The best sources of collagen? These are the 7 most important foods!

Much has been written about the benefits and importance of collagen. Most athletes know that it is the most abundant protein in the human body and thatthat it is absolutely crucial to the health of our bones, joints, hair, skin and basically our entire body. However, much less is written about how to ensure sufficient collagen intake and what foods to reach for if you are deficient. And that's exactly what today's article will focus on. We'll look not only at the foods with the highest collagen content, but also at which foods will help your body to make collagen on its own.

What should you know about collagen?

As mentioned in the introduction, collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body. This makes it essentially the building block of our body - indeed, it can be found almost everywhere. It's no wonder, then, that getting enough of it is crucial for the proper functioning of the body. Without collagen, you're at risk of joint and ligament injuries, you may experience problems with your teeth or even your hair, and much more. However, since we have covered the topic of collagen in general in the article Collagen under the microscope, I'll just refer to it and not go further into general information about collagen. The focus of today's article lies in something else.

Which foods contain the most collagen?

The first part of this article focuses on foods that naturally contain collagen. As a rule, if you include them in your diet, you should not experience problems with its deficiency. It is important to mention that collagen cannot be introduced into the body in the form of plant foods. Using plant foods can positively stimulate the natural production of collagen, which we will get to in the second part of the article. However, only animal products serve as a true source of collagen.

Meat

Not surprisingly, the first food suitable for collagen supplementation is meat.Since collagen is a protein, it is found in abundant amounts in meat. The best performing meat in terms of collagen content is beef, which contains mainly collagen types I and III. However, pork or poultry meat does not fare badly either. When choosing meat, it is of course important to pay attention to the quality of the meat.

Fish

In addition to omega 3 fatty acids, fish meat is also rich in type II collagen. Most collagen is found in fattier fish, especially salmon or tuna. Not only the meat itself, but also the skin of the fish contains a lot of collagen. Fish collagen is often considered to be one of the highest quality sources. Again, when choosing, you need to pay close attention to the quality of the fish as well as its origin. At the same time, with tuna, you need to be careful that it can sometimes contain quite a lot ofIt is therefore recommended that it be consumed no more than twice a week.

Broth

Since collagen is abundant in the bones, it is probably no surprise that broth is one of the most reliable sources of collagen. It doesn't matter if it is beef or not.Honest broth from the bone is one of the best ways to replenish collagen in the body. In addition, most people enjoy it along with meat, which increases the resulting collagen intake even more.

Gelatin

It's no secret that gelatin comes from pork, beef, chicken or fish bones and skins. While the origin of this food may deter some from consuming it, it's great news in terms of collagen intake. Gelatine is found in, among other things, the well-known gummy bears. Although you will find so much sugar in them that we don't recommend them for collagen supplementation at all.

Foods that support the body's natural production of collagen

To maintain sufficient collagen in the body, it is important to includefoods that do not directly contain collagen, but support its production in the body. These include foods rich in vitamin C, zinc, copper, proline or glycine.

Seafood

Seafood lovers will be pleased to know that eating seafood has a positive effect on the production of collagen in the body. They contain high amounts of zinc, which is involved in the formation of collagen. Oysters, for example, are worth mentioning, as they contain not only zinc but also many vitamins and minerals necessary for the proper functioning of the body.

Eggs

Eggs, more specifically egg whites, are a rich source of proline. The latter is very important in the process of collagen formation in the body. Therefore, by including eggs in your diet, in addition to increasing your protein intake, you will also support your own collagen production in the body.

Fruits and vegetables

All fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals and other substances that promote collagen formation. Whether it's vitamin A to regenerate damaged collagen, the antioxidant lycopene to increase collagen levels or the antioxidant vitamin A to increase collagen levels.and vitamin C, vegetables and fruits are an indispensable part of the diet in terms of collagen levels.

Are supplements worth taking?

Although there are a large number of foods containing collagen or at least supporting its production, many people resort to taking supplements. Does it make sense? The answer is simple - yes. The main advantage of collagen in the form of dietary supplements is the much more absorbable form, which is achieved through hydrolysis. Compared to native collagen, hydrolyzed collagen is much more absorbable and easier for the body to use. At the same time, it is easy to take in much more of it than from a normal diet, from which you can benefit especiallym if you play sports in which there is more wear and tear on the muscles and joints.

For strength athletes, collagen is therefore extremely important. A sufficient amount of collagen in the natural diet is of course essential, but for maximum protection of joints and cartilage, supplementation should also be considered. Our comparison of the best collagens will help you choose the right product , in which we have detailed the best quality products on the market. However, it's important to remember that even collagen supplementation won't protect you from being taxedif you're doing technically demanding wrong and excessive work. Therefore, the most important thing of all is to exercise with care and to ensure the correct technique of the exercises performed.

Summary at the end

Collagen can be supplemented mainly from animal foods. Some of the best sources of collagen include meat, fish, broths or gelatin. However, foods that do not contain collagen but support its production in the body are also important for collagen supplementation. These include seafood, vegetables, fruit and eggs. For strength athletes, who put much more stress on their joints and ligaments than most people, collagen supplementation in the form of special dietary supplements containing collagen in hydrolysed form is also suitable. Such collagen is much more easily absorbed and utilized by the body.

That's all for today's topic from us. However, if you have any questions, feel free to contact us in the comments below the article.