What Is Collagen? Should You Be Taking It?
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Over the last few years, collagen has become a buzzword in the health and wellness community. Its popularity as a supplement and ingredient has risen dramatically, and nowadays you can find collagen in everything from smoothies and protein bars to drink mixes and daily supplement capsules.
This sudden craze has left many people wondering: “Should I be taking collagen? What even is it?”
Below, I explain why collagen is so loved, and give you tips on where to get it.
The Benefits
For those who aren’t familiar with collagen, it’s a protein that our body naturally produces. It’s responsible for everything from giving structure to our skin, bones, tendons, fibrous cartilage, connective tissue, and teeth, to cushioning our joints and supporting the structure of our muscles, organs, and arteries. Collagen is sold on the market as a supplement, so it’s a popular choice for those who want to increase their daily protein intake, whether it be for faster muscle recovery, weight loss, or to improve their health in general.
That said, one of the most common reasons for using collagen is for its skin-boosting effects. Collagen is responsible for our skin elasticity, and as we age, our body produces less and less collagen. This decrease in collagen leads to visible signs of skin aging, like fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging.
The Best Sources Of Collagen
Like I said, there are numerous products that have collagen in them, but those products sometimes have other ingredients that we don’t want in our bodies (like artificial sweeteners, preservatives, etc.). When it comes to the cleanest, healthiest forms of collagen, you essentially have three options:
1. Bone broth
Collagen is abundant in animal bones, which is why many people have started drinking bone broth on a regular basis. Bone broth is made by boiling the bones and connective tissue of animals like chickens and cows for a long period of time until they disintegrate into the liquid they’re cooked in. It can be used in place of water for cooking, used in place of other broths in soups or sauces, or just consumed like any other beverage. I myself use it to make brown rice and quinoa (just replace the water with bone broth), and drink it straight, especially in the winter. It tastes like vegetable or chicken broth would, except it’s richer and often flavored with delicious spices. You can make your own at home, or purchase some at health-conscious grocery stores (it’s usually in the freezer section).
2. Collagen powder
For those who can’t get behind the idea of bone broth (or don’t eat that much meat on a daily basis), collagen powder is a great option for you. Like bone broth, collagen powder is made from animal skin and bones, and because it comes in granular form, it easily mixes into smoothies or baked goods, and dissolves into hot liquids like tea and coffee. If you Google “collagen powder recipes,” you’ll find tons of ways to incorporate this powder into various meals. I love mixing it into my coffee or adding a scoop to my post-workout smoothies. It’s more or less a tasteless protein powder!
*Note: If you don’t eat meat, but you eat fish, you can purchase marine collagen, which is made from fish bones (typically wild caught fish). See the “Brands I Like” section for my marine collagen recs.
3. Eat collagen-boosting foods.
If you’re a strict vegetarian, vegan, or plant-based eater, it’s unlikely that you’ll want to drink or consume the bones of animals. (And that’s understandable!) In that case, your best option is to eat foods that naturally boost your body’s collagen production. Foods high in vitamin C, proline, glycine, and copper can give your body the nutrients it needs to produce more collagen. Also, eating foods high in protein helps the body produce even more protein. Here are a few foods that support collagen production:
Citrus fruits
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Spinach
Bell peppers
Tomatoes
Strawberries
Papaya
Egg whites
Kiwi
Cabbage
Kale
Asparagus
Mushrooms
Organic dairy products
Sesame seeds
Mango
Pineapple
Cocoa powder
Cashews
Tofu
Chia seeds
Black beans
Lentils
This list is by no means exhaustive, but hopefully you see a few foods that you enjoy and can start eating more of!
My Favorite Brands For Collagen Products
Different brands produce different types of collagen products (bars, powders, etc.), but here are some of my go-to brands:
For bone broth...
I either make bone broth at home using this recipe, or purchase it from Bare Bones or Kettle & Fire. Bare bones is my favorite brand for plain chicken, beef, or turkey bone broth, but I also love the unique flavors of broth and soups from Kettle & Fire (they have a Tom Yum Chicken Keto Bone Broth that is to die for!).
For collagen powder…
For my smoothies and coffee, I use Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides powder. They use high-quality grass-fed, pasture-raised bovine for their powder, and even came out with a version of the Collagen Peptides that has hyaluronic acid and vitamin C in it! (Two ingredients that are amazing for your skin, FYI.)
The collagen powder I buy is unflavored (you can’t taste it when you mix it with something), but Vital Proteins also has flavored powders, capsules, coffee creamers, latte mixes, collagen waters, collagen shots, and collagen bars. They also have a wonderful Marine Collagen, for those who prefer a fish-derived collagen source.
For collagen-supporting products...
Vegetarians and vegans can benefit from eating whole foods that boost collagen production (like the ones listed above), or taking a collagen-boosting supplement. If you want a capsule, Garden of Life makes an Organic Plant Collagen Builder supplement that is 100 percent vegan and contains vital antioxidants from pomegranate, turmeric, and green tea. If you prefer a protein powder, PlantFusion’s Complete Plant Collagen Builder has 18 grams of protein per serving, as well as digestive enzymes, glycine, proline, and more.
As far as we know, there’s no downside to taking a collagen supplement—only benefits! For women above 60, making sure to eat collagen-rich foods or taking a supplement every day can have positive effects on your joints, bones, gut health, and skin health. In my experience, adding collagen to my daily routine has significantly improved signs of aging on my skin (and prevented new lines from coming in!).
I encourage you to try collagen for yourself and see what you think. Keep in mind it’ll take anywhere from 4 to 8 weeks to feel or see any benefits of taking collagen, so don’t write it off before it’s had time to take effect!
And more for anti-aging advice, join our Private Pure Joy Wellness Facebook Group!
Xo,
Renata