Smooth, firm skin and healthy joints are signs of vitality worth maintaining at every stage of life. The secret to their maintenance is structural protein, whose natural production in the body decreases with age. Fortunately, properly selected collagen in food can effectively support its reconstruction.
What is collagen in food?
When looking for reliable sources of this important protein, one might wonder where collagen is found in food. It comes exclusively from animal tissues and provides amino acids such as glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline, which are essential for the body's own collagen synthesis. Therefore, consuming collagen-rich products provides ready "building blocks" that support the regeneration and maintenance of structural integrity of tissues. This directly translates into their strength and elasticity.
The function of collagen is to provide tissues with resistance to stretching and to maintain their proper structure. With age, already after the age of 25, the natural production of this protein in the body systematically decreases. This leads to the formation of wrinkles, loss of skin firmness, as well as weakening of joint condition and increased susceptibility to pain. A diet rich in natural sources of collagen can help slow down these processes by providing the ingredients needed to rebuild and maintain a youthful appearance and physical fitness.
Which products contain the most collagen?
As mentioned earlier, the richest sources of collagen are animal products, especially those that contain large amounts of connective tissue. The leaders include:
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bone broths (so-called power soups);
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edible gelatin;
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animal parts such as skins, cartilage, tendons, or chicken feet.
Collagen-rich products are often elements that are marginalized in modern cuisine. However, it is worth rediscovering their potential, as they are the most concentrated and natural source of this valuable protein. Collagen in food is a high molecular weight protein, so it must be broken down into smaller fragments – peptides and amino acids – during digestion. Only in this form can the body absorb and use them for its own purposes.
The cooking process, especially long and slow heating in water, leads to partial hydrolysis of collagen, resulting in gelatin. This form is more easily absorbed. Different sources, such as beef, poultry, or fish, provide slightly different peptide profiles, which can affect specific actions in the body.
Which meats are the best source of collagen?
When looking for collagen in food, it is worth paying attention to beef. Beef is considered one of the most excellent sources of collagen. The largest amounts of it are found in tougher parts of the carcass that require long heat treatment, such as shin, oxtail, or brisket. Bovine collagen is an absolute natural phenomenon because it is exceptionally rich in type I and type III collagen. These are the two most important types for the human body, building skin, bones, tendons, and blood vessels, respectively.
Obtaining collagen from food that the body can quickly assimilate is a long process. It is much easier and faster to use eatyx Labs Collagen Premium 16,000 mg. This is a dietary supplement in the form of ready-to-drink shots with mango and passion fruit flavor. Each 80 ml serving provides a high dose of 16,000 mg of hydrolyzed bovine collagen. The product is characterized by high bioavailability thanks to the hydrolysis process, which breaks down the protein into smaller peptides with a molecular weight of 2-4 kDa.
Do fish and seafood contain collagen?
Fish and seafood are also a valuable source of collagen, which is referred to as marine collagen. It is mainly found in the skin, bones, scales, and cartilage. For this reason, soups cooked from fish heads and skeletons or eating fish with skin (e.g., baked salmon) are an excellent way to include this ingredient in the diet. Marine collagen is primarily type I collagen, which is the dominant type of collagen in human skin.
It is an excellent alternative for people who, for various reasons, avoid eating red meat or poultry. To benefit from its properties, it is worth reaching for fish jellies, soups based on whole fish, or seafood such as squid or octopus, which also contain connective tissue. Of course, one should remember about food allergies – in that case, the type of supplementation should be adjusted to one's health condition.
Which plant products support collagen production?
It should be emphasized that plant products do not contain collagen, as it is a protein found exclusively in animal organisms. Nevertheless, a plant-based diet can significantly support the natural synthesis of collagen in the body. The most important role here is played by nutrients that are cofactors in this process:
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vitamin C is absolutely essential, without which collagen production is impossible. Its rich sources include citrus fruits, berries, kiwi, bell peppers, parsley, and broccoli;
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zinc, which can be found in pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, nuts, and legumes, participates in the processes of collagen fiber formation;
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copper plays a similar role and is present in nuts, sesame seeds, and whole-grain products.
Despite the fact that natural collagen in food comes from animals, a diet rich in these plant-based ingredients provides the body with the tools necessary for its effective production and reconstruction.
How to prepare collagen-rich dishes?
The most effective method of extracting collagen from food is long and slow heat treatment. Techniques such as braising, simmering, or baking at low temperatures for many hours cause the tough connective tissue to break down and release collagen in the form of easily absorbable gelatin. Thanks to this process, we not only gain valuable protein but also make tough pieces of meat incredibly tender and tasty. An example is cooking bone broth for 8, 12, or even 24 hours.
Preparing homemade broth from beef, pork, or a whole chicken is one of the best ways to get a concentrated dose of collagen. Adding a little apple cider vinegar to the broth can help extract not only collagen but also valuable minerals from the bones. Another traditional method is meat jellies. They are a tasty and very gelatin-rich snack. Using collagen-rich cuts of meat for stews and casseroles is also an excellent method to enrich the diet with this protein.
International culinary inspirations rich in collagen
The tradition of eating collagen-rich dishes is present all over the world. In Asian cuisine, long-cooked broths are paramount, forming the base for Japanese ramen (especially the tonkotsu version) or Vietnamese pho soup. In France, pot-au-feu, a dish of boiled beef with vegetables, is popular, and in Italy, osso buco, braised veal shanks. These dishes show that natural collagen in food has been valued for centuries not only for its taste and warming qualities but also for its health-promoting properties, which science is now rediscovering.
Can diet increase collagen levels in the body?
A properly composed diet has a real impact on collagen levels in the body. The most effective strategy is based on a two-pronged approach:
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first, regularly consume collagen-rich foods such as bone broths, gelatin, and dishes made from tough cuts of meat;
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second, simultaneously ensure the supply of ingredients that support its internal production.
Combining these two dietary elements yields the best results – similar to using high-quality dietary supplements such as eatyx LABS Collagen Premium 16000 mg bovine collagen hydrolysate. Thanks to its enrichment with, among others, vitamin C and B vitamins, the preparation acts holistically on the body.
