Our human bodies are made up of stuff called “tissue”, which comes in four types. Neural tissue electrifies and provides the spark that allows us to move and act. Our covering of skin and the surface of organs is called epithelial tissue. Muscle tissue provides the leverage that propels the body. The remainder is called connective tissue or CT, which links all the cells, organs and other components of our body together.
While aging involves the degeneration of all four tissues, it’s the connective tissue deterioration that accounts for its most obvious and dramatic signs, including weakened blood vessels, joint disease, blood clotting, strokes, osteoporosis, ruptures, hernias, prolapses and perhaps most distressing of all, wrinkles, fine lines and thinning skin.
One of the best ways to slow down and perhaps even reverse the manifestations of connective tissue aging is to take advantage of physical exercise, especially resistance training, with weight-bearing workouts including stairs, hiking and low-impact aerobics.
For skin, topical application of alpha hydroxy acids provides exercise-like benefits for facial as well as body connective tissue that underlies and supports our largest organ.
Diet and nutritional supplements can help too. Eggs, bone broth and seaweed are important, citrus fruits as well. You can’t make CT without vitamin C, which is also available in supplements. Essential fatty acids turn on connective tissue building genetics, likewise glucosamine, hyaluronic acid, zinc, copper, silicon and boron are CT cofactors. It’s a good idea to ingest connective tissue directly in the form of collagen peptides, hydrolyzed collagen and gelatin powder.
