Collagen is a major structural protein in our tissues. It’s found in skin, hair, nails, tendons, cartilage, and bones. Collagen works with other substances, such as hyaluronic acid and elastin, to maintain skin elasticity, volume, and moisture. It also helps make up proteins such as keratin that form skin, hair, and nails.

Our bodies naturally produce collagen using the amino acids from protein-rich or collagen-rich foods like bone broth, meat, and fish. But aging, sun damage, smoking, and alcohol consumption all decrease collagen production.

Collagen drinks and supplements often contain collagen from many different sources, such as fish, cattle, pigs, or chicken. Typically, they contain peptides, short chains of amino acids that help make up essential proteins in the body, including collagen itself and keratin.

Your body effectively makes collagen from two different amino acids, glycine and proline. It’s important your diet contains adequate levels of protein to get both these and other amino acids that are needed to make collagen. As we age, the amount of collagen in our body decreases so it is important to maintain your intake of protein from foods like meat, chicken, turkey, fish, seafood, dairy products including milk and yogurt, eggs, legumes and tofu.

Collagen peptides are unique proteins derived from natural sources that support bone health by assisting in bone remodeling, treating joint disorders, and enhancing skin beauty by encouraging the body to produce more collagen and hyaluronic acid. The market is driven by consumers’ growing desire to delay premature aging and their increasing demand for nutricosmetics infused with collagen peptides. In addition, the expansion of the market for collagen supplements can be linked to the numerous health and beauty benefits of collagen supplements.

Why do we need collagen?

Collagen accounts for 30% of your body’s protein. It provides structure, support or strength to your skin, muscles, bones and connective tissues. Scientific research is lacking for most collagen supplements, but a well-balanced diet gives your body the raw ingredients it needs to help it make collagen naturally.

Collagen is the most abundant protein in your body. It accounts for about 30% of your body’s total protein. Collagen is the primary building block of your body’s skin, muscles, bones, tendons and ligaments, and other connective tissues. It’s also found in your organs, blood vessels and intestinal lining.

Proteins are made from amino acids. The main amino acids that make collagen are proline, glycine and hydroxyproline. These amino acids group together to form protein fibrils in a triple helix structure. Your body also needs the proper amount of vitamin C, zinc, copper and manganese to make the triple helix.

Collagen’s main role is to provide structure, strength and support throughout your body. Collagen’s specific roles include:

• Helping fibroblasts form in your dermis (middle skin layer), which helps new cells grow.
• Playing a role in replacing dead skin cells.
• Providing a protective covering for organs.
• Giving structure, strength and elasticity to your skin.
• Helping your blood to clot.

Your body produces less collagen as you age, and existing collagen breaks down at a faster rate. The collagen is also lower in quality than when you were younger. Women experience a significant reduction in collagen production after menopause. It’s normal for everyone to experience a decline in collagen production after age 60.

Many people take collagen supplements to add more collagen to their diet. Most collagen supplements go through the process of hydrolyzation. This means that the manufacturer has broken the collagen in the supplements down into peptides, making it easier for the body to absorb and use. Collagen supplements are available in the form of tablets, capsules, and powders. Many are available to buy online. Whether or not collagen supplements are effective depends on what a person uses collagen for.

There are several potential health benefits that collagen supplements offer. However, scientists have not fully studied all the alleged benefits. Also, as with any supplement, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) do not evaluate any claims that a company makes on how well their collagen product works.

Are collagen supplements effective?

Some people who take collagen supplements are looking to improve the look and overall health of their skin. Many believe that collagen supplements can help reduce the effects of aging, such as by adding moisture to the skin, reducing wrinkles, and improving elasticity. As a person ages, their joints start to break down. In particular, the spongy cartilage of the joints starts to wear away. There is some evidence to suggest that collagen supplements can help with restoring or preventing the deterioration of the cartilage in the joints.

Despite its abundance in our bodies, collagen has become a top-selling supplement purported to improve hair, skin, and nails—key components of the fountain of youth. The idea of popping a pill that doesn’t have side effects and may reverse the signs of aging is attractive to many. According to Google Trends, online searches for collagen have steadily increased since 2014.

Collagen first appeared as an ingredient in skin creams and serums. However, its effectiveness as a topical application was doubted even by dermatologists, as collagen is not naturally found on the skin’s surface but in the deeper layers. Collagen fibers are too large to permeate the skin’s outer layers, and research has not supported that shorter chains of collagen, called peptides, are more successful at this feat.

Oral collagen supplements in the form of pills, powders, and certain foods are believed to be more effectively absorbed by the body and have skyrocketed in popularity among consumers. They may be sold as collagen peptides or hydrolyzed collagen, which are broken down forms of collagen that are more easily absorbed. Collagen supplements contain amino acids, the building blocks of protein, and some may also contain additional nutrients related to healthy skin and hair like vitamin C, biotin, or zinc.

Most research on collagen supplements is related to joint and skin health. Human studies are lacking but some randomized controlled trials have found that collagen supplements improve skin elasticity. Other trials have found that the supplements can improve joint mobility and decrease joint pain such as with osteoarthritis or in athletes. Collagen comprises about 60% of cartilage, a very firm tissue that surrounds bones and cushions them from the shock of high-impact movements; so a breakdown in collagen could lead to a loss of cartilage and joint problems.

However, potential conflicts of interest exist in this area because most if not all of the research on collagen supplements are funded or partially funded by related industries that could benefit from a positive study result, or one or more of the study authors have ties to those industries. This makes it difficult to determine how effective collagen supplements truly are and if they are worth their often hefty price.

A downside of collagen supplements is the unknown of what exactly it contains or if the supplement will do what the label promotes. There are also concerns of collagen supplements containing heavy metals. In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration does not review supplements for safety or effectiveness before they are sold to consumers.

Another potential downside is that taking a collagen supplement can become an excuse to not practice healthy behaviors that can protect against collagen decline, such as getting enough sleep and stopping smoking.

Collagen and social media

Collagen has become such a buzzword in influencer content on social media that the hashtag #collagen has over 4.4 billion views on TikTok.

The protein entices consumers to include it in their daily supplements with the promise of boosting hair and nail growth and restoring skin. In the U.S., collagen product sales are forecast to reach $316 million in 2025, with growth of 7%–10% expected annually between 2023 and 2025,

In the era of digital wellness, social media influencers hold a strong position. Their
well-selected internet photos present a picture of enthusiasm and health, complete with
disciplined workout routines and glowing skin. And that picture almost always comes with
a bottle of collagen drink that they are holding in their hands. Once a specialist
supplement tucked away in health food stores, collagen has seen a great rise in popularity
thanks in large part to social media influencers’ ability to endorse items. These internet
influencers have transformed obscure powders into necessary enhancements thanks to
their passionate followers and aspirational styles.

Young adults on social media who seek cosmetic benefits are willing to purchase supplements when they see the promised results through someone they follow and trust. In fact, more than 50% of 18 to 24-year-old women are seeking an anti-aging product according to a study conducted by The Benchmarking Company. This desire has led the collagen market to be estimated worth $16.7 billion by 2028, almost a 9% growth from 2020.

The rise of the influencer has had huge impacts on the ability of collagen supplement brands to get their products and the photographic evidence of their benefits in front of the eyes of literally millions of people. The ‘social proof’ of the benefits of collagen products means that people from all walks of life are now starting to take notice of these products and look to the market to find the highest quality and most reputable brands in an effort to gain the same results for themselves.

Collagen supplements are not approved or regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and are treated as food supplements, rather than drugs (FDA, 2005). In the UK, collagen supplements fall under the Food Standards Authority (FSA), meaning that any company can bring dietary supplements to market without having to provide any evidence of its safety or efficacy. Vitamins, minerals, herbs and other substances may be added that have not been tested for their compatibility or interactions.

All current clinical trials have been conducted on relatively small numbers of healthy individuals. However, other health issues, such as underlying medical conditions, allergies, concurrent medications, differences in metabolism and any other variables that might have affected the results, were not taken into account.

Some of the safety issues with taking collagen supplements concern the vitamins and minerals that are routinely added to increase the supplement’s efficacy, rather than the hydrolysed collagen itself. High doses of vitamins, such as vitamin C, B vitamins and zinc and selenium minerals, could lead to health complications in certain individuals.

As with many nutritional trends, it is likely that the broad benefit of collagen supplements has been overstated in the media. More research, with larger trials, would be beneficial for collagen supplements’ safety profile and scientific integrity. It is still unclear if the benefits found in the studies were specifically from a collagen supplement or whether eating a healthy diet with adequate protein would have achieved similar results.

Taken with consistency and caution, collagen supplements could improve skin elasticity and hydration and reduce wrinkles, but it cannot be determined exactly where these collagen peptides will be used within the body. While collagen supplementation may not be harmful, the additional vitamins and minerals could pose a health risk, especially if taken in addition to a healthy diet with other supplements or medicines or if underlying health conditions exist. With more research and regulation and post-sales surveillance, consumable collagen could become another viable weapon in our artillery against ageing.