Meats—especially red meats including beef, pork, and lamb—are among the best high-collagen foods. These animals have lots of connective tissue that requires collagen for the same reason humans have it: It helps them move their muscles properly.
Chicken and Turkey
The connective tissue, skin, and sinew are particularly high in collagen, so branching out from a boneless, skinless chicken breast to a cut with skin or some connective tissue will significantly increase your collagen intake.
Another natural source of collagen protein is organ meats. These include the liver, tongue, heart, kidneys, and brains from beef, pork, or chicken (León-López, 2019).
Pork is generally more tender than beef because pigs are usually slaughtered at a younger age than cows, and so their muscles are less developed and have less collagen than do those of cows. Fish muscles are quite different from those in mammals.
Fish (marine) collagen has superior bioavailability.
Fish collagen is absorbed up to 1.5 times more efficiently into the body which means it has superior bioavailability over bovine or porcine types. This is due to its smaller particle size compared to other types of collagen.
Which Fruits Have The Most Collagen? Citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit are known for being foods high in collagen-producing properties.
Eat a balanced diet that includes an adequate amount of protein. “High-protein foods contain amino acids that are critical for collagen synthesis,” says Garshick. Lean protein sources include fish, seafood, skinless chicken breast, and lean cuts of beef and pork.
Zinc. Zinc, a cofactor in the production of collagen, plays a vital role in collagen synthesis. This mineral is essential to cell repair and helps protect collagen in the body from damage. Zinc deficiency can reduce the amount of collagen produced, therefore getting adequate amounts is important!
Beef has more collagen per gram of protein
Beef bone broth also has slightly more glycine and proline. These are two amino acids that make up collagen, along with hydroxyproline and arginine. Chicken broth still has collagen, however it is around 10% less per serving than beef.
The Verdict
Both bovine and marine collagen provide the same benefits. Both are great for skin, hair, gut, and bone health. However, bovine is slightly cheaper and might be the better choice for those with intestinal problems.
Bananas are not a source of collagen, but they can still be beneficial for collagen production when paired with the right foods. How does this work? Well, bananas are a decent source of vitamin C, which is essential for collagen production.
Collagen is a protein that serves as one of the main building blocks for your bones, skin, hair, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. "Collagen is what keeps our skin from sagging, giving us that plump, youthful look," says dermatologist Dr. Ohara Aivaz.
How vitamin D deficiency leads to accelerated skin aging isn't fully understood. However, some experts suspect it has something to do with vitamin D's protective and antioxidant properties on the skin.
Several high-protein foods are believed to nurture collagen production because they contain the amino acids that make collagen—glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline. [6] These include fish, poultry, meat, eggs, dairy, legumes, and soy.
UV damage is the main cause of skin collagen loss accounting for up to 80-90% of the appearance of skin aging. UV exposure causes both, less collagen to be produced, and. it also increases collagen degradation via matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and other proteases in the skin.
Studies have also found that the sterolins in avocado oil can significantly increase the amount of collagen in the skin. Collagen breaks down as we age, making avocado oil an excellent skincare addition for people with mature skin.
Bradley says her favorite collagen-boosting brew is bone broth. Bone broth draws collagen out of beef, chicken or fish bones, leaving a flavorful liquid that you can drink straight up or use in other dishes.