Collagen

Q: As collagen breaks down as we age, is there any kriya that works on that aspect?

A: Collagen is the “glue” that keeps the connective tissue together and healthy collagen is needed for keeping that ageless face.

Collagen is a protein and is found in all body parts, including the largest organ of the body - the skin – and is made up of three strands of repeating amino acids coils coiling into the unique collagen triple helix.

Various types of collagen are found in the body and are required to build new cellular structures – like skin – and to repair any damage caused.

Types I, III and V are specific collagen types involved in the health of your skin. Together with soft keratin, the collagen and elastin fibers are responsible for the strength and elasticity of the skin. Degradation of the collagen leads to aging and accompanying wrinkles.

During the course of normal aging, various avoidable factors hasten the degradation of collagen.

Sun tanning and sun exposure is one of the main culprits of collagen deterioration in our skin and inflammation also destroys collagen.

Sugar changes the structure of collagen and which causes damage and leads to an aged appearance of the skin.

Large amounts of free radicals – which are formed during normal body functions (oxidation), can also destroy collagen – and here a person can specifically look at pollution and toxins in your environment, fat filled diet as well as cigarette smoking and consuming alcohol.

While on the point of cigarette smoking, it is important to note that the body requires vitamin C in order to make collagen – and without it, many things in your body will deteriorate at a hastened pace. Smoking kills off the ascorbic acid molecule – so if you cannot quit smoking, then maybe look at taking a supplement of vitamin C.

An excellent example of vitamin C shortage and its effect on collagen is the old English sailors that suffered scurvy, a shortage of vitamin C, which resulted first in loose teeth and ultimately death – since collagen could not be formed to keep the body together.

We recommend the Life is in Your Own Glands set and the Hands Like A Teapot on Fat Free Yoga as well as the entire Yoga Beauty Body workout. Weight bearing exercises free up stem cells from the bone marrow and circulate them through the body stimulating collagen production. For that we recommend the Five Tibetan set on Kundalini Yoga for Beginners & Beyond and the Fight Fire w/ Fire segment on Fat Free Yoga. The following products may be helpful, but we cannot substantiate results: Stem Tech and Dr. Vanessa products. Also, Blue Green Manna might be helpful as well.