Should I take collagen to slow my aging?

Posted on 28th December 2025 by Georges

Collagen is a connective protein—and one of the most abundant proteins in the body—making up ~15% of total protein in mammals (1,2). As we age, collagen production declines by about 1–1.5% per year, as observed in human skin (3,4).

Clinical trials, generally ranging from 3–6 months in duration, have reported benefits across multiple organs and tissues, including skin, bone, muscle, joints, and even metabolic health. Specifically, studies have shown improvements in skin hydration, elasticity, and wrinkles (5–8); increases in bone mineral density and collagen synthesis (9–11); reductions in joint pain, often accompanied by increased physical activity (12–14); gains in muscle mass and strength following protein (including collagen) supplementation (15–20); and improvements in fasting blood glucose levels (21–23).

Importantly, many of these benefits were observed in already susceptible populations—individuals with joint pain, sarcopenia, or metabolic disease.

So, is collagen useful for healthy individuals and for slowing aging itself?

It’s hard to say. In model organisms, collagen supplementation has been shown to improve health and extend lifespan in rats, flies, and worms (24,25). However, a 2025 meta-analysis focusing on the effects of collagen supplementation on skin aging in humans found that smaller studies tended to report benefits, whereas larger trials did not (26). Concerningly, a sub-analysis revealed that studies not receiving funding from pharmaceutical companies showed no effect, while those receiving industry funding did report significant improvements in skin hydration, elasticity, and wrinkles. Overall, more research is clearly needed.

Taken together, the current evidence does not yet support collagen supplementation as a proven strategy to slow biological aging in healthy individuals. However, given its favorable safety profile and modest signals of benefit in specific tissues and populations, exploratory use may be reasonable for aging. Any perceived effects would likely be best assessed quantitatively too, but robust, validated at-home and widely available measures of skin or connective tissue aging remain limited. Going forward, progress in the field will depend on larger, independent clinical trials, as well as the development of sustainable, plant-based collagen mimetics that can engage similar biological pathways, and development of quantitative tracking measures of (collagen-related) aging for the general population.

Until then, the best strategy might still be… exercise. For more than two decades, we’ve known that mechanical loading through physical activity promotes collagen turnover and net collagen production in connective tissues (refs 27,28). So perhaps it’s time to stop reading on a screen about how to slow aging—and instead go do something that actually helps: move your body.

Going deeper…

  1. Tarnutzer, K., Siva Sankar, D., Dengjel, J. & Ewald, C. Y. Collagen constitutes about 12% in females and 17% in males of the total protein in mice. Sci. Rep. 13, 4490 (2023).
  2. Harkness, M. L. R., Harkness, R. D. & James, D. W. The effect of a protein‐free diet on the collagen content of mice. J. Physiol. 144, 307–313 (1958).
  3. Reilly, D. M. & Lozano, J. Skin collagen through the lifestages: importance for skin health and beauty. Plast. Aesthetic Res. 8, 2 (2021).
  4. Shuster, S., Black, M. M. & McVITIE, E. The influence of age and sex on skin thickness, skin collagen and density. Br. J. Dermatol. 93, 639–643 (1975).
  5. Kim, D.-U. et al. Oral Intake of Low-Molecular-Weight Collagen Peptide Improves Hydration, Elasticity, and Wrinkling in Human Skin: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study. Nutrients 10, 826 (2018).
  6. Schwartz, S. R. et al. Novel Hydrolyzed Chicken Sternal Cartilage Extract Improves Facial Epidermis and Connective Tissue in Healthy Adult Females: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial. Altern. Ther. Health Med. 25, 12–29 (2019).
  7. Proksch, E. et al. Oral Supplementation of Specific Collagen Peptides Has Beneficial Effects on Human Skin Physiology: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study. Skin Pharmacol. Physiol. 27, 47–55 (2014).
  8. Schunck, M. et al. Dietary Supplementation with Specific Collagen Peptides Has a Body Mass Index-Dependent Beneficial Effect on Cellulite Morphology. J. Med. Food 18, 1340–1348 (2015).
  9. Hexsel, D. et al. Oral supplementation with specific bioactive collagen peptides improves nail growth and reduces symptoms of brittle nails. J. Cosmet. Dermatol. 16, 520–526 (2017).
  10. Jerger, S. et al. Specific collagen peptides increase adaptations of patellar tendon morphology following 14‐weeks of high‐load resistance training: A randomized‐controlled trial. Eur. J. Sport Sci. 23, 2329–2339 (2023).
  11. König, D. et al. Specific Collagen Peptides Improve Bone Mineral Density and Bone Markers in Postmenopausal Women—A Randomized Controlled Study. Nutrients 10, 97 (2018).
  12. Zdzieblik, D. et al. The Influence of Specific Bioactive Collagen Peptides on Knee Joint Discomfort in Young Physically Active Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Nutrients 13, 523 (2021).
  13. Crowley, D. C. et al. Safety and efficacy of undenatured type II collagen in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee: a clinical trial. Int. J. Med. Sci. 6, 312–321 (2009).
  14. Schauss, A. G. et al. Effect of the Novel Low Molecular Weight Hydrolyzed Chicken Sternal Cartilage Extract, BioCell Collagen, on Improving Osteoarthritis-Related Symptoms. J. Agric. Food Chem. 60, 4096–4101 (2012).
  15. Morton, R. W. et al. A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. Br. J. Sports Med. 52, 376–384 (2018).
  16. Zdzieblik, D. et al. Collagen peptide supplementation in combination with resistance training improves body composition and increases muscle strength in elderly sarcopenic men: a randomised controlled trial. Br. J. Nutr. 114, 1237–1245 (2015).
  17. Phillips, S. M. et al. Exceptional body composition changes attributed to collagen peptide supplementation and resistance training in older sarcopenic men. Br. J. Nutr. 116, 569–570 (2016).
  18. Oertzen-Hagemann, V. et al. Effects of 12 Weeks of Hypertrophy Resistance Exercise Training Combined with Collagen Peptide Supplementation on the Skeletal Muscle Proteome in Recreationally Active Men. Nutrients 11, 1072 (2019).
  19. Bonnet, C. B. A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study Trial to Evaluate the Potential Effects of Naticol®, Fish Collagen Peptides on Symptoms of Sarcopenia in the Elderly. Juniper Online J. Case Stud. 12 (2021).
  20. Aussieker, T. et al. Ingestion of a Whey Plus Collagen Protein Blend Increases Myofibrillar and Muscle Connective Protein Synthesis Rates. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 57, 544–554 (2025).
  21. Zhu, C.-F. et al. Therapeutic Effects of Marine Collagen Peptides on Chinese Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Primary Hypertension. Am. J. Med. Sci. 340, 360–366 (2010).
  22. Zhu, C.-F. et al. Effect of Marine Collagen Peptides on Markers of Metabolic Nuclear Receptors in Type 2 Diabetic Patients with/without Hypertension. Biomed. Environ. Sci. 23, 113–120 (2010).
  23. Zhu, C.-F. et al. Treatment with marine collagen peptides modulates glucose and lipid metabolism in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Appl. Physiol. Nutr. Metab. 35, 797–804 (2010).
  24. Morikiri, Y. et al. The collagen-derived compound collagen tripeptide induces collagen expression and extends lifespan via a conserved p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 505, 1168–1173 (2018).
  25. Liang, J. et al. Marine Collagen Peptides Prepared from Chum Salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) Skin Extend the Life Span and Inhibit Spontaneous Tumor Incidence in Sprague-Dawley Rats. J. Med. Food 13, 757–770 (2010).
  26. Myung, S. K. & Park, Y. Effects of Collagen Supplements on Skin Aging: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Am. J. Med. 138, 1264–1277 (2025).
  27. Kjaer, M. Role of extracellular matrix in adaptation of tendon and skeletal muscle to mechanical loading. Physiol. Rev. 84, 649–698 (2004).
  28. Kjaer, M., Langberg, H., Heinemeier, K., Bayer, M. L. & Hansen, M. From mechanical loading to collagen synthesis, structural changes and function in human tendon. Scand. J. Med. Sci. Sports 19, 500–510 (2009).
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