Sally Olivia Kim - The Collagen Glow: A Guide to Ingestible Skincare

This volume is intended for use by healthy adults as a general information resource only. It is not a substitute for medical advice. Readers who are pregnant, nursing, or considering pregnancy, and readers who have been diagnosed with, or suspect they may have, any medical or psychological condition, should consult a licensed physician or other professional healthcare provider before introducing collagen to their diets.

Do not give collagen to infants or children. Do not use collagen to prevent or treat illness. Read manufacturers labels carefully and avoid any product that contains ingredients to which you may be allergic or sensitive. The author and the publisher specifically disclaim responsibility for any adverse effects or consequences resulting from the use of this volume.

The Collagen Glow reflects the authors personal research and experience. Neither the author nor the publisher is engaged in rendering medical or other professional advice, and neither makes any representation or warranty with respect to the accuracy, completeness, or fitness for any particular purpose of the information herein. Specific results mentioned in this book not be typical.

Web addresses, if any, included in this book reflect links existing as of the date of first publication. The publisher is not responsible for the content of any website, blog, or information page other than its own.

Dedicated to my familiy, and our North Star, my grandmother

I wrote this book because I truly believe that taking collagen has totally rejuvenated my skin and made me feel better all around. But not surprisingly, there are disagreements among doctors and others about the benefits and risks of ingesting collagen. Not everyone thinks it will have any effect, some caution about overdoing it, and others say it has some risks. Also, I cant promise that collagen will do for you what I think it has done for me: I dont know how old you are, what your skin looks like, what your regular diet is, or what kind of lifestyle you have; and I dont know whether you have any genetic or medical conditions or allergies that would make ingesting collagen inadvisable for you. So:

Consult your doctor before you start to take collagen, especially if you are pregnant or nursing, or if you suffer from any allergy or other medical condition, and especially if you are taking any medication.

Check the ingredients of whatever collagen powder you are considering using. The FDA doesnt regulate collagen supplements. Some collagen comes from shellfish, and many collagen powders contain eggs, to which some people are allergic.

Check with your doctor before you start to include any new fruit, vegetable, or any other ingredient from my recipes as a regular part of your diet. Some foods carry risks for some people. For example, goji berries, which I use in one of my collagen shakes, can negatively interact with warfarin and diabetes drugs; and, even though, like most Koreans, Ive been eating kimchi all my life, there is a dispute about whether kimchi causes stomach cancer. Even seemingly ordinary foods like pomegranates may be problematic for some people!

Definitely consult your doctor if you have begun to ingest collagen regularly and you dont feel well. While there may be absolutely no connection, better to be safe than sorry.

When I was asked to write the foreword to Sally Kims book, The Collagen Glow, I was thrilled for many reasons. Most important, Sally shares my belief that nutrition is the key to health. I am in my late forties now and I certainly have observed through experience and my own research that nutrition is key to health and beauty. In fact, I am probably one of the first dermatologists to talk to my fellow doctors and patients about nutrition and supplements because as we know we can effectively apply antioxidants, botanicals, and vitamins on our skin topically, and we can also provide our skin with the building blocks it needs by ingesting key ingredients through our diet and proper supplementation.

My interest in supplementation started with my husbands health journey and recovery from a brain tumor. His tumor was treated with chemotherapy but the experience sparked a passion for brain health and how to approach it holistically. We put our Stanford MD brains together, used our biochemistry and molecular biophysics education, and did our research on essential ingredients for brain health. In the process, we became believers that food has to be thought of as a means to deliver the parts and pieces, the biomolecules that are necessary for protein synthesis, energy production for maintenance, repair, and regeneration.

I believe there is absolutely something to be said about Sallys being Korean. My husband is Korean American and truthfully, one of the qualities I loved about him from the beginning was his beautiful skin! And as Sally explains, her grandmothers recipes for beauty truly involved recipes for food! Koreans (just like my fellow Filipinos and other Asian cultures) incorporate varying and rich sources of collagen in their native dishes, which were historically born out of necessity and poverty. Most Korean soup bases are broths made from boiling bones and marrow for hourswithout the cooks usually thinking about the fact that these are all great sources of collagen. I believe that years of regular ingestion of collagen-rich foods, such as these, naturally increase the levels of biopeptides and amino acids that circulate in the bloodstream and, just like in the studies, end up concentrated in the dermis for days after eating the meal! So no wonder Sally found her grandmothers recipes healing not only in a spiritual sense but also on a biochemical and biomolecular level. She uses her culture and background to highlight the intrinsic beauty and skin benefits of a Korean diet. Not all of us have grandmas who can cook these amazing soups and dishes for us, but with todays technology, we can all have access to ingestible collagen, ingestible precursors to essential components to our skins health and beauty. Throughout her book, Sally shows us an innovative, modern, and unconventional way to achieve our best! Who doesnt love food, recipes, and cookbooks?

The skin is the largest organ of the body, and as a dermatologist I am fully aware that it also has the most psychological impact to our overall well-being. Our skin is made up of the epidermis: the outermost layer; and the dermis: the innermost layer. Although what our eyes see is the epidermis, the dermis is where it all begins. Collagen plays a huge role in the health of this crucial layer. The structure of the dermis, the collagen, must be maintained so as to provide the proper structural support to the epidermis and allow the skin to function normally and appear healthy and youthful.