How Much Collagen Should You Take per Day?
The human body is complex — and that’s still an understatement. These well-engineered bodies comprise a vast network of cells, muscles, bones, and connective tissues that work in intricate harmony to keep us upright and moving. Collagen helps hold it all together.
Collagen accounts for roughly 30 percent of the protein within the body, making it the most abundant protein. This structural protein provides both strength and support for the skin. In addition to skin health, collagen protein is a building block for muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments, and connective tissues.
Collagen supplements such as collagen powder can help support the body’s collagen levels and promote many benefits related to skin, hair, and nail health.
Here, we’ll examine the different types of collagen and its many health benefits. We’ll also delve into the daily collagen intake amounts.
What Is Collagen?
Collagen, the body’s structural protein, isn’t synthetic or man-made. It’s naturally produced by our own cells, specifically in fibroblasts. This protein creation process, known as collagen synthesis, happens both inside and outside of cells.
The Structure of Collagen
Collagen is composed of three polypeptide chains, known as α chains. These chains are essential amino acids joined by peptide bonds. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein.
These amino acids together help form protein fibrils into a triple helix structure. These helix structures require nutrients like vitamin C, zinc, and copper to form.
The primary amino acid sequence for collagen is glycine-proline-X or glycine-X-hydroxyproline. While every third amino acid is glycine in this chain, the “X” can essentially be any other of the 17 amino acids, depending on the type of collagen.
The Different Types of Collagen
There are several types of collagen within the body — 28 different types to be exact. The collagen family is numbered using Roman numerals (I - XXVIII). While there are numerous types of collagen, type I through type III are by far the most abundant.
Type I - Essential for Skin, Hair, and Bone Health
Type I makes up the majority of collagen in the body. It represents around 90 percent of the collagen found in the body. Type I is densely packed and helps provide structure to the skin, bones, and connective tissues. It is common in both bovine and marine collagen supplements.
Type II - For Joint Support
This type of collagen is primarily found within elastic cartilage. This can be found in the ribs, larynx, trachea and nose. In addition, type II collagen is found in joint surfaces, which is why it is commonly found in joint health and support supplements.
Type III - Essential for Skin Health
Like type I collagen, type III plays a role in skin health, mainly skin elasticity. According to research, type III collagen is crucial for fibroblast function. Fibroblasts help produce collagen and elastin. Type III can be found in bovine collagen.
What Are the Benefits of Collagen in the Body?
Collagen is more than just a protein — it’s a key player in maintaining healthy skin and connective tissues. Acting as scaffolding, collagen provides strength and structure throughout the body. Although collagen production slows with age, it’s possible to support natural collagen synthesis through diet and lifestyle choices.
Collagen that is produced within the body is known as endogenous collagen. Some specific benefits of natural collagen include helping form fibroblasts within the skin layers, giving elasticity to the skin and more. Collagen also helps with blood clotting and wound healing.
Collagen Found in Foods
Collagen is also found in many foods we eat, primarily animal sources. For example, tough cuts of meat full of connective tissue (pot roast, brisket, etc.) are considered collagen-rich foods. Dietary collagen is also found in the skin and bones of many saltwater fish.
Other collagen-containing foods include:
- Bone broth - This is commonly promoted as a health food and can be found in most soup aisles. Bone broth is made from rendering or simmering down animal bones in water. This boiling releases the collagen and other minerals found in the bones.
- Gelatin - Gelatin is a derivative of collagen. Similar to making bone broth, gelatin is formed when boiled animal bones, skin, and cartilage is liquified and allowed to cool. The breakdown of these connective tissues produces gelatin.
A well-rounded diet isn’t just vital for your health, but also your skin’s appearance. By incorporating certain foods into your diet such as dairy, fish, poultry and meats, you may be able to support your body’s collagen production. These foods contain specific amino acids like glycine, proline and hydroxyproline that are necessary for building this essential structural protein.
Collagen production also requires certain nutrients, such as vitamin C and zinc. Foods rich in these vitamins and minerals may also be of benefit.
The Loss of Collagen in the Body
As we age, the body produces less and less collagen on its own. The collagen that we do have tends to break down faster the older we get. Also, postmenopausal women see a greater reduction in collagen production after menopause.
Aside from natural aging, let’s look at other causes of collagen loss.
Genetics
While genetics play a significant role in our collagen production, there are steps we can take to support our skin’s health. It’s true that the amount of collagen we lose or fail to produce is largely determined by our genes.
If you have older family members with healthy-looking skin, there’s a good chance you have the potential for the same. By taking care of your skin and adopting healthy lifestyle habits, you can help promote collagen production and keep your skin looking its best.
Exposure to Sun
Sunshine is often associated with positive effects on our health and wellbeing, but it’s important to be mindful of the potential harm it can cause to our skin. Too much exposure to the sun can lead to a reduction in collagen levels in the body.
Long-term exposure to the sun can accelerate damage to the skin and speed up the aging process. For example, UV exposure is responsible for 90 percent of visible skin changes, including wrinkles, fine lines, age spots (photoaging and pigmentation) and more.
As UV rays penetrate the skin, they damage collagen fibers. This triggers an increase in abnormal elastin production and the overproduction of enzymes called metalloproteinases that break down collagen. Thankfully, protecting your skin with SPF sunscreen can go a long way in preserving collagen and keeping your skin healthy and bright.
Lifestyle Factors
Besides the influence of genetics and unnecessary exposure to harmful UV rays, collagen can also be lost through various lifestyle factors. For example, smoking can lead to premature aging.
When we smoke, we limit the amount of oxygen our skin receives, inhibiting the ability to generate new collagen.
Chronic stress is another potential factor contributing to collagen loss. . Other lifestyle factors that can cause a loss of collagen are poor sleep and poor nutrition. For example, processed foods high on the glycemic index can disrupt collagen production.
How Can I Tell I’ve Lost Collagen?
Unfortunately, there is not always an easy way to tell if your collagen levels are decreasing. However, some signs may tell you that you’re not producing enough collagen.
Here are a few:
- Your skin shows signs of aging — wrinkling, sagging, fine lines, etc.
- You notice a loss of flexibility in your tendons and ligaments.
- You're experiencing joint pain or osteoarthritis (loss of cartilage).
- You are experiencing weakening muscles or loss of muscle mass.
The loss of collagen can also run alongside other factors, like bone density loss, gut health changes (thinning of the lining in the digestive tract), and more.
Collagen Use in Medicine and Cosmetics
Collagen is used in a number of ways in medicine and cosmetics. For example, in medicine, collagen is used in wound healing. In cosmetics, collagen is often used as dermal fillers to fill out areas with wrinkles and fine lines. It is used in various other ways related to healthy hair and skincare.
A Look at Collagen Supplements
While endogenous collagen is produced naturally by the body, exogenous forms of collagen come from outside the body. Such is the case with collagen supplements.
Unlike other nutrients, collagen is easily absorbed by the body. Collagen supplementation comes in a few different forms. The forms include undenatured collagen and hydrolyzed collagen. The latter is by far the most popular.
Hydrolyzed Collagen
This collagen supplement is derived from animal sources, including poultry, bovine, and marine. Hydrolyzed collagen is also known as collagen peptides. Most collagen peptide supplementation is found in powders, gummies, or pills.
Collagen peptides are short-chain amino acids that are extracted from collagen through a process known as hydrolysis. This involves a process that allows collagen peptides to be released from the original bonds and extracted. They’re extremely bioactive and are effectively absorbed in the body.
Sources of Collagen Peptides
As mentioned, collagen peptides can come from different sources. Most are sourced from animals, particularly bovine animals like cows. However, collagen is also derived from ocean life.
Marine collagen, like what we use in our Pure Marine Collagen, is an incredibly sustainable source of collagen peptides. The efficacy of marine collagen for skin health is well-established.
How Much Collagen Should I Take per Day?
Your ideal collagen dosage will depend on your unique goals and body composition. There is no specific daily dose requirement or recommended dosage for collagen.
Studies have shown that collagen peptides can make up around 36 percent of daily protein. So, as a protein, the collagen dosage is similar to other protein supplements.
It is often recommended that healthy adults get at least one gram of protein per kilogram of body weight per day for muscle mass maintenance; 1.5 g for highly active people for recovery from sports or resistance training.
Aiming for a similar range for collagen is a good start — at least 1 gram of collagen per kilogram of body weight daily. Again, this all depends on your specific goals. For skin health, studies show a range between 2.5 to 10 grams per day to be beneficial for skin support.
Our Collagen Beauty Creamer contains 92.3 percent marine collagen peptides in each 3.25-gram serving. We recommend one to two scoops in your favorite coffee or hot drink for those looking for additional collagen support.
Some Benefits of Collagen Peptides
Having enough collagen is important in many ways. For example, collagen peptides are known to support skin health, promoting skin strength, elasticity, firmness and more.
Also, collagen peptides can stimulate fibroblasts in the skin, triggering them to make more hyaluronic acid crucial for skin hydration. Since collagen is involved in joint support, collagen peptides can also help to maintain joint health. As an integral structural protein, collagen helps to strengthen hair and nails.
Can You Take Too Much Collagen?
Collagen peptides are considered generally safe as a daily supplement for healthy individuals. Most people won’t experience any side effects. However, some side effects have been known to include minor stomach complaints.
The Bottom Line
Collagen, our body’s natural structural protein, plays a crucial role in providing strength and support to our skin and connective tissues. However, as we age, the amount of collagen in our body decreases leading to visible signs of aging.
You can take steps to prevent collagen loss by practicing proper sun protection, maintaining a balanced diet, and avoiding smoking and excess stress. Additionally, collagen peptide supplements can be a great way to support collagen levels and reduce the visible signs of aging. Let’s prioritize our collagen health and keep our skin looking youthful and radiant!
Sources:
Biochemistry, Collagen Synthesis - StatPearls | NCBI
Photoaging: What You Need to Know About the Other Kind of Aging | The Skin Cancer Foundation
Oral Collagen Supplementation: A Systematic Review of Dermatological Applications | JDDonline