June 17, 2025

Think about assessing a house to determine whether it’s going to be your next home. You’re definitely going to consider how well-constructed it is. Is it built with sturdy bricks? Reinforced with steel and solid wood to stand firm against the elements and the passage of time? Or is it looking a bit ramshackle, more of a piecemeal patchwork held together with hopes, dreams and promises of a full renovation?

The key concepts you’re thinking about in this analogy are longevity and resilience - because if you’re making a life in that house you don’t want it falling down around you any time soon! Yes, of course you know that over the years minor cracks will appear, but with good maintenance and reinforcement with quality materials, that same house in front of you today will remain robust and comfortable for decades to come. Centuries, even. 

And this is exactly how to understand how collagen status will impact the structural integrity of your body. It is the foundational framework, and a well-built foundation allows everything else built on top to function optimally. As we age, just like a house, creaks, cracks and drafts can start to appear at an ever-increasing rate, because our ability to make collagen declines from our early 30s. But as long as we have abundant building blocks available to replace any that need replacing - and in this case we’re talking about amino acids rather than actual bricks and mortar - along with reminders to do that reinforcement from our lifestyle habits, we can very easily prevent any concerns arising due to that natural decline. There are also going to be other periods in our lives when our collagen status will be tested and need extra support, irrespective of our age, and if we add one of those on top of ageing that will mean we need even more help. Occurrences like injury, surgery, issues with the digestive system such as acid reflux, low hormone levels and pregnancy will all increase our collagen use and requirement. I will run through these in a bit more detail in a second.

But first I want to actually break down what collagen’s role is in the body. Because like I said before, everyone is telling you you need collagen but very few are actually telling you what it’s doing!

So collagen is the most abundant protein we have in our body, accounting for around 30% of our total protein content. It provides structure, support and strength to various tissues, including our skin, muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments, blood vessels, and organs. And collagen is unique as it’s made up of a triple-helix - 3 strands of amino acid chains spiralling together - which makes it incredibly strong. If you’ve ever seen something like a suspension bridge you might be able to visualise those thick metal chords that are made up of multiple strands wrapped around each other. That’s what collagen would look like if you blew it up in size a few million times! That unique structure allows it to withstand significant stress and maintain tissue integrity with all the yanking, pulling and mechanical manoeuvring we put our bodies through on a daily basis.

And it doesn’t stop there - did you know there are at least 28 different types of collagen in the body? Some would say there are closer to 35, but we’re getting into the weeds with those numbers and instead we are going to stick to the five types that are the most abundant. Which I will now run through for you. 

Type I: Constitutes about 90% of the body's collagen. It’s found in the dermis (the deeper layer of skin), your bones, tendons, and ligaments. It provides tensile strength (which is resistance from breaking under pressure) structure, and resilience - this is your steel framework of a building. It forms thick, rope-like fibrils that help tissues resist stretching and tearing. It’s crucial for the firmness and elasticity of your skin as well, which is why the degradation of Type I collagen with age and UV exposure is what leads to skin becoming papery and delicate as well as wrinkles and sagging. It can also allow more movement in joints if ligaments and tendons weaken which can cause friction, arthritis and pain.

Type II collagen, comparatively, is found mainly in your articular cartilage (which just means in your joints), also your spinal discs, and the vitreous humor of the eye. It’s got a similar structure to Type I in that we call it a fibrallar collagen - so those fibre like pieces - but it’s a more elastic, gel-like network than Type I because it’s designed to resist compressive forces rather than tension. It’s what provides shock absorption and cushioning in joints, so is crucial for smooth, pain-free joint movement. Breakdown of Type II is associated with osteoarthritis (when the cartilage in the joint gets worn down) leading to joint pain, stiffness, and loss of mobility. And autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis can trigger the immune system to attack Type II collagen.

Type III is found alongside Type I in skin, lungs, blood vessels, intestinal wall, and the uterus.It’s abundant in our rapidly growing tissues which is why it’s really important during pregnancy for supporting foetal growth as well as injury and post-operative recovery for healing wounds. It’s also fibrillar,  like Type I, but more flexible and elastic and acts as a scaffolding in soft tissues usually alongside the framework of Type I. Its main functions are to provide elasticity and strength to organs and tissues, so it supports vascular integrity which is the structure and function of our blood vessels, as well as the gut lining. Low levels are associated with vascular fragility, which can lead to issues like easy bruising, thin or papery skin, and poor wound healing times, as well as gut barrier dysfunction and issues like leaky gut, which we would more technically refer to as intestinal permeability. This is the underlying trigger for many autoimmune issues as well as food intolerances. The intestinal lining actually fully reforms every few weeks so those with any kind of digestive issues, food sensitivities or intolerances really want to be focusing on making sure their Type III collagen levels are very well supported to remedy those symptoms.

Type IV: Located in the layers of the skin but in the basement membrane, which is a delicate layer that sits between the epidermis (top skin layer) and dermis (deeper skin layer). This type acts like a biological glue, anchoring the epidermis to the dermis and maintaining skin's overall integrity and polarity. It forms a mesh-like web unlike the rope-like fibres of Type I.
This also allows it to help filter molecules, regulate cell behavior, and signal repair when the skin barrier is damaged, so it’s critical during wound healing, skin regeneration, and preventing barrier dysfunction (which can lead to sensitivity, dryness, or irritation).

Type V is then your type to find in smaller amounts in skin, hair, the cornea, placenta, and cell surfaces. It usually coexists with Types I and III, particularly in the skin and organs where it forms thin fibrils that help regulate the diameter, width and assembly of the structural Type I collagen fibres. It is key to the organisation of the collagen matrix overall, so will determine its quality. If we go back to our house building analogy we’d call it the foreman. It’s telling you where to put the next steel rod in, how close it should be to its neighbours, how they should be joined together, and that kind of thing. It’s vital for corneal transparency so if you have issues with glare or foggy vision, this could be important. Not the same as a cataract though, as that’s to do with other transparent tissues of the eye. Defects in Type V collagen are linked to Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and other hypermobility disorders.

Right, with that all run through let’s talk about the things that will increase our collagen requirements.

Let’s start with the impact of getting older, which is always a joy! But I will say at this stage age is not a reason to accept any loss of quality of life or health issues. It’s just a drop in efficiency as the body has been working away for a long time. It just needs a bit more TLC, much like a classic car which will run beautifully as long as it gets an extra service compared to what a new car would need. At this point you might have started to realise that I am quite a visual human being… people ask me how I remember everything I do and in short this is how!

So natural collagen production declines with age, starting in our mid- to late- 20s. By the age of 40, the body isn’t matching the turnover, so we lose about 1% of our collagen each year. That reduction can lead to visible signs of ageing, such as wrinkles and sagging skin, and can affect joint health, bone density and muscle mass if you don’t intervene. Environmental factors like UV exposure, smoking and high sugar intake can further accelerate collagen degradation because they all create damage to collagen that can no longer be repaired as effectively.

Next you have injury and wound healing. As the structural foundation of our body, collagen is central to the repair of all connective tissues, skin, and blood vessels. Collagen actually becomes what we term the ‘rate limiting nutrient’ for healing, which boils down to how much collagen you have to use determining how fast and effectively you recover. This is because during the healing process the body ramps up collagen synthesis to rebuild extracellular matrices - which basically means structural framework in snazzy biological terms. This could be after bigger things like surgery, tendon or ligament injuries and muscle tears, or more everyday things like sprains, strains, skin abrasions, cuts or burns.

In 2019 a study was published in the journal Nutrients showing that supplementing hydrolysed collagen significantly improved wound healing and skin regeneration in patients after surgery, with a notable decrease in the time it took to get back to normal daily habits as well as decreasing scarring.

Next onto another form of healing but from a different angle: pregnancy and postpartum Recovery

During pregnancy, collagen supports the growth of the uterus, skin, and breast tissue, is vital for the placenta, and strengthens blood vessels to accommodate increased blood volume. Did you know a pregnant mother will double her blood volume? This is why iron issues are so common during pregnancy too. And it will also be key to the musculoskeletal adaptations necessary for a growing bump. There is a lot of adjustment physically to the organisation of a woman’s body for that to happen, and hormones can really impact the integrity of things like ligaments.

Once the baby is born, you then have the postpartum collagen demands for rebuilding stretched skin and abdominal tissues, repairing the pelvic floor and perineum, and helping with the recovery of joint stability, as the normal laxity from pregnancy hormones subsides. When you're pregnant your hormones make everything stretch more which is really important but then you need them to not stay that way! It will also assist hair, skin and nail recovery, as those hormonal shifts happen too. This is actually a really critical moment as you see a significant depletion of collagen levels, which is often combined with nutrient drain from breastfeeding and sleep deprivation, whilst requirements shoot up. Pre-emptive boosting of collagen levels during pregnancy, as well as high supplementation in the postpartum period, can prevent issues with slow tissue repair, muscle aches, hair loss and lowered immune resilience. 

Speaking of hormones, let’s slide into a totally different hormonal landscape which also sees huge shifts in collagen requirements… and that is Perimenopause and Menopause.

Oestrogen is a key regulator of collagen synthesis which lots of people don’t realise, so as these levels fluctuate and then decline, collagen production rapidly falls along with them. We’ve already said that from 40 years old we are all losing 1% of our total collagen per year, but women can lose up to 30% of their structural collagen in the first 5 years post-menopause, and then also not have the stimulus to produce enough to recover. This is why you can see rapid losses of bone mineral density (potentially leading to osteopenia and osteoporosis), as collagen makes up about 90% of the organic matrix in bones. It gives bones their flexibility and ability to absorb impact, so if we don’t intervene and collagen formation is impaired we can see a rapid increase in fracture risk. Studies show that 5–10 g/day of collagen peptides will benefit bone density when paired with good sources of dietary calcium, optimal vitamin D, and resistance training. When it comes to bones we can’t just rely on one. We need the whole gang - the building blocks of collagen, the shuttle bus of Vit D to bring calcium in to reinforce the collagen framework, and the impact on our bones from training to wake everyone up to do those rebuilding jobs. 

I have to say that supplemental collagen during perimenopause and into menopause is one of my absolutely non-negotiables for women, not just for the more important health elements like bone density but also to maintain sense of self through maintaining our identity and generally looking in the mirror and seeing someone we recognise - not someone who suddenly looks ‘old’.

Another group who will benefit hugely from the addition of supplemental collagen are those physically active individuals amongst us! Regular exercise places repetitive strain on joints, tendons, ligaments and muscles, and whether you are more of a cardio bunny in the running, spinning, cycling club, which is more impact and friction, or the resistance training side, where we are actively looking to cause microdamage to muscles to get them to repair, strengthen and grow, collagen is going to be integral to rebuild, reinforce and maintain those tissues.

Much like the example where collagen becomes the rate limiting nutrient for healing after injury, a randomized controlled trial in the British Journal of Nutrition from 2015 showed that when you combine resistance training with daily supplemental collagen peptides, there was a significant increase in muscle mass and strength compared to resistance training alone. There was also a faster recovery time and decreased risk of injury in the collagen group.

In terms of timing, it’s better to have it than not have it, but particularly for tendon heavy sports like tennis, it’s been shown that taking collagen with additional vitamin C 1 hour before training improves tendon regeneration and reduces injury risk. That was in a paper from the 2017 American journal of clinical nutrition by Shaw et al.

I could continue in this vein highlighting many more examples but we would be here all day.  So I’ll just summarise as: any situation where you have an increased rate of collagen breakdown - due to tissue damage like autoimmune diseases, inflammatory bowel disease or leaky gut, as well as chronic inflammation from stress, blood sugar issues or being overweight - will be benefited by adding in collagen. Aesthetic procedures like microneedling, laser resurfacing, chemical peels and cosmetic surgery will also have better treatment outcomes if supplemental collagen is added, as the whole point of them is to trigger damage to tissue to then encourage healing for an anti-ageing effect. 

But what about dietary sources of collagen? I hear you say, surely we should be able to eat our medicine? Supplements can’t be better than getting collagen from what we eat?

Now I have always and will always be a food first clinician but the key word I want to highlight at this stage is concentration. Yes, absolutely, incorporating collagen-rich foods into your diet can support the body's natural production. But in terms of the amount of collagen, or collagen supporting nutrients, you will get in a normal sized serving of these foods - which would be a tiny fraction of what you would get from a supplement. So dietary sources are your general happy top ups, but for therapeutic impacts you would need a supplement. 

A few examples of collagen supporting foods would be 

• Bone Broth made by simmering, or ideally pressure cooking, raw animal bones in water with vinegar to extract collagen from them
• Animal skin, feet and connective tissues 
• Fish skin and scales, either from things like pieces of fresh fish or buying tinned fish with the skin and small bones included
• Egg Whites, as these contain proline which is an amino acid essential for collagen production
• Citrus fruits, berries, raw tomatoes, peppers and parsley as these are high in vitamin C which is a cofactor vitamin to help us produce collagen
• And allium vegetables like garlic, onions, chives and leeks because the sulphur they contain helps both form collagen but also protects it from being broken down. 

So as I said these are all beneficial but collagen supplements offer concentrated doses of collagen peptides, making them more effective for therapeutic purposes. The term hydrolysed collagen peptides mean that the longer protein molecules have been chopped up into smaller amino acid chains, making them easier to absorb and use. If you’ve ever heard of something having a high bioavailability this is what that means - you can rapidly take something up and use it, it doesn't need to be broken down, reformatted and stuck back together.

Not all collagen supplements are created equal though, which is why I am specifically holding this product in my hand. When you are looking at a collagen product it is incredibly important to check for the following, and I always say if it takes you longer than 3 clicks on a brand’s website to try and find this information then I’m already considering it a bad choice. Brands who are dedicated to delivering high quality and effective products will not hide that information from you. 

Right, so once you’ve got the ingredients you also immediately discount any that do not disclose the source or types of collagen included. 

You then want to know that any bovine collagen like this is grass-fed and European ideally, to avoid feeding into the issues we’ve seen in Brazil with deforestation. Or, if you’re going for a marine collagen like the Skinful product by Bare Biology, then that should be wild sourced. They should also be non-GMO and third-party tested for heavy metals and contaminants.
You also do not need anything like fillers, anti-caking agents or artificial sweeteners. Maltodextrin, sucralose and aspartame all get big red crosses, and I am mean so even things like stevia and other more natural sweeteners I tend to veer away from. Going unflavoured means the product is more versatile, but if you really want a flavoured option then choose something  that contains a berry powder which would also add vitamin C - which we now know is a great support for collagen formation. 

Then we consider format, and this scans back to the idea of therapeutic dose levels and concentration of collagen per serving. From scientific studies we know that therapeutic doses of collagen generally fall between 10–20 grams per day. 

A 2019 randomised controlled trial, which is the gold standard of clinical investigation, showed that 10 grams of collagen peptides daily improved skin elasticity, hydration, and dermal collagen density.

Then for joint function, increasing muscle mass and supporting bone density, those bigger structures, we need to aim for 15–20 grams daily. And this would be from a bovine source because that’s going to be most concentrated with the collagen forms we need for those body structures. 

This is why powdered collagen supplements are going to be the best choice. 1-2 tablespoons will provide 10–20 grams, making it easy to adjust your intake based on goals,
and that mixes easily into hot or cold drinks, soups, sauces, stews, yoghurt, dressings, anything slightly liquid basically. The collagen can then be rapidly absorbed and used.

Powders also generally have less additives, as options like gummies, liquids, gels or capsules will need extra things to hold the collagen in suspension within something like a liquid sachet, or to make a gummy out of. Capsule or gummy supplements are very well marketed though, I totally get that! but they will usually only provide around 500 mg to 1 g per serving, and that could be in 3-4 gummies or capsules, which falls way below a therapeutic level. The gummies will basically just be giving you sugar, which we know is going to increase collagen breakdown rate. I know I’m mean, I know they taste nice, but let’s call a spade a spade. Go buy some Haribo or Jelly Babies for a fraction of the price because that’s basically what you’re getting!  

I am not here as a marketer, but a pure powdered collagen is the only realistic way to reach an effective daily dose. The others may sing you a wonderful song but they will fall short every time. And they will usually do so whilst costing you a lot more money than a powder! 

So to wrap this all up with a nice concluding bow - your body is your long-term home and its resilience, beauty, and function are all built upon strong foundational materials. Collagen is one of the most essential building blocks for that and choosing a quality supplement like this is like choosing the best timber and mortar for a lasting structure. Prioritise purity, dose and bioavailability, and if possible begin before signs of weakness appear. As with home maintenance, prevention is always easier than repair!