Think of collagen and you no doubt think of your face and skincare regime. Whilst collagen is a big part of getting the glow and taking you one step closer to flourishing hair, radiant skin and resilient nails - collagen actually goes so much further. It has all-over body benefits and its best-kept secret? Alongside getting the skin you’ve always dreamed of, collagen is also a secret weapon in the fight against leaky gut.

What is leaky gut?

Our digestive system has outer walls that act as barriers to the rest of the body - keeping certain toxins, harmful substances, food particles and other substances out of the bloodstream and away from the rest of the body.

These walls are very thin, however, and when we ingest certain foods that our bodies were not designed to process, these cell membranes can become ruptured, broken, and damaged - meaning that gaps appear in the digestive wall and substances from within the digestive system start to migrate into the body, where they are not meant to be. When this happens, the body often turns on an inflammatory response because it perceives these as foreign invaders.

And anything that triggers inflammation? We are not a fan.

What damages this lining?

All kinds of things can damage this thin lining of the gut, but particularly products we ingest that contain:

And more.

How does leaky gut show up?

An autoimmune response or leaky gut will show up differently for everyone, but some of the most common symptoms of a leaky gut and digestive system include:

Understanding what is going on in our guts can help us to understand exactly what we can do to help our body heal, function better and move closer to optimum health.

The good news?

Collagen can help.

But, how? 

Collagen is a key player in building and maintaining connective tissues all over the body - including all of the connective tissue that makes up your entire digestive system.

The two major ways that collagen can assist with healing your digestive tract are by:

On top of that, it is believed that the amino acids in collagen can help:

So, do I need to take collagen?

Our body produces collagen naturally without needing to take supplements, but as we age (particularly into our 20s and beyond) our natural stores of collagen start decreasing. As this ageing process continues, collagen creation drops further until around the 60-year mark, we stop producing it totally. Scary - not only for ageing but also now we understand its other healing benefits.

In short? As we age, we need to incorporate a conscious, high quality, well sourced supply of collagen into our wellness regime - from both collagen-rich foods but also from a high-quality collagen supplement.

How can Holi(Mane) help?

It can help not only with your skin, hair and nails - but also with helping you to heal your digestive tract.

Our Holi(Mane) product is packed with marine collagen - a highly bioavailable type 1 collagen that is far superior to other forms of collagen on the market. The type of collagen you choose is really important - and type 1 collagen is the most abundant source of collagen found in the human body - so we will help you avoid supplementing with a product that really isn’t packing a punch.  

Marine collagen is also absorbed up to 1.5 times more efficiently than other types of collagen, its rich in 8 out of 9 essential amino acids, including glycine and proline, which are two of the fundamental amino acids required for the body to create collagen but, perhaps even more importantly, Holi(Mane) incorporates a top-quality source of glutamine - fundamental for strengthening the gut lining.

Collagen is a critical player in us helping our gut and body do what it knows best - repair and Holi(Mane) will help you avoid the guesswork and self supplementation.

Head here to get yours.

***THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED OR REGULATED BY THE FDA.  WE ARE NOT DOCTORS, THEREFORE ALWAYS CONSULT WITH YOUR DOCTOR FIRST.

 By Louise Rumball / @iamlouiserumball