One of the first reasons that people turn to collagen is its ability to improve the look and feel of your hair, skin and nails. Because collagen is a support protein, it works to keep your skin lifted, firm and smooth, while boosting hair volume and shine and strengthening your nails.

Collagen also delivers rich levels of amino acids that support joint health and mobility. As collagen production goes down with age, your joints can become stiff and irritated. By adding collagen to your daily supplement regimen, you’re basically greasing the wheels of your joints to allow them to move with ease again.

Collagen is also the perfect way to support a healthy weight. One of the amino acids that the protein delivers, known as glycine, helps promote healthy muscle tissue, which burns more calories than fat. This provides a natural boost for your metabolism, helping you burn off extra pounds more efficiently.

Collagen is also necessary to maintain the health of your gut. That’s because collagen delivers the building blocks that help form the tiny folds that line the wall of your gut, called villi. Taking collagen works to boost cellular health and even promote the growth of healthy tissue throughout your digestive tract.

Because collagen keeps your gut healthy, it also has the power to strengthen your immune system. After all, the majority of your immunity starts in your digestive tract. So if you want the kind of reved up immune system that’s capable of keeping you healthy, it’s important to give your gut the support it needs to stay healthy.

Collagen is also found around all of your blood vessels, keeping them strong and protecting your heart health. But as collagen production decreases, so does that protection. That’s why collagen can play a powerful role in promoting heart and blood vessel health.