Collagen is a protein made up of long chains of linked amino acids. You can think of it as the "glue" that holds all these things together. In fact, the word comes from the Greek word "kólla," which means glue. Collagen is a foundation building block, providing strength and structure for our connective tissues - which means it’s essential for the function of skin, blood vessels, muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, and the digestive system. It made up 70% of our skin and 90% of both our connective issue and organic bone mass.  Sadly, our body’s natural collagen production peaks in our early twenties and slowly declines as we age, by about 1.5% per year. The good news is that consuming collagen has been found to curb this natural decline, so we don’t need to accept joint stiffness, skin changes, and digestive issues as the natural results of an aging body. By consuming collagen supplements, we can regenerate, repair and strengthen the connective tissue.