Collagen is probably best known for its effects on anti-ageing and improving skin quality as we age. It is the “glue” that holds you together and makes up about one-third of the protein in the body. As we age, our natural collagen production goes down and so adding collagen to your diet will replace what your body begins to lack naturally. Skin health is probably the most well-researched benefit of taking collagen, and collagen has been shown to help keep a youthful appearance by improving skin hydration - making skin look plumper and less aged.

Collagen supplementation may potentially be a more comfortable way to get protein into your diet. The body digests protein from animal sources like chicken or beef, but these have to go through long digestive processes to get broken down into small particles that can be used by the body. However, collagen supplements are hydrolyzed, meaning the collagen is broken down - a process that makes it easier for the body to digest. The process of hydrolyzing also allows collagen peptides to dissolve in water, which makes it relatively simple to use in everyday foods (like water or smoothies).

If you suffer from Irritable Bowel Disease or another kind of inflammatory digestive condition, listen up, as there is a “gut healing” theory about collagen. Collagen forms the connective fibres in tissues and so improving your collagen intake may provide a supportive environment where tissues can start to heal. Some research has found that collagen levels were lower in patients with these conditions, but by taking collagen, you can help to correct the deficiency. Research showed there was an imbalance between the formation and breakdown of collagen fibres, and this was connected to inflammation. Past research also shows that IBD patients have decreased serum levels of type 4 collagen.

As we age, bones become less dense and more brittle, breaking more easily and taking longer to heal. Studies have shown that daily collagen supplements can help make your bones denser, slowing the ageing process that makes them brittle. Also, bone mineral density decreases, especially in women after menopause. In a trial on post-menopausal women, participants who took collagen peptides for one year increased their bone mineral density compared with the control group. It was thought that this was because the collagen stimulated bone formation while slowing down bone loss.