Mood Boosting Supplements? Collagen's Glycine Content Could Make You Happier
The benefits of collagen go far beyond smoothing wrinkles. If you're looking for a quick way to boost your mood, collagen protein may actually be one of the best mood boosting supplements out there - and we’ve got the science to prove it.
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body, and it isn’t just found in your skin. It is absolutely everywhere, from your bones to your tendons to your organs, joints, nails, and hair.
So, is collagen good for you? Absolutely. There are numerous health benefits to increasing your collagen levels, because this amazing protein is essential to keeping all your physical systems running normally. It can help with wound healing, protect your internal organs, and may even help you lose weight.
Collagen protein can also be incredibly important for your mental health.
But how does collagen boost your mood? And is it safe to take collagen daily as a mood boosting supplement?
The secret to collagen potentially being a great mood boosting supplement might lie in glycine, one of its main components. Let’s take a closer look at this incredible supplement, and the many ways it could put a smile on your face.
What is glycine?
Glycine is a non-essential amino acid.
But don’t confuse “non-essential” with “not important”. The opposite is true, in fact, as glycine is key to your body and brain health.
Non-essential amino acids are simply ones that your body produces naturally. Glycine specifically works as a neurotransmitter that has the power to both stimulate and quiet brain and nervous system activity. It’s also one of the main building blocks of collagen protein, making up around one third of a collagen molecule.
Your body synthesizes glycine from other natural biochemicals like serine, choline, and threonine. You can also get glycine through the food you consume - namely in high-protein foods like meat, fish, eggs, and legumes.
If we already produce glycine, you may be wondering why you should supplement with it.
Well, the average daily diet only includes about 2 grams of glycine, and you might not produce enough of the amino acid for it to be truly beneficial for your body. So supplementation can help you reach optimal amounts.
When used in the right doses, collagen’s glycine content can have truly powerful and positive effects on your body and brain, making collagen protein one of the best (natural) mood boosting supplements available.
Let’s dive into the many ways that glycine - and collagen - affect your mood and may help you feel happier.
6 reasons collagen is one of the best mood boosting supplements
As briefly touched upon above, there are numerous benefits of collagen for both men and women. While we often talk about overall health on our blog, today we will focus on mental health. Specifically our top six reasons why collagen protein should be seriously considered as a mood boosting supplement.
1. Collagen may boost serotonin levels
The glycine in collagen has been shown to increase serotonin levels in your body.
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps to regulate your moods. If you have low levels of serotonin, you may begin to feel unhappy or depressed, which is why boosting your serotonin levels can be beneficial if you’re feeling blue.
The “feel-good” hormone of serotonin can not only improve your mood, but enhance your memory and cognition, digestion, and bone health.
Serotonin may even help you get better quality sleep because it is partially responsible for your body’s natural melatonin creation. And melatonin is the hormone that regulates your sleep/wake cycle. Which is what brings us to our next point of why your supplements for mood boosting should include collagen…
2. Collagen may improve your sleep
We all know it’s harder to stay happy when you’re running on a few hours’ sleep. And it’s often hard to find good quality sleep when you have a decreased mood.
Luckily, glycine has been linked to relaxation and deeper sleep. This means that not only will you be able to fall asleep more easily and sleep more deeply, you’ll also get a better overall quality of sleep. This will help you feel more rested and rejuvenated in the morning which can, in turn, improve your mood.
See how many of the benefits of collagen cause a ripple effect in your brain and mood functions?
When you take a high-quality collagen supplement, you receive all the glycine your body needs to regulate your body’s serotonin and melatonin levels, providing you with more restful sleep. This is just another reason your mood boosting supplements should include collagen.
3. Collagen may decrease anxiety levels
Anxiety can take a serious toll on your mental and physical health, especially if you are dealing with chronic anxiety or diagnosed anxiety disorders.
If you’re hoping that mood boosting supplements will ease your anxiety, you might be in luck.
Collagen peptides have been shown to reduce anxiety related behaviors. According to recent studies, the glycine content within collagen may help with energy and anxiety levels throughout the day - including work performance anxiety.
If you frequently experience short periods of anxiety or know that you will have added stress in the near future, collagen supplements and natural collagen products may help you through those times. Meanwhile, if you suffer from frequent or diagnosed anxiety disorder, you may want to discuss collagen supplementation with a medical nutritionist or other health professional.
ProT Gold collagen protein is a recognized medical nutrition supplement that may replace or complement your existing medication.
4. Collagen may help with schizophrenia
Around the world, 1 in 300, or 24 million people are affected by schizophrenia. While the chronic brain disorder is not curable, it is certainly treatable. Many medications and supplements have been shown to be beneficial in treating the positive, negative, cognitive, and psychiatric symptoms of schizophrenia.
While most people associate schizophrenia with the “positive” symptoms (such as hallucinations, exaggerated perceptions, and hearing voices), negative symptoms can be just as - if not more - debilitating.
Negative symptoms in schizophrenia occur more frequently than positive ones. They include inability to feel pleasure, express emotion, speak, or initiate plans. It is these negative symptoms that can truly benefit from supplements for mood boosting.
One of the effective supplements for schizophrenia could be collagen. In recent studies, it was found that glycine supplementation reduces negative symptoms of schizophrenia by 34%.
Again, if you are interested in using collagen as a mood boosting supplement for schizophrenia, make sure to consult with a medical professional first. They will help you make the right decision based on your medical history and current treatment plan.
5. Collagen may improve your physical wellbeing
If you’re looking for the best mood boosting supplements to increase your happiness, it might be worth examining and/or starting with your physical health.
Your physical body is intrinsically linked to your mental health. You likely have personal experience to reinforce this without needing to consult studies. When you look and feel better physically, it can help boost your happiness. Conversely, when you’re dealing with chronic pain or health issues, your mood can dip.
Collagen supplementation has been studied and shown to help reduce the symptoms of a wide variety of physical ailments. Many of the studies we’ve cited in this article have also shown that:
- Collagen may improve bone strength
- Collagen may protect your internal organs
- Collagen may improve the structure of your tendons and ligaments
- Collagen may improve joint pain
- Collagen may assist in treating digestive issues
- Collagen may cut wound healing time in half
- Collagen may greatly reduce wrinkles
- Collagen may help heart health
- Collagen may reduce osteoarthritis symptoms
In short, collagen protein is a complete powerhouse for your body.
You need collagen to ensure all the building blocks of your body run smoothly, and as your collagen production decreases with age, supplementation can be key to eradicating the aches and pains we associate with aging.
If you have any physical ailments, your body can use your collagen supplement to direct the proteins to wherever they are needed most. Healing your body from the inside out, improving your body function, and decreasing your pain can all greatly improve your health - making both collagen powder and liquid collagen protein fabulous options as mood boosting supplements.
6. Collagen may help balance your hormones
Collagen benefits for women extend far beyond beautiful skin, hair, and nails. Collagen supplementation can also be very beneficial for women’s hormone health, which can in turn make them effective as mood boosting supplements.
Women's hormones shift and change their lives, with levels changing most drastically during pregnancy, birth, menstrual cycles, and menopause. While many people turn to medication during these times, collagen supplementation may also help balance estrogen and other vital hormone levels.
Estrogen is a hormone that helps you manage your moods, anxiety, and sleep cycle. When your estrogen levels are off, your attitude can be affected just as much as your physical health. Because estrogen production decreases with age, and especially after menopause, it could be extra helpful for women in their 50s, 60s, and beyond to look into collagen supplementation.
As mood boosting supplements, collagen protein may be able to counter low estrogen production and even out your hormone levels - helping return your body’s mood regulation to normal.
So now that you’ve learned just a few of the reasons collagen could be a good mood boosting supplement, you might be wondering if or how you should be taking the supplement yourself. Let’s look into the best (and safest) ways to use collagen as a mood booster.
Is taking collagen supplements to boost your mood safe?
Collagen is one of the main building blocks of your body and is completely natural, so it’s very safe to take as one of your daily supplements, in appropriate amounts.
That being said, not all collagen products are created equal.
So how do you know which collagen products are safe to use as mood boosting supplements?
There are a few things you can look for when shopping for your collagen supplement.
First, you want to find a company that you trust. The FDA does not regulate most supplements, which means companies can claim anything they want about their products. Therefore, it’s up to you to put in some research.
Read the nutrition labels of each collagen product very carefully. When looking for collagen as a mood booster, make sure there are no additives like thickeners, fillers, sweeteners, or preservatives, as those could have adverse effects.
You should also read reviews to make an informed decision about the product. While negative side effects from collagen supplementation are rare, they can happen. It’s important to note any pre-existing allergies or sensitivities to other ingredients.
Once you decide to buy collagen protein from a company, follow their instructions to ensure you are not taking more than the recommended dosage. In general, it’s safe to aim for 10-15 grams of collagen protein per serving, with up to 6 or 7 servings a day. While it’s unlikely to have any negative side effects of collagen in large quantities, the protein absorption rate decreases after 20 grams of protein per serving.
Lastly, it’s important to check if your supplements have all the essential amino acids needed to make them complete protein supplements. You should specifically look for tryptophan, a mood-enhancing amino acid that’s not in all collagen products. If you are interested in taking collagen as a mood boosting supplement, this could be a great additional ingredient to look for.
Why your collagen supplement needs to contain tryptophan
Tryptophan is a precursor to the creation of serotonin in your body. When ingesting an incomplete protein, it may lead to a deficit in tryptophan, which can lower your serotonin levels - and actually INCREASE anxiety and depression.
In order to get all the benefits of collagen as a mood boosting supplement, you should find a collagen supplement that is a complete protein, like ProT Gold, which contains not only tryptophan but all the amino acids needed to make our collagen products a complete protein.
ProT Gold is also trusted by nearly 4,000 medical facilities for use in daily nutrition, post-surgery care, wound healing, and more. It is a certified medical-grade collagen supplement that is nano-hydrolyzed for easy absorption and digestion. With our bioavailable formula, you can fully digest ProT Gold collagen products in just 15 minutes - allowing you to reap all the benefits of your mood boosting supplements faster.
