Your body is made up of many types of proteins, and each has its own important job.
Some help our muscles contract. Some help our bones stay strong. Some help us fight infections.
One of the most important proteins in our body, though, is collagen. It’s a major building block of several different tissues including our skin, tendons, and ligaments.
Our bodies produce collagen internally, but you can also get it from your diet.
Unfortunately, our body's collagen production decreases with age. Some say it’ll drop by about 1% each year after the age of 40.
I’m not so sure it’s as black and white as that, but the general consensus is that collagen production will go down over time.
This can affect the way you age and the way your joints feel. That’s one reason why collagen supplements are becoming so popular!
That’s not the only way to get more collagen in your diet though.
Instead, some people find it more helpful to add foods high in collagen into their diet.
It’s not a bad idea because more collagen could mean better skin health, joint health, and more! But what food has collagen in it?
In This Article:
• What is Collagen?
• 11 Foods High in Collagen
• Benefits of Eating Foods High in Collagen
• Collagen Foods vs. Collagen Supplements
• How to Get the Most Out of Collagen
What Is Collagen?
Collagen is a protein found in skin, muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments, and other connective tissues.
It’s rich in the amino acids proline, glycine, and hydroxyproline. Proline and hydroxyproline aren’t extremely common outside of collagen. This is what makes collagen a very unique protein with a very unique structure.
Its triple helix shape is what makes it so strong. Collagen’s strength and rigidity are what makes it so perfect to be the structure of so many tissues.
There’s more than one type of collagen though. In fact, there are 28 different types of collagen all with different functions.
5 major types of collagen are:
Collagen Type I
Found in skin, bones, tendons, and ligaments. It provides strength and structure to these tissues.
Collagen Type II
Primarily found in cartilage. It supports joint flexibility and cushioning.
Collagen Type III
Found in internal organs, blood vessels, and skin. This type works with Type I for skin elasticity and tissue repair.
Collagen Type V
Found in the cornea, muscle, liver, lungs, and the placenta. It works with other collagen types to help form their fibers properly.
Collagen Type X
Found in joint cartilage, growth plates, and lumbar discs. This collagen type aids in bone growth and healing injuries to bones and cartilage.
As I already mentioned, our bodies do make collagen from the amino acids we get in the rest of our diet. If we add collagen directly from food and supplements ... it makes it that much easier for us to produce it internally.
Let’s talk about some foods high in collagen. The food in this list either contains collagen or helps us produce more collagen in some way.
11 Foods High in Collagen
One question I’ve gotten throughout my career in the health industry is, “What foods have collagen?” It’s a pretty hot topic nowadays, and there are plenty of options.
So here are the top 11 foods high in collagen.
Foods High in Collagen
1. Bone Broth
2. Pork Skin
3. Chicken Skin
4. Fish Skin and Scales
5. Organ Meats
6. Gelatin
7. Berries (Antioxidants)
8. Egg Whites
9. Garlic
10. Dairy
11. Citrus Fruit (Antioxidants)
Allow me to talk about each a little bit more in-depth...
Bone Broth
Bone broth is made from boiling animal bones. The boiling process breaks down the bones and connective tissue to create the broth.
The collagen from the bones and cartilage seeps into the broth. This makes it much easier to consume collagen than eating animal bones, I can guarantee that!
You can make your own by boiling beef, chicken, or pork bones. Not everyone wants to take the time to do this, but it is one way to get collagen in your diet.
Pork Skin
Just like human skin, pig skin is packed full of collagen. Eating that can boost your own collagen levels. But where can you get pork skin?
It’s used in pork rinds, which is a popular snack. You can find these at pretty much every grocery store or gas station.
Chicken Skin
Certain parts of chicken can be a prime source of collagen. Just like in humans, there’s plenty of collagen in chicken skin and cartilage.
While it doesn’t sound delicious to eat a plate of chicken cartilage, it is one way to get it. The hard chewy parts on the ends of chicken wings are cartilage. So that’s one source if you’re looking for it.
For chicken skin, you can prepare the chicken with the skin still on. Many people actually do enjoy eating the skin on chicken legs and thighs.
Both of these are simple ways to get more collagen in your diet.
Fish Skin and Scales
Fish is another meat source packed with collagen from the animal itself.
Like with other animals, the collagen is highly concentrated in the skin and bones. It’s also in their scales. So to get a good amount of collagen from fish, you’ll need to eat it with the skin on.
You could grill or roast the fish or even use the bones for a fish bone broth. Two great fish options for collagen are sardines and salmon.
Organ Meats
If bones and skin aren’t your thing, you could also eat animal organ meats.
These also have noticeable levels of collagen.
The prime organs to eat include the liver, heart, brain, and kidneys. They may not sound the most appetizing, and they likely don’t taste incredible.
…But it’s a good way to get collagen from whole food in your diet if that’s what you’re going for.
Gelatin
Gelatin is actually made from partially hydrolyzed collagen. They get it from animal bones, skin, and connective tissue just like the other foods I’ve mentioned.
This is one of the more pleasant ways to get collagen in your diet, but it isn’t a ton. About a 1/2 cup serving of Jello will give you about 1 gram.
So if you want 15 grams of collagen, you’re looking at 7.5 cups of gelatin. Not the easiest way to get a lot of collagen in, but to each their own.
Berries
This is one of the foods that doesn’t actually have collagen in it. It does, however, provide nutrients that help us produce collagen.
Outside of needing amino acids, we also need vitamin C, zinc, and copper. Different berries contain different nutrients, but many of them contain these nutrients.
While you’re not directly eating collagen, you're still able to boost collagen synthesis in your body. Or at the very least, support it.
Egg Whites
Egg whites are a good source of proline, which is one of the three key amino acids for collagen production. While the egg whites don’t help with collagen production directly, they do provide some nutrients that help.
If you eat the egg with the eggshell, you actually will get some collagen! There’s collagen in the membrane on the inside of the eggshell.
If you grind them up small enough, you may not even notice them in your eggs!
Garlic
Garlic is another interesting way to help your collagen production and levels.
It contains sulfur, which is thought to be essential for collagen production. Sulfur is also thought to be helpful in preventing collagen breakdown.
So a diet high in garlic can help you preserve collagen, as well as support its production.
Dairy
Dairy proteins don't contain collagen itself, but dairy products are high in two amino acids: proline and glycine.
Both of those amino acids are very important for collagen production.
So eating cheese, milk, yogurt, and other dairy products can help support your collagen production levels.
The vitamin D and calcium found in dairy products are another way to support your bone health too, alongside collagen.
Citrus Fruit
Citrus fruits, like berries, are packed full of vitamin C which helps the body produce collagen. Vitamin C also acts as an antioxidant which helps reduce collagen breakdown.
Citrus fruits are also a good source of zinc and copper, which can also help with collagen production.
Eating a ton of citrus fruit won’t necessarily boost your collagen levels directly, but it will help support them. It also won’t hurt your collagen production one bit!
Benefits of Eating Foods High in Collagen
Eating a good amount of collagen can do a lot for your body:
Skin Health
Collagen makes up the majority of your skin. In fact, it makes up around 70–80% of it (1). Collagen provides structure, firmness, and elasticity to the skin Keeping your collagen intake high could help support skin health and elasticity over time.
Joint Health
Your joints need cartilage for cushioning and to support movement. Collagen is a key component of cartilage. Getting more type II collagen can help protect your joints over time (2).
Bone Strength
Collagen forms the structural framework of bones and adds to bone mass. Because of that, collagen loss can lead to weaker bones. Adding more collagen into your diet may actually help to strengthen your bones (3).
Muscle Mass Support
Collagen supports muscle structure and is a protein in our muscles. Collagen supplements have been shown to support muscle health and aid in recovery (4).
Hair and Nail Strength
Collagen is only a small part of hair and nails, but it’s still a part of them. Adding more collagen has been shown to help reduce hair loss and aid in regrowth too (5). It showed the same type of benefits for nails too (6).
Organ and Blood Vessel Support
Collagen plays a role in the structure and integrity of organs and blood vessels. As our body continually cycles through tissue remodeling, adding more collagen may help support health here too.
Collagen Foods vs. Collagen Supplements
If none of those 11 foods sound good (or if you have dietary restrictions), the good news is that you don’t have to get all of your collagen from foods.
You can also get it from collagen supplements. In fact, I’d argue that’s what most people are doing nowadays. But which one is better, the food or supplements route?
Here are some of the pros and cons to each.
Foods
One of the main reasons people are drawn to eating foods high in collagen is because it’s a little more of a natural way to get your collagen.
It might be more work to get in some cases, like boiling animal bones, but it can be pretty affordable too.
After all, making your own bone broth is a good way to reduce your food waste and boost your collagen intake.
However, many of these foods—especially the ones that actually contain collagen—are somewhat unusual.
Not everyone likes to eat them. I don’t blame them because I can be pretty selective with what I eat too.
You may also have to continually go out of your way to get these foods too. For example, you’ll have to make an effort to eat fish with the skin still on.
It’s an option not as many are choosing nowadays, but still an option nonetheless.
Supplements
Supplements are oftentimes more expensive than buying whole foods at the grocery store. At least they are in the short term.
A good quality collagen supplement might run you $50, but for 30 servings that’s only $1.67 a serving.
So in the short term, it costs more than the food will, but long term it’s quite affordable.
Supplements also make it a simple way to get high amounts of collagen quickly. You just mix a scoop into your drink and you’re done.
It’s much easier to keep yourself consistent with your collagen intake and know exactly what you’re getting.
Plus, some collagen supplements can taste very good. Most likely better than fish skin, animal bones, and eggshells.
Supplements often come in a powder, pill, or liquid form. If you want a higher dose, a powder is going to be your best bet.
Not all of them are created with the same quality and benefits though. Some collagen supplements only contain one or two types of collagen.
If you go the supplement route, go for one with several types of collagen in it. That gives your body the most well-rounded amino acid profile to produce more collagen types internally.
Both collagen supplements and foods high in collagen can help you get more on a daily basis. They both have their advantages.
You just have to decide which one is best for you.
How To Get the Most out of Collagen
Overall, collagen is a powerful building block of your body. The amount we have and continually produce can affect pretty much everything:
• Bones
• Muscles
• Skin
• Hair
• Nails
• Blood vessels
• Organs
While everyone might produce less collagen at different times in their life, we do know one thing. Everyone will start producing less of it at some point.
When we produce less of it, it could contribute to hair loss, wrinkles, joint pain, brittle nails, and weak bones. Nobody wants any of that!
You certainly can get your collagen from foods, and I highly encourage you to eat some if you like those foods. Most people nowadays choose the easier route… myself included.
I used to think collagen was just a supplement women used to keep their skin healthy. The more research I did, the more I realized how important collagen is to so many aspects of our health.
I had a muscle tear back in 2020, and I started taking collagen to help with recovery. I really noticed a difference, and my recovery process was quicker than my surgeon thought. He even pulled me out of physical therapy weeks earlier than anticipated!
The one I use is 1st Phorm’s Collagen with Dermaval. It contains 5 major types of collagen and provides you with a well-rounded amino acid profile.
When you’re building a house, you might need a lot of wood to do it. That’s not the only type of material you’ll need to finish the job, though.
You’ll also need brick, concrete, drywall, nails, and screws. The same is true with collagen. We’ve got so many different types of collagen in our bodies.
If the goal is to help your body produce all of these different types, it’s helpful to provide it with multiple collagen types.
Not only does it contain 5 types of collagen, but it also has something called dermaval in it. Dermaval helps to preserve our body's elastin levels, which is crucial for preventing wrinkles in our skin.
It’s also the best-tasting collagen I’ve ever had. Don’t just take my word for either.
Check out the reviews for yourself here. There are almost 9000 five-star reviews!
For those of you looking for collagen with only natural flavors and sweeteners, we have that too. You can check out our Collagen Natural with Dermaval here.
If you have any questions or need any help in the meantime, don't hesitate to reach out. We have a full team of NASM Certified Personal Trainers and Nutrition Coaches right here in St. Louis, Missouri.
Just give us a call at 1-800-409-9732 or send us an email at CustomerService@1stPhorm.com any day from 6 AM to 10 PM Central. We'll be more than happy to help in any way we can!
References:
(1) Oikarinen A. Aging of the skin connective tissue: how to measure the biochemical and mechanical properties of aging dermis. Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed. 1994 Apr;10(2):47-52. PMID: 8043384.
(2) Martínez-Puig D, Costa-Larrión E, Rubio-Rodríguez N, Gálvez-Martín P. Collagen Supplementation for Joint Health: The Link between Composition and Scientific Knowledge. Nutrients. 2023 Mar 8;15(6):1332. doi: 10.3390/nu15061332. PMID: 36986062; PMCID: PMC10058045.
(3) König D, Oesser S, Scharla S, Zdzieblik D, Gollhofer A. Specific Collagen Peptides Improve Bone Mineral Density and Bone Markers in Postmenopausal Women-A Randomized Controlled Study. Nutrients. 2018 Jan 16;10(1):97. doi: 10.3390/nu10010097. PMID: 29337906; PMCID: PMC5793325.
(4) Inacio PAQ, Gomes YSM, de Aguiar AJN, Lopes-Martins PSL, Aimbire F, Leonardo PS, Sá Filho AS, Lopes-Martins RAB. The Effects of Collagen Peptides as a Dietary Supplement on Muscle Damage Recovery and Fatigue Responses: An Integrative Review. Nutrients. 2024 Oct 8;16(19):3403. doi: 10.3390/nu16193403. PMID: 39408370; PMCID: PMC11478671.
(5) Hwang SB, Park HJ, Lee BH. Hair-Growth-Promoting Effects of the Fish Collagen Peptide in Human Dermal Papilla Cells and C57BL/6 Mice Modulating Wnt/β-Catenin and BMP Signaling Pathways. Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Oct 7;23(19):11904. doi: 10.3390/ijms231911904. PMID: 36233206; PMCID: PMC9569759.
(6) Hexsel D, Zague V, Schunck M, Siega C, Camozzato FO, Oesser S. Oral supplementation with specific bioactive collagen peptides improves nail growth and reduces symptoms of brittle nails. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2017 Dec;16(4):520-526. doi: 10.1111/jocd.12393. Epub 2017 Aug 8. PMID: 28786550.
