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Pros and Cons of Collagen: The Ultimate Comparative

UPDATED LAST ON

June 9, 2023

TOPICS

Medically Reviewed ✓

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For accuracy by Dr. Cate, M.D., a board-certified family physician, biochemist, and NY Times Bestseller.

Dr. Cate's Takeaway

If you’ve been avoiding collagen because you think it is just the latest fad, you might be interested to know that all cultures around the world traditionally “supplemented” with collagen by eating meat on the bone — one of the four pillars of a Human Diet.

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Quick Summary

Collagen supplements continue to rise in popularity and everybody seems to be recommending them including friends, family members, trainers, coaches, and doctors. There are multiple pros for taking collagen, and each is backed by either a scientific, practical, or convenience argument. Our bodies are  ⅓ collagen, and we, unfortunately, start losing it around 25 years of age. Thus a popular pro of collagen peptides is their ability to replenish this lost collagen protein by ingesting it and the health benefits that come from doing so. Of course, with any supplement, there are cons in the amount of research available to date, cost, rare negative reactions, and a few others. Overall, the pros outweigh the cons because most of collagen’s cons are less about safety and more about certain individual exceptions.

I’m going to channel my inner parents.

If all your friends jumped off a cliff, would you jump too?
— Mom & Dad

I mean, maybe? Depends on the cliff. Are we at Kahekili’s Leap in Hawaii at sunset? Well then, yes, I would jump Mom and Dad!

Collagen’s popularity

Peer pressure, we all experience it. And it doesn’t stop after plowing through your teenage years. The only difference now is the questions get more difficult to answer — especially when it comes to your health.

Girls at gym taking collagen in shaker bottles
Collagen is not just about beauty (hair/skin/nails), it helps with recovery and overall health.

I’m sure you’re here because you know someone that currently takes collagen or has recommended collagen — such as a friend, family member, trainer, coach, or doctor — and they think collagen’s awesome benefits could help you too.

Should you take collagen?

Are you feeling pressure to take collagen? Are you hearing all the rage, but not quite sure if collagen would be beneficial, safe, and overall worth your time? If you’re stuck in this collagen dilemma and trying to decide if you should take collagen, we’re happy you’re here and we’ll diligently walk you through the main advantages and disadvantages of taking collagen.

As a quick disclaimer, we believe everybody should be taking collagen, and nearly everyone, at any age, can take collagen. Collagen is so important that Dr. Cate, M.D. thinks it’s a missing food group in everybody’s nutrition.

Collagen is a Missing Food Group quote from Dr. Cate

With that said, it’s important to share both the pros and cons of collagen. Before we start that comparison, let’s first address why you’d possibly entertain taking collagen in the first place.

Motivation to take Collagen

We all have our reasons to supplement. What’s your motivation for possibly taking collagen?

Where is Collagen found in the body infographic
Collagen is found nearly everywhere in our bodies!

Reasons people decide to take collagen

Though not an exhaustive list, I’m fairly confident I’ve covered most people’s motivations for taking collagen below.

  1. Health benefits. Easily the #1 reason, their benefits are well documented and discussed everywhere.
  2. Added protein consumption. Yes, collagen is a protein and a critical one to overall health! It’s found everywhere in your body, making up 1/3 of your body’s protein composition.
  3. Your body is losing collagen every year. Collagen is the “glue” (kolla)
    that holds us together and our bodies start manufacturing less of it when we hit 25-30. Hello, aging process. Boo.
  4. Not eating enough collagen-rich foods. Hmm, you don’t like eating tripe (cow’s second stomach)? Imagine that. 🙂 The foods that contain collagen protein are typically not “normal” for those in the US (for the rest of the world, it’s very normal), so the challenges here are justified for many. Supplementing can be a heck of a lot easier!

Let’s now roll these motivations into my pros/cons listing below, starting with the pros of taking collagen.

Pros of taking Collagen

Collagen is awesome (I know we’re biased), so we’ll surprisingly explore the 6 pros of collagen first.

Pros of Taking Collagen

Let’s begin with the apparent pro — health benefits — then get into other pros that many folks are simply not talking about!

1. Health benefits

The beauty industry touts collagen’s benefits for your hair/skin/nails, but remember, collagen protein is found everywhere in your body. Supplementing with collagen will also help your connective tissue, bone, and cartilage and improve:

  • Joint health
  • Gut health
  • Bone health
  • Muscle mass
  • Heart/circulatory health
  • And of course, stronger and healthier-looking hair/skin/nails

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2. You’ll replenish your decreasing collagen

How much exactly? That’s unknown. The science of collagen is still catching up, however, we have scientific evidence showing collagen stimulates fibroblasts and there’s plenty of anecdotal evidence, read some of our reviews.

KEY POINT
Take collagen because you want to keep that “glue” throughout your body and decrease the speed of the aging process!

3. You don’t have to eat weird foods

This may be the most compelling pro to taking a collagen supplement.

When’s the last time you ate drank bone broth or ate certain spongy collagenous organs? Yesterday? Never? Hey, no judgment here — I’ve always stated that I’d choose Taco Tuesday over eating a cow’s second stomach. The only food I consume weekly that offers my body collagen naturally is bone broth. Outside of that, I eat very few foods that contain collagen and I need to supplement to get the proper amount of collagen protein every day.

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What Foods Contain Collagen? There are only 4 Sources!

4. Collagen translates well into a supplement

Supplements are supplements, right? Wrong.

“There are other things that companies put in supplements that don’t translate well”, says Dr. Cate. “But, collagen is different. It does translate well to a supplement because the nature of it is more of a durable product.”

Collagen is different.
— Dr. Cate, M.D.

Most supplements, like whey protein, require extensive processing. Collagen is different than whey because collagen’s manufacturing is less detrimental to the finished product. The collagen molecule, to put it plainly, is tougher. The integrity of the amino acids holds up to the battering of the manufacturing process.

5. Non-Meat Eaters can still get bioactive amino acids

Please don’t hear me wrong here. There is no vegan collagen. Collagen comes from animals.

With that said some people’s digestive systems have difficulty breaking down meat. And since collagen doesn’t have muscle meat (just animal bones, joints, cartilage, and skin), this provides an opportunity for people on plant diets to still embrace collagen’s unique amino acid profile.

By taking a collagen peptide, you get the bioactive amino acids and collagen peptides that plants lack without the meat proteins that some people’s digestive systems have difficulty breaking down.
— Dr. Cate, M.D.

If you’ve ditched meat, don’t fear — you can still take collagen!

6. Collagen is super easy to take

It takes very little effort to add collagen to your diet in foods and drinks. Drink coffee? Drop in a scoop of unflavored multi collagen powder. Smoothie person? Throw in a scoop to your blender. Love your pancakes? Add 2-3 scoops to the batter for a protein boost!

KEY POINT
Collagen supplements pack a very big punch without changing your daily routine. It’s extremely versatile.

Let’s now flip the scoop (see what I did there?) and talk about the possible disadvantages of taking collagen with 6 cons.

Cons of Collagen

Now that we’ve explored the pros of taking collagen, it’s time to share some cons. Are there specific reasons, maybe health-related, why you shouldn’t take collagen?

Cons of taking collagen

Let’s explore the possible downsides of buying and taking collagen.

1. Research is still in its infancy

While there is plenty of anecdotal evidence and some preliminary studies supporting the benefits of collagen supplementation (like this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial), we’re all waiting for more and more scientific research to be released to prove collagen supplementation is a slam dunk.

2. You’re wasting money if already eating collagen-rich foods

Why supplement when you don’t need to supplement? If your regular diet consists of those “weird foods” (#3 in Pros above), you’re probably getting enough collagen protein naturally. Save your money!

3. Cost (for quality)

Supplements, in general, can be expensive. The higher the quality, the more expensive — our NSF certified collagen products are proof. Since collagen is an “every day” type of supplement, the additional cost every month could be a con for some on a tight budget.

The Cleanest & Safest Multi Collagen in the World

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"I feel confident I am taking the best product and my joints thank me everyday!"

- Mike Freeman

4. Allergic reactions

Though allergic reactions are never fun, let’s be clear here. Allergies are only an issue with collagen if you have life-threatening allergies to its sources:

  • Beef
  • Fish
  • Chicken and/or eggs

If you’re severely allergic to chicken or eggs, avoid chicken collagen, eggshell collagen, and a multi collagen supplement.

KEY POINT
Allergic reactions to collagen supplements are rare and uncommon, but always consult your doctor if your allergies are a concern.

5. Collagen is sourced from animals

Collagen is made from animals. And this could be a con for some people, such as vegans, with strict diets because of ethical, religious, cultural, or environmental reasons.

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6. Doctors don’t approve during pregnancy

Dr. Cate, M.D. believes collagen is safe during pregnancy. However, there could be a small handful of doctors that discourage collagen supplementation while pregnant. Always check with your doctor first.

Final Thought

As with anything in life, you must weigh the pros and cons. Your health, and nutrition choices, are no different.

Do we think the pros outweigh the cons when it comes to taking collagen? Of course. Are there special circumstances? Absolutely. But, generally speaking, for the average person, there are not many hurdles to collagen supplementation.

Reasons not to take collagen supplements
No coffee and collagen? I don’t know how I’d survive my mornings! 🙂

As you might have seen in Dr. Cate’s takeaway at the top, all cultures around the world have gotten their collagen from traditional ways — in particular, meat on the bone. More on Dr. Cate’s Four Pillars of a Human Diet.

I know we’re talking about whether you should take a collagen supplement here, but just know that collagen has been around for ages and ages. We don’t eat like we used to — thus the popularity of collagen supplements.

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This Collagen College™ article created by:

Author

Eric Sharp CMO

Eric Sharp

Eric discovered collagen back in 2019 (thanks to Charlie) and been a believer since. He brings 20+ years of digital marketing experience to the CB Supplements team. As CMO, he's directly responsible for crafting the CB Supplements positioning, content, branding, and overall marketing direction.

Contributors

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Dr. Cate

Dr. Cate Shanahan is our Medical & Scientific Advisor. She is a Board-certified Family Physician, biochemist trained at Cornell University, and New York Times Bestseller.

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The word "Collagen" is derived from the Greek κόλλα (kólla) — meaning glue. Many like to call collagen the glue that holds our bodies together!
The most abundant type of protein found in all mammals, including humans. Located in many parts of our body's connective tissue including hair, nails, skin, bones, muscles, tendons, blood vessels, and many vital organs including the heart, lungs, and our digestive system, most notably the small intestine. Not to be confused with collagen peptides.
The nutrient-rich liquid you get when you heat and stew bones and joint material for hours (or days). Bone broth is loaded with glycosaminoglycans. Bone broth is the OG of liquid collagen and one of 4 foods that contain collagen.
A type of collagen supplement made by sourcing from 2+ animals which provides all 5 types of collagen (I, II, III, V, X). A multi collagen has benefits over a single source collagen (such as bovine-only collagen). Multi collagen is also referred to as All-in-One collagen, Multiple collagen, Multi-Sourced collagen, or a Multi Complex collagen.
The word "Collagen" is derived from the Greek κόλλα (kólla) — meaning glue. Many like to call collagen the glue that holds our bodies together!
The most abundant type of protein found in all mammals, including humans. Located in many parts of our body's connective tissue including hair, nails, skin, bones, muscles, tendons, blood vessels, and many vital organs including the heart, lungs, and our digestive system, most notably the small intestine. Not to be confused with collagen peptides.
The nutrient-rich liquid you get when you heat and stew bones and joint material for hours (or days). Bone broth is loaded with glycosaminoglycans. Bone broth is the OG of liquid collagen and one of 4 foods that contain collagen.
A type of collagen supplement made by sourcing from 2+ animals which provides all 5 types of collagen (I, II, III, V, X). A multi collagen has benefits over a single source collagen (such as bovine-only collagen). Multi collagen is also referred to as All-in-One collagen, Multiple collagen, Multi-Sourced collagen, or a Multi Complex collagen.
The word "Collagen" is derived from the Greek κόλλα (kólla) — meaning glue. Many like to call collagen the glue that holds our bodies together!
The most abundant type of protein found in all mammals, including humans. Located in many parts of our body's connective tissue including hair, nails, skin, bones, muscles, tendons, blood vessels, and many vital organs including the heart, lungs, and our digestive system, most notably the small intestine. Not to be confused with collagen peptides.
The nutrient-rich liquid you get when you heat and stew bones and joint material for hours (or days). Bone broth is loaded with glycosaminoglycans. Bone broth is the OG of liquid collagen and one of 4 foods that contain collagen.
A type of collagen supplement made by sourcing from 2+ animals which provides all 5 types of collagen (I, II, III, V, X). A multi collagen has benefits over a single source collagen (such as bovine-only collagen). Multi collagen is also referred to as All-in-One collagen, Multiple collagen, Multi-Sourced collagen, or a Multi Complex collagen.
The word "Collagen" is derived from the Greek κόλλα (kólla) — meaning glue. Many like to call collagen the glue that holds our bodies together!
The most abundant type of protein found in all mammals, including humans. Located in many parts of our body's connective tissue including hair, nails, skin, bones, muscles, tendons, blood vessels, and many vital organs including the heart, lungs, and our digestive system, most notably the small intestine. Not to be confused with collagen peptides.
The nutrient-rich liquid you get when you heat and stew bones and joint material for hours (or days). Bone broth is loaded with glycosaminoglycans. Bone broth is the OG of liquid collagen and one of 4 foods that contain collagen.
A type of collagen supplement made by sourcing from 2+ animals which provides all 5 types of collagen (I, II, III, V, X). A multi collagen has benefits over a single source collagen (such as bovine-only collagen). Multi collagen is also referred to as All-in-One collagen, Multiple collagen, Multi-Sourced collagen, or a Multi Complex collagen.