Can Humans Actually Absorb Animal Collagen?

When it comes to skincare and joint health, animal collagen which comes from the skin and bones of cows, pigs, chickens and fish is often touted as the go-to solution. The market is flooded with products containing animal-derived collagen, promising to rejuvenate your skin and strengthen your bones. But the real question is: Can humans effectively absorb animal collagen, and does it actually translate into more collagen in our bodies?

Understanding Collagen and Its Role

Collagen is the most abundant protein in our body, providing structure to our skin, bones, and connective tissues. As we age, our natural collagen production declines and it is depleted by eating browned meat, sugar, dairy products and sun exposure, leading to common signs of aging such as wrinkles and joint pain. This is where collagen supplements, derived from animals, come into the picture. But here’s where it gets tricky.

The Misconception About Animal Collagen

Contrary to popular belief, ingesting animal collagen doesn’t directly increase the collagen levels in your body. When you consume collagen from animal sources, whether it’s from a supplement or food, it doesn’t directly fuse with your own collagen. Instead, this collagen is broken down in the digestive process into amino acids—the basic building blocks of proteins.

How Your Body Uses These Amino Acids

Once broken down, these amino acids can indeed be used by your body to create new proteins, including collagen. However, there’s no guarantee that the amino acids derived from ingested animal collagen will specifically be used to form more collagen in your skin or joints. These amino acids are like any others you might get from your diet and can be used anywhere in the body where protein is needed—not specifically for creating collagen.

The Science Behind Collagen Absorption

Several studies suggest that the effectiveness of consuming animal collagen for improving the body’s own collagen is limited. For instance, a review published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry discusses how collagen peptides from supplements are digested, absorbed, and then metabolized into peptides or amino acids that might enhance the skin’s collagen synthesis. However, they emphasize that this is more about providing raw materials rather than directly boosting collagen levels where desired ⁽¹⁾.

A Better Approach to Boosting Collagen

So, what can you do if you want to genuinely enhance your body’s collagen production? The answer lies in supporting your body’s ability to synthesize collagen naturally. This can be effectively supported by ensuring a diet rich in nutrients that are known precursors to collagen production, such as vitamin C, amino acids proline, lysine, and copper. These are abundantly found in a variety of fruits, vegetables, and other plant-based foods, so why pay for collagen when you can get the true precursors in your food? The carotenoids are also nature’s collagen-supporters. These yellow, orange and red nutrients-think spinach, carrots and tomatoes as well as sea algae dive right into your skin and stay there protecting from the elements. That’s why we made two products that help boost collagen. The Boon Collagen Reviver which focuses on the carotenoids in a delicious bright red drink.

Boon Collagen Reviver in compostable packaging

Introducing Boon Broth: A Plant-Based Solution

At Boon For All-Ecco Bella, we’ve developed Boon Broth, a plant-based broth that supports your body’s natural collagen production. Unlike animal collagen products, Boon Broth provides the essential nutrients that your body needs to produce collagen effectively and naturally. Rich in vitamins and minerals,

Boon Broth in compostable packaging

it’s designed to improve your digestion and help you get off of inflammatory meat and dairy products that inhibit the body’s cellular rejuvenation, while improving skin elasticity and joint function through better collagen synthesis.

Boon Broth also improves skin, helps burn stubborn fat, and boosts your energy.

Check out Boon Broth here and see how it can fit into your lifestyle and wellness routine: Boon Broth.

By understanding how collagen supplementation works and choosing solutions that genuinely support your body’s own production, you’re taking a smarter, more effective route to wellness and beauty. And saving your money!

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