Collagen for Vegans - Do Natural Sources of Collagen Help Improve Skin Health?

Until recently I would have said that it is unlikely, but I was operating from a very uniformed base. My wife has been researching collagen for Vegans for some time now, and as a result I have come to learn quite a lot.

The matrix that supports healthy skin relies on collagen as a key component. But not just any old collagen. There are apparently upwards of 20 different types of collagen, and all play a specific role in different parts of the body.

Collagen that supports healthy skin includes collagen type 1 and collagen type 3. But where can you get these from? In most cases these types of collagen are sourced from animals. Not the best solution for anyone who disagrees with that.

Finding collagen for Vegans can be a challenge, but my wife did it. She found out that seaweed is a great source of plant based collagen

According to some other reaserch, the human body is much better equipped to process plant based collagen compared to animal based collagen. So that's an interesting angle without the potentially confrontational Vegan discussion. Purely from a health perspective, you're just better off.

Consuming collagen might not be the best way to go about improving your skin health visibly. Any collagen you consume will go through the digestion process first, and the body will allocate collagen to organs and connective tissue before the skin. This is done to support life, not looking amazing. For that, you'll need to think about a topical application.