Some collagen supplements come in a powder form, whereas others are packaged up into a capsule. Is one better than the other? Here’s what you need to know. In fact, if a capsule delivers 500 milligrams of collagen, that’s 20 capsules to get to just 10 grams. (A side note: Based on the available research, we recommend 15 to 20 grams of collagen a day to get the most benefits.) In addition, many collagen capsules contain only collagen given the size of the pill, meaning there’s minimal room for additional beneficial ingredients—vitamin C included. “Vitamin C is an essential cofactor in the biosynthesis of collagen. Therefore if a supplement or powder is sold with vitamin C, this can be a superior form,"* naturopathic physician and nutrition consultant Kellyann Petrucci, M.S., N.D. tells mbg. You can learn more about vitamin C and collagen here if you’re curious. And since many people are looking for collagen supplements to help with skin and full-body benefits, there’s an argument to be made that you should look for options that contain bonus ingredients like vitamin C, E, hyaluronic acid, and more.* In addition, collagen powders are highly versatile—meaning they can be added to various drinks (hello, creamy coffee), smoothies, or recipes. However, as Petrucci notes, some powders come with additives, like artificial flavors, which you want to be mindful of. Ideally, your supplement’s formula will be free of unnecessary ingredients like artificial sweeteners, flavors, synthetic dyes, GMOs, gluten, and known major food allergens like eggs and dairy. If it does have flavors or sweeteners, look for natural varieties (preferably plant-sourced organic ones). Further, you don’t need to take collagen with a meal, or without—again, it doesn’t matter beyond personal preference. "The bulk of the breaking down of peptides actually happens in the small intestine, so full stomach, half-full stomach, or empty stomach—there will be little difference,” registered dietitian Scott Keatley, R.D., once told mbg. In addition to benefit-oriented dosage, collagen supplements can also contribute to your daily protein intake. While collagen is not technically a complete protein (it does not contain all nine essential amino acids; it has eight of them), you can pair it with other protein sources to get your adequate intake of the essential amino acids. A 2019 study found that as much as 36% of daily protein could come from collagen peptides6 as a helpful strategy in achieving overall essential and nonessential daily amino acid (i.e., protein) requirements). We do a very thorough explainer on collagen dosage, which further elaborates on the above, if you’d like to learn more about how much collagen you should be taking daily. Collagen powder can be as well: You can mix it into water (and make your own DIY collagen water), your morning coffee, or nightly wind-down drink (like this hot chocolate). You don’t have to make a fancy concoction to mix your collagen into. However, if you’re looking for some A+ recipes that will encourage you to take your collagen powder once daily, we have a few winners. Some include:
