ALP BEAUTY collagen – structural protein of the skin and connective tissue
Collagen is the most common protein, accounting for approximately 30% of the total amount of protein in the human body. It is an essential component of skin and other forms of connective tissue (cartilage, bones, tendons, ligaments).
The collagen protein as a whole would be far too large to be absorbed by the skin after applying a collagen-containing cream or lotion. Even in liquid form (e.g. in drinks), the body could not transport newly supplied collagen protein to the required parts of the body and incorporate it locally there. The collagen must be crushed before it can be used as a building block. This process is called hydrolysis. Here, the collagen protein is hydrolyzed in several steps (= cut up by enzymes) and a collagen hydrolyzate or bioactive collagen peptides are created, which can now be transported due to their smaller size and incorporated into the connective tissue into existing collagen structures.
The body can produce collagen itself from amino acids (protein building blocks) and transport it to the required locations in the body and incorporate it locally by networking with existing collagen molecules. As we age, collagen synthesis decreases (about 30% in the first year after menopause and a further 2-3% per year). The visible aging process of the skin is due to the consequences of reduced collagen synthesis and thus a lower number of collagen fibers in the connective tissue, as well as reduced elasticity and a reduced proportion of bound water in the skin, which is essentially caused by the presence of hyaluronic acid. In addition, the UV component of solar radiation contributes to the aging of the skin by promoting collagen breakdown and the formation of wrinkles, while the skin's elasticity decreases. The local production of large amounts of free oxygen radicals, the totality of which is referred to as oxidative stress, is another factor that contributes to accelerated aging of the skin.
ALP BEAUTY collagen – structural protein of the skin and connective tissue
The extent and timing of (skin) aging are influenced by many factors. Modern approaches in the area of “anti-aging” (inhibiting the aging process) attempt to slow down biological aging and keep people healthy for as long as possible. Scientists assume that the aging process is determined by various factors at the same time, not all of which can be influenced. The following four factors appear to have a significant influence on the aging process:
- Genetic causes, including telomere loss as part of the transmission of genetic information; this is called “active aging.”
- lifestyle and environmental influences, Nutrition, pollution and UV radiation absorbed by the body are important parameters.
- Biochemical aging, oxidative stress, triggered by aggressive oxygen compounds and the resulting cellular damage, plays a central role here.
- Hormonal aging, this includes the decrease in the concentration of hormones in the body with increasing age.
Based on modern biomedical research, there are a number of scientifically based “anti-aging” approaches with the aim of aggressively counteracting the aging process and making the signs of time somewhat less visible to the outside world.