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Have You Ever Seen A Wrinkled Fish?

When you soak in the tub or swim in the ocean for too long, you end up with wrinkled “prune” fingers. But I bet you’ve never seen a wrinkled fish…

Turns out, they have a skin secret.bathtub

You see, a fish’s skin – as well as their scales – has an incredibly high concentration of Type 1 collagen. This is the most plentiful kind of collagen in human skin as well, making up about 80%.1

You already know that collagen forms a network that supports your skin’s underlying foundation. It keeps your skin strong, firm, and resilient.

When you’re young, your body makes all the collagen you need to keep your skin free from sagging. But levels start to drop off sharply in your 20s.

By 80, you only have one-quarter of the collagen you were born with.2

Dermatologists will tell you that to “apply more collagen to your skin.”

And today, there are hundreds of skin products available that promise to do this. But these topical creams never live up to their claims.

They can’t…

Collagen molecules are simply too big to be absorbed naturally through your skin!

And no matter how much you put on your skin, it won’t get to where it’s needed… deep inside your inner dermal skin layer where collagen forms. You see, collagen can’t control the structural integrity of your skin without a group of special cells known as dermal fibroblasts.

These fibroblasts control the production of collagen and other proteins your body needs to maintain youthful skin. But when fibroblast function is damaged or slows down with age, so does the amount of collagen you have…

And that’s what leads to accelerated skin aging.

But fibroblasts never actually lose their ability to produce collagen. The breakdown that comes with aging simply impairs it. When you feed your fibroblasts the nutrients they need, they’ll produce healthy collagen into old age.

I recommend you boost your body’s production with an oral collagen supplement that can lift sagging skin and smooth away wrinkles.

The research backs it up… In a recent double-blind blind study, 60 women aged 46-69 took 5 grams of a marine collagens or a placebo daily for eight weeks.

The women who took the marine collagens reported…

  • Significant improvements in skin firmness
  • Significant decrease in crow’s feet wrinkle

And 80% of those taking the marine collagen found it effectively treated signs of skin aging compared to just 36% of women taking the placebo.3

And another study revealed after just 12 weeks of regular oral collagen supplementation there was a 13% reduction in wrinkles and fine lines among female participants.4

I’m a big believer in getting collagen naturally from fish bones… More on this in a moment. First let me explain why marine collagen is so beneficial.

Natural, fish-derived collagen is one of the best ways you can get rid of wrinkles and restore suppleness to aging skin.

Marine collagen is also the best source for the hydroxyproline amino acid that supports healthy connective tissue development within the framework of your layers of skin.

And unlike the collagen used in topical creams, marine collage is actually made up of much smaller peptide molecules that are proven to be both bioavailable and completely absorbable by your body.

You can supplement with marine collagen. To avoid common toxins found in ocean animals, look for a product that comes from deep sea fish.

I also recommend choosing a product that is naturally broken down into easily absorbed peptides – without harsh chemicals or acids. Not only is this safer, it allows the peptides to be absorbed directly by your bloodstream. This helps it penetrate your dermis more effectively.

Easy, Tasty Fish Bone Broth

But I love the taste of fish bone broth. This is a recipe I use at home…

Ingredients:

Makes 8 servings

  • 5 pounds fresh fish carcasses from meaty fish like cod,  halibut, sole, or sea bass. (Don’t use oily fish like salmon. It’ll turn rancid when cooking.)
  • 2 fish heads (gills removed)
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 celery ribs and leaves, chopped
  • 2 medium onions, diced
  • 2 carrots, scrubbed and chopped
  • Filtered water to cover the bones
    in the pot
  • 1 cup dry white wine (optional)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 teaspoons peppercorns
  • 4 stems fresh parsley

Directions:

  1. Cook celery, onions, and carrots in butter over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes. Add fish carcasses, fish heads, herbs, and peppercorns. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes more to release the flavors.
  2. Add water and wine to cover the mixture. Bring to a simmer then remove the scum from the surface.
  3. Simmer 45-60 minutes.
  4. Strain the broth into glass jars.
  5. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Freeze what you don’t use.

To Your Good Health,

Al Sears, MD, CNS

References:

  1. Chai H, et al. “Effects of sizes and conformations of fish-scale collagen peptides on facial skin qualities and transdermal penetration efficiency.” J Biomed Biotech. 2010;2010:757301
  2. Fisher, Gary J. et. al. “Looking Older: Fibroblast Collapse and Therapeutic Implications.” Archives of Dermatology, Vol.144 (No.5), May 2008.
  3. Duteil L, et al.  “Specific natural bioactive type 1collagen peptides oral intake reverse skin aging signs in women.”  J Aging Res. https://www.jarlife.net/2889-specific-natural-bioactive-type-1-collagen-peptides-oral-intake-reverse-skin-aging-signs-in-mature-women.html
  4. Schwartz S and Park J. “Ingestion of BioCell Collagen®, a novel hydrolyzed  sternal cartilage extract; enhanced blood microcirculation and reduced facial aging signs.” Clin Interv Aging. 2012; 7: 267–273.