Oncologie

Youth protein: everything you need to know about collagen

Collagen is a filamentous protein that is part of all tissues of the human body. The name of the protein comes from the Greek word kolla - "glue". This is no coincidence: many experts compare the main function of collagen with glue. Its molecules form long thin protein fibers - fibrils. They serve to hold tissue cells together and bind our body into a single whole. Collagen is involved in the "building" of joints, bones, tendons, hair, nails and skin and forms the walls of veins, arteries and capillaries. According to various estimates, it accounts for about a third of all proteins in our body.

With age, it becomes more and more difficult for the body to produce its own collagen: by the age of 20, the process of protein production slows down significantly, and after 25 the number of new fibers is already noticeably less than the number of destroyed ones. Already at this stage, the first age-related changes begin to appear - the skin loses its elasticity and moisture, the first wrinkles appear, hair and nails grow more slowly, and their structure becomes thinner. After some time, the lack of collagen can already affect the health of bones, joints and blood vessels, which leads to the development of various chronic diseases. For everything you need to know about collagen, follow the links below.