In the past few years, collagen powders and collagen-enhanced foods and drinks have become very popular. But do they actually provide real benefits?
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body, making up about 30% of our total protein. It provides structure, strength, and support to the skin, bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, organs, blood vessels, and connective tissue. However, consuming collagen does not necessarily mean the body will use it to rebuild collagen or improve wrinkles, arthritis pain, or body structure. Like any other protein source, collagen is digested in the stomach and broken down into amino acids.
Is collagen a complete protein?
Collagen is not considered a complete protein because it lacks the essential amino acid tryptophan. In fact, collagen is considered a low-quality protein compared to other protein sources. On protein quality scales, collagen ranks very low, while egg white is considered one of the highest-quality protein sources.
Unfortunately, collagen can be an expensive way to get poor-quality protein. It does not make a meaningful contribution to daily protein needs and cannot be counted toward the protein Daily Value on food labels.
A better way to support collagen production
Since our natural collagen is made from amino acids and requires vitamin C and minerals such as zinc, copper, and manganese for synthesis, a better approach is to eat foods that contain these nutrients.
Good options include oranges, berries, kiwi, bell peppers, mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, cabbage, asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, beans, legumes, yogurt, nuts and seeds, wheat, fish, eggs, meats, turkey, chicken, liver, oysters, and dark chocolate.
Lifestyle habits matter too
It is also important to remember that collagen production naturally decreases with age, and existing collagen breaks down faster over time. This can contribute to wrinkles, joint pain, muscle loss, and stiffness.
While we cannot control our age, we can change lifestyle habits that help protect existing collagen. These include eating a more plant-based diet, drinking more water, not smoking, limiting added sugars, limiting highly processed foods, limiting alcohol, wearing sunscreen, sleeping well, and moving more.
Have questions?
If you have any questions about collagen or whether collagen supplements are right for you, please contact your local registered dietitian.