While some get their fill of collagen with a cup of bone broth, others may try a bowl of chicken soup. Both sources contain a large amount of the same protein-abundant ingredient, collagen. 

Made from the bones of animals or the skin of fish, collagen is full of amino acids such a glycine, poline, and hydroxyproline. These aid in keeping our skin, bones, joints, and muscles strong, however abstaining this protein from our diets alone is hard to achieve. 

If you do not wish to spend hours boiling down bones, then collagen powder could be the solution. Hydrolyzed collagen supplements, or collagen powder, contains the same amounts of amino acids, however they are broken down into peptides, which allows them to be absorbed into the body more quickly and efficiently than collagen found in food.  

Wholy Dose collagen powders have a variety of products that contain both marine or bovine collagen. This collagen is a hydrolyzed collagen as mentioned above, and is especially helpful for it’s beautifying properties due to its molecule structure being similar to that of our skin. In addition to the, peptide molecules are smaller in size and are made of greater bioavailability to the body. 

With this in mind, is there a way to take collagen powder that can make it the most effective? 

What Is The Best Way To Take Collagen Powder? 

If you feel that you need to create elaborate recipes in order to take your collagen powder, then you’re wrong. While chia puddings and keto coconut shakes are great to make, they are not regular staples in the average diet – and you do not have to get this creative in meeting your daily collagen needs. 

The best news is that it does not matter what or how you take your collagen powder, as long as you take it every day. 

How To Drink Collagen Powder 

While you can bake and cook with collagen powder, one of the most convenient ways to take collagen powder is to stir it into a glass of water, juice, tea, or coffee.

In most cases, you also should not be worried about holding your nose to take the collagen either to hide the taste. Despite being sourced from animals, collagen, when premium sourced, has no taste or smell. 

Another popular way to drink collagen powder is in smoothies. This is a convenient solution for those who already drink smoothies as a part of their routine everyday.

Can Collagen Mix With Hot Drinks?

You can add collagen powder into hot drinks, which is the most popular way of taking it. A morning collagen coffee is common amongst collagen takers. 

Can Caffeine Destroy Collagen? 

While caffeine can slow down your natural collagen production, in turn affecting your skin elasticity, it does not have any effect on the collagen powder you are taking. With this in mind, adding collagen powder in your hot drinks offers the additional benefits of helping to minimize the drying effect of caffeine on your skin. 

Can Heat Damage Collagen Powder?

While many foods can lose their nutritional value when you heat or freeze them, collagen powder does not. 

The reason for this is that collagen powder contains a highly concentrated amount of amino acids per peptide. The greater the number of amino acids per peptide, the more stable it is at higher temperatures. Like Wholy Dose collagen powders, collagen type I and type II are the most heat-tolerant of collagen types because of their high amounts of amino acids. 

Collagen peptides can be heat stable up to 300°C which is a temperature that exceeds normal cooking and baking. Water also boils at 100°C, which means that collagen can be mixed into hot drinks and soups without losing its benefits. 

What Is The Best Time To Take Collagen?

While there are many different arguments to be made about collagen timing, such as taking it first thing in the morning on an empty stomach or taking it at night while the skin is being repaired and rejuvenated – experts agree that there is no specific time to take your collagen supplement. 

The key to taking collagen supplements is to ensure that you are taking a high enough dose of collagen in order to receive the benefits you desire, with a minimum amount of 5g at least. 

Collagen peptides are broken down the same, regardless of whether you take them alongside food or not. There is also no particular evidence to show that collagen taken at night improves results, compared to other times of day. 

This being said, collagen does contain a large amount of glycine, which is an amino acid that scientists believe can promote a restful sleep. While other sleep aids have more proven benefits when it comes to achieving rest, if you already taking collagen and are having difficulty sleeping, you can try taking your supplement at night instead to aid in your sleep.

Should Collagen Be Split or Taken All At Once?

There is no difference with the effectiveness of collagen, if you choose to take it in halves or all at one time. If you wish to build up your dose throughout the day, you can split your dose. 

Collagen is however a protein, and too much protein at once can cause bloating if your body has not adjusted to receiving the additional amounts in your diet. To acclimate your metabolism when first taking collagen supplements, you can try splitting your dose into different servings throughout the day. 

The extra dose of protein can make you feel thirstier than usual, to combat this, you can drink extra water throughout the day. 

Can Collagen Powder Be Made More Effective? 

There are some natural ways to boost your collagen intake. To start, cutting sugar down in your diet can help. Sugar breaks down collagen in a process called “glycation” – the excess sugar consumed in your diet attaches to the proteins and fats in your skin, producing enzymes that weaken both the collagen and the elastin fiber. 

Similarly, while it is popular to mix your collagen into your tea or coffee, it can also be beneficial to not consume too much caffeine. A small study concluded that the effect of caffeine on skin cells damaged the fibroblast’s (skin cells) ability to create collagen. 

Collagen and Vitamin C

It is well known that vitamin C helps your body to naturally produce greater amounts collagen. For those seeking to boost their collagen production levels, this is a great option.

Getting The Most From Your Collagen By Enjoying It 

All options considered, the most effective way to take collagen powder to maximize it’ benefits is to consume it in the way that you find the most enjoyable. 

The most effective way to take collagen powder and maximize its benefits is to eat it in the way you enjoy most. 

One study amongst two groups of women found that when one group was served a meal of less favor than the opposing group, the group who did not enjoy the meal absorbed significantly less iron than the group who favored the meal.

All in all, you get the most nutrients out of your food when you enjoy it. Take your collagen by mixing it into the drinks you enjoy most, or by creating new drinks that you will come to love as a part of your daily beauty and wellness routine. This is the most beneficial way to take collagen consistently, which is the only way to achieve the results you desire.