Plant collagen: does it exist? The truth for vegans

If you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, you've surely wondered whether plant collagen exists. The short answer is no, but that doesn't mean your body can't make its own. Here we tell you the truth and what you can eat.

Does plant collagen exist?

No. Collagen is a protein that only animals make: it is in their skin, bones, tendons and, in fish, their scales. Plants don't make it or use it to support their tissues.

What is sold as "plant collagen" or "vegan collagen" is not collagen. These are formulas with nutrients the body uses to make its own: amino acids, vitamin C and others. That's why many are called "booster" and not just "collagen."

How the body makes its collagen

Your body makes its own collagen by joining amino acids, mainly glycine, proline and lysine. It gets those amino acids from the proteins you eat, whether from animal or plant sources.

To put it together it also needs vitamin C, which is needed for the normal formation of collagen. That's why, with a well-planned vegan diet, the body has what it needs to make it.

What to eat if you're vegan

• Plant protein: beans, chickpeas, lentils, soy and tofu, nuts and seeds.
• Vitamin C: acerola, guava, oranges, peppers and broccoli.

Some dish ideas that bring both together:

• Bean or chickpea salad with peppers.
• Broccoli and tofu stir-fry.
• Lentil stew with peppers.
• An acerola or guava smoothie on the side.

Animal collagen or "plant collagen"

• From animals (hydrolyzed or peptides): it brings collagen already made, broken into small pieces. It comes from beef, pork or fish.
• "Plant" or "vegan": it has no collagen; it brings ingredients for your body to make its own.

Choose according to your diet.

If you want to learn more about collagen in general: Is it good to take collagen? and Collagen: what time to take it and for how long.

Where to find it

All the collagen products we carry are in Collagen Products.

For more details, call us at 787-304-0458.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.