{"id":130375,"date":"2024-06-24T03:12:00","date_gmt":"2024-06-24T03:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eu.intelligentlabs.org\/should-you-take-collagen-with-vitamin-c\/"},"modified":"2025-07-05T12:57:45","modified_gmt":"2025-07-05T12:57:45","slug":"should-you-take-collagen-with-vitamin-c","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eu.intelligentlabs.org\/en-gb\/should-you-take-collagen-with-vitamin-c\/","title":{"rendered":"Should You Take Collagen With Vitamin C?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Both <strong>collagen<\/strong> and <strong>vitamin C<\/strong> are well-known heavyweights in the health and beauty industries, with scientific research supporting many of their purported benefits. But what happens if you take both of them together? Is it even safe to do so? Let\u2019s find out in this blog post! &nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-first-let-s-define-these-two-nutrients-and-where-we-can-get-them\">First, let\u2019s define these two nutrients and where we can get them\u2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-is-collagen\"><strong>What is collagen?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Collagen is the body\u2019s most abundant structural protein. While there are about 28 different types, types I, II, and III collagen account for up to 90% of total collagen in the body. Collagen helps build and maintain our skin, hair, nails, bones, tendons, muscles, ligaments, cartilage, blood vessels, and more.<sup data-fn=\"81377467-4474-4823-a77a-233cb33c8389\" class=\"fn\"><a href=\"#81377467-4474-4823-a77a-233cb33c8389\" id=\"81377467-4474-4823-a77a-233cb33c8389-link\">1<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Food sources of collagen are limited to animal food products, such as skin, meat, tendons, and ligaments. But if you\u2019re looking to really up your collagen game, consider making <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.intelligentlabs.org\/bone-broth-collagen\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">bone broth<\/a> <\/strong>as bones are a rich source of collagen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alternatively, taking supplements such as our <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.intelligentlabs.org\/product\/collagen-peptides\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Intelligent Labs Collagen Powder<\/a><\/strong> is also a great idea. We use hydrolyzed collagen, aka collagen peptides, in our product. This is the bioactive form of collagen. It\u2019s easily absorbed and needs no further conversions in the body. &nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-is-vitamin-c\"><strong>What is vitamin C?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Vitamin C is one of the essential nutrients that we need for optimal health. Unlike collagen, which the body naturally produces, we must obtain vitamin C from either food or supplements. The body doesn&#8217;t store it, making regular intake important. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Food sources are quite plentiful. Vitamin C is found in fruits and vegetables and organ meat like the liver and kidney. Additionally, vitamin C or ascorbic acid supplements are also quite common. However, these usually have poor absorption rates, so most of what you take ends up in the toilet when you pee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-happens-if-you-take-collagen-with-vitamin-c\">What happens if you take collagen with vitamin C?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A lot, actually! And it all boils down to the fact that <strong><u>vitamin C is a co-factor in collagen formation<\/u><\/strong>. This means that without vitamin C, there\u2019s no collagen as well.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/eu.intelligentlabs.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/q1-collagen.jpg\" alt=\"collagen peptides\" class=\"39047\" style=\"width:350px\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Taking collagen with vitamin C isn\u2019t just an option but a requirement. And this becomes even more of a MUST the older you get. Why? Because the body\u2019s collagen production starts declining once we hit our 20s. This explains the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles around this age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the years go by, the signs of aging become even more pronounced; these are also correlated to low collagen levels. Joint pain starts becoming a regular occurrence. While collagen supplements aren\u2019t exactly marketed for their joint health benefits, they do make quite an impact. In fact, several studies do support <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.intelligentlabs.org\/glucosamine-vs-collagen-for-joint-health\/#Joint_health_supplement_option_2_COLLAGEN\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">collagen\u2019s positive effects on joint health<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fortunately, taking a high-quality collagen supplement together with vitamin C can help slow down the ticking hands of time. Unfortunately, there\u2019s no way to stop time, but it\u2019s certainly possible to look younger than your age! But here\u2019s the trick: you must know <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.intelligentlabs.org\/when-to-take-collagen-powder\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">when to take collagen powder<\/a><\/strong> (hint: the earlier, the better).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-benefits-of-taking-collagen-with-vitamin-c\">The benefits of taking collagen with vitamin C<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019ve discussed many of the associated health benefits of taking collagen in our <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.intelligentlabs.org\/benefits-collagen-supplements\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ultimate Guide to Collagen<\/a><\/strong>. But the table below should give you a fair idea of what may happen if you take collagen with vitamin C:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table aligncenter is-style-regular has-small-font-size\"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Body part<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>How collagen + vitamin C can help<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Skin<\/td><td>Reduces wrinkles, less skin dryness, stronger and more radiant skin<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.intelligentlabs.org\/what-does-collagen-do-for-hair\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Hair<\/a><\/strong><\/td><td>Promotes hair growth, healthier follicles, prevents thinning, slows down graying<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Nails<\/td><td>Improves nail thickness and prevents brittleness, boosts nail growth<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Eyes<\/td><td>Improves eyesight, helps eyes stay young, prevents ocular diseases<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Bones<\/td><td>Reverses bone loss, increases bone density, strong bones and joints, more flexibility<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Teeth and gums<\/td><td>Strengthens teeth enamel, prevents cavity and decay, heals mouth ulcers, prevents tooth loss<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Internal organs<\/td><td><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.intelligentlabs.org\/collagen-for-gut-health\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Improves gut health<\/a><\/strong>, heart health, protects against brain disease<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Muscles<\/td><td>Faster recovery after exercise, reduces sports injuries, boosts muscle mass<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Appearance<\/td><td>Look younger than your age, be healthier, feel more confidently beautiful!<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-is-it-safe-to-combine-both-collagen-and-vitamin-c\">Is it safe to combine both collagen and vitamin C?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Short answer, yes. Both products are safe to take individually or together. For collagen, a daily dose of up to 15g is considered safe.<sup data-fn=\"0455aee8-9e38-4cd3-b49d-71f5fa0b17b1\" class=\"fn\"><a href=\"#0455aee8-9e38-4cd3-b49d-71f5fa0b17b1\" id=\"0455aee8-9e38-4cd3-b49d-71f5fa0b17b1-link\">2<\/a><\/sup> For vitamin C, there is an established tolerable upper limit of 2000mg per day.<sup data-fn=\"0afd14a9-0f1e-479b-9ec4-02527f94ed29\" class=\"fn\"><a href=\"#0afd14a9-0f1e-479b-9ec4-02527f94ed29\" id=\"0afd14a9-0f1e-479b-9ec4-02527f94ed29-link\">3<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A 2018 review of 10 studies also supported the safety of these supplements. Researchers studied the effects of vitamin C on collagen synthesis after an injury. They found no adverse effects on animal and human subjects.<sup data-fn=\"38e48fab-d432-4a23-9d7a-fe4e7bb67a54\" class=\"fn\"><a href=\"#38e48fab-d432-4a23-9d7a-fe4e7bb67a54\" id=\"38e48fab-d432-4a23-9d7a-fe4e7bb67a54-link\">4<\/a><\/sup> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-much-collagen-and-vitamin-c-to-take-for-best-results\">How much collagen and vitamin C to take for best results?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We would recommend following the serving size printed on the product label:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For our <strong>Collagen Peptides<\/strong>, a single scoop contains <strong>11g<\/strong> of both types I and III collagen. You may take one scoop daily. Or, for best results, you may opt to take it twice daily. For <strong>Liposomal Vitamin C<\/strong>, follow the label recommendations.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s a graphic showing <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.intelligentlabs.org\/how-much-collagen-to-take\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">how much collagen to take<\/a><\/strong> to enjoy specific health benefits:<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1346\" src=\"https:\/\/eu.intelligentlabs.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/how-much-collagen-to-take-for-best-results-01.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-136747\" style=\"width:600px;height:673px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/eu.intelligentlabs.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/how-much-collagen-to-take-for-best-results-01.webp 1200w, https:\/\/eu.intelligentlabs.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/how-much-collagen-to-take-for-best-results-01-267x300.webp 267w, https:\/\/eu.intelligentlabs.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/how-much-collagen-to-take-for-best-results-01-913x1024.webp 913w, https:\/\/eu.intelligentlabs.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/how-much-collagen-to-take-for-best-results-01-768x861.webp 768w, https:\/\/eu.intelligentlabs.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/how-much-collagen-to-take-for-best-results-01-600x673.webp 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-conclusion\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Taking collagen with vitamin C is a must to help raise your body\u2019s collagen levels. Both supplements help with skincare and enhance physical appearance. But their impact on overall health is more than just skin-deep. For best results, use the bioavailable forms of these two products.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><strong>References:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-footnotes has-small-font-size\"><li id=\"81377467-4474-4823-a77a-233cb33c8389\">Shoulders MD, Raines RT. Collagen structure and stability.\u00a0<em>Annu Rev Biochem<\/em>. 2009;78:929-958. <a href=\"#81377467-4474-4823-a77a-233cb33c8389-link\" aria-label=\"Jump to footnote reference 1\">\u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li><li id=\"0455aee8-9e38-4cd3-b49d-71f5fa0b17b1\">Significant Amounts of Functional Collagen Peptides Can Be Incorporated in the Diet While Maintaining Indispensable Amino Acid Balance, Cristiana Paul, Suzane Leser and Steffen Oesser, <em>Nutrients<\/em>\u00a02019,\u00a0<em>11<\/em>(5), 1079 <a href=\"#0455aee8-9e38-4cd3-b49d-71f5fa0b17b1-link\" aria-label=\"Jump to footnote reference 2\">\u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li><li id=\"0afd14a9-0f1e-479b-9ec4-02527f94ed29\">Vitamin C Fact Sheet for Health Professionals, taken from National Institutes of Health: https:\/\/ods.od.nih.gov\/factsheets\/VitaminC-HealthProfessional\/ <a href=\"#0afd14a9-0f1e-479b-9ec4-02527f94ed29-link\" aria-label=\"Jump to footnote reference 3\">\u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li><li id=\"38e48fab-d432-4a23-9d7a-fe4e7bb67a54\">DePhillipo, Nicholas N., et al. \u201cEfficacy of Vitamin c Supplementation on Collagen Synthesis and Oxidative Stress after Musculoskeletal Injuries: A Systematic Review.\u201d\u00a0<em>Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine<\/em>, vol. 6, no. 10, Oct. 2018, p. 232596711880454, https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/2325967118804544. <a href=\"#38e48fab-d432-4a23-9d7a-fe4e7bb67a54-link\" aria-label=\"Jump to footnote reference 4\">\u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li><\/ol>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Both collagen and vitamin C are well-known heavyweights in the health and beauty industries, with scientific research supporting many of their purported benefits. But what happens if you take both of them together? Is it even safe to do so? Let\u2019s find out in this blog post! &nbsp;&nbsp; First, let\u2019s define these two nutrients and&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":130377,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":"[{\"content\":\"Shoulders MD, Raines RT. Collagen structure and stability.\u00a0<em>Annu Rev Biochem<\/em>. 2009;78:929-958.\",\"id\":\"81377467-4474-4823-a77a-233cb33c8389\"},{\"content\":\"Significant Amounts of Functional Collagen Peptides Can Be Incorporated in the Diet While Maintaining Indispensable Amino Acid Balance, Cristiana Paul, Suzane Leser and Steffen Oesser, <em>Nutrients<\/em>\u00a02019,\u00a0<em>11<\/em>(5), 1079\",\"id\":\"0455aee8-9e38-4cd3-b49d-71f5fa0b17b1\"},{\"content\":\"Vitamin C Fact Sheet for Health Professionals, taken from National Institutes of Health: https:\/\/ods.od.nih.gov\/factsheets\/VitaminC-HealthProfessional\/\",\"id\":\"0afd14a9-0f1e-479b-9ec4-02527f94ed29\"},{\"content\":\"DePhillipo, Nicholas N., et al. \u201cEfficacy of Vitamin c Supplementation on Collagen Synthesis and Oxidative Stress after Musculoskeletal Injuries: A Systematic Review.\u201d\u00a0<em>Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine<\/em>, vol. 6, no. 10, Oct. 2018, p. 232596711880454, https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/2325967118804544.\",\"id\":\"38e48fab-d432-4a23-9d7a-fe4e7bb67a54\"}]"},"categories":[721],"tags":[693],"coauthors":[1021],"class_list":["post-130375","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rebuild","tag-collagen"],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":721,"label":"Rebuild"}],"post_tag":[{"value":693,"label":"Collagen"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/eu.intelligentlabs.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/should-you-take-collagen-with-vitamin-c-01-1-1024x512.png",1024,512,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"Angie Arriesgado","author_link":"https:\/\/eu.intelligentlabs.org\/en-gb\/author\/angie\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":721,"name":"Rebuild","slug":"rebuild","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":721,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":10,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":721,"category_count":10,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Rebuild","category_nicename":"rebuild","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":[{"term_id":693,"name":"Collagen","slug":"collagen","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":693,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":15,"filter":"raw"}],"wpml":{"language":"en-gb","is_original":true,"original_post_id":130375,"translations":{"en-gb":{"id":130375,"language":"en-gb","is_original":true}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/eu.intelligentlabs.org\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130375","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/eu.intelligentlabs.org\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/eu.intelligentlabs.org\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eu.intelligentlabs.org\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eu.intelligentlabs.org\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=130375"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/eu.intelligentlabs.org\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130375\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":144476,"href":"https:\/\/eu.intelligentlabs.org\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130375\/revisions\/144476"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eu.intelligentlabs.org\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/130377"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/eu.intelligentlabs.org\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=130375"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eu.intelligentlabs.org\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=130375"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eu.intelligentlabs.org\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=130375"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eu.intelligentlabs.org\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=130375"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}