In winter, when the weather is cold and humid, human skin and joints are more prone to dryness, aging and pain. Collagen – an important protein that makes up the skin, cartilage, tendons and ligaments – therefore needs to be supplemented more reasonably.
Among familiar food sources, chicken and pork skin are two collagen-rich ingredients, easy to find and suitable for use in winter if you know how to process and consume them properly.
First of all, chicken and pig skin contains high levels of natural collagen, especially type I and III collagen, which plays a role in maintaining skin elasticity and joint flexibility. When it's cold, blood circulation slows down, and the body's ability to self-synthesize collagen also decreases.
Supplementing collagen from foods helps support tissue regeneration, limiting dry skin, cracks and joint pain common in winter.
However, how to process chicken and pork skin greatly determines the effectiveness and safety for health. The most suitable method is stewing, simmering or slow cooking for a long time. This process helps collagen convert into gelatin, which is easier to absorb for the body. Dishes such as stewed pork legs, frozen pork skin, chicken skin soup not only keep warm but also provide the necessary energy on cold days.
In addition, it is necessary to combine chicken and pig skin with foods rich in vitamin C such as carrots, cabbage, broccoli or oranges, tangerines after meals. Vitamin C plays an important role in helping the body synthesize and use collagen more effectively. When adding ginger, onions, pepper to dishes, it both helps deodorize and has the effect of warming the body and supporting digestion in winter.
Although rich in collagen, chicken and pig skin also contains a lot of fat. Therefore, you should not eat it too often or process it by frying it with a lot of grease, which can easily cause weight gain and blood fat disorders. People with cardiovascular disease and high blood fat need to pay special attention to the dosage.
Supplementing collagen from chicken and pig skin in winter is a natural, economical and effective solution if used properly.
Combining healthy cooking, eating regularly and balancing nutrition will help the body be healthy, smooth skin, and more flexible joints in cold weather.
