3 Weird Ways Spring Messes with You

Out with dry skin and chapped lips and in with sunny warmth on our cheeks. Spring is in the air and we are ready!

Most of us can recall many health boosts that the long-awaited season of fresh starts brings, such as a surge in energy and happier mood. These noticeable shifts are caused by hormonal responses to the change in season. But not all changes are positive. In fact, there’s a dark side of spring that we don’t know about.

While we’re celebrating the arrival of brighter mornings and bearable temperatures, springtime can run amok on skin, joints and the respiratory and immune systems in ways that scientists don’t fully understand.

Here are 3 surprising ways in which spring’s gone wild on your body and health – and an easy daily habit that helps restore balance:

Collagen is the plumping protein that gives skin strength and shape, helping it to resist wrinkling and sagging. As an abundant structural protein, it’s also key to healthy joints, bones, tendons and ligaments.

While aging is often made out to be public enemy #1, environmental factors are one of the leading causes of collagen breakdown. And pollen is one of them.

Skin is your largest organ and its main job is to keep invaders – like pollen – out. The sticky yellow dust that airborne pollinators find intoxicating can disturb production of collagen, without which your skin cannot renew and repair itself.

Pollen can enter your body through inhalation, hair follicles or skin’s moisture barrier made fragile by winter dryness. This leads to inflammation that, over time, can inhibit collagen synthesis.

2. Tricks your body into declaring war on you

Once again, pollen is the instigator that picks fights with your skin and respiratory system by making you think you’re under attack. While spring flowers and blooms happily welcome pollen deposits, it’s nothing more than a foreign threat to your body that must be wiped out.

Allergens can cause your immune response to go into overdrive to create an inhospitable environment. Nasal passages and tear ducts activate to escort the menaces out. And skin can react to the contact by becoming irritated and inflamed – a visible sign that your body is under attack.

Springtime is known for wild weather that people swear they can feel in their joints. Changes in temperature, humidity and weather patterns can trigger joint inflammation, stiffness and discomfort, according to the Arthritis Foundation. This is why dry climates draw susceptible individuals searching for relief.

Though hard science can’t definitely explain the reasons why, good research reveals many clues. Temperature fluctuations affect atmospheric pressure, which compresses joints. When barometric pressure falls, it triggers swelling that can lead to achy joints and even headaches.

Humidity is a known aggressor, too. A study published in the Journal of Rheumatology showed that the combination of higher humidity and still-cool temperatures had the worst effect on knee, hand and hip discomfort.

Who knew that nature’s most gentle season could be so unforgiving!

The good news is, there’s a way to tame spring’s wild side and get more of what you want out of the season – like fresh, hydrated skin and a healthy, functional body that’s ready to get outdoors. 

Collagen to the rescue

By now, you’re no stranger to collagen powder supplements supplying the protein that makes up the sturdy, structural matrix of connective tissue found throughout the body.

Collagen peptides are miniature building blocks that your body can absorb and use efficiently, making them the A-list of collagen powders.

Reactivate collagen production

Since collagen formation can suffer in the springtime, proactively nudging the process is vital. By consuming dietary collagen in absorbable peptides form, you stimulate the natural synthesis of collagen you need to repair collagen breakdown and form new tissue.

Plus, you get a 2-in-1 benefit, because this production process also helps to renew elastin – collagen’s stretchy sidekick that’s needed for elasticity.

In fact, elastin is found in the same tissues that contain collagen in a 10:1 collagen to elastin ratio. Together, collagen and elastin support firmness and elasticity. Without them, connective tissue would be slack and flimsy.

Natural moisture gets a lift, too. While moisturizers offer a temporary boost, collagen peptides hydrate and plump from the inside out. Many studies reveal that daily intake of high-quality collagen supplements can reduce dryness and improve moisture.  

Research shows collagen peptides calm your allergy response

Another surprising benefit of taking collagen peptides is its ability to inhibit the body’s inflammatory response to allergies. When taken as a food supplement, collagen peptides were shown to help limit certain antibodies from going into overdrive.^*

And that’s not all. Collagen peptides also help to lubricate joints to boost mobility and comfort. Not only does the enhanced production of collagen help to renew joint tissues, but also fluids that promote help improve cushion and flexibility.

So, while March may come in like a lion, you can make a simple switch to your daily health routine to ensure spring goes out like a lamb.

Get spring-ready with Body Kitchen Collagen + Elastin. Made with clinically studied, grass-fed collagen peptides and French marine elastin peptides in the perfect 10:1 combination found in your body. Boost skin elasticity, support healthy joints and strengthen connective tissue throughout your body. One small scoop a day also packs vitamin C and hyaluronic acid for collagen and elastin production and supple skin and joints.