You hear a lot about taking collagen powder as a supplement but what about getting collagen from the food we already eat? Collagen is a building block to healthy skin, bones, nails and hair so eating foods rich in collagen is a great way to boost your own body’s natural production. 

It’s well known in the health and beauty industry that collagen as a supplement is beneficial in a variety of ways: it helps make your nails, hair and bones stronger, and is believed to improve skin’s elasticity and brightness, giving a more youthful appearance as we age (and our natural collagen production begins to wane).

While collagen supplements are great to add to your routine, adding collagen to your diet directly by eating foods high in collagen is also advantageous. That’s because the collagen naturally contained in food is more bioavailable, meaning it’s more easily absorbed by the body.

Here are six foods that you can add to your diet that are high in collagen and will help your body boost its own collagen production.

Bone Broth

For those who like to make food from scratch, you can make your own healthy homemade bone broth by simmering animal bones in water, adding yummy spices for flavor. This can be rather time-consuming, so for those looking for a quicker option, there are concentrated bone broth powders that are ready made for you!

Leafy Greens

Leafy greens are not only a healthy staple for any balanced diet, they also help promote the production of collagen. Order up that salad or snack on some kale, swiss chard or spinach and you’ll be boosting your collagen levels, too!

Garlic

Garlic is another great healthy food that can assist in boosting collagen production and help prevent your current collagen levels from declining. You would need to eat significant amounts of garlic to see results, so try adding a garlic supplement to help boost your total intake. Good for lowering cholesterol too!

Chicken

Adding more chicken to your diet can help boost collagen production as well. Chicken contains all of the amino acids required to make collagen, most of which can be found in their bones and cartilage. 

Fish

If you’d rather not get your collagen from chicken or bone broths, collagen in fish is a great option. Fish has a high bioavailability. In addition to adding fish to your diet, try adding in a fish oil supplement, which features a high absorption rate along with other health benefits, like cardiovascular support. 

Tomatoes

For vegetarians or those with restrictive diets, it’s tomatoes to the rescue! Tomatoes contain high levels of vitamin C, which is needed for collagen production. Tomatoes are also rich in antioxidants that help prevent the breakdown of collagen in the body. So add some tomatoes to your next salad or pasta dish for that added boost!