Will keratin become the new collagen over the next few years?
Well, keratin is another protein just like collagen and elastin.
It’s also a critical structural component in your hair, skin, and nails.
Photo: Getty Images / Holger Scheibe
And like collagen and elastin, our bodies make less keratin as we get older.
(Can you hear me groaning?)
So, what is keratin?
Keratin isn’t just one proteinit’sa mixture of different amino acids.
And there are various types of keratin (mm-hmm, just like collagen again).
You’ll find keratin inand it’s extracted fromanimal horns, hooves, wool, and feathers.
What Happens When We Don’t Have Enough Keratin?
Your body makes the keratin it needs from protein in your diet.
Plus, vitamins likebiotinandvitamin Aplay a role in keratin production, too.
Another side effect is thinning hair.
Your skin may appear more dull, drier, and even older-looking.
But before you lean into supplements, look at your diet.
More research is needed to support these findings and supplement effectiveness.
Health Benefits of Keratin
That said, the potential benefits to supplementing with keratin show promise.
More specifically, half of the keratin supplement group had no broken nails at the start of the study.
The results for smooth nails were fairly similar with the supplement group improving significantly.
Researchers concluded that the keratin-filled products hydrated hair and sealed hair cuticles.
Keratin can be quite difficult to digesteven the acid in your stomach can’t break it down.
Remember it’s found in animal hooves, feathers, and wool.
You may also want to consider pairing your keratin supplement with some biotin to support keratin production.
