Can Collagen Cause High Cholesterol

Know The Risk Factors

The same risk factors that can damage your heart can damage your legs: Diabetes, high levels of bad cholesterol and high blood pressure can all lead to the development of PAD.

If you have been diagnosed with any of these conditions, be diligent about taking medications. These include statins and cholesterol-lowering medications, which can help prevent blockages and are often an early step in treating PAD.

Another key to preventing PAD: Dont smoke.

Smoking is a principal risk factor for many types of vascular disease, especially PAD, adds Lee. My first advice to patients is, If you smoke, quit.’

Everything You Know About Cholesterol Is Wrong

By Spencer Brooks

• The traditional view of cholesterol and heart disease is backwards. New research shows that cholesterol seems to be a symptom of heart disease, not a cause.
• Inflammation is what damages arterial walls and contributes to cardiovascular problems. Cholesterol is the repair molecule that comes in and tries to fix the damage. You should be more concerned about inflammation, not high cholesterol.
• Read on for 5 ways to decrease your inflammation, improve your arteries, and boost your performance.

The more I reviewed the literature, the more I realized, You know what? It seems like everything they teach us in nursing school, in medical school, in pharmacy school about lipids, about LDL, about VLDL, and HDL, the good cholesterol, the bad cholesterol, and how the stuff works its probably wrong, or at least incomplete.

Thats Zubin Damania, a primary care clinical director and internal medicine doctor at Stanford. Dr. Damania recently sat down with Dave Feldman, an engineer turned cholesterol expert, to talk about why your cholesterol numbers dont mean what youve been told they do.

Feldman started a ketogenic diet and his cholesterol went up to over 300 mmol/L, with his LDL number around 260. For reference, traditional guidelines say your LDL should be under 100, and total cholesterol, below 200.

What Is Cholesterol Used For

• It helps create a healthy outer wall for cells around your body.
• It helps with the creation of hormones and vitamin D. So, it has an important role in keeping your bones, teeth and muscles healthy.

To perform these essential functions, the liver produces most of the cholesterol you need.

So, what happens if you end up with more of the fatty substance in your bloodstream than you need? This is referred to as high cholesterol and it can in time cause you problems. Excess cholesterol can start to build up and stick to the walls of your arteries. This makes your blood vessels get stiffer and narrower. Because itâs more difficult for blood to flow freely around your body, if cholesterol continues to accumulate, it can increase your risk of a heart attack or stroke.

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Can Collagen Increase Triglycerides

Yes. Collagen is a protein that is found in the skin and hair. It is also found on the inside of the body. When collagen is broken down, it can be converted into triglyceride. , the amount of triglycerid in your blood is determined by the type of collagen you have. The more collagen in you, and the more you eat, your triglycerids will increase. However, if you are eating a diet high in saturated fat, you will not be able to increase your levels of this type. In addition, eating too much protein can increase the levels. If you want to know more about how to reduce your risk of heart disease, check out our article on how protein affects your heart.

Switch To A Mediterranean Diet

There are actually many dietary guidelines that you can follow to improve your cholesterol , but if youre looking for the easiest way to do it, you cant beat the Mediterranean diet. High in fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, nuts, fish, and olive oil, but low in red meat, this diet encapsulates many of the common dietary suggestions youll encounter.

Not only that, but Mediterranean diet recipes are easy and can use produce from your garden. Take advantage of our extended summer and use up some of the excess produce thats still on the vine.

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Labels On The Bottles Promise Better Health But These Supplements May Wind Up Hurting You

Keeping your heart healthy requires a combination of strategies, such as eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and managing stress. Adding a dietary supplement may seem like another means of protection.

But be careful. Unlike prescription medications, supplements are often sold without evidence that they work or theyre safe. Theres no way to know whats really inside pills or potions, since the FDA doesnt evaluate whether the manufacture of supplements is high quality, such as whether the pills are free from impurities. The following supplements may pose heart risks.

Eating A Lot Of Fatty Foods And Lack Of Exercise

Well admit, this sign seems pretty straightforward, but theres absolutely no denying that eating a lot of fatty foods greatly increases the cholesterol levels in your body. A lack of exercise allows cholesterol to build up in your body. Excessive alcohol consumption and smoking are also highly detrimental. In short, if youre living an unhealthy lifestyle, chances are youre also dealing with high cholesterol.

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Hdl Cholesterol And Your Pulse

While it is important to lower your LDL level, it is just as important to raise your HDL level. According to MayoClinic.com, HDLs act as scavengers picking up cholesterol and taking it to the liver to be excreted. A high HDL level can slow plaque buildup along the blood vessel walls, which in turn can lower your risk of heart disease. While plaque buildup that already exists may not be reversible, making healthy lifestyle changes can stop it from getting worse and can keep your pulse under control. Eating a diet low in fat and cholesterol getting regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight and quitting smoking are all parts of an overall heart-healthy plan.

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While it would be nice for our body to rev up its natural collagen production, it’s only fair to wish dietary supplements would work for our bodies. But there’s hope. Rather than sit by and watch the wrinkles set in, you can actually feed your body the collagen its missing .

Collagen is not a complete protein because it lacks the essential amino acid tryptophan that our bodies need to make our own proteins. It should be consumed together with another source of protein like dairy, meat/poultry, eggs, or high-quality plant proteins like legumes.

It is important to have it sourced from grass-fed or organic animals. “Theoretically, collagen could accumulate a certain type of pesticide commonly applied to grains that are fed to livestock,” says Schoenfeld.

Another option? Bone broth. High-quality bone broth is, by far, one of the best whole food sources of type II collagen, as it contains large amounts of bioavailable collagen.

“‘Bioavailable’ means the amount of a nutrient that gets absorbed and used by the body. Studies have shown that bioavailable collagen can, over time, improve collagen density in the skin,” advises Delaney Lightel, who works with Bonafide Provisions.

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Get The Highest Quality Collagen Supplement For Your Heart

If youre considering collagen protein supplementation for heart health, skin health, and more, there are a few things you should know.

First of all, be sure that your supplement comes in the form of a collagen peptide. Collagen peptides have been processed using enzymatic hydrolysis which breaks down collagen fibrils into smaller parts for easier absorbency. Other names for collagen peptides are hydrolyzed collagen and collagen hydrolysate.

Secondly, your heart-healthy collagen product should contain more than one type of collagen from a variety of different sources, such as chicken, beef, and fish. In addition, a quality supplement will also contain additional nutrients that can act as catalysts for collagen absorption, such as vitamin C and zinc.

Finally, keep in mind that there are a lot of collagen products out there. Only certain kinds, however, are completely free from additives and come from clean-sourced beef and other animal products. A recent study from the non-profit Consumer Wellness Center found that collagen products that came from non-organic sources contained dozens of toxic ingredients, including parabens, steroids, antibiotics, and insecticides . The best collagen supplement is meant to help your health, not harm it!

You dont have to be a statistic. You can help protect your heart and your health by upping your collagen levels naturally as well as supplementing with high-quality collagen powder regularly.

Increased Expressions Of Genes Involved In Lipid Metabolism In The Liver

The ingestion of CP resulted in the significant up-regulation of 485 probe sets. Enrichment analysis using GO annotation revealed that the expressions of genes related to fatty acid metabolism, cofactor metabolic processes, coenzyme metabolic processes and acyl-CoA metabolic processes were significantly up-regulated in the 6C+4CP group compared with the 10C group . Enrichment analysis of the up-regulated gene set using KEGG annotation indicated that expressions of genes involved in biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, PPAR signalling pathway and fatty acid metabolism were significantly up-regulated in the 6C+4CP group . Notably, PPAR, one of the subtypes of PPAR, was up-regulated by CP ingestion. The significantly up-regulated genes related to the PPAR signalling pathway are summarised in Fig. 2. Among the up-regulated PPAR target genes involved in lipid metabolism were genes related to lipogenesis malic enzyme 1, NADP+-dependent, cytosolic , stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 , fatty acid desaturase 2 , fatty acid -oxidation , enoyl-CoA, hydratase/3-hydroxyacyl CoA dehydrogenase , acetyl-CoA acyltransferase 1A , cytochrome P450, family 4, subfamily a, polypeptide 10 , Cyp4a14) and fatty acid transport acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 1 .

Table 3 A list of biological process Gene Ontology terms and their component genes significantly up-regulated by collagen peptide ingestion

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If You Add Collagen To Your Hot Coffee It Probably Won’t Do Much For Your Body

It’s fairly common to stir collagen powder into a morning cup of coffee, but research shows that this definitely isn’t the most effective way to supplement. While collagen powder absorbs more easily into warm liquid than cold liquid, hot temperatures may also break down the collagen and negate its potential benefits.

Rresearcher and microbiologist Brooke Russell told The Conversation, “Collagen falls apart at temperatures above body temperature, turning it into plain gelatin yes, the stuff in Jell-O. At these higher temperatures when added to hot coffee, for example collagen’s molecular structure melts, diminishing or even negating the desired health benefits.”

Instead of melting collagen into coffee or drinking hot bone broth, Russell suggests taking a refrigerated liquid collagen supplement or mixing collagen powder into a cold beverage. She also recommends buying collagen that has been tested by a credible third-party lab like the U.S. Pharmacopeia . The Food and Drug Administration doesn’t regulate supplements so without a third-party certification, there’s really no way to know whether a supplement actually contains what’s on the label.

Vitamin D Supplementation And Blood Pressure Levels

Figures 2 and 3 present the forest plots for effect of vitamin D supplementation on SBP and DPB across the included 27 trials. Overall, vitamin D supplementation did not have a significant effect on SBP reduction , with evidence of low heterogeneity . There was also no significant reduction in DBP after intervention, and the WMD was 0.19 mm Hg , without evidence of significant heterogeneity .

Figure 2.Meta-analysis of effect of vitamin D supplementation on systolic blood pressure, update meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of the effect of vitamin D on blood pressure in the general population. Abbreviations: CI, confidence interval WMD, weighted mean difference.

Figure 3.Meta-analysis of effect of vitamin D supplementation on diastolic blood pressure, update meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of the effect of vitamin D on blood pressure in the general population. Abbreviation: WMD, weighted mean difference.

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May Relieve Joint Pain

Collagen helps maintain the integrity of your cartilage, the rubber-like tissue that protects your joints.

As the amount of collagen in your body decreases with age, your risk of degenerative joint disorders such as osteoarthritis increases .

Some studies suggest that collagen supplements may help improve symptoms of osteoarthritis and reduce overall joint pain .

A review of five studies in more than 500 people with osteoarthritis found that taking about 10 grams of collagen daily for an average of 24 weeks led to significant improvements in joint stiffness and self-reported joint pain .

Researchers have theorized that supplemental collagen may accumulate in cartilage and stimulate your tissues to make collagen. In turn, this may lead to lower inflammation, better joint support, and reduced pain.

If you want to try collagen supplements for potential pain-relieving effects, most research suggests that youll see an effect with 10 grams per day (

How To Take Collagen Supplements Safely

Always follow the manufacturers recommended dosing on your collagen supplement.

Oral collagen doses ranging from 2.5 grams to 10 grams per day for up to 24 weeks were found to be generally safe with no adverse effects according to a January 2019 review in the Journal of Drugs and Dermatology.

If youre considering adding a collagen supplement to your routine, the safest choice is to check with your doctor first. This is especially true if you have any current medical conditions, take medications or are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Can Too Much Collagen Be Harmful?

Because theres no Tolerable Upper Intake Level for collagen established by the Institute of Medicine, its impossible to say how much collagen you could take before experiencing harmful effects.

Most research has found no adverse effects when taking between 2.5 to 10 grams of collagen daily.

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What Is The Best Collagen For Sagging Skin

Healthlines picks of the best collagen supplements for better skin

• Vital Proteins Beauty Collagen. SHOP NOW AT Amazon.
• Garden of Life Grass-Fed Collagen Beauty. SHOP NOW AT Amazon.
• Sports Research Collagen Peptides. SHOP NOW AT Amazon.
• Further Food Collagen Peptides. SHOP NOW AT Amazon.
• Dr.

Caffeinated Foods / Beverages

The research around caffeine is a little less definitive since a study released at the start of 2016 found no relationship between caffeine consumption and palpitations. However, those results dont change the fact that caffeine revs up your sympathetic nervous system and spikes your levels of stress hormones , raising your blood pressure and increasing your heart rate. Caffeine also acts as a diuretic, which can wash away your potassium and magnesium stores, creating an electrolyte imbalance that disrupts the heart rhythm.

In my experience, placing extra stress on the heartas caffeine doescan aggravate existing arrhythmias or cause new ones. One of the reasons beta blockers are prescribed to heart attack patients is that they help control heart rate and prevent sudden changes in heart rate and rhythm by blunting the effect of the stress hormone adrenaline.

For those of you with healthy hearts, your daily dose of coffee, tea, or chocolate probably wont cause any harm. Beware, though, of caffeine-containing energy drinks, which are particularly popular with young people. These drinks, which combine caffeine with large amounts of sugar, have been linked with heart palpitations, arrhythmia, heart attack, and sudden cardiac death in adolescents and young adults.

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The Role Of Collagen In Heart Health

Besides protecting against the spread of cancer, collagen also supports heart health. In fact, according to Linus Pauling, one of the most influential chemists of the 20th century, a shortage of collagen contributes to heart disease, but adequate doses of vitamin C, which promotes collagen production, can help prevent its onset.

That said, its important to note that too much collagen can raise the risk of heart disease. In one study, researchers found that excessive amounts of collagen end up forming a cement-like mesh around the arteries and blood vessels, which results in poor blood circulation.

Over time, these encased arteries make it difficult for the heart muscles to contract, increasing the risk of heart failure and organ damage due to high blood pressure.

Therefore, maintaining healthy collagen levels is crucial for preventing heart failure and other complications that arise due to high blood pressure.

Collagen is essential for heart health and cancer prevention. To help your body create collagen, eat a balanced diet that contains protein-rich foods like beef, chicken, fish, beans and eggs. You can also increase your consumption of vitamin C-rich foods or take supplements to boost your heart health.

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Know The Risk Factors For Heart Disease

Heart disease can affect anyone. But if youre experiencing one or more of the symptoms above, you should take the time to learn whether you have certain risk factors that make you more likely to develop heart trouble. Here are a few risk factors to consider:

• High blood pressure , high cholesterol and smoking are all associated with heart disease. Almost half of all Americans have at least one of these risk factors.
• High stress levels, excessive alcohol use, not exercising regularly, and eating too much fat, salt or sugar all put extra strain on your heart.
• Some people have a family history of heart disease, so they may be at higher risk of developing heart problems themselves.

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What Is Ldl Cholesterol

LDL is what a lot of traditional doctors call bad cholesterol. Ironically, LDL isnt even cholesterol. Its a big container that carries valuable fat-based compounds throughout your blood. Cholesterol is only one of many passengers in LDL, and if youre in good shape, it rarely leaves the boat.

LDL mostly exists to carry fat-based energy to your cells. No surprise, then, that LDL goes up when youre on a high-fat diet. You actually want more LDL you have more fatty acids to carry through your bloodstream and deliver to your cells for fuel, and you need LDL to do it. And if youre in good shape and dont need constant cellular repair, the leftover cholesterol gets packaged into high-density lipoprotein particles and sent to your liver to make sex hormones .

Thats the genius of the human body, Feldman says. It has a kind of FedEx for all the elements needed by the cells. And most of what isnt used gets recycled by the liver for many other possibilities, such as hormone or bile salt production.

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