{"id":360466,"date":"2026-04-02T15:28:19","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T15:28:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/360466\/"},"modified":"2026-04-02T15:28:19","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T15:28:19","slug":"5-collagen-boosting-foods-better-than-supplements-according-to-a-dermatologist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/360466\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Collagen-Boosting Foods Better Than Supplements, According to a Dermatologist"},"content":{"rendered":"

Collagen loss is, unfortunately, a fact of life. There’s no way to completely prevent the natural loss of collagen<\/a> over time, but there are some ways to slow that loss.<\/p>\n

But, to help your body build collagen, the answer isn’t taking collagen supplements \u2014 at least not at first.<\/p>\n

You can get those same building blocks for collagen, along with protective antioxidants, from a healthy, well-rounded diet, board-certified dermatologist Dr. Michelle Henry tells TODAY.com.<\/p>\n

“This is why we encourage things like superfoods<\/a>, which contain many of those nutrients,” she says. If you’re looking to boost collagen production, follow Henry’s advice for building a healthy, nutrient-dense diet before downing supplements.<\/p>\n

What Is Collagen?<\/p>\n

“Collagen is one of the major structural proteins in our skin,” Henry explains. This protein “provides support and resiliency,\u201d she says, and it “helps to impede the laxity that comes with time.\u201d<\/p>\n

We have the most collagen in our skin when we’re young, Henry explains, and we start to lose it naturally as we age. As we lose collagen, the skin gets loser and less plump. That contributes to some of the classic signs of aging, like fine lines and wrinkles.<\/p>\n

Taking collagen supplements could potentially help slow that loss of collagen, Henry says. But that’s not the best place to start.<\/p>\n

Do Collagen Supplements Work?<\/p>\n

You’ve probably been inundated with ads for collagen supplements<\/a>, which often claim to improve the texture of skin. <\/p>\n

But our bodies can’t just absorb and use collagen in its full protein form. The collagen you eat in a supplement (or food) gets broken down in your body, absorbed in your gut and then used to make your own collagen. That’s why, generally, Henry recommends people start with food first<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Eating collagen-boosting foods also comes with other nutritional benefits, including the antioxidants your body needs to help with collagen production, she says.<\/p>\n

“If you’re eating a well-rounded diet, not only are you getting those amino acids, which are the building blocks of collagen fibers,” Henry explains, but hopefully you’re also getting vitamin C<\/a>, zinc and copper, “which we absolutely need for collagen synthesis.” <\/p>\n

So, when patients ask her about collagen supplements, she doesn’t recommend against them necessarily. “But supplements do not ever negate the importance of a well-rounded diet,” Henry says. “And, right now, I find that to be superior.”<\/p>\n

Note that many supplements contain marine collagen that’s derived from fish or shellfish, which can cause reactions in some people with seafood allergies.<\/p>\n

Best Collagen-Boosting Foods <\/p>\n

Because collagen is made from amino acids, you should start by looking for foods that contain protein. <\/p>\n

Some of the best options, according to Henry, include:<\/p>\n

Lean meats, like chicken and turkey<\/a>, provide protein as well as zinc.Greek yogurt<\/a> is packed with amino acids like glycine and proline, which your body needs to make collagen.Fish, especially salmon, sardines and mackerel<\/a>, contain protein as well as anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids. Bone broth<\/a> is a great source of collagen and amino acids.Eggs,<\/a> particularly the egg whites, contain proline, which is one of the amino acids necessary to build collagen.<\/p>\n

But your body needs more than amino acids to make collagen, Henry says. To boost collagen, you should also eat foods that vitamin C and minerals like zinc and copper.<\/p>\n

Foods that are rich in vitamin C include strawberries<\/a>, bell peppers and citrus fruits. Meanwhile, leafy greens and broccoli provide additional antioxidants to help protect collagen, Henry notes.<\/p>\n

Eating a well-rounded, varied diet with a focus on lean protein and plant foods is great for your skin’s long-term health \u2014 and your overall health, too.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Collagen loss is, unfortunately, a fact of life. There’s no way to completely prevent the natural loss of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":360467,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[134,111,139,556,69],"class_list":{"0":"post-360466","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nutrition","8":"tag-health","9":"tag-new-zealand","10":"tag-newzealand","11":"tag-nutrition","12":"tag-nz"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/360466","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=360466"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/360466\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/360467"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=360466"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=360466"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=360466"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}