You start losing 1% of your collagen every year from age 25, and what you eat determines how fast

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body, constituting approximately 30% of total protein mass and providing structural integrity to skin, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, bone, and blood vessels. Collagen synthesis requires: adequate proline and glycine as substrates; vitamin C as a cofactor for the hydroxylase enzymes that cross-link collagen triple helices; zinc as a cofactor for matrix metalloproteinases; and copper for lysyl oxidase.

Evidence-Based Support

• Collagen peptide supplementation 5–15 g daily: multiple RCTs demonstrate improved skin elasticity and reduced joint pain
• Vitamin C 500 mg taken 30–60 minutes before collagen supplementation or exercise
• Bone broth and gelatine — dietary collagen hydrolysate with the same amino acid profile as supplements
• Eliminating smoking and minimising UV exposure — the two most powerful collagen-degrading environmental exposures
• Blood glucose control — hyperglycaemia directly drives glycation of existing collagen