Collagen Buyer's Guide

STRONG EVIDENCE

Collagen has STRONG EVIDENCE for skin health & appearance (PubMed)(PubMed)(PubMed)(PubMed)(PubMed)(PubMed)(PubMed)(PubMed)

Collagen has STRONG EVIDENCE for skin dryness (PubMed)(PubMed)(PubMed)(PubMed)(PubMed)(PubMed)(PubMed)(PubMed)

Collagen has MODERATE EVIDENCE for joint health (PubMed)(PubMed)(PubMed)(PubMed)(PubMed)(PubMed)

Collagen has MODERATE EVIDENCE for muscle growth (PubMed)(PubMed)(PubMed)(PubMed)(PubMed)(PubMed)(PubMed)

Collagen has WEAK EVIDENCE for diabetes/insulin resistance (PubMed)(PubMed)(PubMed)(PubMed)(PubMed)

Collagen has WEAK EVIDENCE for bone health (PubMed)(PubMed)(PubMed)(PubMed)(PubMed)(PubMed)

Collagen has benefits for skin quality, elasticity and appearance. There is evidence for collagen reducing body fat and improving grip strength, but weakly so. The benefits for joint health are moderate but have reliable evidence. Collagen is recommended for athletes for this reason, as well as being a beneficial source of amino acids.

Certified Products

USP Approved Supplements

Kirkland Signature Triple Action Joint Health contains Collagen with Boron and Hyaluronic Acid.

NSF Approved Supplements

• Bare Performance Nutrition Collagen
• BUBS Naturals Collagen
• Momentous Collagen Peptides

Informed Sport Approved Supplements

• Momentous Collagen Peptides

Informed Choice Approved Supplements

• Optimum Nutrition Collagen
• Sports Research, Collagen Peptides
• Transparent Labs Grass-Fed Collagen Hydrolysate

Other Good Options

• NOW Foods, Advanced UC-II Joint Relief, 60 Veg Capsules
• NOW Foods, UC-II Joint Health with Undenatured Type II Collagen, 120 Capsules (Better Value!)
• NOW Foods, UC-II Joint Health with Undenatured Type II Collagen, 60 Capsules
• NOW Foods, BioCell Collagen, Hydrolyzed Type II, 120 Veg Capsules
• Life Extension, Youthful Collagen, Cherry, 80 Gummies
• Life Extension, NT2 Collagen, 60 Small Capsules
• Purely Inspired Collagen Peptides (Costco)
• Vital Proteins Collagen (Costco)

For more options, see our table.

Other Options for those with dietary limitations

For Athletes

Verdict: Recommended

Taking collagen confers reliable benefits for skin health and appearance. However, evidence for muscle gain is mixed and may be more reliable in older adults when combined with resistance training. Collagen supplementation could improve joint pain in athletes of all ages.

Best Product for Athletes

We recommend Momentous Collagen Peptides as it tested for label accuracy and banned substances. This product has NSF Certified for Sport certification and Informed Sport approval.

For consumer use:

Any of the above products are recommended.

How to take

Take 5 to 15 grams per day. May have additional benefits at 15 to 30 grams daily.

Warnings

None

For Healthcare Practitioners

Mechanism of Action

Collagen peptides are produced through hydrolyzing isolated collagen to produce gelatin, which is then treated with specific proteinases to form shorter collagen peptides. The source of collagen peptides range from bovine, to porcine, chicken and marine. Collagen contains high amounts of glycine (roughly 25%), proline, hydroxyproline and hydroxylysine. Collagen peptides are water-soluble and due to their small size have high rates of absorption (90%) after 12 hours. 

Interactions

Drug Interactions

N/A