Protein & Collagen

Is collagen worth taking for you, and if so, which source suits you? These are the questions our naturopaths ask in store.

A good fit if

• Skin, hair, nails or connective tissue is what you're really interested in, rather than muscle
• You're happy to judge it over eight to twelve weeks, which is how long the published trials ran
• You already get enough protein from food and are adding collagen on top
• You want a source you can name (bovine, marine or chicken) and a dose printed on the label
• You'd rather stir a powder into your coffee than cook with bones more often

Check with us first if

• You have kidney disease or need to limit protein. A 10 to 20 g daily dose is a meaningful amount of protein.
• You're pregnant or breastfeeding. Collagen is a food-type protein, but formulas often add herbs, vitamins and minerals that need checking.
• You're relying on collagen to meet your protein needs. It shouldn't be doing that job.
• You keep halal, kosher or vegetarian. Bovine, porcine and marine sources all matter, and they aren't always clearly stated.
• You take prescription medicines. Check with your doctor, pharmacist or our naturopaths before you start.

• Bovine collagen. Best known for: The volume source. Cow hide and bone, mainly types I and III. Absorption: Rated moderate for bioavailability in published source comparisons. Typical use: The value option for everyday powder use; not suitable for anyone avoiding beef.
• Marine collagen. Best known for: Fish skin and scales, almost entirely type I, the type that dominates skin. Absorption: Rated high for bioavailability in the same comparisons; peptides are typically smaller. Typical use: Chosen for skin positioning and by people avoiding bovine sources; fish is a declarable allergen.
• Collagen hydrolysate (collagen peptides). Best known for: A processing state rather than a source. Bovine or marine collagen cut with enzymes. Absorption: The short-peptide form used in most clinical trials; dissolves cold without setting. Typical use: Stirred into coffee, water or food; the default powder format.
• Gelatine. Best known for: Collagen that has been denatured but not hydrolysed, so it still gels. Absorption: Needs hot liquid to dissolve and sets on cooling, which makes drinks impractical. Typical use: Cooking, jellies and gummies rather than a stirred daily dose.
• Undenatured type II collagen (UC-II). Best known for: A different mechanism entirely. A tiny intact dose, not a peptide dose. Absorption: Deliberately not hydrolysed; the intact structure is the point. Typical use: Milligram doses in capsules; Australian medicines are capped and labelled adults only.
• Eggshell membrane collagen. Best known for: Arrives with hyaluronic acid and glycosaminoglycans already alongside the collagen. Absorption: Supplied as a hydrolysate; dosed far lower than a collagen powder. Typical use: Capsules; egg is a declarable allergen, so it is out for egg-allergic people.
• Vegan collagen builder. Best known for: Containing no collagen. Amino acids plus vitamin C and other cofactors. Absorption: Supplies the raw materials and cofactors rather than collagen peptides. Typical use: The only option for vegans and vegetarians, and it should be read as a different product.

Reference values. None. Collagen isn't an essential nutrient, so the NHMRC sets no recommended intake for it. The one that matters is vitamin C, which your body needs to build collagen: 45 mg a day for adults, 60 mg a day in pregnancy and 85 mg a day while breastfeeding.

Typical supplemental range. Australian labels commonly provide 2.5 to 10 g of collagen peptides a day for skin, and 10 to 20 g for muscles, joints and tendons. Undenatured type II collagen is different and can't be compared directly, as it's dosed in milligrams.

Upper level. There's no NHMRC upper limit, and Australia's ingredient rules set no maximum daily dose for collagen or hydrolysed collagen. The only caps are for specific ingredients: 40 mg a day for chicken sternum cartilage powder and 2,000 mg a day for hydrolysed chicken cartilage extract.

Worth knowing. Most published trials ran for 8 to 12 weeks, so judge it over months rather than weeks. What you need depends on your age, diet and health, so talk to one of our naturopaths.

Food first, where the diet allows it.

• Bone broth or stock made from bones and joints: about one cup, from bones simmered for several hours
• Slow-cooked tough cuts: beef shin, oxtail, lamb shanks, pork hock: one braised serve; the sticky texture is the collagen
• Chicken eaten with the skin and around the joints: A drumstick or wing, skin on
• Small whole fish and fish skin: one tin of sardines, bones and all
• Gelatine: one sachet, about 10 g, set as jelly
• Vitamin C foods: capsicum, citrus, kiwifruit, broccoli: everyday serves; vitamin C is required for the body to build its own collagen

This list is the part of the page we will not shorten. If any of it applies to you, talk to one of our naturopaths or your doctor before starting.

• Fish, crustacean or mollusc allergy. Marine collagen is not suitable; these are declarable allergens in Australia.
• Egg allergy. Eggshell membrane collagen is not suitable; egg is a declarable allergen.
• Vegans and vegetarians. All genuine collagen is animal-derived; vegan collagen builders contain no collagen.
• Halal, kosher or religious dietary requirements. Bovine and porcine sourcing is not always clearly declared.
• Kidney disease or a prescribed protein restriction. 10 to 20 g a day is a meaningful protein load.
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding. Check the whole formula, since collagen products commonly add herbs, vitamins and minerals.
• Children and adolescents. Australian medicines containing chicken sternum cartilage powder or hydrolysed chicken cartilage extract must be labelled adults only.
• Anyone using collagen as their main protein source. It did not raise muscle protein synthesis in the randomised trial cited here.
• Products bought from overseas websites. Not regulated in Australia for quality, safety or allergen declaration.
• If you take prescription medicines, check with your doctor, pharmacist or our naturopaths before starting.