Do vegans need collagen?

Collagen is not a component of any vegan food. Without exception, collagen comes from animals. Agar-agar, chia seeds, or pectin are plant-based, swellable substitutes for gelatin that can be used in recipes; however, there is no plant-based collagen substitute. Do vegans need collagen? We will give you the most crucial facts regarding collagen in this article.

In our article, Why do vegans look old? we had informed you about collagen and its effect on the skin. In this article, we will clarify the general health need for collagen. Is collagen essential for life? All of the body’s organs and the health of the bones, skin, and blood vessels depend on collagen. A loss of suppleness in the skin and issues with the joints can result from low collagen levels. So, do vegans need collagen? Yes, they do.

Is collagen essential? Benefits, Side effects, and more…

Collagen is crucial for the durability of our skin, hair, and connective tissue. It makes sense why it’s so popular in the anti-aging and beauty care sectors. Nevertheless, collagen serves a variety of vital roles in our bodies and is crucial for overall health. Here, we explain the precise roles that collagen plays as well as how to encourage the body to produce its own collagen.

Why is collagen important?

The fundamental building blocks of our body, from which all body structures are created, are proteins. The fact that collagen is the most prevalent protein in the human body and a component of all connective tissue, such as the skin, blood vessels, ligaments, tendons, cartilage, teeth, and bones, makes it particularly noteworthy.

External signs that our body lacks collagen include cellulite, wrinkles, and brittle hair and nails. Internally, this may lead to joint issues, bone brittleness, and muscle atrophy. Therefore, collagen is a crucial fundamental element of our overall health and affects conditions like osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and joint discomfort.

Collagen contributes to our skin’s structure, stability, tone, and suppleness, among other things, and makes up around 60% of it. So, it makes sense that it is particularly well-liked in the beauty sector.

Vegan collagen sources

It helps to regularly incorporate the following foods in your diet to ensure tight connective tissue, glowing skin, and strong hair as well as strong bones, muscles, and supple joints.
They encourage collagen synthesis or prevent it from breaking down:

Lemons: Citrus fruits like lemons and oranges are high in vitamin C, which helps to support collagen.

Green vegetables: Kale, spinach, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and parsley are among the green vegetables that are high in vitamin C.
Although they are not usually green, peppers are a vitamin C powerhouse.

Berries: Berries also offer a strong dose of vitamin C, which jump-starts the production of collagen. Berries also include important antioxidants that shield our cells and, as a result, have an anti-aging impact.

Vegetable oils and nuts: Hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, and walnuts, as well as wheat germ oil, rapeseed oil, and olive oil, are rich sources of vitamin E, which prevents the breakdown of collagen.

Oatmeal: Oatmeal has a lot of silicon and other important nutrients that support collagen synthesis.

Collagen production also requires vegan nutrients like zinc which is found in, legumes, meats, nuts, seeds, and whole grains; and vitamin C from citrus fruits, berries, leafy greens, bell peppers, and tomatoes.

Collagen supplements. Be careful!

Vegans should be careful before taking vegan collagen supplements. To counteract the natural process, women, in particular, are increasingly turning to supplements in the form of collagen capsules and the like. However, many are not aware of what exactly they are ingesting. The last paragraph says it clearly: collagen is obtained exclusively from animal sources – slaughterhouse waste, to be precise. Most preparations rely on cattle cartilage and bones as well as fish fins. Marine collagen sounds a lot nicer, doesn’t it?

Where does collagen come from?

As we mentioned before, in food, collagen is naturally found only in animal flesh like meat and fish that contain connective tissue. However, a variety of both animal and plant foods contain materials for collagen production in our own bodies.

Collagen supplements studies

According to Harvard, “most research on collagen supplements is related to joint and skin health. Human studies are lacking but some randomized controlled trials have found that collagen supplements improve skin elasticity. Other trials have found that the supplements can improve joint mobility and decrease joint pain such as with osteoarthritis or in athletes. Collagen comprises about 60% of cartilage, a very firm tissue that surrounds bones and cushions them from the shock of high-impact movements; so a breakdown in collagen could lead to a loss of cartilage and joint problems.

According to a study, “Preliminary results are promising for the short and long-term use of oral collagen supplements for wound healing and skin aging. Oral collagen supplements also increase skin elasticity, hydration, and dermal collagen density. Collagen supplementation is generally safe with no reported adverse events. Further studies are needed to elucidate medical use in skin barrier diseases such as atopic dermatitis and to determine optimal dosing regimens. J Drugs Dermatol. 2019;18(1):9-16.”

In summary, it is not necessary to take collagen supplements to do something good for your skin – especially if animals had to suffer for it. A healthy, wholesome diet with an emphasis on fresh fruits and vegetables also keeps the skin firm and healthy – and also has many other health benefits. A tablet can never compete with that.

Check out our articles about veganism and the vegetarian lifestyle.

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