Collagen is one of the trendiest supplements of the day. It’s become a popular addition to smoothies, coffee, and skin care products. Fans and influencers swear by its health and beauty benefits. And while the science on these benefits is still emerging, early studies look promising, particularly for skin and joints. But many people have questions about just what collagen does in the body, how collagen is made, and how it should be taken for best results. If you’ve got questions about collagen, we’ve got answers. Let’s start with the basics.
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Q: What is collagen?
A: Collagen is a structural protein that’s found naturally in the connective tissues of your body. The word collagen comes from the Greek word “kólla,” which means glue, and that’s pretty much what collagen does: it’s the glue holding your body together. Its strong fibers make up a key component of your skin, hair, nails, tendons, bones, joint cartilage, blood vessels, and gut lining, helping to keep these tissues pliable and resilient.
Q: If it’s already in my body, why take it as a supplement?
A: Our bodies produce less collagen as we age. This starts in our 20s, but accelerates in our 40s. Women can lose as much as 30% of their collagen in the first 5 years of menopause.1 Smoking and sun exposure also increase collagen loss. As a result, our skin loses its elasticity and tautness and our bones, joints, and muscles weaken. In other words, some of the most obvious signs of aging are linked to collagen loss.
Q: How do collagen supplements work?
A: Whole collagen protein molecules are large, making them difficult to absorb into the body when ingested. That’s why most collagen supplements and powders use hydrolyzed collagen, or collagen peptides. These peptides are smaller collagen molecules that have been broken into tiny snippets through hydrolysis. The theory is that collagen peptides are small enough to make it through the digestive system and be absorbed into the bloodstream, where they provide the building blocks for the body to produce more collagen.
Q: What’s the evidence for collagen supplements?
A: While research is still limited, early evidence suggests that oral collagen supplements can improve skin appearance and health.2 A recent review of eight clinical studies concluded that collagen supplements have “promising short- and long-term benefits" for skin aging and healing.3 Clinical studies have shown positive results for skin elasticity,4,5 hydration, and smoothness.6,7,8 Preliminary evidence also suggests collagen may have benefits for joint comfort and exercise recovery.9,10,11,12,13,14,15
Q: Which collagen is best for skin, oral supplements or topical skin products?
A: There’s no good evidence that collagen can actually be absorbed through the skin. Most researchers think the molecules are just too big to penetrate the skin’s layers. Research suggests you’ll have better luck building collagen from the inside out.
Q: Will collagen help with hair loss or thinning?
A: We don’t have proof that it does, but there are some good reasons to think it might.16 Hair grows out of the dermis layer of your skin, which is 70% collagen. Loss of collagen in the aging scalp is thought to be linked with hair thinning. So in theory, a healthier dermis layer should promote healthier hair growth. Collagen is also a rich source of several amino acids that the body uses to make keratin, the primary protein that makes up your hair.
Q: Where does collagen come from?
A: Since collagen is part of the connective tissue of the body, it is only found in animals, not plants. The collagen in supplements is generally derived from the bones, cartilage, or scales of cows, chickens, or fish. While there’s no such thing as vegan collagen, you can support healthy collagen production with key nutrients like vitamin C, zinc, silica, and copper, which are crucial for collagen synthesis. These "collagen builders" can help your body produce collagen normally, but they won’t necessarily increase your collagen production.
Q: Can I get collagen from food?
A: The animal parts that are rich in collagen are not the parts we usually eat: bones, cartilage, feet, beaks. The notable exception is bone broth, which is made by slowly simmering the bones (and sometimes other parts) for 8-10 hrs to extract their collagen. Bone broth is a rich source of collagen, as well as many other nutrients that are good for your connective tissues, like glucosamine and chondroitin, calcium and other bone-building minerals. Keep in mind, though, that the collagen in bone broth is whole collagen molecules, not collagen peptides, so we don't know how well they are absorbed. There’s no research to show whether drinking bone broth can actually increase collagen in the body. But it’s a healthy, nutrient-dense food nonetheless.
Q: Can I use collagen as a protein powder?
A: You can, but there's a catch: collagen is not a complete protein. It’s missing one of the nine essential amino acids (tryptophan) and has smaller amounts of a few others. For this reason, it’s not a good substitute for other types of protein in your diet. However, it’s a great source of supplementary protein. The protein content in collagen is very dense, so you can get plenty of protein bang for your buck. (If you're looking for a more complete protein to add to your protein shake, try our Organic Plant Protein Powder.)
Q: Are collagen supplements safe?
A: Collagen supplements have been safely used for many years with no evidence of negative side effects. Since collagen is basically just protein, there’s no reason to think it would be harmful to the body, as long as the supplements come from a reputable brand with good manufacturing practices and standards. Check the label to make sure there aren't any added ingredients you don't want. Some collagen supplements and powders are flavored and sweetened, some include additional health ingredients such as vitamins, minerals, probiotics, or herbs, and some will have artificial additives or unwanted fillers.
Our Unflavored Collagen Peptides Powder is sourced from grass-fed cows and delivers 10g hydrolyzed collagen per scoop to support skin, hair, and joint health. We kept it simple with just one ingredient and no added sweeteners, flavors, or other additions, so you can dissolve it into your drink without even noticing it.
References:
1. Marshall, Lisa. “Collagen: ‘Fountain of Youth’ or Edible Hoax?” WebMD, Dec. .
2. Vollmer, David L et al. “Enhancing Skin Health: By Oral Administration of Natural Compounds and Minerals with Implications to the Dermal Microbiome.” International journal of molecular sciences vol. 19,10 . 7 Oct. , doi:10./ijms
3. Choi FD, Sung CT, Juhasz ML, Mesinkovsk NA. Oral Collagen Supplementation: A Systematic Review of Dermatological Applications. J Drugs Dermatol. Jan 1;18(1):9-16. PMID: .
4. Proksch E, Segger D, Degwert J, Schunck M, Zague V, Oesser S. Oral supplementation of specific collagen peptides has beneficial effects on human skin physiology: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Skin Pharmacol Physiol. ;27(1):47-55. doi: 10./. Epub Aug 14. PMID: .
5. Czajka, et al. Daily oral supplementation with collagen peptides combined with vitamins other bioactive compounds improves skin elasticity and has a beneficial effect on joint and general wellbeing. Nutr Res In Press
6. Schwartz SR, Park J. Ingestion of BioCell Collagen(®), a novel hydrolyzed chicken sternal cartilage extract; enhanced blood microcirculation and reduced facial aging signs. Clin Interv Aging. ;7:267-73. doi: 10./CIA.S. Epub Jul 27. PMID: ; PMCID: PMC.
7. Asserin J, Lati E, Shioya T, Prawitt J. The effect of oral collagen peptide supplementation on skin moisture and the dermal collagen network: evidence from an ex vivo model and randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials. J Cosmet Dermatol. Dec;14(4):291-301. doi: 10./jocd.. Epub Sep 12. PMID: .
8. Proksch E, Schunck M, Zague V, Segger D, Degwert J, Oesser S: Oral Intake of Specific Bioactive Collagen Peptides Reduces Skin Wrinkles and Increases Dermal Matrix Synthesis. Skin Pharmacol Physiol ;27:113-119. doi: 10./
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9. Effects of oral administration of type II collagen on rheumatoid arthritis
BY DE TRENTHAM, RA DYNESIUS-TRENTHAM, EJ ORAV, D COMBITCHI, C LORENZO, KL SEWELL, DA HAFLER, HL WEINER, SCIENCE, 24 SEP : -
10. Zdzieblik, et al. Improvement of activity-related knee joint discomfort following supplementation of specific collagen peptides. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. Jun;42(6):588-595
11. Moskowitz RW. Role of collagen hydrolysate in bone and joint disease. Semin Arthritis Rheum. Oct;30(2):87-99. doi: 10./sarh... PMID: .
12. Bruyère O, Zegels B, Leonori L, Rabenda V, Janssen A, Bourges C, Reginster JY. Effect of collagen hydrolysate in articular pain: a 6-month randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled study. Complement Ther Med. Jun;20(3):124-30. doi: 10./j.ctim..12.007. Epub Jan 20. PMID: .
13. Lopez, et al. Evaluation of the Effects of BioCell Collagen, a Novel Cartilage Extract, on Connective Tissue Support and Functional Recovery From Exercise. Integr Med. Jun;14(3):30-8.
14. Schepetkin IA, Kirpotina LN, Hammaker D, Kochetkova I, Khlebnikov AI, Lyakhov SA, Firestein GS, Quinn MT. Anti-Inflammatory Effects and Joint Protection in Collagen-Induced Arthritis after Treatment with IQ-1S, a Selective c-Jun N-Terminal Kinase Inhibitor. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. Jun;353(3):505-16. doi: 10./jpet.114.. Epub Mar 17. PMID: ; PMCID: PMC.
15. Bello AE, Oesser S. Collagen hydrolysate for the treatment of osteoarthritis and other joint disorders: a review of the literature. Curr Med Res Opin. Nov;22(11):-32. doi: 10./X. PMID: .
You may have heard that collagen helps your skin look younger and your hair look healthier.
But what is collagen, what does it do to your body, and can it really reverse the effects of aging and improve your health? Here, I’ll answer these questions and more.
What is collagen?
Collagen is a group of proteins. They make up about one-third of the protein in your body and provide the structure for tissues like cartilage, skin and tendons.
Your body produces collagen from the amino acids that you take in through food. However, this ability starts to decline after age 20.
What are collagen supplements?
Collagen cannot be absorbed unless it’s broken down into smaller amino acids. So, collagen supplements are not actually collagen. They are components of collagen already broken down into absorbable form.
Collagen supplements come in pill or powder form. The powder form will not turn into a gel when it hits liquid, so it can be mixed with food or beverages.
Is collagen good for you?
There are several reasons people say you should take collagen supplements, such as building muscle and reducing wrinkles in the skin.
And while collagen supplements probably won’t hurt you, they may not help you either.
Collagen is the building block of protein in the body. Collagen is going to help your body in the same ways that eating protein would help your body. So, you don’t have to take collagen supplements to get those benefits; you can eat other sources of protein.
Foods that contain collagen
Any edible source of protein has the amino acids you need to build protein, including collagen. That includes animal- and plant-based proteins. Collagen can be found in all animal muscle tissue (not organ tissue), bone broth, egg whites and spirulina. These sources provide the same benefits as collagen supplements.
What happens to your body when you start taking collagen?
Your body makes collagen and other proteins by combining various amino acids. In order for your body to do this, though, you must eat a healthy diet that includes all the amino acids. Taking collagen may give you extra amounts of some amino acids, but not all. The key is eating a healthy, balanced diet that gives you a variety of amino acids to meet your body’s needs. This ensures that you have the nutrients you need to produce collagen and other proteins, without the trouble, expense and uncertainty of relying on a supplement.
In order to access amino acids and other nutrients in your food, your body breaks that food down. So, eating foods rich in collagen doesn’t give your body collagen. It just gives your body amino acids that it will reassemble into whatever protein it needs.
It’s also important to remember that it doesn’t work to take collagen for a specific issue like getting rid of skin wrinkles, relieving joint pain or growing your hair. We don’t get to decide how our body will use the amino acids in food or supplements. So, there is no reason to believe that taking a supplement works better than healthy eating.
Should you take collagen every day?
It depends on what your goals are. Similar to how you eat various sources of protein daily to help meet your body’s needs, it’s the same with collagen supplements.
A supplement is meant to be supplementary to your normal diet and enhance the things your diet is already doing for your body. If your goal is to get the maximum benefit that is proposed, you should take it daily.
Are there any health risks to taking collagen supplements?
Collagen supplements are generally made from connective tissue, bones and other parts of cows, pigs, chicken and fish. They can contain toxins and heavy metals that could be harmful. As with all supplements, collagen is not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). So, the purity of their active ingredient is not standardized.
Collagen supplements do not have to be proven effective or safe. The studies that have been done on the safety and effectiveness of collagen supplements are limited and most were funded by the supplement industry, creating concerns of bias.
If you choose to take a collagen supplement, make sure that it has been third-party tested for safety and efficacy. If it contains toxins and heavy metals, the risks may outweigh any potential benefits.
Collagen supplements can also be expensive. And while you may be able to find more affordable options online, exercise caution. If they’re less expensive, they’re less likely to be third-party tested and have that safety verification.
Should cancer patients take collagen supplements?
While there is some research looking into the relationship between collagen and cancer, there is not enough evidence to recommend taking supplements after a cancer diagnosis or during cancer treatment. Patients should always consult with their doctor before taking any supplement, as some can interfere with treatment.
How can you boost your collagen?
Your lifestyle plays a role in how much collagen you produce and how well collagen works in your body. Aside from eating a healthy diet that has plenty of protein, there are steps you can take to preserve collagen. All of these healthy lifestyle choices have the added benefit of reducing your cancer risk:
- Protect your skin against UV rays. Sun exposure damages your skin’s collagen and results in wrinkles and loss of elasticity that can make you look older. UV exposure also raises your risk for skin cancer.
- Don't smoke. If you do smoke, stop. Smoking is hard on every part of your body, including your skin. Smoking also raises your risk for several types of cancer.
- Avoid added sugar. Sugar reacts with the collagen in our skin to make skin stiffer and less elastic. A diet high in added sugar can also cause weight gain and increase your cancer risk.
- Get plenty of rest. Sleep supports healthy skin and reduces stress.
The bottom line: The body needs amino acids to build collagen. Collagen supplements may provide these nutrients, but there is limited evidence that they are effective in improving skin, hair or overall health. There are several healthy lifestyle choices that are proven to do that.
Lindsey Wohlford is a wellness dietitian at MD Anderson.
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