What Collagen Supplements Can Really Do for Your Skin and Joints

If you want to try taking collagen supplements for the benefit of your skin, types I and III are best, according to Katz, who recommends going with 2.5 to 10 g per day. “Stay hydrated, because it’s a big protein,” says Day.

When it comes to joint benefits, such as reducing joint pain, 40 mg per day of undenatured type II collagen may be better, says Dr. Amy West, a specialist in sports medicine and physical medicine and rehabilitation at Northwell Orthopedics in New York. (Undenatured collagen is usually derived from chicken breastbone cartilage, and it retains its triple helix structure because it hasn’t been broken down or exposed to heat, acids, or enzymes.)

“Arthritis pain is partly due to wearing down of cartilage or degradation in the quality of cartilage,” explains West. 

The idea that taking collagen supplements can stimulate collagen production in the body, as well as repair mechanisms for cartilage, hasn’t been proven, she emphasizes. Nevertheless, it could help with joint pain. A study in a 2023 issue of the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition found that active adults who took a daily dose of 10 to 20 g of collagen peptide supplements experienced improvements in their joint pain and functionality, along with their mood, after six to nine months. (The manufacturer of the supplements funded the study.)