The top benefits of collagen

By now there’s a good chance you’ve heard the buzz about collagen. You can find it in grocery health-food aisles, online, and added to certain foods. Unlike many health fads, collagen has genuine research behind it and is easy to work into your routine.

What exactly is collagen?

Collagen is the most abundant protein in your body, helping compose skin, blood, bone, cartilage, and ligaments. It does everything from providing structure to cushioning joints. But as you age, your body produces less and less of it¹ — which is why getting more through food or a supplement is a smart way to maintain and support your health.

The benefits

Collagen is rich in amino acids like glycine, and it’s often used to help support the lining of the gut. When the gut lining becomes overly permeable, particles can pass into the bloodstream and contribute to inflammation throughout the body. Collagen may help nourish and support that lining — though it’s worth noting this is the area where the human evidence is still emerging, so think of it as supportive, not a cure.

Collagen, elastin, and glycosaminoglycans make up most of the dermis — the deeper layer of skin. As collagen production falls with age, the bond between the dermis and the outer epidermis weakens,² giving skin an aged appearance. Collagen also gives skin its elasticity. In a 2014 double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 69 women aged 35 to 55 took either collagen peptides or a placebo; after just four weeks, the collagen group showed significantly improved skin elasticity.³

Collagen is a major component of cartilage, which can wear down over time and leave joints painful. Supplementing may help support joint comfort, flexibility, and mobility — a 24-week study in athletes with activity-related joint pain found collagen hydrolysate helped.⁴ Connective tissue needs specific building blocks to repair, and collagen provides the amino acids the body incorporates to build and maintain it.

How to increase your intake

Bone broth is a plentiful, easy, and inexpensive source — made by simmering down the connective tissue and bones of an animal. You can sip it on its own or cook with it.

Collagen hydrolysate (collagen peptides) is collagen already broken down into easily absorbed peptides. It’s tasteless and mixes into any beverage — a smoothie, coffee, or even a glass of water. A couple of tablespoons a day is a reasonable place to start.