Collagen is a vital protein that keeps your skin firm, plump, and youthful. As we age, our collagen production naturally declines, leading to sagging skin, wrinkles, and weakened joints. While aging is a major factor, there are also sneaky, unexpected ways you could be losing collagen without realizing it. From lifestyle habits to environmental factors, certain everyday choices may be speeding up collagen loss and affecting your skin’s elasticity.
Nadine, (thenaturalnadine), a health and beauty expert who has over 276K Instagram followers, recently shared three surprising factors that could be depleting your collagen. According to her, heavy metals, pathogens, and high cortisol/adrenaline levels are unexpected culprits behind collagen loss. Keep reading to learn more.
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1. Heavy metals (candles, seafood, etc.)
Heavy metals like lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic can deplete collagen by increasing oxidative stress and inflammation in the body. These toxic metals generate free radicals that break down collagen fibers, leading to premature aging, wrinkles, and weakened skin elasticity.
“They trigger oxidative stress, which can lead to wrinkles, sagging skin, and premature aging, so what you want to do is avoid heavy metals in general. Then, you want to proactively remove the heavy metals from your body, so drink those heavy metal detox smoothies," she says.
Some examples of heavy metals include aluminum cans, Stanley cups, vaping, seafood, perfumes, colognes, and scented candles.
2. Pathogens
Pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi can deplete collagen by triggering chronic inflammation and immune system responses that break down connective tissues.
It's important to remove pathogens from your body, such as viruses and bacteria, because “when you’re sick, you don’t look that great, especially your skin." She suggests consuming "more antiviral foods like the celery juice, lemon water, aloe, garlic, ginger, oranges, and supplements like lysine, cat’s claw, lemon balm, and monolaurin." Taking care of your skin from the outside is also beneficial, as she recommends using products that contain antiviral ingredients.
3. High cortisol and adrenaline levels
High cortisol levels reduce the body's ability to absorb and utilize key nutrients like vitamin C, which is essential for collagen production. Adrenaline, another stress hormone, can constrict blood vessels, limiting oxygen and nutrient delivery to the skin, further impairing collagen maintenance.
“Too much cortisol levels and adrenaline can overburden your liver, make it more sluggish, so the way to combat that,” she says, is to “remove the people that are not in alignment with you, spend time in nature, meditate,” and other things such as sound baths and ashwagandha. Simple habits like these can make a huge difference over time!
