Supplements

This Is How Much Collagen You Need Each Day to See and Feel Results

Written by Dr. Chad Walding, DPT

Updated on July 1, 2024

You’ve invested your hard-earned money into a collagen supplement, and…

It’s not working.

You don’t feel any different.

You aren’t experiencing the “fountain of youth” results that everyone else is raving about.

Heck, you feel like your body is falling apart faster than it was before taking collagen.

There’s one of two reasons for this:

  1. The collagen supplement you bought is very poor quality.
  2. You aren’t taking enough collagen.

In this article, we’re going to tackle the latter of the two. Because with a high-quality collagen supplement, all it takes is the right amount. Once you have that down, you’re well on your way to that coveted fountain of youth.

Table Of Contents

Why Do I Need to Take Collagen?

Before we answer how much collagen you need, let’s address WHY you need collagen in the first place.

Your natural collagen levels start to decline as early as your 20s. When this happens, your skin begins to lose its vibrant youthful glow, your joints get achy, and you experience more digestive issues.

By the time you hit your 30s, you can lose up to 1.5% of collagen each year (1). This loss might not seem like much, but it adds up over time. By the time you hit 50 years of age, your collagen levels have plummeted from 100% to just 50%.

Amount of Collagen that Declines Per Year

Apart from aging, collagen is also depleted from factors like pollution, sugar intake, low estrogen, and more.

By now, you may be thinking: If my body isn’t making enough collagen on its own, what am I supposed to do?!

Fortunately, nature has provided us with an abundance of solutions to the many health problems we face. This is where a collagen supplement comes into play…

How Much Collagen Do I Need Each Day?

The amount of collagen you need is based on YOUR body.

As I said, collagen supplementation varies depending on your age, degree of pain, where you live, how much stress you’re under, etc.

With that being said, here’s my recommended daily dose of collagen, based on the desired effect:

5-10 grams of collagen each day

  • Aids in glycine production
  • Aids in proline production

10-20 grams of collagen each day

  • Supports natural energy levels
  • Supports weight management
  • Helps inflammation
  • Promotes gut and digestive health
  • Promotes healthier hair, skin, and nails

20-40 grams of collagen each day

  • Promotes whole-body healing
  • Promotes joint health
  • Helps replenish cells
  • Supports a healthy digestive lining
  • Promotes weight management
  • Supports muscle health
Breakdown of the Right Amount of Collagen

The Profound Effect of Collagen on Your Body

Collagen makes up nearly one-third of the protein in your body (it’s second only to water as your body’s most common substance). It’s found in every organ and tissue and is highly concentrated in your skin, internal organs, bones, and connective tissue (2).

Collagen is essential for the health and longevity of your connective tissues. If you ever feel like your body is “falling apart”, your collagen levels are likely depleted. Collagen is what helps your joints, ligaments, and bones withstand years of tension and stretching.

In fact, Type 1 Collagen is 10 times stronger than steel (3). Its outstanding strength comes from its firm yet flexible structure—formed by three long, thin polypeptide chains tightly wound together forming a strong triple helix.

10 Health Benefits of Taking Collagen Peptides Daily

Collagen supplementation can massive benefits. It may help support and maintain (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12):

  1. Skin elasticity and hydration
  2. Muscle mass
  3. Hair and nail health
  4. Joint strength and flexibility
  5. Gut health
  6. Digestion
  7. Natural energy levels
  8. Brain health
  9. Heart health
  10. Bone density

Can I Get Collagen From Food?

Can I Get Collagen From Food

Eating well is the first step in promoting your body's natural ability to heal and repair itself. Although collagen supplements are fantastic at helping your body naturally boost collagen production, your body still requires other nutrients in order for these supplements to work optimally.

With that in mind, here’s a list of nutrients and nutrient-rich foods that promote your body’s ability to make new collagen (13):

  • Vitamin A: Largely found in orange fruits and veggies like carrots, cantaloupe, and sweet potatoes, foods rich in vitamin A help restore damaged collagen.
  • Vitamin C: This antioxidant-rich vitamin, found in foods like bell peppers, broccoli, and citrus fruits, is extremely important for your body to produce collagen. Vitamin C also helps by neutralizing free radicals, preventing them from breaking down collagen in your body.
  • Dark leafy greens: Their high chlorophyll content (what makes them green) promotes collagen synthesis, and their high amount of skin-loving antioxidants helps protect you from free radicals (14).
  • Lycopene: Red veggies boost your collagen production because they’re full of lycopene (think: red peppers, tomatoes, and beets). They also protect you from the effects of sun damage and overexposure to UV rays. Too much exposure to UV is a big factor in the depletion of collagen in your body.
  • Berries: All types of berries work by both detoxifying your body of skin-damaging free radicals and boosting collagen levels.
  • Sulfur: This mineral is excellent at synthesizing collagen. Garlic is one of the best sources of sulfur you can find, but there are other sources like eggs, onions, cabbage, and broccoli. Your body can’t produce collagen without sulfur, so be sure to get enough of this mineral.
  • Garlic: In addition to sulfur, garlic also contains taurine and lipoic acid, which help rebuild damaged collagen fibers.
  •  Bone Broth: Full of glycine and proline, as well as growth factors called glycosaminoglycans, bone broth is incredibly good for you and its benefits go beyond providing your body with collagen.

Native Note: The foods listed above do not have collagen in them. They can enhance collagen production and/or prevent the breakdown of collagen in your body. They should be eaten in addition to a well-balanced diet and a high-quality collagen supplement.

How Do I Know If I Need More Collagen?

If you’re reading this article, odds are you’re taking collagen daily, but you just aren’t sure if it’s enough.

The most obvious way to tell whether or not you’re deficient in collagen is…

  • The appearance of your skin. Are fine lines and wrinkles showing up more and more?
  • Bone and joint pain. Do your joints feel “creaky”? Do your bones feel like they’re rubbing together?
  • Slower recovery. Is your body taking longer to heal and recover?

If you answered “yes” to any of the above, then it’s likely that you need more collagen. Collagen is the most important superfood for successful aging. When you have the right amount in your diet, it’s proven to play a key role in slowing down the aging process.

If you’re still unsure of how much collagen you should be taking on a daily basis, refer to the graphic at the beginning of this article. It will break down whether you need 10, 20, 30 grams each day.

The Bottom Line

When you hit the point in aging (usually by your 30s) where your body starts to slow its production of endogenous collagen—collagen produced by your body—you start to see and feel the effects. In fact, between the ages of 20 and 60, you can lose as much as 50% of your collagen. And it keeps going down from there (15).

Thankfully, you can turn back the hands of time with the right diet and collagen supplement.

With just 10 to 40 grams of high-quality collagen daily, you can boost your body’s natural production of collagen, to help promote healthy aging and rejuvenate your body from the inside out.

Dr. Chad Walding
Article by

Dr. Chad Walding

Dr. Chad Walding is the Co-Founder and Chief Culture Officer at NativePath. He is a Doctor of Physical Therapy with a passion for helping people eat, move, and live in harmony with their natural state.

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    Medical Disclaimer

    This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician. All readers/viewers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions. Neither Dr. Chad Walding nor the publisher of this content takes responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons reading or following the information in this educational content. All viewers of this content, especially those taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement, or lifestyle program.

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