It’s important to look after your skin and hair from the outside – using the best skincare and hair care products, of course.
But we’d be the first to admit what you eat can have a dramatic effect on your complexion and the health of your hair too.
Starting with getting enough protein.
A high-protein diet strengthens your collagen levels making your skin firmer and less prone to wrinkles.
And protein supplies your body with the essential amino acids you need to make keratin - the form of protein that gives your hair it’s strength and shine.
And there’s more…
Protein is Your Body’s Main Building Block
Almost every cell in the body is made from the building blocks of protein.
It helps your muscles to grow strong – and your body to repair itself. It’s important in creating hormones, enzymes, neurotransmitters and antibodies - determining how well our bodies function and how we feel.
And protein plays a crucial role in nurturing your skin and hair.
A diet rich in protein promotes smooth, firm skin - and hair that is strong and healthy.
How Protein Gives You Firmer, Glowing Skin
Protein consists of 20 amino acids, two of which - L-lysine and L-proline - are used in the production of collagen.
Collagen is what gives strength and structure to your skin. It’s the fibrous protein that keeps your skin looking firm, youthful and wrinkle-free.
Unfortunately, the production of your natural collagen begins to decline as you age. leading to saggy, dehydrated skin and wrinkles.
Adding protein to your diet is a sure way to compensate for this and stimulate more collagen production to make your skin firmer.
The role of Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a key nutrient in the formation of collagen too.
It’s needed to stabilise the collagen structure, and without adequate amounts of vitamin C, your body can’t store or form collagen. If you’re not eating enough vitamin C, through fruits and vegetables for example, you get poor collagen structure formation which leads to poor skin health.
RELATED READING
- How Collagen Improves Your Skin (and What You Can Do to Boost It)
- Collagen-Boosting Power of Peptides
Smoother Skin with the Right Skincare
Another way to strengthen collagen is by using a moisturizer that includes peptides. Peptides help your skin to boost collagen production back to healthy levels.
Not only does this combat the signs of aging that have already begun to appear but also helps keep future damage at bay.
The collagen-boosting peptide Matrixyl® (or to be exact, palmitoyl pentapeptide-4) is the one we chose for our Hydrating Daily Moisturizer.
It has an advantage over other peptides used in skin care, because its results are proven to be long-lasting.
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 is a synthesized chain protein created by linking five amino acid peptides.
This chain stimulates collagen synthesis, skin repair and production of healthy elastin making for a smoother skin surface.
It also boosts the skin’s production of Hyaluronic Acid which draws moisture into your skin.
So Matrixyl® helps diminish wrinkles and increases hydration levels.
Independent in-vitro studies of Matrixyl® showed an increase in production of Collagen I by 212% and Hyaluronic Acid by 267%.
And Matrixyl® achieves these impressive results without causing any irritation.
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How Protein Makes Your Hair Strong and Shiny
Protein gives hair it’s strength and shine - and if you’re not consuming enough you could experience slow hair growth. And your hair is likely to become dry, brittle and weak.
In extreme cases, a lack of protein in the diet can increase the likelihood of hair loss too.
This is because protein supplies your body with the essential amino acids required to make keratin - the form of protein that makes up our hair and nails, making sure they stay strong.
So eating protein-rich foods boosts your body’s natural keratin production.
Along with this you need to focus on the specific vitamins and minerals which support this process. These include:
- Biotin - found in nuts, beans, cauliflower and mushrooms
- Vitamin A - found in sweet potatoes, legumes and raw carrots
along with sulphurous foods like meat, eggs, kale and Brussels sprouts.
The Vitamin A in sweet potatoes is vital in supporting the production of keratin
8 Other Benefits of Eating More Protein
Because it’s so vital to every cell in our body you can really benefit from including more protein in your diet.
Here's 8 more reasons to eat a high-protein diet.
1. Protein increases strength and muscle mass
A high-protein diet helps increase the size and strength of your muscles – especially when you’re weight training.
And keeping protein intake high can also help prevent muscle loss during weight loss.
2. It helps your body to repair itself after injury
Eating more protein can help your body recover faster when you suffer an injury.
This makes perfect sense, as protein forms the main building blocks of your tissues and organs.
3. Protein helps to reduce your appetite
Protein, fats and carbs affect our bodies in different ways.
And protein is by far the most filling of the three - helping you to feel fuller, on less food.
So if you want to lose weight, or belly fat, try replacing some of your carbs with protein.
4. Protein can boost your metabolism, increasing fat burning
A high protein diet can significantly boost metabolism - helping you burn more calories throughout the day.
That’s because your body uses more calories to digest and make use of the nutrients in protein.
5. It helps in maintaining weight loss
Increasing your protein intake not only helps you lose weight – it helps you keep the weight off too.
6. A high-protein diet reduces blood pressure
in addition to lowering blood pressure, a high-protein diet can help improve other risk factors for heart disease, like reducing LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides.
7. It’s good for your bones
It’s a myth that protein is bad for your bones.
With studies showing that people who eat more protein tend to have better bone health and maintain bone mass better as they age.
8. Protein helps reduce muscle loss as we age
One of the consequences of aging is that your muscles gradually weaken.
Eating plenty of protein is one of the best ways to reduce age-related muscle deterioration.
How much Protein Should You Be Eating Each Day?
To get your recommended daily amount try to include protein in every meal – whether that’s animal or plant-based protein.
The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for protein is based on your body weight. With a recommendation of 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight, which is about 54 grams a day for a person weighing 150 pounds (68 kilograms).
Physical activity and age can affect how much protein we need. If you’re relatively active, you’re going to need more protein to compensate for the breakdown and utilization of proteins that occur while you’re moving.
We also need to consume more protein as we age.
The Best Sources of Protein
Our bodies can make more than half of the 20 amino acids we need.
There are nine that we can’t make. Called essential amino acids because we need to get them from our diet.
But not all sources of dietary protein are created equal. Animal protein sources vary in terms of their nutrient profile to plant-based protein sources.
Animal protein sources - like beef, chicken, fish, eggs and dairy products—are known as “complete” proteins. They contain all nine of the essential amino acids which the body is unable to produce itself - including L-lysine which supports the body’s synthesis of collagen - improving skin firmness, elasticity and hydration.
Plant proteins, on the other hand, are considered “incomplete” proteins. They don’t contain a complete amino acid profile. So you need to combine different sources of plant protein to ensure that your body receives all the nutrients it needs.
But this can be misleading. Plant-based foods - like legumes, nuts, and seeds - do contain all nine essential amino acids, but the amount of one amino acid or more is lower than the dietary requirements.
The best protein rich foods include:
- Lean beef
- Chicken and turkey
- Fish and seafood
- Eggs
- Dairy products
Whilst the best plant-based proteins are:
- Quinoa
- Tofu
- Nuts and legumes
- Beans and pulses
All protein-rich foods are an excellent source of essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients.
But it’s also important to ensure you’re eating a healthy balanced diet by including plenty of fruit and vegetables, along with ‘unrefined’ and whole carbohydrates, like brown rice and wholemeal bread.
MORE TO EXPLORE
- The Keto Diet and Your Skin: What You Need to Know
- 11 Best Vitamins & Nutrients for Smooth Skin and Healthy Hair
FAQ’s
Is plant-based protein better for me?
Generally all plant-based proteins are lower in all essential amino acids than animal-based protein sources.
So if you’re eating a vegetarian or vegan diet, it’s important to combine different plant-based proteins so that you get enough essential amino acids.
Does eating more protein lead to better skin health?
Yes.
Protein consists of 20 amino acids. Two of those amino acids - L-lysine and L-proline - are used in the production of collagen.
Collagen is what gives strength and structure to your skin – keeping it looking firm, smooth and wrinkle-free.
The Takeaway
A diet rich in protein promotes smooth, firm skin - and hair that is strong and healthy.
Protein strengthens your collagen levels making your skin firmer and less prone to wrinkles.
While also supplying the essential amino acids required to make keratin - to give your hair strength and shine.
So protein plays a crucial role in nurturing your skin and hair.
Supplement this with our excellent high-performance skincare for men.
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