Collagen is the nutrient du jour. In the endless search for perfect skin, women around the world are becoming more conscious of collagen intake. Supplements are everywhere, from organic co-ops to Target, and you can even order collagen-infused cold brew and smoothies at many cafes.
Collagen supplement sales surpassed $1.8 billion in 20221, and they show no sign of stopping. But according to Dr. Joseph Mercola, Board Certified Family Medicine Osteopathic Physician (DO) and Author of Your Guide to Cellular Health, most Americans still aren’t getting the amount they need.
“Few Americans get anywhere near the amount of collagen required for optimal health,” he says. “Today, the average collagen intake is alarmingly low — most people consume less than 5 grams per day, and many get virtually none.”
A lack of collagen isn’t just bad news for your crow’s feet. According to Mercola, a collagen deficiency can lead to everything from poor joint health to a decline in metabolic function. “Many people assume collagen supplements are just for skin health, but collagen is essential for much more than that,” he says. “It supports your entire connective tissue system, including bones, joints, tendons, and even the integrity of your gut lining.” In short, the health benefits of collagen are much more far-reaching than we’ve been led to believe.
What Is Collagen and Why Do We Need It?
Collagen is a special type of protein, an essential building block in everything from cartilage to bones, tendons, and ligaments. For much of our early lives, we are our own best source of collagen, explains Dr. Amy Myers, a two-time New York Times bestselling author and internationally acclaimed functional medicine physician. “Your body creates collagen daily,” she says. “It combines amino acids from the high-protein food you eat, like cage-free chicken, grass-fed beef, and fatty fish, and turns them into collagen protein.”
But beginning at around age 35, “collagen production naturally begins to slow,” explains Myers. “By age 40, collagen begins to deplete faster than your body can reproduce it, and by age 60, over ½ of your body’s collagen has been depleted.”
Natural aging isn’t the only factor contributing to decreased collagen. Myers cites genetics, tobacco, air pollution, excessive sun exposure, and nutritional deficiencies as some of the many additional reasons that people may opt to supplement their diets with collagen. Collagen supplementation has been clinically proven to improve skin health, reduce muscle wasting, improve the body’s ability to heal wounds, and reduce symptoms of arthritis2.
How Do I Add Collagen to My Diet?
Traditional diets in many parts of the world are naturally rich in collagen. Food rich in collagen includes slow-cooked stews and soups, bone broth, and the aspic (meat gelatin) traditionally used in many pâtés, terrines, or potted meats.
“Our ancestors used to eat all parts of the animal including the organs and bone marrow,” explains Dave Asprey, New York Times Times bestselling author of Heavily Meditated. “This not only reduces waste but also honors the whole animal.”
For Mercola, this natural nose-to-tail mindset “ensured a balanced intake of essential and conditional amino acids.” But these days, he says, “the typical Western diet heavily favors muscle meats while excluding collagen-rich sources such as bone broth, skin-on poultry, or slow-cooked meats with connective tissue.”
While also rich in protein, muscle meats alone lack the amino acids that are so crucial to collagen. “If you consume too much methionine and tryptophan from muscle meat without enough glycine and proline from collagen,” Asprey says, “you can create an imbalance that promotes inflammation, suppresses thyroid function, and accelerates aging.”
Whole Food Sources of Collagen for Skin
According to Mercola, the best way to reverse this trend is to focus on whole food sources of collagen. Some examples of these natural sources of collagen include homemade bone broth made from beef or chicken bones, or gelatin-rich meats rich in connective tissue like oxtail or lamb shank.
And there’s a reason why collagen is such a hot topic in the world of skincare. Research shows that sources of bovine collagen like beef bone broth support skin elasticity and hydration3, while marine collagen from fish skin is ideal for skin health. Research suggests that marine collagen may help protect skin from UV damage and keep wrinkles from forming, and it has also proven beneficial for those with osteoporosis and osteoarthritis4.
Mercola says these whole food sources of collagen “are ideal because they provide a range of bioavailable nutrients alongside collagen, including minerals and essential cofactors that support tissue repair and metabolic health.”
Whatever collagen-rich foods you choose to eat, Myers says it’s important to remember your body needs vitamin C to “fully power collagen production.” For a holistic approach, pair your favorite collagen sources with foods rich in vitamin C like berries, broccoli, and leafy green vegetables.
Collagen Supplements May Be a More Bioavailable Option
If you’re having a hard time getting enough collagen from your diet, supplements may be a good choice. “If you aren’t regularly consuming skin, tendons, or broth made from bones, a high-quality collagen supplement can be a practical way to fill the gap,” says Mercola.
For Asprey, collagen supplements may actually be a better way to up your intake of this essential nutrient. “Collagen protein supplements are hydrolyzed,” he says, “meaning they’re broken down and more absorbable by your body.” According to a 2024 study in Dermatology Research and Practice, hydrolyzed collagen can improve skin, scalp, and hair health in just twelve weeks5.
Asprey also notes that supplements make it easier to keep track of just how much collagen per day you’re getting. “Collagen powder provides a consistent amount of collagen, unlike bone broth where the collagen content can vary,” he says.
Myers recommends seeking out bovine and marine collagen supplements, which she says are more bioavailable than collagen from chicken or eggshells. She also suggests opting for collagen peptides, which are derived from smaller pieces of protein and are thus more bioavailable than regular collagen.
The Downside of Collagen Supplements
Supplementing can nevertheless have one downside: reduced transparency. As with most protein powders, Asprey explains, “there is a risk that your collagen contains high levels of heavy metals if it isn’t high quality.”
“Contamination is a real concern, especially with lower-quality supplements,” echoes Mercola. “Collagen is often sourced from animal bones and connective tissues, which can accumulate heavy metals, pesticides, and other toxins if the animals were raised in polluted environments. This is particularly true for collagen derived from conventionally farmed animals, where exposure to antibiotics, hormones, and environmental contaminants is higher.”
Be sure to source your collagen supplements from a reputable brand, and choose grass-fed bovine collagen whenever possible. “Bonus points if the brand provides lab testing for each batch,” says Asprey.
“When sourced from grass-fed, pasture-raised animals, collagen supplements can be a sustainable way to use every part of the animal while minimizing waste,” Mercola agrees. “I recommend looking for supplements that prioritize ethical, regenerative farming practices. This also lowers the risk of contaminants in the final product.”
The Dangers of Too Much Collagen
It’s always possible to be getting too much of a good thing, and this holds true with collagen. “Most people think ‘if something is good, more must be better,’” says Asprey. “That isn’t true with most things, even collagen.”
Too much collagen has been shown to have negative repercussions on the gut microbiota, according to 2020 research published in the Journal of Functional Foods6. Overconsumption of collagen can also increase oxalate levels in the body, according to Asprey. “You don’t want too many oxalates floating around, because they bind to calcium and form razor sharp crystals that can deposit themselves in your tissues,” he adds.
So how much collagen per day should you have? Asprey recommends getting no more than 20 grams of collagen a day and being aware of consuming too many other high-oxalate foods like spinach, almonds, raspberries, beets, sweet potatoes, and kale. For Mercola, the best approach is to get about 15% of your daily calories from protein, with about a third of this protein being in the form of collagen.
Ultimately, it’s important to remember that most Americans aren’t getting anywhere near enough collagen. Regardless of how you choose to incorporate collagen into your diet, whether through whole food sources or supplements, you’re likely off to a good start.
Sources:
- https://www.pharmiweb.com/press-release/2024-03-13/collagen-supplements-market-to-surpass-usd-70-billion-by-2032-with-rising-demand-for-cosmetic-appli
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8620403/
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5707681/
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8780088/
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/2024/8752787
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1756464620305028
