Last Updated on August 12, 2021 by Janie Wilson
What Is The Best Time To Take Collagen?
With more and more collagen supplements flooding the market, one of the most frequently asked questions that you can find in online forums, of late, is, “When is the best time to take collagen?” Before we get into that, let me explain what a collagen supplement is and how you can benefit from taking it regularly.
The increasingly popular use of collagen supplements offers consumers a range of benefits, from strengthening bones to giving texture to the skin.
Collagen is the protein most commonly found in the body and is an important component of the connective tissue that makes up body parts such as ligaments, muscles, skin and tendons and as such, it has several important functions.
What is collagen?
It is actually a glue-like substance that binds all these things together. There are several foods that you can eat or drink to increase your collagen supply in the body. In recent years, however, collagen has become more popular as a dietary supplement and as an ingredient in body lotions and shampoos.
Most collagen supplements are hydrolyzed, which means the collagen has been broken down into smaller peptides so it can be more easily absorbed by the body.
Because collagen peptides are hydrolyzed, you can add them to a wide variety of beverages. For example, you can take it with water or coffee, as they are soluble in both cold and hot liquids as well as foods.
You often hear that you need to take collagen powder with vitamin C to get the full effect. However, this is only partially true.
It is true that vitamin C is a nutrient that can stimulate the natural production of collagen, but you do not necessarily need to take vitamin C along with collagen supplements to get the full effect of collagen.
However, you can take vitamin C supplements with fresh fruits and vegetables.
There are other questions about taking collagen supplements, the most common of which, as I have already mentioned, is, “When is the best time to take collagen?”
When is the best time to take collagen?
You will be surprised to hear that there is no specific recommended time to take collagen because it can be taken at any time of day. As long as you take your daily dose of collagen peptides, it doesn’t really matter how and when you take it.
It has been proven that if you take the right dose of collagen supplements every day, the fibroblasts that make the collagen factor in our skin will go to work. It is easy to believe the myth that collagen supplements are broken down by the digestive acid in the stomach.
Collagen supplements are usually broken down by stomach acid — with or without food — into amino acids. The amino acids are then used to form collagen in the consumer’s body.
Because stomach acid is broken down with food, you must take collagen powder with food to protect the supplement from the acid.
Your stomach can absorb collagen whether you take it with or without food. Now another important question: how can you take collagen effectively to get the best results?
How do you take collagen effectively?
The benefits of collagen supplements are legion. Some people take it for health reasons, others for beauty.
Yes, it can also be good for your skin! If you are striving for beauty and want to fight aging, you should take it in the morning to improve your skin, hair and even your nails. For building muscle and skin, you should take both marine collagen and bovine collagen in the evening. Why? For, it helps to repair and regenerate while you sleep.
Effective use of collagen
If you want to lose a few pounds, you should take collagen in the morning and throughout the day to keep you energized and full. Yes, I can assure you that would be no cravings for doughnuts!
If you need help with inflammation, general aches and pains, or to support a hard workout, you should take collagen during the day (particularly in the evening) and before going to bed.
There are collagen products that you can take with you on the go and use at any time of your busy schedule. Collagen products with different flavors also come in pouches for everyday use. You can easily keep that in your purse, backpack or pockets.
To use collagen effectively, all you have to do is to incorporate it into your daily schedule and see the results for yourself!
Collagen for beauty
When is it best time to take collagen for beauty?
The benefits of collagen are many, so it’s always beneficial to add a scoop of collagen to your daily routine! The good thing is that you can even add it to the baked goods that you eat daily.
Working from the inside out, a collagen supplement can improve skin elasticity and enhance your hair growth and nails. How? Here’s how it works.
Glucosamine, amino acids and collagen proteins in collagen supplements can regenerate cells that begin to decline with age.
Specifically, the presence of the collagen compound “prolyl-hydroxyproline” can encourage skin cells to produce more hyaluronic acid, which in turn helps your skin retain moisture and protects it from toxins. So, incorporate collagen into your daily diet and get a real dose of anti-ageing protein!
Collagen for health
When is it best to take collagen for health?
Studies have shown that supplementing with collagen peptides alongside strength training or rigorous exercise can boost muscle mass.
The glycine in collagen helps form creatine, which builds muscle, relieves joint pain and promotes healthy sleep.
After a hard workout or a long hectic day at the office, you should take collagen in the evening to relax your body and wake up recharged and rejuvenated in the morning.
When should I take collagen: morning or evening?
One of the best ways to take collagen is by adding it to your morning tea or coffee. Not only will you feel energized, but consuming it this way can also hide the chalky taste of the collagen powder.
Fortunately, there are several different collagen flavors on the market. If you’re not a coffee drinker, you can add the collagen powder to a mixture of cold water and drink your daily morning dose of beauty.
On the other hand, some people claim that a collagen supplement is much more effective if taken before going to bed, as our bodies regenerate naturally at night while we sleep.
As our skin rejuvenates during sleep, the added benefit of collagen will work even better.
There are collagen products with melatonin, which are thought to naturally relax the body and mind and help us fall asleep faster. Well, you may call that a real “beauty sleep”, if you wish!
However, this can only be a theory as no studies have been done to confirm this claim. In fact, research shows that collagen supplements work just as well when taken before bed or in the morning. Ultimately, however, it depends on the purpose of consumption.
Can I consume collagen supplements on an empty stomach?
This is one of the most frequently asked questions by consumers of dietary supplements. Some people recommend taking collagen in the morning on an empty stomach for maximum absorption, while others argue that it is best taken in the evening, as this gives you enough time to process the collagen while you sleep.
Those who claim to have had the best results when taking a supplement on an empty stomach should follow this method, as stomach acid is needed to digest proteins.
For this reason, they believe that taking collagen on an empty stomach will allow your body to break down collagen even better.
However, it has not been conclusively established that taking collagen at a certain time of day, in this case on an empty stomach, produces the best kind of results.
You can take a collagen supplement at any time to get the maximum benefit out of it. It is entirely up to you to decide.
Can I take collagen after a meal?
Collagen is a protein, and some people find that taking it after a meal, such as a smoothie or even coffee, keeps them fuller for a longer period of time, preventing the temptation to eat something unhealthy later in the day. Unfortunately, how well collagen supplement can keep your stomach full depends on what you eat or drink with it.
If you mix collagen powder with cold water and drink it, you won’t feel as full as if you mix it into a smoothie.
But if you’ve eaten a big meal, you might need some help digesting it. That’s why you should look for a collagen supplement with added probiotics to boost your immune system and improve digestion.
The gelatine and amino acids in collagen can help loosen the intestinal wall and aid digestion after meals.
Can collagen supplements be added to tea?
If you are a tea or coffee lover, this is really excellent news for you. Collagen peptides can be added to both hot and cold drinks and will not destroy the collagen or dilute its benefits in any way.
Since it can be dissolved in cold and hot liquids, you can try adding it to one of your favorite drinks and see how it works.
Can I increase my consumption of collagen?
As for any supplementation, it is strongly recommended to consult your doctor first before increasing your consumption of collagen supplements alone.
Optimal dose of collagen
For the skin, you should take: 1 scoop (11 grams)
For cellulite, you should take: 1 scoop (11 grams).
For muscles, you should take: 1.5 scoops (15 grams).
For bones, you should take: 1 scoop (11 grams).
Since collagen supplements are very safe, you can comfortably consume about 1 to 3 scoops per day. But if you take a higher dose of collagen peptides, you may face uncomfortable digestive problems such as bloating or gas.
This is perfectly normal because if you eat more food than your body can process with the enzymes, you will feel bloated. If this happens, you should cut back and gradually scale up to reach your desired daily intake.
Wrapping up
Hope this post about when to to take collagen supplements will satisfy you as I have tried to incorporate all the details related to this question. Now that you are equipped with the knowledge so far as collagen intake is concerned and the time of the day you should take the supplements, you should now look for the best collagen supplements on the market for enhancing your health. You can also read this post about the best collagen supplements that you need to boost your aging skin.
