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Collagen: how much to take

Collagen peptides are digested protein from animal skin, bone or fish. They are sold mainly for skin and joints.

Calculator Official intake Study doses Best form Safety Sources

Adults 18+ only
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Official daily intake

Collagen is a protein, not an essential nutrient, so there is no official daily intake.

Doses used in studies

These are doses tested in research, not personal advice. Some exceed the upper limit because they were short courses or given under medical care.

Weak evidenceWeak: one small trial, pilot data or results that conflict.Based on 2 meta-analyses, 1 review or position paper.How grades work

Skin hydration and elasticity

0.37-12 g a day

Meta-analyses (19 to 26 trials) report better skin hydration and elasticity after about 90 days, with trial doses from 0.37 g to 12 g a day. A 2026 re-analysis found data errors in these meta-analyses and no clear benefit. Many trials were industry-funded.

de Miranda RB, Weimer P, Rossi RC 2021 · Pu SY et al. 2023 · Grimes DR, Mahto A 2026

Weak evidenceWeak: one small trial, pilot data or results that conflict.Based on 1 meta-analysis.How grades work

Knee and joint osteoarthritis symptoms

No single dose

Meta-analysis of placebo-controlled trials: collagen lowered overall WOMAC scores and pain on a visual scale, but not WOMAC pain or function on their own. Doses and collagen types differed between trials, so there is no single proven dose.

García-Coronado JM et al. 2019

Best form and why

Best form

Hydrolysed collagen / peptides (g)

Why: Hydrolysed collagen (peptides) dissolves easily and is what most skin trials used.

Alternatives: Undenatured type II collagen (UC-II) is a different product used at milligram doses for joints; it is not interchangeable with peptides.

de Miranda RB, Weimer P, Rossi RC 2021

Food sources

Bone broth, gelatin, skin-on chicken and fish. Any protein also supplies the same amino acids.

Interactions

None well documented.

Safety

Check the source if you avoid fish, beef or pork.

Pregnant, breastfeeding, on medication, or managing a health condition? Check with a doctor or pharmacist before starting a supplement.

Sources

  1. Meta-analysis de Miranda RB, Weimer P, Rossi RC (2021). Effects of hydrolyzed collagen supplementation on skin aging: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Dermatol 60:1449-1461
  2. Meta-analysis Pu SY et al. (2023). Effects of Oral Collagen for Skin Anti-Aging: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients 15(9):2080
  3. Review / position paper Grimes DR, Mahto A (2026). Hydrolyzed Collagen for Skin Aging Meta-Analyses Are Unreliable. J Cosmet Dermatol
  4. Meta-analysis García-Coronado JM et al. (2019). Effect of collagen supplementation on osteoarthritis symptoms: a meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials. Int Orthop

Values checked: November 12, 2026.

Fact sheets on other sites

Independent summaries to read alongside this page. PillMath is not affiliated with these sites.

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