How much collagen per day? Doses, protein and limits

How much collagen should I take a day?

There is no official figure. The UK government’s dietary recommendations and EFSA give reference intakes for essential nutrients – vitamins, minerals and protein as a whole – but not for collagen. Your body makes its own collagen from the amino acids in the protein you eat, so there is no amount you have to get from food or supplements.

What we do have is the range used in research. These amounts tell you what has been tested, not what you need:

Results from these studies are mixed and often modest, and no health claim for collagen is authorised in the UK. We look at what they found in Do collagen supplements work?.

Does collagen count as protein?

Yes. Collagen is a protein and provides about 4 kcal per gram, like any other. Pure collagen powder is around 90% protein or more, so it adds to your daily protein total almost gram for gram.

The UK reference nutrient intake for adults is 0.75 g of protein per kilo of body weight a day. The British Nutrition Foundation puts that at about 56 g a day for men and 45 g for women, and notes that most adults in the UK already eat more than this.

Can collagen replace other protein foods?

No. Collagen is an incomplete protein: it contains no tryptophan, one of the nine essential amino acids your body cannot make, and relatively little of some others, such as leucine. Meat, fish, eggs, dairy, soya, beans and lentils give you the full set.

Collagen can still sit comfortably in a varied diet. One analysis estimated that collagen peptides could make up as much as about a third of daily protein without throwing the essential amino acid balance out, as long as the rest of the diet supplies a range of proteins.

How much protein is in a scoop of collagen?

It depends on the product, so check the label for the grams of collagen and protein per serving. Our Collagen Pure is 100% hydrolysed bovine collagen, Type I and III. One level 15 g scoop – the daily serving – gives 15 g of collagen and 14 g of protein, with 0 g fat, 0 g carbohydrate and 56 kcal. For context, studies have used 2.5–15 g of collagen a day, so 15 g is at the top of that range.

Protein contributes to a growth in muscle mass. Protein contributes to the maintenance of muscle mass. Protein contributes to the maintenance of normal bones.

4 HERCollagenHydrolysed Type I & III collagen peptidesView product →

Can you take too much collagen?

No upper limit has been set for collagen, and none has been set for protein either – the data are not strong enough. When the UK’s protein recommendations were made, the Department of Health advised adults to avoid protein intakes of more than twice the RNI – about 112 g a day for a 75 kg man or 90 g for a 60 kg woman, from all sources combined.

More collagen is not better. Your body does not store extra amino acids for later; it uses what it needs and burns or excretes the rest. Large amounts are also more likely to cause fullness or an upset stomach. Stick to the amount on the label, and if you have kidney disease or have been told to limit protein, check with your doctor first. More in Collagen side effects.

How long does it take for collagen to work?

Studies on skin and joints usually ran for 8–12 weeks, and some for six months or a year, before measuring anything. Whether you will notice anything at all is uncertain – see the research article for what the trials actually measured.

Timing matters much less than taking a similar amount consistently. If you are wondering whether morning or evening is better, see Best time to take collagen.