Can Eating Pig Trotters Really Make You Beautiful? An Analysis of the Beauty Benefits of Pig Trotters

Every time you eat out, someone will point at that plate of pig trotters and eagerly say to the ladies at the table: "Girls should eat more, it's good for beauty." Many people know that pig trotters contain a substance called collagen, but what exactly is collagen, and is it really true, as people say, that eating it can make your skin supple, smooth, firm and elastic? Recently, an article in Taiwan, China's "CommonHealth" magazine answered these questions.

Collagen Can Hold Up the Skin

Young skin looks smooth and plump, soft and elastic. One reason is that two substances exist in the human dermis -- collagen and elastic fibers -- and both remain in their optimal state when a person is young. However, once a person passes about age 25, the rate at which collagen is lost from the body begins to accelerate, with supply unable to keep up with depletion. Add to that ultraviolet radiation and internal oxidation, both of which can damage the structure of collagen and cause it to lose its original elasticity. This is the reason why wrinkles and facial skin sagging appear earlier than they should.

Collagen plays a very important role in human skin. It has good supporting strength, like the steel-rebar framework that holds up skin tissue, making the skin look very plump. In addition, it has a strong ability to absorb moisture from its surroundings; when spread over the skin, it can also prevent moisture from evaporating from the surface, giving it a very notable moisturizing effect.

No Need to Deliberately Eat More Collagen-Rich Foods

Some collagen-rich foods, such as beef tendons, pig trotters, chicken wings, chicken skin, fish skin and cartilage, all contain collagen, and they will certainly help with absorbing and replenishing this substance. But note that most of these foods are also high in fat and are not suitable for frequent consumption.

In fact, most of what makes up collagen is non-essential amino acids, which the human body can synthesize on its own. Experts advise that people do not need to deliberately eat more of these foods; a normal, balanced diet is more important.

Some skincare products claim to contain collagen and say that applying them can "replenish" the collagen lost by the skin, but most dermatologists believe they exaggerate their own effectiveness. Collagen is a large-molecule protein that can barely pass through the skin's surface layer, let alone travel further to the dermis to "replenish" the collagen that has been lost.

How to Slow Down Collagen Loss

Since the existing methods of replenishing collagen, whether applied topically or taken orally, are not very effective, experts believe it is more effective to start with "prevention," that is, slowing down collagen loss and denaturation.

First is sun protection. According to dermatology, more than 90% of premature skin aging is caused by improper sun exposure. Second, maintain a balanced diet, especially eating more fruits and vegetables rich in antioxidants, such as carrots, tomatoes and grapes, and also drink more red wine and tea, which can protect the collagen in the skin.

Finally, do not forget to avoid eating high-fat foods. High-calorie, high-fat foods, especially fried foods, easily produce free radicals and accelerate aging. If you can eat fewer of these foods, you are reducing the chances of your body being harmed by free radicals and the risk of dark spots, wrinkles and so on appearing on your skin.