Let’s get down to brass tacks about collagen – it’s basically the glue holding us together, giving our skin its bounce, bones their toughness, and joints their groove. Notice how things start to feel a bit more… crinkly with age? That’s our body’s collagen production deciding to take more chill breaks. Varani’s squad (2006) pointed out this collagen production slowdown is behind the curtain of aging signs. Here’s the rundown on keeping the collagen party going: Vitamin C is the boss here, not just good for dodging colds but essential for calling the shots in collagen making (thanks to Peterkofsky, 1991 for the insight). Zinc is like the wellness coach for collagen, keeping the repair work smooth and steady (big shoutout to Lin et al., 2017). Copper plays the behind-the-scenes hero, ensuring our skin and bones are tough enough to bounce back (props to Rucker et al., 1998). And Protein? It’s the building block, laying down the amino acids, particular high in glycine and proline needed for top-notch collagen (Wolfe, 2015 reminds us why it’s key). So, yeah, time might try to slow us down, but with the right fuel, we can keep the body’s collagen jam session alive. It’s less about chasing youth and more about rocking what you’ve got, powered by the best nutrients out there. References: Varani, J., et al. (2006). Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 126(5), 1051–1059. Peterkofsky, B. (1991). The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 54(6 Suppl), 1135S-1140S. Lin, P. H., et al. (2017). Wound Repair and Regeneration, 26(1), 7–18. Rucker, R. B., et al. (1998). The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 67(5), 996S–1002S. Wolfe, R. R. (2015). Nutrition Reviews, 73(suppl_1), 41–47