Collagen Explained: Benefits, Aging, Plant-Based Sources, and Supplement Options
Written By Dr. Laurie Marbas, MD, MBA
In the eighteenth century, the British Navy faced a crisis that looked less like a disease and more like a mechanical failure.
Sailors on long voyages watched in horror as their bodies began to unspool.
Old wounds that had healed decades prior would suddenly break open. Gums softened and released their teeth. The men were not suffering from a virus. They were suffering from a disintegration of the glue that holds a human being together.
This condition was scurvy, but the underlying mechanism was a collagen failure.
Collagen is the structural rope that constitutes thirty percent of the human body’s protein mass. When the body stops braiding this rope, the structure collapses.
Most modern humans do not face scurvy, but we do face a slower, quieter version of this disintegration.
Every year after our mid-twenties, the body’s production of this essential protein slows down, accelerating the visible signs of skin aging and structural decline.
... wrinkles, stiff joints, and brittle bones, for example.
What Is Collagen and Why Does the Body Need It?
Collagen is a biological rope.
It is defined by a unique triple-helical structure, where three polypeptide chains are wound around each other in a right-handed coil. This shape gives it immense tensile strength, greater than steel by weight.
The strength comes from its specific chemical sequence. Every third amino acid in the chain is glycine, the smallest amino acid, which allows the three strands to pack together tightly.
Proline and hydroxyproline stabilize the helix, preventing it from unraveling at body temperature.
There are twenty-eight distinct types of collagens identified in vertebrates, but they all share this fundamental job: they provide the scaffold that allows tissues to resist stretching and bear weight.
Why Collagen Matters for Structure, Skin, and Movement
Without collagen, complex life would be essentially fluid.
It...
- Anchors the skin to the body
- Gives bone its flexibility so it does not shatter like glass
- Allows cartilage to absorb the shock of a foot hitting pavement.
In the cornea, collagen fibrils are arranged in a precise lattice that allows light to pass through; in the tendon, they are bundled like cables to transmit force.
The stakes of maintaining this network are high. Genetic mutations that disrupt collagen synthesis result in brittle bone disease or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, conditions where the body’s structural integrity is compromised from birth.
For the average person, the gradual loss of this network means the physical architecture of the body begins to sag and weaken over time.
Where Collagen Comes From
Dietary Sources of Collagen (Animal-Based)
Collagen is exclusively an animal product. It evolved in metazoans to hold cells together.
Consequently, dietary collagen is found only in the connective tissues of animals:
- Bovine hides
- Porcine skin
- Chicken bones
- Fish scales.
Traditional foods like bone broth contain gelatin, which is simply denatured collagen cooked down into a digestible form. When we eat these foods, we are consuming the amino acids, glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline, required to build our own matrix.
Can You Support Collagen on a Plant-Based Diet?
Since plants do not produce collagen, a plant-based eater cannot import the scaffold directly. Instead, it has traditionally been recommended to oversupply the construction site. If you cannot eat the rope, you must ensure the body has every tool required to braid it manually.
This requires a specific dietary protocol to support the "construction crew" of enzymes that build collagen:
- The Activator (Vitamin C): This is non-negotiable. The enzymes that stabilize the collagen helix require Vitamin C to function. Without it, the structure falls apart.
- The Cross-Linker (Copper): This mineral powers lysyl oxidase, the enzyme that bonds collagen fibers together for strength. Vegans should target cashews, sesame seeds, and lentils.
- The Remodeler (Zinc): Essential for the enzymes that recycle old tissue. It is found in pumpkin seeds and legumes.
- The Raw Materials (Glycine & Proline): Collagen is one-third glycine. Since vegans miss out on the glycine-rich connective tissues of animals, they must prioritize high-glycine plants like soy, spirulina, and pumpkin seeds to ensure the body never runs out of bricks.
Are Vegan Collagen Supplements Real?
For a long time, the answer was essentially no.
Because collagen evolved in animals, plants do not produce it. As a result, most “plant-based collagen” products on the market have historically been collagen boosters — blends of amino acids, vitamins, and minerals designed to support the body’s own collagen production, but not collagen itself.
That approach can be helpful, but it is not the same as supplementing with collagen.
More recently, advances in biotechnology have introduced a new option.
Using fermentation, scientists can program yeast or bacteria to produce collagen-identical peptides from plant-based inputs. These peptides are structurally the same as those found in animal-derived collagen, but they are produced without livestock, hides, or bones.
This allows plant-based eaters to supplement with collagen itself — not just the raw materials — while still aligning with ethical and dietary preferences.
It’s an emerging category, and not all products are created equal. Some still rely on boosters alone, while others now combine true plant-based collagen peptides with nutrients that support collagen formation, stability, and hydration in the body.
Understanding that distinction is critical when evaluating plant-based collagen supplements.
How Collagen Supplements Actually Work
A persistent skepticism surrounds collagen supplements. Critics argue that digestion breaks proteins down into constituent amino acids, meaning a collagen supplement is no better than a piece of chicken.
But the data suggests otherwise.
Collagen is not fully dismantled in the gut. Specific fragments, primarily dipeptides like proline-hydroxyproline (Pro-Hyp), survive digestion and enter the bloodstream intact.
These fragments do not act merely as fuel; they act as information. They resemble the debris of broken-down tissue. When fibroblasts, the cells that build collagen, detect high levels of these fragments, they interpret it as a sign of rapid tissue destruction.
They panic. In response, they ramp up production of new collagen matrix to repair the perceived damage.
The supplement works by pulling the fire alarm, tricking the body’s repair crews into working a double shift.
Who May Benefit Most From Collagen Supplementation
The demolition of the body’s scaffold affects specific groups more aggressively.
- Postmenopausal women face a precipitous drop in collagen production due to the loss of estrogen, losing up to thirty percent of their skin’s collagen in the first five years after menopause.
- Elderly individuals suffering from sarcopenia—muscle loss—may also benefit.
- While collagen is not a muscle protein, it reinforces the extracellular matrix that supports muscle fibers. Athletes dealing with tendon injuries represent a third group; tendons are dense collagenous tissues with poor blood supply, and flooding the system with collagen precursors prior to exercise can stimulate stubborn tissue to heal.
Evidence-Based Benefits of Collagen Supplementation
Clinical trials have begun to quantify the effects of this "false alarm" signal. In skin health, randomized controlled trials show that oral collagen peptides significantly improve hydration and elasticity.
One study demonstrated a reduction in eye wrinkle volume bytwenty percent after twelve weeks. The effects extend to the skeleton.
A pivotal study in 2018 found that postmenopausal women who took specific collagen peptides for a year saw a significant increase in bone mineral density in the spine and femoral neck, a result that calcium and Vitamin D alone often fail to achieve. In the realm of joint pain, meta-analyses indicate that collagen hydrolysate can reduce the pain of osteoarthritis, likely by stimulating chondrocytes to maintain the cartilage matrix.
How to Slow Collagen Breakdown
You cannot pour water into a bucket with a hole in the bottom and expect it to fill. Before supplementing, you must stop the demolition crew. The primary enemy of collagen is the family of enzymes known as Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMPs). These enzymes chop up collagen fibers. UV radiation activates these enzymes within hours of exposure, severing the cables of the dermis and leading to the disorganized fibers we call wrinkles.
Smoking is equally destructive. It creates a biochemical environment where MMP levels soar, chewing up the skin’s structural support while simultaneously inhibiting the production of new collagen. The most effective collagen strategy is defensive: block the UV radiation and eliminate tobacco smoke.
Frequently Asked Questions About Collagen
Is collagen safe to take long term?
Yes. Collagen is a naturally occurring protein in the body, and studies have evaluated daily supplementation for months to years without significant safety concerns. As with any supplement, quality, sourcing, and appropriate dosing matter.
Can collagen help with hair and nails?
Collagen provides structural amino acids that support keratin-rich tissues like hair and nails. Clinical studies suggest improvements in nail brittleness and hair thickness may occur over time, particularly when collagen intake supports overall connective tissue health.
Do I still need vitamin C if I take collagen?
Yes. Vitamin C is required for key enzymes involved in collagen synthesis and stabilization. Without adequate vitamin C, the body cannot efficiently form or maintain collagen structures.
How long does it take to see results from collagen supplementation?
Most studies observe measurable changes in skin hydration, elasticity, or joint comfort after 8–12 weeks of consistent use. Structural tissues remodel slowly, so consistency over time matters more than immediate effects.
Is collagen a complete protein?
No. Collagen is not a complete protein and is not intended to replace dietary protein. It plays a specialized structural role and is best viewed as targeted connective tissue support rather than a general protein source.
Does it matter what time of day I take a collagen supplement?
For skin and general health, timing is less critical.
However, for tendon and ligament repair, timing appears to matter. Research suggests taking collagen (with Vitamin C) about an hour before exercise maximizes the delivery of the peptides to the connective tissue right when blood flow is highest.
Is there a difference between marine and bovine collagen?
Bovine collagen typically comes from cow hides, while marine collagen comes from fish skin and scales. Marine collagen peptides are often smaller and may be absorbed slightly more efficiently, but both sources provide the necessary Pro-Hyp signals.
Reference List
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