If like me, you have started to creak when you go upstairs, then you'll understand that looking after your joints is important.

Collagen supplements can be used to strengthen joints and to assist with recovery after injury. They can also be taken every day to maintain healthy joints and cartilage. Collagen can also help you to stay looking young and healthy.

Whether your reason for taking collagen is to keep your bones strong or because you want to shave a few years off your actual age, the benefits are clear.

Collagen is the most important building block in your body. It is the most common protein found in the body making up roughly 1/3 of all proteins. Collagen is found in your skin - making up 75% of it - and is also present in tendons, tissue, cartilage, bone and ligaments.

The benefits of collagen supplements

• Collagen helps to keep hair firm and in good condition without split ends

• Cuts and wounds heal quicker

• Nails are stronger with collagen supplements

• Healthy brain tissue

• Happy heart

Collagen supplements will help your body to maintain its collagen levels, which is essential for growth, development and the rebuild of damaged cells.

If you suffer from joint pain, like arthritis or osteoarthritis, then collagen supplements can help to reduce the pain by aiding mobility. This is especially important to know, considering that a lot of the prescribed drugs used to treat arthritis and osteoarthritis often have negative side effects affecting the blood, liver and kidney.

Something that a lot of women complain about is cellulite. This presents itself as dimpled skin that looks a lot like 'orange peel'. This is when collagen fibres have broken down and fatty tissue pushes up through the gaps. Collagen supplements will help to rebuild and restore the holes in the fibres from the inside, helping to irradiate cellulite.

Collagen naturally occurs in your body, but that is not to say that you body doesn't need a helping hand. The food that we eat these days does not give us the nutrition that we need, so we need to supplement our diets to stay fitter and healthier for longer.

As we get older our bodies also slow down and so does the production of collagen. If you are over 25, then you should consider taking collagen supplements. The benefits will become apparent quickly and your body will thank you by glowing with health and vitality.