Should I be taking a collagen supplement?

One of the most common questions I get asked as a Nutritionist is – ‘Should I be taking a Collagen Supplement?’ and I get it, the beauty industry has hijacked collagen and it is absolutely everywhere.

Collagen does play a crucial role in maintaining skin elasticity and supports hair, gut and joint health. It is the most abundant protein in the body and makes up a large part of our skin, tendons, bones, ligaments, and other connective tissue throughout the body. Collagen is also found in the intestinal lining of the gut.

Think of collagen as a structural component, holding together the connective tissue of these areas in the body, providing support and strength. Without adequate collagen in these areas, things become frail and weak and unfortunately, as we age, the production of collagen within the body slows down.

Supplement vs natural food sources:

Collagen in supplement form is usually hydrolysed which means that it has undergone a process called hydrolysis which breaks down the collagen into smaller particles that are easily absorbed by the body. Collagen in its natural form – found in foods such as bone broth, meat, poultry and fish needs to be broken down by enzymes in the digestive system before it can be absorbed. Collagen from both supplements and food is absorbed by the body as individual amino acids or peptides, the body then decides where these amino acids go – they may be used to create collagen or they may be used for other proteins.

The answer to my question – in my opinion, yes you can if you would like to and can afford to. There is no harm in providing the body with the raw materials to make collagen, daily, in fact you will more than likely notice a difference in your skin, hair, nails and energy. The more protein/collagen/amino acids we provide the body with, the more likely our bodies are to create more collagen.

Almost every single client I see, friend or family member I speak to, has a diet lacking in protein. It can be quite hard for some people to meet the daily requirements for protein and whilst collagen technically isn’t a ‘complete’ protein, it is an excellent source of protein in addition to a well balanced diet and contributes to your overall protein intake.