6 Ways to Boost Your Collagen Besides Bone Broth
When I was younger, my grandmother would occasionally hold me hostage at the dinner table for refusing to clear my plate of “unusual” fare from the mother country: a funny tasting sauerkraut served warm, a bland kasha, and the biggest holdup, a gelatinous goo clinging to the beef in my otherwise delicious gulasz. “It’s the glue that will keep your bones together and your hair and nails strong!” she would say. Unconvinced, I would make a face and swallow the stuff whole, acting as if a sword was making its way down my esophagus instead of a dime-size piece of perfectly edible food.
Now, two decades later, Jennifer Aniston, legions of Goop-ers, and wellness experts are singing the praises of collagen, that same gulasz goo, and for what benefit? Fuller hair! Brighter skin! Stronger nails! Of course.
So what's the deal?
“Collagen is a protein that’s the basic building block of skin, hair, nails, joints, and other connective tissues like tendons,” Kelly LeVeque, a holistic nutritionist who works with celebrity clients like Jessica Alba, told me over the phone. You can get it from actual protein like fish or beef, but LeVeque explained that it’s not just in the gooey parts. “When you eat animal protein, it breaks down into individual amino acids during digestion that are then shipped off to cells through the bloodstream,” she says. “The body can then use certain amino acids like glycine and proline to make collagen.”
Aniston likes to sprinkle some collagen powder in her morning smoothie, and there are new collagen-infused drinks and chocolate bars flooding the shelves. “If you eat clean, organic, animal-based protein several times a week, you’re probably getting enough of collagen,” LeVeque says. “But if your diet is more plant-based or you’re on the road and quality protein isn’t available, collagen powders and drinks can help fill in the gap.”
Whether you’re staying away from meat, seeking Jen’s glow, or finally, in some sense, listening to your grandmother, here are some collagen standouts.
Photo by Ted Cavanaugh1/6Dirty Lemon Skin + Hair
These drinks are one of the few products made with collagen peptides from sustainably sourced tilapia skin (most are made from beef). But, fear not, you won’t be left with a fishy palette. Each sip starts out tasting like a lemonade and ends with a fiery kick (it’s the cayenne).
Photo by Ted Cavanaugh2/6Sparkle Skin Boost Collagen Powder
This powder comes in a variety of flavors like apple ginger and mixed berry, which, unlike a lot of flavored powders, actually tastes non-chemical-y—like an actual apple and actual ginger— when mixed with plain water. They’re also spiked with Vitamin C, which has additional skin-beautifying perks.
Photo by Ted Cavanaugh3/6Vital Proteins Collagen Beauty Water
This is Aniston’s preferred brand, and perhaps the reason she doesn’t seem to age. In addition to marine collagen, Vital Proteins contains hyaluronic acid (which hydrates skin) and probiotics for keeping gut health in check.
Photo by Ted Cavanaugh4/6Great Lakes Collagen Hydrolysate
Goop-approved and considered the O.G. of collagen powders, this is the most no-frills of the bunch. It’s a bit too bland to mix into water by itself, but it thickens up a smoothie quite nicely. If you’re feeling adventurous, LeVeque says she has clients who swirl flavor-free varieties like this one into salad dressings.
Photo by Ted Cavanaugh5/6Primal Kitchen Dark Chocolate Almond Collagen Bars
If you’re not keen on powders, you can get your fix with a protein bar, like this one from Primal Kitchen or one of their other flavors, like macadamia sea salt and coconut cashew, all with collagen from grass-fed cows. If Paleo is your jam, these bars will be too; they’re gluten, grain, soy, and dairy-free.
Photo by Ted Cavanaugh6/6The Beauty Chef Collagen Inner Beauty Boost
This syrup—which tastes like a juicy raspberry when mixed with water—doesn’t actually have collagen, but it’s formulated with ingredients like Vitamin C, ellagic acid from berries, and grapeseed extract, all of which should help the body make its own collagen. Since it doesn’t contain any animal-based protein, Beauty Boost is a great way to get your collagen in if you’re a strict vegetarian.
