Where Does Collagen Come From? Why Sourcing Matters, According To The Pros

With supplements, one of the main values we encourage people to look for is transparency. If a brand is open and honest about their exact dosage, additives, bioavailability—you're likely in good hands. One of the most important aspects of supplement transparency? Where the ingredients are sourced from. 

Collagen is a family1 of proteins that are actually the most abundant proteins in the animal kingdom. In fact, there are at least 28 kinds of collagen2 that we know of that exist in vertebrates (yes, us included), but types I, II, and III are the most common in the human body. Collagen's role in the body is on its surface simple: It helps make up the structure of our skin, bone, cartilage, and muscle, with the purpose of helping tissues be more elastic and withstand stretching.* But when you dive into all the different ways collagen benefits your overall health, you'll see there are many vital and complex roles it plays.* 

The most natural source of collagen is, well, you! Your body makes its own collagen proteins via fibroblasts, which are cells in your connective tissues with the main job being to produce more collagen, elastin, and the extracellular matrix3. Your body is in a constant state of replenishing your natural supply in the body—until it's not. 

"Our bodies always balance collagen production and degradation," says board-certified dermatologist Gary Goldenberg, M.D., assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. "When we are young, our bodies produce more collagen than we break down. That balance tips the wrong way with age since tissue regeneration decreases." 

This shift is natural and begins in your late 20s. In fact, collagen production peaks in your early to mid-20s, but after that high, it falls at a rate of about 1% per year. When women hit menopause, there's another significant drop (about a 30% decline4) during a few-year period, but then the decline levels off again, but this time at about a 2% drop per year. In addition to the natural decline, it can also be exacerbated via lifestyle habits such as UV exposure and diet. 

Collagen supplements are made from hydrolyzed collagen peptides. Collagen as a molecule is very large, so to enhance its bioavailability and absorption, it's broken down into amino acid peptides (just like the peptides our digestive enzymes splice from the proteins we eat in food, too).  

One of the most common sources of collagen peptides is from cows, where it's sourced from the hide, tendon, bones—otherwise called bovine collagen. Bovine collagen is rich in types I and III collagen, which is why it's a popular source for skin supplements, as skin is primarily made of type I and III collagen, as well.* 

As with all things you consume, you should be mindful of where your bovine collagen supplement is coming from. You should also consider how those cows were raised and what they were fed—both for your health and the health of the environment. Always seek out a bovine collagen supplement from an established company that sources their product from humanely raised, grass-fed, or pasture-raised cows. If the brand doesn't call this out, that's typically a red flag. For the sake of transparency, bonus points if the brand is able to identify where those cows were raised, too. 

A less common source, but collagen peptides can be derived from chicken cartilage, bones, eggshell membrane. Poultry collagen contains higher levels of type II collagen and is thought to be a good option for bone health5 and joint comfort6.* 

A popular option for pescatarians, marine collagen comes from fish skin, scales, and bones. Much of the marine collagen sold today is derived from fish like cod or snapper, specifically the skin and scales of these fish. Research on marine collagen shows that it has similar benefits to those of bovine collagen on the skin, gut, and bones.* 

There is no plant source of collagen because the protein is absent in the plant kingdom. If you see a collagen product that says it's "vegan," please know that it does not contain collagen itself.

"I'm calling vegan collagen's bluff. Sorry, there's no such thing as vegan collagen," writes mindbodygreen's director of scientific affairs Ashley Jordan Ferira, Ph.D., RDN, about the myth of vegan collagen. 

Instead, it likely contains ingredients—like key nutrients and bioactives—known to support collagen production, synthesis, and health via various pathways. 

"These collagen 'boosters' may include ingredients like amino acids (especially proline, lysine, and glycine), vitamins C and E for collagen production and cross-linking, a B complex for cellular energy, or botanical antioxidants to protect collagen from oxidative damage,"* she says. In fact, many standard collagen products include these ingredients because they are so helpful at aiding your overall collagen health.*