It would probably be difficult to find someone who has never heard anything about collagen. Collagen is a thread-like protein and one of the most important proteins in the human body. It is found in abundance in the skin and throughout the musculoskeletal system — bones, cartilage, tendons, ligaments and muscles. It is also present in teeth and gums, the cornea of the eye, blood vessels, internal organs and tissues.
A young person’s body is able to produce all the collagen it needs. However, from around the age of 25, the body’s ability to produce collagen gradually decreases each year. For this reason, from the age of 25–30, additional daily collagen supplementation is often recommended.
Today, the market offers countless different collagen supplements, so the question is — which collagen should you choose?
What should you pay attention to when choosing collagen supplements?
Collagen source
It is very important that collagen is of natural origin. It can be marine collagen, obtained from fish, fish scales or fish bones, or animal-derived collagen, obtained from animal bones, tendons, skin or cartilage.
You can choose according to your personal priorities and dietary habits. If you do not eat meat, fish collagen may be a suitable option. If you do not tolerate fish, you can choose animal-derived collagen. Some studies suggest that marine collagen may be absorbed better than animal-derived collagen, but every person’s body is different, so it is best to find the option that works best for you.
Key indicators
More and more collagen supplements on the market offer increasingly high amounts of pure collagen per serving. However, the commonly recommended daily collagen portion is 10,000 mg. It is believed that this daily amount is sufficient for the body to receive the necessary collagen intake.
It has been observed that a higher amount of collagen per serving does not necessarily provide additional benefits, so an optimal portion may be 10,000 mg per day. Another very important indicator is collagen molecular weight, measured in daltons (Da). The lower it is, the easier collagen may be for the body to absorb. We recommend choosing collagen supplements with a molecular weight of up to 3000 Da, as they are easier to absorb.
Added ingredients
It is also very important to pay attention to the composition of collagen supplements — what additional ingredients they contain and what their nutritional value is. It is best to choose supplements that do not contain sugar or unnecessary synthetic additives.
A large number of added ingredients may cause breakouts, increase stomach acidity, stimulate appetite or cause unpleasant sensations in some people. That is why we recommend choosing pure collagen. If you prefer a sweetened product, choose one sweetened with stevia.
It is very common to see vitamin C, hyaluronic acid or biotin in collagen formulas. In such cases, the price of the product often increases, but the amounts of these ingredients may be too small to provide a noticeable positive effect. Therefore, we recommend choosing pure collagen without unnecessary additives. Vitamin C can be obtained from food or taken separately in liposomal form. Hyaluronic acid and biotin, also known as vitamin B7, can also be taken separately in appropriate amounts so that you can enjoy their potential benefits.
Sources:
Shaw, G., et al. (2017). “Vitamin C-enriched collagen supplementation improves joint health in athletes.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Porfírio, E., & Fanaro, G. B. (2016). “Collagen supplementation as a complementary therapy for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis.” Acta Ortopédica Brasileira.
Liu, X., et al. (2022). “Collagen supplementation for skin health: A systematic review.” Journal of Dermatological Science.
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