Japanese eat collagen in attempt to stay young
Japanese eat collagen in attempt to stay young
Japan's ageing population is trying to eat itself young with the latest trend in wrinkle reduction: dining on collagen.
From winter hot pots and pigs trotters to
sweets, jams and noodles, Japanese women are embracing a raft of new
foods and menus which are promoted as being rich in collagen.
Across
the country, a growing number of "beauty" restaurants are specifically
devoted to serving collagen hot pots in which clear chunks of the
translucent tasteless protein are melted into a medley of vegetables,
meat or fish.
Dishes which are
naturally rich in collagen such as pigs trotters, shark fin and chicken
skin have also soared in popularity and are appearing on menus in
restaurants as anti-ageing specials.
Meanwhile,
supermarket shelves and convenience store shelves are piled high
collagen-rich food products, including noodles, sweets and supplements.
Sales
of collagen hot pots - known as "nabe" at 7,300 outlets of the
convenience store chain Family Mart have also sold more than double
their initial target since going on sale last November, according to
reports.
But the craze has been cast into the spotlight by scientists who claim eating collagen has no discernible anti-ageing benefits.
Among those dispelling the beauty myth is Kuniko Takahashi, a nutrition scientist at Gunma University, who has claimed that eating collagen is no more effective an anti-ageing method than consuming any other protein-rich food.
"Good protein contains sufficient amounts of all kinds of essential amino acids, and most animal protein falls into this category," said Professor Takahashi in her latest book "Tabemono Joho Uso Honto" [Truth and Falsehood of Food Information]. "Collagen is no better than average as a protein."
Japan is renowned for its insatiable appetite for quirky and extreme beauty fads.
Last year the nation embraced the banana diet, resulting in supermarkets across the country selling out of the fruit at the peak of its popularity.
Sales of natto pungent fermented soybeans also boomed amid widespread media reports that its consumption led to weight loss, despite scientists later disproving the theory.
Refer : http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/4220187/Japanese-eat-collagen-in-attempt-to-stay-young.html
Among those dispelling the beauty myth is Kuniko Takahashi, a nutrition scientist at Gunma University, who has claimed that eating collagen is no more effective an anti-ageing method than consuming any other protein-rich food.
"Good protein contains sufficient amounts of all kinds of essential amino acids, and most animal protein falls into this category," said Professor Takahashi in her latest book "Tabemono Joho Uso Honto" [Truth and Falsehood of Food Information]. "Collagen is no better than average as a protein."
Japan is renowned for its insatiable appetite for quirky and extreme beauty fads.
Last year the nation embraced the banana diet, resulting in supermarkets across the country selling out of the fruit at the peak of its popularity.
Sales of natto pungent fermented soybeans also boomed amid widespread media reports that its consumption led to weight loss, despite scientists later disproving the theory.
Refer : http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/4220187/Japanese-eat-collagen-in-attempt-to-stay-young.html
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