The Top 9 Potential Benefits of Collagen • A Sweet Pea Chef

Our skin, bones, hair, digestive system, muscles, and tendons all need collagen for strength, flexibility, and healing. Collagen also has anti-aging benefits and is known to reduce wrinkles. In this article, we discuss the amazing benefits of collagen, and how to best get more into your diet.

two tubs of collagen stacked on top of each other one is vanilla and one is unflavored

WHAT IS COLLAGEN?

Collagen is a protein in the body. It’s the protein found the most, in fact. Like protein is a building block in the body, collagen is an important component of strengthening tendons, ligaments, skin, and muscles. Collagen is even found in the teeth and blood vessels. It also helps with skin elasticity.

Although there are well over 20 kinds of collagen, five types of collagen are most noted.

Type I provides structure to the connective tissue, teeth, bones, tendons, skin, and more.
Type II is mostly for cushioning the joints.
Type III is found in the arteries, muscles, and organs.
Type IV supports the skin.
Type V is important for the eyes (mainly the cornea) and bones.

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO GET COLLAGEN?

Vitamin C is essential to collagen. You see, in the body, collagen is first procollagen. It's processed and changed by the combination of proline and glycine, two amino acids. Vitamin C is essential to the process. Lysine is a third amino acid helpful to the production of collagen.

To get the vitamin C you need, eat bell peppers, kiwis, strawberries, peaches, pears, pineapple, and unsweetened juices like grapefruit and orange.

Proline is supplied in cottage cheese, beef, soy, pork, and gelatin (powders and desserts).

Some people will eat pork products like pork skin snacks to get glycine. You can also find it in chicken, lamb, crustaceans like crab, and gelatin.

Copper is also important when it comes to collagen production. Look to organ meats, lentils, cashews, and sesame seeds.

To boost your intake of lysine, eat pork, red meat, and poultry. Cod and sardines are good sources of lysine, as are eggs and tofu.

In other words, eat healthy foods in abundance. It's all for the right reasons!

an example of a Food High In Collage bone broth

WHAT FOODS BOOST COLLAGEN?

Although collagen is easily taken in a supplement, there are several foods high in collagen you can incorporate. Here are some of the most collagen-rich foods.

Bone broth is the top food source of collagen, although some studies say a supplement may be just as good. To get the best bone broth, make your own. Bone broth does have a lot going for it, because it contains magnesium, glucosamine, collagen, and amino acids, to name a few.
Tomatoes have a lot of vitamin C, essential for the production of collagen. They also contain lycopene, which is good for the skin.
Cashews are copper powerhouses and key to collagen production.
Beans are excellent fiber sources, and also contain the all-important copper.
Fruits are top-notch for vitamin C. Eat lots of blueberries, raspberries, guavas, grapefruit, and mangos.
Eggs have many benefits. Egg whites, in particular, contain a lot of proline.
Chicken is a good source of collagen.

ARE COLLAGEN SUPPLEMENTS HEALTHY?

Yes, collagen peptides (also called hydrolyzed collagen), or supplements containing collagen are healthy and many people choose to get their collagen that way. It's especially beneficial if you're concerned that you aren't getting enough in your diet.

Collagen supplements may cause heartburn in some people and that's why it's important to buy a good product and one without additives. Other minor side effects can be feeling full and experiencing a bit of bloat. Also, if you are allergic to the source of the collagen supplement or ingredients in it (say seafood for example), you could have a reaction.

Be sure to buy a high-quality supplement and look for pills or a powder that are regulated, so you know that you are getting what you’ve paid for.

That being said, as part of your healthy, well-balanced diet add cleanish Collagen Peptides to coffee, milk, water or smoothies. It's got Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin C for excellent absorption. There are 10g of protein in every scoop too, which helps you reach healthy protein requirements.

two tubs of cleanish vanilla protein next to each other

IS COLLAGEN DIGESTIBLE?

Yes, collagen is digestible. But it’s a little more complicated than that. This is how it works. Collagen is broken down in the process of digestion. Then, it’s absorbed into the bloodstream.

With supplements, the collagen is typically hydrolyzed, meaning amino acids are broken down into peptides, which are then easily absorbed. Hydrolyzing allows for an easy mixture into liquids and that’s why many people add supplements to a drink like water or juice.

With food, the amino acids coming from protein food sources work to support the production of collagen. The body breaks them down (as opposed to the hydrolyzed supplements) to aid collagen production. The amino acids are important (remember the lysine, proline, and glycine) to processing the collagen, as I said before. Eating foods with these amino acids boosts collagen production.

I explain a lot about protein, amino acids, and incomplete/complete proteins in my post The Ultimate Guide to the Best Vegan Protein Substitutes if you’d like to be more in the know!

WHAT DOES COLLAGEN DO FOR THE BODY?

Let’s look at the 9 top health benefits of collagen, whether taken as a supplement like a collagen powder added to soups and smoothies or in the foods I mentioned above:

1. COLLAGEN MAY BOOST HEART HEALTH

A trial in 2017 showed that participants who took the presented collagen supplement twice a day for 6 months experienced promising results. The prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis (fatty deposits and plaque build up in the arteries) were observed.

Close up image of Lacey working out, dressed in workout clothing, getting ready to pick up a weight bar.

2. COLLAGEN MAY INCREASE MUSCLE MASS

Loss of muscle mass and strength is often correlated to age, activity level, and gender. Collagen may be instrumental in boosting muscle mass. It’s important to note that the consumption of collagen along with exercise proves even more beneficial. Want to learn the best time to take part in a workout? Take a look here!

3. COLLAGEN AIDS IN THE PREVENTION OF BONE LOSS

Post-menopausal women were enrolled in a 3-month study that proved that consuming collagen improved bone mineral density. Osteoporosis is one illness that may be inhibited by an increase of collagen in the body.

4. COLLAGEN SUPPORTS THE BRAIN

Protection against diseases like Alzheimer’s may be provided by collagen. The neurons in the brain may be protected with an increase in collagen intake. Sleep is essential to a healthy brain too so along with the collagen, grab 7-9 hours of sleep at night.

5. COLLAGEN MAY REDUCE JOINT PAIN

As we age, the amount of collagen in the body decreases. This is one reason why joint pain is more prevalent. One study, for example, showed that knee pain was significantly reduced in participants given collagen derived from chicken cartilage. Along with the benefits to the muscles and joints, collagen is beneficial to wound healing too.

View from the top of 8 meal prep containers with pulled pork. There are 2 meal prep containers for each of the pulled pork flavors. Pork is a good source of lysine for producing collagen.

6. COLLAGEN MAY IMPROVE SKIN HEALTH

The loss of collagen in the skin as we get older is pretty evident in the wrinkles we see. Numerous trials have been undertaken with promising results. Wrinkle reduction and better skin hydration were documented in women who drank a beverage with collagen in it over a 12-week span. To note, too much sun exposure can deplete our collagen levels. That's another reason to limit time in the sun and to wear sunscreen too.

7. COLLAGEN MAY IMPROVE GUT HEALTH

Alaskan pollock skin, a great source of collagen, was used in a study to determine its value when used against inflammation and damage to the intestinal lining. This is supported by documentation of the collagen levels of patients with inflammatory bowel disease, which was decreased.

8. COLLAGEN MAY SUPPORT BACK HEALTH

Although more studies are needed, it is thought that long-term supplementation with collagen may be indicated in the reduction of back pain. And we all know that back pain is absolutely no fun.

9. COLLAGEN MAY STRENGTHEN NAILS

Do you have brittle nails? Give collagen a try. Up your intake by eating some of the delicious foods I mentioned, like protein-packed chicken and sweet-tasting strawberries. Nail strength was a benefit seen in women who supplemented their collagen intake, and they found their nails to be less brittle after as little as 4 weeks.