Elastin

Figure 1. The chemical structure of Elastin.

Elastin is a protein that is highly elastic and found in connective tissues. Elastin is what enables tissues in the body, such as skin and ligaments, to return to their original shape after stretching or contracting. Elastin is also an important load-bearing tissue in the body of vertebrates and used in places such as joints where mechanical energy is stored. Compared to Collagen, Elastin is roughly 1000 times more elastic.

Elastin serves an important function in arteries to help blood flow. It is particularly abundant in large elastic blood vessels such as the aorta. Elastin is also very important in the lungs, elastic ligaments, elastic cartilage, the skin, and the bladder. Thankfully, Elastin is a relatively long-lived protein with a half-life of over 78 years in humans, so there should be sufficient Elastin produced by the body in an average adult human.

Many foods can help increase the production of Elastin in the body including leafy greens, citrus fruits, berries, fatty fish and nuts.