Collagen for Men: Major Benefits for Hair, Joints, Skin & Gut

By Dr. Josh Axe

Because it can help promote skin health, gut health and more, collagen often only gets talked about for women, but is it also good for men? Definitely! Of all the supplements that I take, collagen is at the top of my list.

Considering it’s the most abundant protein in the human body, benefits of collagen for men generally include helping to support exercise performance and recovery, joint comfort and mobility, overall maintenance of muscle mass, digestive health and much more.

Among both adult men and women, the body’s internal collagen production naturally starts to decline after someone reaches their 40s, and sometimes before then. While most men’s diets are lacking in collagen from food sources such as bone broth, taking a collagen supplement regularly is a great way to boost one’s intake of key amino acids and more that have far-reaching health perks.

What Is Collagen?

Collagen is a structural protein that helps to build and support healthy connective tissues throughout the body, including those that form the joints, ligaments, tendons, skin, bones, blood vessels and the lining of the gastrointestinal tracts and other organs.

As a complex protein, collagen is made up of smaller “building blocks'' called amino acids. It generally contains 19 amino acids and is an especially ample source of several that aren’t abundant in many other protein sources such as meat or fish — including glycine, proline and arginine.

These amino acids, which are found in certain collagen sources such as bone broth and also in collagen powder, are a valuable addition to your diet and supplement routine because they offer widespread benefits for healthy muscles, joints, skin, hair and more.

Benefits of Collagen for Men

Why is collagen good for men? Here are some of the many collagen benefits for men:

1. Supports joint health

Collagen helps to form joints, ligaments, tendons and cartilage, which means it greatly contributes to joint health, mobility and comfort. Consuming more collagen can help with exercise performance, recovery and general functionality, including as a man ages.

Among those who experience knee discomfort, consuming a collagen powder with specific ingredients has been shown to help reduce stiffness in as little as one week, plus it can decrease post-exercise discomfort and promote exercise recovery, which makes it easier to stay active.

2. Supports gut health, digestion and more

Collagen helps form the fascia that encases a number of organs, including the gut lining which contributes to overall health.

By supporting the overall health of the lining of the gastrointestinal tract, collagen helps to maintain gut integrity. This is critical for both proper nutrient absorption, digestive health and more.

It can even play a role in supporting a healthy immune system. How come? Because the majority of a man’s immune system is actually located inside their gut, aka the gut microbiome that plays a pivotal role in health.

3. Promotes hair health and hair growth

Having healthy hair really comes down to having healthy hair follicles — and these follicles require protein and other compounds to keep hair healthy and growing strong.

The greatest benefit of collagen for hair is that it boosts your protein intake. This may help support the hair’s structure — boosting its resilience, shine and strength.

Consuming protein and the amino acids found in collagen naturally encourages hair growth and thickness while reducing hair breakage.

4. Helps maintain healthy skin

As the most abundant protein in the body, collagen plays a central role in skin health. But as we get older, collagen production naturally starts to decline, resulting in wrinkles and sagging skin.

Collagen is one of the best supplements for supporting healthy skin, including normal aging skin. Ancient Nutrition's newly added fermented eggshell collagen ingredient in Multi Collagen Protein as well as Collagen Peptides is backed by six human clinical studies … and boasts several specific benefits for skin.

These benefits include improving the appearance of crow’s feet after four weeks and skin tone after eight weeks, and reducing collagen degradation with noticeable results in as little as three days.

Best Collagen for Men

When picking out the best collagen for men, look for a supplement that features collagen peptides, also called hydrolyzed collagen. This type of collagen powder provides smaller and easier-to-digest amino acids that the body can put to work efficiently.

Ancient Nutrition’s Multi Collagen Protein supplements feature 10 types of collagen from four food-sources: chicken, bovine, fish and eggshell membrane. The hydrolyzed, bioavailable formula also supports absorption due to the positive effects of collagen fermentation. These non-GMO formulas are sourced from only grass-fed and pasture-raised, cage-free and cruelty-free sources, and are free of added sugar, additives and fillers.

Multi Collagen Protein comes in several flavors, including pure/unflavored, vanilla, chocolate, strawberry lemonade and cucumber lime. One scoop contains just over 10 grams of collagen and you can check the label for ingredients and benefits.

Ancient Nutrition also offers a new starter collagen product: Collagen Peptides that are made from two sources, clinically studied fermented eggshell membrane collagen and bovine collagen. The unflavored formula provides 18 grams of protein per 2 scoop serving (20 grams of collagen).

How to Use Collagen in Your Diet?

Try using collagen powder by adding a serving to coffee, smoothies, soups, stews or a variety of other recipes, such as oatmeal or healthy pancakes. Because pure collagen powder is unflavored, there are loads of ways to easily add it to your regular diet, including in both sweet and savory recipes.

Collagen recipes include collagen coffee, banana nut muffins, piña colada collagen smoothie and my own go-to morning smoothie.

In addition to using a collagen supplement, you can obtain more from consuming bone broth and/or Bone Broth Protein powder supplements. These are also beneficial for men due their supply of collagen cofactors, which further support joint health, as well as certain minerals.

How much collagen should a man take?

A general dosage recommendation of collagen for men is 1 or 2 servings per day, or about 10 to 20 grams of collagen daily. Some men may want to work up to possibly taking 3 daily servings, depending on their overall diet and goals.

As always, you should consult your healthcare professional prior to starting any new dietary or lifestyle regimen, including dietary supplementation.

Collagen powder serving sizes range from 1.5 grams to 10 grams per serving, depending on the form and type of product (for example, powder versus collagen capsules). For more help with dosing, read directions for the specific product you’re using.

Overall, collagen is very well-tolerated for most men to use, since it’s a protein source that’s made without dairy, gluten, nuts and more.