Is Collagen Good for Men? The Benefits
If you’ve tuned in to the wellness community recently, you’ve probably heard a thing or two about collagen, opens in a new tab. This protein is going viral for its ability to support hair, skin, and nail health, which makes it pretty popular among women.
However, there are actually many ways that collagen can specifically help men. Here’s everything you need to know about whether collagen is good for men, what sets it apart from whey protein, and how to take it.
What Is Collagen?
Collagen is a structural protein that’s found throughout the human body. This protein helps different tissues keep their shape even after they’ve been stretched or warped.
This means that collagen is found in any body part that needs to hold its shape — so, basically all of them. In fact, collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body.
Some of the places where collagen can be found include the following:
- Connective tissue
- Cartilage
- Tendons and ligaments
- Blood vessels
- Digestive organs
- Eyes
- Skin
What Are the Benefits of Collagen for Men?
You may have heard of the benefits of collagen for women, but how does collagen benefit men? As it turns out, this protein can support many concerns that affect men.
Supports Muscle Growth
This may not come as a surprise, since collagen is, after all, a protein. When you work out, your body needs protein to build muscles that are stronger and larger.
Taking collagen can help give your body the building blocks it needs to build more muscles, especially after a workout. Additionally, taking collagen before a workout can help keep muscle soreness to a minimum, which may help you get back into the gym more quickly.
Encourages Gut Health
Collagen can also encourage gut health, opens in a new tab by supporting the gut lining, opens in a new tab. This can help with nutrient absorption, which can have widespread benefits throughout the body.
While these benefits include smooth digestion, the gut does so much more than just digest food. For instance, the gut-brain connection shows that gut health can affect mental health. The gut also affects skin health and immune health — in fact, the majority of the immune system resides in the gut.
Supports Heart Health
Heart disease is the leading cause of death, opens in a new tab for both men and women, and men are more likely to experience a heart attack than women at younger ages. Supporting your heart health isn’t something to think about ten or fifteen years from now — it’s something to think about right now!
Luckily, collagen can help. Taking collagen can help your arteries and blood vessels remain elastic, which can support a healthy blood pressure. This protein can also encourage healthy cholesterol levels, opens in a new tab.
Encourages Healthy Joints
As we age, our natural supply of collagen tends to decrease. This is known for causing wrinkles, but it can also cause joint pain.
Taking collagen supplements can support the body’s natural collagen production, which can then help ease joint discomfort, opens in a new tab. This can also help you feel more comfortable while working out, hiking, playing sports, or spending time with family.
Supports Healthy Hair
Did you know that 25 percent of men go bald around 30? By the time you reach 50, you’ll have a 50 percent chance of losing your hair. Much of this is genetic, but there are still some ways you can support your scalp and hair health so that you may not lose as much hair.
One of the things you can do to support your hair, opens in a new tab is take collagen. One small study, opens in a new tab suggests that taking collagen may help minimize visible hair thinning while also supporting the hair growth cycle.
Collagen Powder vs. Protein Powder for Men
If collagen is a protein and it comes in powder form, doesn’t that make it a protein powder? While collagen is technically classified as a protein powder, there are a few things that set it apart from your typical protein powder.
First, collagen has more benefits. Regular protein powder is meant to maximize your protein intake with little thought given to extra benefits. Collagen powder might not have as high of a protein concentration as whey protein, opens in a new tab, for instance, but it can have all of the benefits we listed earlier.
Second, collagen is not a complete protein, which means that collagen doesn’t contain all nine amino acids your body needs during the day. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing — it just means that you’ll need to eat a varied diet to make sure you’re getting all of the amino acids you need.
How To Take Collagen for Men
Collagen comes in the form of capsules and protein powders, so you can take it however you would like. Capsules tend to be more convenient, but powders provide more variety when it comes to how you use them.
For instance, our Mushroom Coffee+ powder contains four grams of collagen protein per serving. As an added bonus, it also features lion’s mane mushroom and L-theanine to support focus and sleep, chaga mushroom to support the immune system, and coffee extract to provide the rich java flavor we all know and love.
Plus, it’s super easy to make. Simply combine our powder with hot water and give it a stir, and you’re ready to enjoy your coffee with benefits!
The Bottom Line
Collagen is by far one of the most popular supplements out there. Not only can this supplement support gut, heart, and joint health, but it can also work as a protein powder and encourage speedy recovery after a hard workout. It can even support hair growth!
All of our mushroom blends feature collagen, and we use only the best collagen protein peptides sourced from grass-fed Brazilian bovine. Shop all of our mushroom blends to try collagen today!
Sources:
Understanding the heart attack gender gap | Harvard Health, opens in a new tab
What is the benefit of collagen in your diet? | Gundersen Health System, opens in a new tab
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