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Collagen is a powerful aspect in skincare, capable of transforming your appearance and shaving years off your face. It boosts skin elasticity, improves hydration and better-equips your skin to repair itself from damage, leading to a youthful and energized complexion.
Unlike most powerful anti-aging ingredients like vitamin C or retinol, collagen is naturally created by our bodies as a building block for our skin and hair. However, our collagen production starts to dwindle as we age, so it is essential to find new ways to introduce or create collagen to maintain a youthful appearance.
And according to doctors, eating certain foods can help stimulate collagen production.
"Collagen is a protein, so if you don’t eat enough protein, you could unknowingly deprive your skin of the amino acids that produce collagen and skin tissue," Dr. Michael Somenek, a board-certified facial plastic surgeon from Washington, D.C tells SheFinds. "Fueling your body with protein-rich foods is necessary for preventing collagen depletion and increasing production. By producing enough collagen and elastic tissue, you make your skin firmer and more supple."
He added that there is one type of food in particular he would recommend: fatty fish.
Dr. Somenek notes, "Fatty fish, particularly salmon and herring, can be a vital source of protein and healthy fats and prevent skin dryness."
As Dr. Somenek tells us, there are a ton of benefits your skin can take from salmon.
He says, "Salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and is anti-inflammatory, which keeps the skin resilient and moisturized. In turn, this will enable a reduction in any inflammatory skin conditions like acne and psoriasis. Salmon is also rich in vitamin B-12, which is crucial in maintaining your skin’s health as well as your hair and nails; due to its significant role in cell reproduction.
"However, make sure to leave the skin on, as the skin is what holds most of the collagen you’re looking for. Halibut is also a great source of collagen as it is high in protein and selenium. Selenium is a mineral full of powerful antioxidants that are vital in combating damage and inflammation while increasing immunity."
