Do You Need to Take Vitamin C with Collagen?

If you take a collagen supplement, you may have heard that you need to take it with vitamin C. But is vitamin C actually needed for your body to absorb collagen, and do you need to take the two at the same time?

The short answer is no, vitamin C isn't required for the absorption of collagen. However, vitamin C does play an important role in the body's own production of collagen.

Here's what that means and why we've chosen to keep our Lucy Bee Collagen simple with 100% hydrolysed bovine collagen peptides.

Does vitamin C help you absorb collagen?

When you consume collagen, your body doesn't absorb it as whole collagen molecules.

During digestion, collagen peptides are broken down into smaller peptides and amino acids, which can then be absorbed through the digestive system and used by the body.

Vitamin C isn't required for this digestive or absorption process.

This means you don't need to add vitamin C to a collagen supplement in order for your body to absorb the collagen peptides it provides.

So, why is vitamin C associated with collagen?

Although vitamin C isn't needed to absorb collagen, it does play an important role in collagen formation within the body.

Vitamin C acts as a cofactor for enzymes involved in collagen synthesis. In simple terms, your body needs vitamin C as part of the process it uses to produce and maintain collagen.

This is also reflected in the health claim that:

• Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of the skin.
• Vitamin C also contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of bones, cartilage, blood vessels, gums and teeth.

So, getting enough vitamin C is important, but that doesn't mean it has to be included in your collagen supplement.

Do you need to take collagen and vitamin C at the same time?

No. You don't need to consume vitamin C at exactly the same time as your collagen supplement.

What matters is getting enough vitamin C as part of your overall diet.

For example, you could add collagen to your coffee in the morning and have vitamin C-containing foods later in the day. They don't need to be combined in the same drink or meal.

Which foods contain vitamin C?

Vitamin C is found naturally in a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, including:

• Peppers
• Kiwi fruit
• Oranges and other citrus fruits
• Strawberries
• Blackcurrants
• Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• Potatoes

Eating a balanced and varied diet containing fruit and vegetables can help you meet your vitamin C requirements.

Why doesn't Lucy Bee Collagen contain vitamin C?

We deliberately chose to keep our Collagen simple.

Each 5g serving contains 5,000mg of hydrolysed bovine collagen peptides, providing Type I and Type III collagen, without additional vitamins, flavourings or unnecessary ingredients.

There are a few reasons we haven't added vitamin C.

Firstly, vitamin C isn't required for the absorption of collagen peptides and doesn't need to be consumed at the same time as collagen.

Vitamin C can also be obtained separately through a balanced and varied diet, so it doesn't need to be incorporated into the collagen powder itself.

Vitamin C can also be sensitive to factors including heat and degrade over time. Keeping it separate helps our Collagen remain versatile, so you can easily add it to both hot and cold food and drinks.

Can I put collagen in hot coffee if vitamin C is heat sensitive?

Yes. The discussion around heat sensitivity is in regard to added vitamin C and not the collagen itself.

Our hydrolysed collagen peptides are designed to be versatile and can be mixed into hot or cold drinks, making them an easy addition to your everyday routine.

Try stirring a serving into your morning coffee, tea or hot chocolate, or add it to smoothies, yoghurt and other foods.

Is vitamin C still important when taking collagen?

Absolutely. Vitamin C is an essential nutrient with a number of functions in the body, including supporting normal collagen formation.

The important distinction is that vitamin C's role in collagen synthesis doesn't mean it is required for collagen absorption.

You therefore don't need to look for a collagen supplement containing added vitamin C or worry about consuming vitamin C at exactly the same time as your collagen. Instead, focus on getting enough vitamin C as part of a balanced and varied diet.

The takeaway

If you're taking collagen, you don't need to pair every serving with vitamin C.

Collagen peptides are digested and absorbed without vitamin C, while vitamin C plays a separate but important role in the body's own collagen formation.

That's why we've kept Lucy Bee Collagen simple using 100% hydrolysed bovine collagen peptides, providing 5,000mg of collagen per 5g serving, which can easily be incorporated into hot or cold drinks as part of your everyday routine.

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These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. If you have a medical condition, or are pregnant or breastfeeding, we recommend consulting your healthcare professional before use.