn’t entirely irreversible. Taking this supplement will improve your body’s own collagen production—goodbye wrinkly skin!

2. Rejuvenates hair growth.

Collagen plays a crucial role in fighting harmful free radicals produced by your own body, which can end up damaging hair follicles. Adding more of this particular protein to your diet can repair your hair, improve growth, and regenerate hair follicles. It also affectively helps reduce the appearance of grey hair by supporting the structure of hair follicles, where hair pigment is produced. Who doesn’t want voluminous, grey-less hair?

3. Strengthens bones.

Collagen is crucial in maintaining bone strength, as it represents 90% of organic bone mass. Studies have shown that daily intake of 10g of this protein can increase bone mass density. Several cells such as osteoblasts and osteoclasts—responsible for bone formation and absorption responsible—are stimulated by high collagen content, prompting bone growth as a result.

4. Protects joints and tendons.

Joints, tendons, and ligaments are all made of this special protein, which means if you’re suffering from increased stiff and swollen joints, your low collagen level might be to blame. High intake of this supplement has also been linked as a helpful treatment for various joint disorders including osteoarthritis. Are your knees are starting to feel like rusty door hinges? It’s probably time to lube up with some supplement.

With so many benefits promoted by this unique protein, it’s equally important to note the factors that can damage and deplete the levels of collagen in our bodies. For example, too much sugar, overexposure to sunlight, and smoking are all detrimental to our collagen levels. As this nutrient decreases naturally as we age, it makes it that much more important to take precautions to not accelerate its depletion, but rather to support and strengthen its production longevity.