Collagen water has been on the rise recently as a potentially beneficial health supplement. Many people have heard of it but don’t know much about what collagen water is or how it reportedly can help with matters such as skin care, gut health, joint pain relief, and muscle recovery.
This article will take an in-depth look at collagen water and explore its benefits, side effects, cost, and more. Let’s start.
What is Collagen Water?
Collagen water contains collagen, the most abundant protein in your body, and helps build cells and structure your skin, bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons. It consists of hydrolyzed collagen powder dissolved in water
Collagen is also the “glue” that holds our bodies together. Collagen production decreases with age, leading to wrinkles, joint pain and stiffness, and other signs of aging. Hence, drinking collagen water may help replenish collagen levels in the body.
Uses of Collagen
You can obtain collagen via the body’s production or from food sources like chicken skin, fish skin, or collagen supplements. Anti-aging vitamins and face creams containing collagen are widely used to alleviate discomfort associated with arthritic joints, dry skin, and wrinkles.
Collagen is available in many forms, including powder, capsules, and liquid, making it easy to include in hot or cold drinks, oatmeal, yogurt, and energy balls as a dietary supplement.
And because of its humectant and moisturizing characteristics, collagen is often used in cosmetic goods such as moisturizers and serums.
Collagen Water Benefits
Collagen is helpful and essential for optimal health, as it is a component of many key body structures. Some of its known benefits are the following.
1. Improves Skin Elasticity
Given that collagen accounts for over 75% of skin, it’s no surprise that this is one of the most common applications for collagen supplements. Collagen supplements have the potential to enhance skin in several ways. [1]
According to one research, women who took collagen supplements had better skin hydration and elasticity and fewer wrinkles. However, consider that firms that make collagen products financed several of these studies, which may have influenced the results.
Studies have employed dosages ranging from 2.5-15 grams of collagen daily for eight weeks or longer to improve skin health. However, these amounts vary widely. [2]
2. Stronger Bones
Bones lose density and brittleness with age, making them more vulnerable to breakage and slower to repair. Regular collagen supplements may help increase bone density, prevent bone loss, and stimulate bone formation, which can help reduce the brittleness that comes with aging.
Research also found that those who took 5 grams of collagen peptides daily had considerably higher bone mineral density (BMD) in their spine and femur (a bone in the lower leg) than those who took a placebo.
These results show that postmenopausal women at a higher risk of developing osteopenia and osteoporosis may benefit from taking collagen supplements over the long run to boost bone mineral density.
In addition, research indicated that oral collagen supplements improved participants’ osteoarthritis symptoms, particularly stiffness.
Collagen supplements may not work as well for certain people because of this, especially men, younger people, or those who don’t have poor bone mineral density. [3]
3. Healthier Hair and Nails
Some research suggests that taking collagen supplements might improve hair and nail health. Keratin contains the amino acid proline, which is present in collagen peptides. Collagen’s antioxidant qualities may be helpful in the fight against oxidative stress, contributing to the graying of hair with age.
Collagen has also shown promise in reversing age-related hair loss and thinning. Researchers found that when women with thinning hair took collagen supplements regularly, their hair grew faster, covered more of their scalp, and was thicker overall. [4]
Additionally, the building blocks of nails are amino acids, such as those included in collagen supplements. Since amino acids are known to promote nail health, it stands to reason that taking a collagen supplement will have the same effect. Daily use of a collagen supplement was linked in research to increased nail length, less nail breakage, and enhanced nail appearance. [5]
Emerging evidence suggests that using collagen supplements can improve the health of your skin, hair, and nails. While liquid collagen solutions have been shown to have some advantages, additional study is needed to definitively show that they are just as effective as their powdered counterparts.
4. Gut Support
Collagen contains many amino acids, including glutamine and glycine, which may be helpful for the digestive tract. Intestinal linings can benefit from glutamine and glycine, although glycine has been shown in animal experiments to repair intestinal linings. [6, 7]
Collagen has several significant effects on the gastrointestinal tract, including improved digestion, restoration of the intestinal lining, and recovery from leaky gut and irritable bowel syndrome. A collagen supplement may stimulate collagen formation naturally and speed up gut-wall recovery.
Hydrolyzed collagen or collagen peptides are better to take. Because of the tiny size of the collagen particles, they are easily absorbed by the digestive system.
How to Make Collagen Water
Making collagen water is easy and will save you a lot of money compared to buying it in bottles. Pour some water into a glass, add some collagen powder, and drink up.
Splash in some freshly squeezed orange and lemon juice for added taste. Collagen powder may also be added to your preferred infused water mix for a similar effect. But if you want something more, add collagen to a smoothie.
Also, eat lots of vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables for the best benefits, as this vitamin helps your body produce collagen.
Is Collagen Water Soluble?
Yes, collagen water is soluble. Most liquid collagens are hydrolyzed. That means the body doesn’t have to perform any work to digest and absorb the protein, as the big proteins have already been broken down. Furthermore, this process facilitates collagen powder or liquid dissolution in liquids such as smoothies and coffee.
Collagen Water Price
Collagen water costs vary depending on the brand and the type of collagen you’re buying. Some collagen is in powder form, where you mix it with water, while others are already in liquid form. the price of collagen water can range from $20 to $50 depending on the type and quality of collagen used.
Collagen Water Side Effects
Collagen supplements tend to be well tolerated by most users. Always with your doctor before starting a new supplement to ensure it is right for you, and take it exactly as directed.
Collagen supplements have the potential to trigger allergic reactions in certain individuals. Moreover, some people may experience bloating and other digestive adverse effects when using collagen supplements.
The amount of collagen is an important consideration when taking collagen water. Typically, doses of 10 to 20 grams of collagen are optimal.
Bottomline: Collagen Water Benefits
One of the most vital proteins in our body is collagen. Collagen water may help skin and bone health. However, further research is needed to confirm this.
When selecting a collagen supplement, it is essential to consider both the kind and source of collagen and to favor manufacturers that put their products through third-party testing to guarantee their quality and purity.
Never use a supplement without first seeing your doctor. You can get advice from them on what supplement would be best for you.
Disclaimer: This article is only a guide. It does not substitute the advice given by your healthcare professional. Before making any health-related decision, consult your healthcare professional.
Editorial References And Fact-Checking
- de Miranda RB, Weimer P, Rossi RC. Effects of hydrolyzed collagen supplementation on skin aging: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Dermatol. 2021 Dec;60(12):1449-1461. doi: 10.1111/ijd.15518. Epub 2021 Mar 20. PMID: 33742704.
- Choi FD, Sung CT, Juhasz ML, Mesinkovsk NA. Oral Collagen Supplementation: A Systematic Review of Dermatological Applications. J Drugs Dermatol. 2019 Jan 1;18(1):9-16. PMID: 30681787.
- König D, Oesser S, Scharla S, Zdzieblik D, Gollhofer A. Specific Collagen Peptides Improve Bone Mineral Density and Bone Markers in Postmenopausal Women-A Randomized Controlled Study. Nutrients. 2018 Jan 16;10(1):97. doi: 10.3390/nu10010097. PMID: 29337906; PMCID: PMC5793325.
- Feroz S, Muhammad N, Ranayake J, Dias G. Keratin – Based materials for biomedical applications. Bioact Mater. 2020 Apr 16;5(3):496-509. doi: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2020.04.007. PMID: 32322760; PMCID: PMC7171262.
- Hexsel D, Zague V, Schunck M, Siega C, Camozzato FO, Oesser S. Oral supplementation with specific bioactive collagen peptides improves nail growth and reduces symptoms of brittle nails. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2017 Dec;16(4):520-526. doi: 10.1111/jocd.12393. Epub 2017 Aug 8. PMID: 28786550.
- Lin M, Zhang B, Yu C, Li J, Zhang L, Sun H, Gao F, Zhou G. L-Glutamate supplementation improves small intestinal architecture and enhances the expressions of jejunal mucosa amino acid receptors and transporters in weaning piglets. PLoS One. 2014 Nov 4;9(11):e111950. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0111950. PMID: 25368996; PMCID: PMC4219819.
- Shanshan Kong, Yanhui H. Zhang, Weiqiang Zhang, “Regulation of Intestinal Epithelial Cells Properties and Functions by Amino Acids”, BioMed Research International, vol. 2018, Article ID 2819154, 10 pages, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/2819154