Collageena and Aging

As you age, your body produces less amino acids (protein building blocks) required to make collagen -- the quality of collagen in your skin, joints and other areas of your body is weakened. Over time, collagen fibers lose their moist texture and become rigid. Much of this damage is caused by free radicals -- unstable molecules created when oxygen is used by your body. These dangerous pieces of molecular debris attach to collagen, causing individual fibers to cross link, or latch onto one another. As collagen strands bind together, they become thicker and more unyielding to movement. Cross-linked collagen is the basis for wrinkles and loss of skin elasticity. In fact, free radicals are believed by many research scientists to be the bottom line cause of premature aging.