2. Bone Broth
A daily cup of bone broth may be a more palatable option than chicken feet for boosting collagen, says Wahlroos, providing you are also including vitamin C in your diet. “Bone broth is naturally high in collagen. You don’t have to go to the trouble of making it yourself as there are plenty of good ones available off the shelf, but even a simple broth made out of a chicken carcass, peppers, leeks, celery and carrots is effective and tasty.”
3. Eggs
Wahlroos is also a fan of protein of eggs for boosting collagen. “Eggs are a great source of protein. A two-egg omelette with a leafy salad and some peppers is one of my go-to lunches for protein and vitamin C,” she says.
4. Avoid too much sugar
Ghatora says it’s also important to avoid certain foods as they destroy collagen; sugar is one of the worst offenders. “There are two types of sugar. There is fructose sugar in fresh fruit and vegetables, which is easy for the body to process, and then there is glucose sugar also known as refined sugar, which can be more damaging to the body. A clinical study in 1992 revealed that glucose sugar degrades collagen, reducing its elasticity, making the collagen more brittle, so that it loses its strength and resilience. To put it bluntly, sugar is speeding up the ageing process. In an ideal world, all our sugar needs should be met from fructose sugar found in fruit and vegetables.”
5. Go easy on alcohol
Ghatora also suggests going easy on the alcohol. “A 1972 Lancet study revealed that alcohol consumption reduces collagen synthesis, showing that the higher the alcohol content in the blood, the greater the reduction in collagen synthesis.” However it is also true that high cortisol levels from stress is also bad for collagen production, so if the occasional glass of wine helps you relax and unwind then don’t worry too much about it.
