Claire Hannum
February 21, 2023
There's a Lot to Know About Collagen. Here Are 16 Fast Facts
Nothing boosts your morning coffee or tea like a healthy dose of collagen. Collagen is a building block of your bones, skin, muscles, and more, and supplementing with it can keep you radiant and glowing day after day. Want to know more before taking the plunge? These 16 facts might surprise you…
1. Without proper collagen supplementation, your collagen levels will decline by 50% by the age of 60 (1).
2. Starting in your 20s, your natural collagen production begins to decline by 1% each year (2).
3. Collagen makes up one-third of your body's protein, 75% of your skin, and 90% of your bones (3, 4).
4. The most abundant "types" of collagen in the body are Types 1 and 3. Type 1 collagen makes up 85 to 90% of your body’s collagen (5, 6).
5. The structure of collagen was first discovered in 1954 by scientist Gopalasamudram Narayana Ramachandran (7).
6. Collagen is found in the skin, bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons, organs, intestinal lining, and blood vessels (8).
7. Collagen comes from the Greek word "colla", meaning glue. Because of this, collagen is often referred to as the glue that holds your body together (9, 10).
8. Hydrolyzed collagen (AKA collagen peptides) is collagen that’s been broken down into peptides. This makes it easier for the body to digest and absorb (11).
9. Certain foods like bone broth, salmon, chicken, citrus, berries, beans, garlic, egg whites, and leafy greens can help increase collagen production (12).
10. Topical skin creams containing collagen don't work.
11. Collagen peptide supplements help reduce joint pain, increase bone density, fill fine lines and wrinkles, promote heart health, strengthen nails, boost hair growth, and potentially boost muscle mass (13).
12. Collagen decreases faster when a person’s lifestyle includes UV exposure, smoking, air pollution, and unhealthy eating habits (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19).
13. Exercise can improve your collagen levels. When you work out, oxygen, vitamins, and nutrients are delivered directly to the skin cells that create collagen. Collagen sets the tone for how smooth your skin is, so an exercise-fueled boost will amp up your glow (20, 21).
14. Combining Type 2 collagen with Type 1 and 3 will counteract the collagen’s positive health effects. It’s okay to take Type 1 and 3 together, but if you also want to take Type 2, you should do it at a separate time of the day (22, 23).
15. There are about 5 grams of collagen in one cup of organic bone broth (24).
16. The ideal amount of collagen to take per day is 20 to 40 grams (25, 26). (Your personal dose may be slightly different based on your goals, age, and lifestyle, but 20 to 40 grams is the dose we recommend for most people.)
1. Without proper collagen supplementation, your collagen levels will decline by 50% by the age of 60 (1).
2. Starting in your 20s, your natural collagen production begins to decline by 1% each year (2).
3. Collagen makes up one-third of your body's protein, 75% of your skin, and 90% of your bones (3, 4).
4. The most abundant "types" of collagen in the body are Types 1 and 3. Type 1 collagen makes up 85 to 90% of your body’s collagen (5, 6).
5. The structure of collagen was first discovered in 1954 by scientist Gopalasamudram Narayana Ramachandran (7).
6. Collagen is found in the skin, bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons, organs, intestinal lining, and blood vessels (8).
7. Collagen comes from the Greek word "colla", meaning glue. Because of this, collagen is often referred to as the glue that holds your body together (9, 10).
8. Hydrolyzed collagen (AKA collagen peptides) is collagen that’s been broken down into peptides. This makes it easier for the body to digest and absorb (11).
9. Certain foods like bone broth, salmon, chicken, citrus, berries, beans, garlic, egg whites, and leafy greens can help increase collagen production (12).
10. Topical skin creams containing collagen don't work.
11. Collagen peptide supplements help reduce joint pain, increase bone density, fill fine lines and wrinkles, promote heart health, strengthen nails, boost hair growth, and potentially boost muscle mass (13).
12. Collagen decreases faster when a person’s lifestyle includes UV exposure, smoking, air pollution, and unhealthy eating habits (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19).
13. Exercise can improve your collagen levels. When you work out, oxygen, vitamins, and nutrients are delivered directly to the skin cells that create collagen. Collagen sets the tone for how smooth your skin is, so an exercise-fueled boost will amp up your glow (20, 21).
14. Combining Type 2 collagen with Type 1 and 3 will counteract the collagen’s positive health effects. It’s okay to take Type 1 and 3 together, but if you also want to take Type 2, you should do it at a separate time of the day (22, 23).
15. There are about 5 grams of collagen in one cup of organic bone broth (24).
16. The ideal amount of collagen to take per day is 20 to 40 grams (25, 26). (Your personal dose may be slightly different based on your goals, age, and lifestyle, but 20 to 40 grams is the dose we recommend for most people.)
As a writer, editor, and wellness seeker, Claire has written for Self, Health, Prevention, CNN, Mic, Livestrong, and Greatist, just to name a few. When she's not writing, she specializes in traveling, getting lost in health-related research rabbit holes, and finding new ways to spoil her cat.
Sources
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1606623/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1606623/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2846778/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2577747/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3003457/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8620403/
- https://www.nature.com/articles/174269c0
- https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/23089-collagen
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9177216/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4241420/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6891674/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7146365/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31703345/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3299808/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11966688/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9551072/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30213068/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3583891/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7146365/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3583892/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26477918/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8620403/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2881779/
- https://www.consumerlab.com/reviews/bone-broth-review/bone-broth/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35639457
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6566836/
5 comments
I just ordered Native Path and want to know if my husband can also take collagen. We are both 72. Most of what I read talks about women.
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NativePath replied:
Hi Shelley! Collagen is great for men as well as women! Here is some fantastic information about the benefits of collagen for men: https://www.nativepath.com/blogs/collagen/collagen-for-men-dosing-benefits-the-best-supplement-to-take?pos=1&_sid=596f73082&ss=r Have a wonderful week!
Is there a better time of day to take collagen peptides? And does it need to be taken with food?
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NativePath replied:
Hi MaryAnn! You can take collagen with or without food, any time that works best for you! You can find more information here: https://www.nativepath.com/blogs/collagen/is-there-a-best-time-to-take-my-collagen-supplement?pos=1&_sid=aa0d9d1a8&ss=r Have a wonderful day!
May I recieve a description of each product and what does for the body. When I try to explain it to my wife, I draw a blank. Needless to say I’d like to have the description on hand to tell all who ask. Thank you, Gary
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NativePath replied:
Hi Gary! You can check out each product here: https://www.nativepath.com/collections/all-products-1 For the description, just click on the picture of the product! Have a wonderful weekend!
I reside in Uganda, East Africa and would like to purchase some products from your company. Can you deliver them to me using DHL?
I want to buy 6 bottles of Antarctica krill oil and other products.
Please clarify.
Thanks
Emmanuel
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NativePath replied:
Hi Emmanuel! We currently only ship orders placed via our website to areas within the US. However, we do have an amazon shop which will ship anywhere amazon shipping is supported. You can find Krill as well as other products there. I hope this helps! Have a wonderful week.
I successfully took Native Path collagen for 2 months at the end of 2022. Wound up stopping due to a really bad case of covid, went without collagen from mid Dec to Feb 21 when I woke up with the return of the hip pain. So Native Path collagen really does work and I’m back on it today.
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NativePath replied:
Thank you for sharing your experience with us, Anne! We are glad to hear collagen has helped you. Have a great day!