Collagen and gelatin have been hailed as superfoods that can bring you a health benefit, but is this true? Which brands are the best sources of collagen & gelatin? You’ve trusted Mamavation to bring you topics like the safest cookware, best organic mattresses, and best probiotics, now join us as we cover collagen & gelatin, its benefits, some things to watch out for, and our favorite brands.
Disclosure: This post was fact-checked by Rebecca Elizabeth Sherrick Harks, RN/BSN. This post also contains affiliate links and we receive a small commission on your purchases.
Table of Contents
Collagen: The Largest & Most Abundant Protein in the Human Body
Whether you are adding it to smoothies, your coffee, other beverages, or your cereal, collagen is the largest and most abundant protein in your body that provides a structure for your bones, muscles, skin and other types of connective tissues. The easiest analogy for collagen is that it is a “glue” that holds your whole body together.
In fact, 75% of our skin (the biggest organ in our bodies) is made up of collagen; 90% of our bone mass is comprised of collagen, our joint cartilage is 70% collagen, and our tendons are a whopping 85% collagen. When you have ample collagen, your skin, bones, connective tissues, cartilage, joints, and gut barrier all rely on collagen to be strong, flexible, and healthy.
While often confused or used interchangeably, collagen peptides and gelatin differ in the ways that they behave in food, but their health benefits are nearly the same – gelatin is cooked collagen. It’s the cooking that provides the different textures between the two. It’s also naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and non-GMO (if sourced from grass-fed bovine that was not fed genetically modified grains).
As we age, natural collagen production slows down, and eventually, the collagen begins to deplete itself. Other ways we inadvertently impact our body’s collagen stores include our genetics, exposure to smoke, excessive exposure to pollution and the sun, as well as unexpected nutritional deficiencies.
What Are The Differences Between Gelatin & Collagen?
When it comes to collagen vs gelatin, a great many of us are confused: what’s the difference between collagen and gelatin? Gelatin and collagen peptides are created from the collagen protein molecule that is found in humans and animals alike; both collagen and gelatin have very similar nutritional properties.
The difference between collagen and gelatin is fairly small and it results in the way these two are processed, which leads them each to have different applications in each’s nutritional applications and in the culinary world. Collagen peptides have weaker molecular structures which allow them to quite easily dissolve into any type of liquids: hot or cold. Gelatin, however, has a stronger molecular makeup and requires heat to dissolve and as we know from delicious treats like Jell-O when it cools down, gelatin gelatinizes.
Gelatin is a clear, tasteless protein used to thicken food made from bones, connective tissue, and skin of mostly pigs & cattle. If you’ve ever had Jello, you’ve enjoyed it as a gelatin dessert. Gelatin is also found in personal care products, cosmetics, supplement capsules, candy, and bone broth.
Different Types of Collagen
As of this writing, there exist at least 16 types of collagen, each with a semi-different purpose, though the main types are I, II, III, and IV. Let’s explore the ways these types of collagen are used in our body:
- Collagen Type I is the most abundant form of collagen in our bodies as it amounts to about 90% of your body’s collagen. Type I Collagen is full of densely packed fibers that provides structure to the teeth, skin, bones, tendons, connective tissue, and even fibrous cartilage,
- Collagen Type II is comprised of more loosely packed fibers that are found in elastic cartilage, which cushions our joints when we move.
- Collagen Type III supports some of the most important parts of our bodies the structure of our veins and arteries, the structure of our organs, as well as the structure of our muscles.
- Collagen Type IV is found in the layers of our skin and works to filter toxins out of our bodies.
Gelatin and collagen are proteins, but not complete one because it only contains 9 of the 10 essential amino acids. It does not contain the essential amino acid tryptophan. Pure gelatin has no carbohydrates or fats and one ounce is approximately 23 calories and 6 grams of protein.
Amino Acids That Provide Health Benefits of Gelatin & Collagen
Gelatin has a great many health benefits because it provides the body with more amino acids. So what are amino acids? Amino acids are organic compounds that have been broken down into amino acids, which combine to form protein – the building blocks of life.
The most abundant types of amino acids found in gelatin include:
Glycine: 27%
Gelatin is the richest food source of glycine. Your body can make glycine, but it never makes enough, so it’s important to get it through diet.
Glycine is extremely important as it may be used to treat schizophrenia, stroke victims, people who suffer sleep problems, people who have cystic fibrosis, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), metabolic syndromes, and some rare inherited metabolic disorders. Glycine also protects kidneys from the side effects of certain immunosuppressant drugs used after an organ transplant. Additionally, glycine protects our liver from the harmful effects of alcohol.
Glycine strengthens the gut lining and lowers inflammation by balancing digestive enzymes and stomach acid and is therefore used by doctors to improve joint, cardiovascular, cognitive, digestive, and skin health.
Proline: 16%
Proline is an amino acid that helps our bodies function properly using two primary ways: First, proline creates collagen. thus a diminished amount of proline can cause tears in the soft tissues and can account for poor would healing. Secondly, proline helps the arteries in the body stretch and relax in people who have atherosclerosis, which maintains a proper circulatory system.
Hydroxyproline: 14%
Hydroxyproline is a major component of fibrillar, protein collagen of all types and help the collagen fortify and strengthen itself. It also requires ample amounts of vitamin C to be effective.
Glutamic acid: 11%
Glutamic acid – turns into glutamate in the body – is an amino acid that is used to form proteins. Glutamate is a highly important chemical that’s responsible, in part, to help properly deliver neurotransmitters around the body. Currently glutamic acid is being studied to determine its role in memory and learning.
Alanine: 11%
Alanine is an amino acid that’s found in the collagen of animals. It is most often used for constructing protein and is also used in the metabolism. In our bodies, alanine is important as a source for energy for both muscles and your central nervous system. It also helps us metabolize organic acids and sugars and is showing promise (in animal studies) for reducing cholesterol.
Health Benefits Of Collagen And Gelatin – What’s Real? What’s Probably Bogus?
The Nutrition Business Journal expects that in the United States, people are expected to spend over $120 million on collagen products – an increase from 30% from 2017. With new benefits being touted every day, it’s no surprise that collagen and gelatin are squarely in the public eye.
In 2018, a small, growing pile of evidence suggested that collagen and gelatin were able to smooth skins, ease the pains of arthritis, increase wound healing, as well as to decrease muscle wasting in certain vulnerable populations. How likely is all that? Well, it’s promising, however, when it comes to things like “liver detox” or reducing cancer cells, more studies are needed to make that leap. Please be careful of anyone telling you collagen is a cure for anything. But here are some benefits without us giving you medical advice:
- Bone & joint health: Taking collagen & vitamin C together can help with bone health & density, joint pain, and osteoarthritis.
- Weight loss: Can help you feel fuller so you eat less.
- Improve blood sugar with people who have Type II Diabetes: Taking 3 to 5 grams of gelatin a day may help lower your HbA1C levels.
- Improves sleep: Glycine inside collagen and gelatin boost serotonin levels without increasing dopamine levels which helps maintain healthy circadian rhythms leading to better sleep.
- Improves mood & brain functions: Glycine inside collagen and gelatin has been reported to improve mood, depression, and help with psychotic symptoms, like Schizophrenia.
- Improve heart health: Collagen is extremely important when it comes to providing structure and shape for your arteries. It also can increase good cholesterol.
- Skin & Hair Health: Scientists found it increases the growth of new cells, which may lead to better skin elasticity, fewer wrinkles, and better skin hydration, but research only backs eating it. There hasn’t been enough research to say that collagen skin products work at all, however, when taken as a supplement, it works. It’s also used to strengthen your nails.
- Improves Gut Health: Glycine is the master at regulating inflammation in your stomach, small intestine and GI tract as it is an anti-inflammatory agent, can modulate the gut flora and protect against pathogens, and protects your gut from freezing. It also helps fortify the gut lining.
Impurities in Gelatin & Collagen to Look Out For
Collagen and gelatin are highly processed foods, but that’s not necessarily bad. But as you can see from the image above, there’s a lot going on before you purchase it. And in all that processing, lots can go wrong. Were going to spend some time on the process by which collagen is produced and how that can affect quality.
Collagen Has To Be Processed To Become Bioavailable
What these brands aren’t telling you is between 50-60% of the collagen we consume is unlikely to be absorbed by our body because it’s too large and heavy, so it has to be processed heavily in a facility to make it bioavailable.
Processing collagen is like having a long hose with a hole punched in it. Most of the material would pass through the hose, but some would escape. The same goes with our intestines–some of the collagen gets pushed out to our bloodstream. To prevent this from happening, brands attempt to make it more absorbable by coating it with enzymes and other things to break it down so our body can digest it easier.
This process creates a product called Hydrolyzed Collagen. This simply means they use natural enzymes to break down the secondary and tertiary bonds in the collagen and thus creating hydrolyzed collagen peptides that are then up to 90% bio-available.
Mad Cows Disease Prompted New Rules By FDA Before Collagen Craze
The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in 2016 banned the use of some cow parts used in dietary supplements to address the (potential) risk for the presence of BSE. They banned materials from the cow including:
- Specified risk materials: brain, skull, eyes, nervous system, vertebral column (excluding a few parts), and dorsal root ganglia (DRG) of cattle 30 months of age and older
- The small intestine from all cattle unless the distal ileum has been properly removed, tonsils of the cow
- Any material from non-mobile, sick, disabled cattle
- Material from cattle not inspected and passed, or mechanically separated
Finally, the rule provides a definition of gelatin and clarifies that gelatin is not considered a prohibited cattle material if it is manufactured using the customary industry processes specified. Gelatin was never considered a prohibited cattle material, but FDA had never specifically defined gelatin before this ruling. There is no rule on vegan collagen.
Heavy Metals in Collagen & Gelatin
When it comes to the presence of heavy metals, the collagen industry is guilty as charged. Most collagen brands we came across had above 0.5 ug/day of lead, which is the public health goal created by the State of California Prop. 65 after reviewing the science on lead contamination and children.
CA Proposition 65 requires businesses to provide warnings to consumers living in California about significant exposures to a list of chemicals that cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm. This toxic enforcement act helps us recognize toxic chemicals. These chemicals can be in the products we purchase, in our homes or workplaces, or released into the environment. By requiring this information be provided, it enables consumers in California to make informed decisions about their exposures to these chemicals at their safe harbor levels.
In the 60s, California asked its citizens if they wanted toxins in their food and they said no, so they created a “right to know” process where companies have to put a warning sign on their food if it’s above a certain threshold of lead. Companies not in compliance with the law can be sued by any consumer or consumer group. This provides a way for California to protect The language of the warning tells you how much lead is in the product.
- Level 1 Warning: Between 0.5 ug/day and 15 ug/day of lead. Says “WARNING: This product can expose you to a chemical known to the State of California to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm.”
- Level 2 Warning: Over 15 ug/day of lead. Says “WARNING: This product can expose you to a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm.”
When it comes to lead, it’s important to understand that California has the highest standards out there when it comes to lead–even more than the third-party industry certifications themselves.
- NSF/ANSI 173 (industry certification) allows for 20 ug/day of lead
- Canada Natural Health Products Directorate allows for 20 ug/day of lead
What Does Grassfed Mean? ????♀️ Whatever They Want.
In 2016, the USDA stopped regulating the term “grass-fed.” And because there is no testing to determine grass-fed, the consumers just have to take their word for it unless they see a grass-fed certification.
The USDA created the grass-fed standard in 2006 after a lengthy public process that lasted for several years. The regulatory arm of the USDA was not very thorough with their process, however. They required no audit or other verification other than a producer-signed affidavit, and thus the term was often misused and abused. So basically, it wasn’t a very good standard, to begin with. Going forward as the standards have been dropped it gets even worse. Producers now get to define their own grass-fed claims and standards. The USDA will continue to approve grass-fed labeling claims, however, these claims will be created by simply answering a question about what grass-fed means to them. Long story short, the term “grass-fed” may not be what you would consider grass-fed.
Unless your canister of collagen has a grass-fed certification like American Grassfed Association, you can’t be sure it’s 100% grass-fed. Here are some AGA-certified ranches, we recommend that sell everything but collagen.
- Rain Crow Ranch
- Crystal River Meats
- La Quercia Cured Meats
- Gunthorp Farms
- White Oak Pastures
No 100% Grassfed Collagen From the United States. It’s Mostly Brazil, Australia, New Zealand & China.
Most of the “grass-fed” collagen we came across was from Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, or China and had no certifications. We didn’t find any brand with certified grass-fed collagen from the United States.
But we did discover ranchers from the American Grassfed Association starting to organize to sell their bovine hides for special grass-fed collagen. If American Grassfed hides have less heavy metal contamination than what has been found in Brazil & China, this will be great for the consumer. Right now AGA ranchers are sold to conventional collagen producers with the rest of the conventionally raised cattle.
We didn’t find any brands doing bison collagen and feel this would be a great way to support more bison on the American grasslands. Some bison hides are sold for collagen while others are paid to be disposed of. The American grasslands are important carbon (CO2) sinks, but they need their natural gardeners–the Bison, to capture carbon. An increase in the demand for bison collagen could result in more bison in the grasslands. Can someone make this happen, please?
Not All Collagens Are Processed The Same–Differences in Absorption
Depending on how long the collagen sits in enzymes will determine how absorbable the collagen actually is. This is also referred to as bioavailability. Some companies like to shorten that time so they can produce more collagen, however that collagen results in less bioavailability of collagen.
There’s a trick to assessing collagen to figure out if it’s processed correctly. 90 percent of the product should be protein without any carbohydrates or fat to be considered high-quality pure collagen.
For every 10 grams serving size of collagen, you should have at least 9 grams of protein. Good collagen is at least 90% bioavailable.
As long as you are seeing that ratio in pure collagen, it should be a higher quality product.
How to Choose a Good Collagen Brand
- Sourcing: Search for companies that get their bones and tissues from grass-fed, pastured, cage-free, free-range, and antibiotic-free sources.
- Junk: Avoid mixtures that combine collagen with probiotics, fiber, or other additives, which could interact with the collagen, change its efficacy or add more heavy metal contamination.
- Heavy Metals: Avoid brands with the highest Prop. 65 warning language “WARNING: This product can expose you to a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm.” (We think the lower one is fine)
- Quality: When you have 10 grams of collagen, make sure at least 9 grams is protein and no fat or carbohydrates.
Top-Selling Collagen Peptide Products Test Positive for Heavy Metals
The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) and Clean Label Project (CLP) released a report revealing some of the most popular collagen peptide products contain measurable amounts of heavy metals. Animals in factory farms are exposed to heavy metals via animal feed grown with pesticides and fertilizers and water contamination. Thus, the ingredients they are exposed to are transferred to the collagen and raise the levels of heavy metals.
Using Environmental Protection Agency Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (EPA 6020A, 3015) at 8 parts per billion, they discovered the following from 28 brands that were evaluated:
- 64% tested positive for measurable levels of arsenic
- 37% tested positive for measurable levels of lead
- 34% tested positive for trace levels of mercury
- 17% tested positive for measurable levels of cadmium
We made sure to include the results from this report in our overall findings below on collagen protein powders & best collagen supplements, but note that Ancient Nutrition, Bulletproof, Orgain & Preferred Elements had levels of lead above what the State of California recommends as safe. Ancient Nutrition, Correxiko, Orgain, Organixx, Reserveage Nutrition, & Vital Proteins had trace amounts of mercury. Bulletproof tested high for Cadmium.
Mamavation’s Investigation of Collagen & Gelatin Brands
Our editorial team at Mamavation investigated over 40 different collagen and gelatin brands for quality. (We did not look at fish collagen because we are saving that for our upcoming seafood investigation.) Instead, we looked closely at whether the animals were pasture or grass-fed or were given antibiotics. Additionally, we looked closely at levels of lead contamination and contacted some customer service platforms to get information that they would normally give customers directly. We were a bit concerned by the degree to which some of these brands went to evade questions about the amount of lead in their products. California guidelines on heavy metals are very clear, however, some brands are not forthcoming with their Prop. 65 status. And finally, we looked into processing as best we could.
We are showing you our top recommended brand first at the beginning and the end so it’s not lost at the bottom.
MOST RECOMMENDED BRAND: Perfect Supplement’s Hydrolyzed Collagen
- We independently tested this brand for phthaltes at very low levels and it passed!
- We independently tested this brand for indications of PFAS “forever chemicals” and it passed!
- No Prop. 65 warning required. We checked their current labs.
- Only bovine collagen brand to have “Glyphosate Residue-Free” Certification from The Detox Project
- Pasture raised cows & Grassfed certified
- 97% bioavailable
- Disolves in hot or cold liquids
- The only brand that offered all laboratory data openly
Perfect Supplements offers Mamavation Readers a Special Discount. Click here to redeem 10% off Hydrolyzed Collagen and Free Shipping on orders over $99. Use “Mamavation” at checkout. Perfect Supplements also has Type II Collagen, which is also certified “glyphosate residue-free” here.
Bad Brands of Collagen & Gelatin
These brands could be using animal sourcing from a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO), where animals are in cramped conditions. This makes them more likely to get sick, which later increases the need for more antibiotics. These cramped situations are also known as “factory farms” when discussed. Experts say that the increase of antibiotic use in animals is linked to a rise in antibiotic-resistant bacteria which is infecting millions of Americans every year. Brands that did not respond to our inquiries on social media about lead levels also went here.
- Ancient Nutrition Multi-Collagen Peptides: tested for trace levels of mercury
- Beachbody Collagen Peptides
- BioSil Advanced Collagen Generator
- Bulletproof Collagen Protein Chocolate: Has levels of lead and cadmium above what the State of California says is safe.
- Correxiko Marine Collagen, Unflavored: has tested for trace amounts of mercury
- Isopure Unflavored Collagen Peptides
- Orgain Grassfed Pasture Raised Collagen Peptides: This brand tested for lead amounts above what the State of California says is safe. And also had trace amounts of mercury via labs mentioned.
- Organixx Collagen: This brand tested for trace amounts of mercury via labs
- Picnik Collagen Creamer
- Perfect Keto Collagen Peptides
- Modere Collagen Peptides
- Reserveage Nutrition Collagen Replenish Powder: Tested for trace amounts of mercury
- Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides: This brand tested for trace amounts of mercury. After analyzing the California Attorney General’s office we noticed that Vital Proteins has numerous 60-day notices from consumer & consumer groups to the Attorney General. These notices are a precursor to a lawsuit.
- Vital Proteins Beef Gelatin Powder
- Youtheory Collagen Advanced Formula Tablets: has between 0.5 ug/day and 15 ug/day of lead per their prop. 65 warning (lower lead warning)
Better Brands of Collagen & Gelatin
These brands are paying more attention to animal welfare and avoiding the need to give them antibiotics by utilizing grassfed and pastured animals. They have improved conditions so antibiotics are not needed. However, they do have lead in amounts above the public health goal in California of 0.5 ug/day. Any brand that has above 0.5 ug/day would need a Prop.65 Warning. More on Prop.65 warnings on supplements here. Some brands tested very clean but were not grassfed. We linked up brands that were very clean via testing but didn’t get the highest mark.
- BioTrust Nutrition Ageless Multi-Collagen Protein: Played coy when it came to transparency. Sent me a long response and another and another. But after several attempts to evade my question, they finally admitted to having a Prop. 65 warning label warning you of reproductive toxins and carcinogens. That means they have over 15 ug/day of lead in their products.
- BUBS Naturals Pasture-Raised Grassfed Collagen Peptides
- Bulletproof Collagen Protein Unflavored: Has between 0.5 ug/day and 15 ug/day of lead per their prop. 65 warning. (lower level of lead) (Chocolate variety tested for high levels of cadmium)
- Organika Unflavored Collagen Peptides: Does not sell in California so we can’t assess their lead levels. They won’t share labs with us either so we put them here.
- Puori CP1 Pure Collagen Peptides: Does not claim to be grassfed, but tested very clean!
- Garden of Life Unflavored Collagen Peptides with Probiotics: Says they do not need a prop. 65 warning sign, however their parent company, Nestle, had a Prop. 65 violation in 2017. We put them here because of added “junk” in their formulation because we could not find a simple collagen product.
- MAV Nutrition Collagen Peptides & Probiotics: didn’t make top spot because it contains more than just collagen, however, it tested very clean!
- SkinnyFit Super Youth Multi Collagen with Peptides: does not claim to be grassfed but tested very clean!
- Sports Research Collagen Peptides: does not claim to be grassfed but tested very clean!
Best Brands of Collagen & Gelatin
These brands are made from grass-fed animals on pasture and raised without the use of antibiotics. They also have below 0.5 ug/day of lead and require no Prop. 65 Warning for California. We have some extensive notes to read with some specific companies down here as well to pay attention to. We linked up the brands we had verified by seeing labs. Make sure to ask your doctor if taking collagen is right for you and do not replace this with your medications unless otherwise instructed by your doctor. Mamavation also prefers pure collagen to a blend that may incorporate soy. Use only as directed and do not take more of a dose than recommended.
- Perfect Supplements Collagen Peptides: tested very clean! We also independently tested this brand for low levels of phthalates and it passed! We also tested this brand for indications of PFAS “forever chemicals” and it passed too! It also has “Glyphosate Residue Free” Certification from the Detox Project making this our favorite! (Use “Mamavation” at checkout for 10% off your order of $99 or more.)
- Code Age Multi Collagen Peptides, Unflavored: tested under levels for Prop. 65
- Designs for Health Unflavored Collagen Peptides
- Dr. Amy Meyers Unflavored Collagen Peptides
- Dr. Amy Meyers Gelatin
- Further Foods Unflavored Collagen Peptides: tested under levels for Prop. 65
- Great Lakes Gelatin CompanyUnflavored Collagen Peptides: tested under levels for Prop. 65
- Great Lakes Gelatin Company Gelatin
- Native Path Grass-Fed Collagen Peptides
- Neocell Unflavored Collagen Protein Peptides: tested under levels for Prop. 65
- NuNaturals Unflavored Collagen Peptides
- NuNaturals Unflavored Gelatin
- Perfotek Hydrolized Collagen + Peptides, Unflavored
- Primal Kitchen Unflavored Collagen Peptides: chocolate version tested very clean! Because chocolate versions usually have higher levels of lead & cadmium and this one didn’t, we are passing the unflavored as well.
- ProCaps Laboratories Andrew Lessman Collagen Powder
- Root Vitality Collagen Powder, Unflavored
- Thrive Market Collagen Peptides: has the Prop. 65 warning on their site. When I asked them about it, they said this product was under 0.5 ug/day but they put that warning on everything to be compliant. ????♀️
- Zammex Hydrolized Collagen Peptides, Pure Unflavored: tested very clean!
- Zint Collagen: tested very clean!
RECOMMENDED BRAND: Perfect Supplement’s Hydrolyzed Collagen.
- No Prop. 65 warning required. We checked their current labs.
- Only collagen brand to have “Glyphosate Residue-Free” Certification from The Detox Project
- Cows on pastures & Grassfed certified
- The only brand that offered all laboratory data openly
Perfect Supplements offers Mamavation Readers a Special Discount. Click here to redeem 10% off Hydrolyzed Collagen and Free Shipping on orders over $99. Use “Mamavation” at checkout.
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What do you think of trade marked collagen? Peptan® produced by Rousselot, the HEALTH brand of Darling Ingredients.
Great information! I am using Organixx Clean Sourced Collagen, will you review it at some point. (www.Organixx.com).
Also, your articles go on forever, I love how thorough you are but could you consolidate your findings into an easy to read chart at the end.
Thanks for all you are doing to help us stay healthy ????
BioSil Advanced Collagen Generator contains no collagen. It causes the body to generate collagen. It contains stabilized silicon and choline. Silicon is the rate-limiting mineral that the body needs to produce collagen. If the body doesn’t have enough silicon, it limits the rate at which collagen can be produced.
I suggest you remove this item from your article. The product comes with an insert that explains it, along with citations of studies performed by the company.
Thank you for the information. I have been using Great Lakes. I’m curious about Codeage Multi Collagen Peptides + Probiotics Black Edition, Vitamin C, Hyaluronic Acid Powder Supplement, Grass-Fed, Pasture-Raised, Hydrolyzed, Zero Carbs, Type I, II, III, V & X, Unflavored if it is safe to take it daily?
Can you test Rootganic Total Fem Collagen next time: thanks for all your hard work.
I absolutely love Ancient Nutrition Multi Collagen Protein. My husband and I have been using it for quite a few years now and believe it is the best. It is the only collagen protein that has 10 types of collagen in it. You have to do your research and not just take someone elses findings. They also use rgenerative farming practices which are even better than organic. Grass fed and pasture raised.
I thought this as well until I did extensive research. Regenerative farming doesn’t mean its better than organic grass fed pasture raised, it just means they take the additional step of caring for the soil making it sure it is not contaminated etc. It also doesn’t matter if it has 10 types of collagen since the majority of our body is comprised of type 1 and 3 collagen. Also, the multi collagen from ancient nutrition was found to have higher arsenic levels of 1.56 mcg compared to 0.12mcg of perfect hydrolyzed collagen. Not only does perfect collage have lower arsenic levels they are also the only collagen on the market to be certified as glyphosate free which ancient nutrition is not.
I buy the Thrive Market collagen and I don’t see the Prop 65 warning anywhere…? I assume since this is an old article that has been updated.
Very helpful article! I know its a few years old, but curious if you’ve looked at Horbaach’s products?
Do the plastic containers (which excludes Great Lakes) leech PFAS into the powders?
I’ve seen others online express concern about certain types of plastic containers.
Primal Kitchen may change now that this company is owned by Heinz.
Can you test Tranont Collagen?
Have you tested Genepro or N by Nutrilite? I would be very interested.
Would love to know about Gorilla Mind Collagen. Great flavor and 3 types of collagen, but want to know about purity.
Awesome post
Have you tested the THORNE brand collegean?
I’d love to hear your thoughts on safety.
Excellent post
Awesome post
Dr Mercola recently had a post about Collagen Protein. Dr. Anthony Samsel commented that there is glyphosate in all collagen protein powders. His colleague Dr. Stephanie Seneff agrees. They are both considered experts on the dangers of glyphosate in general https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24678255/
Do they recommend staying away from collagen all together? I’m curious about broth for soup as well?
What about Modere?
Have you tested Isagenix collagen elixer?
I checked your collagen list and before I received my next order of Multi Collagen, I called AncientNutrition.com. They also test their products and then again before each lot and they always come out clean. So maybe there are different testing companies who come out with different scoring. I’m not saying either you or AncientNutrition.com are incorrect, I’m just saying there must be different tests.
I bought AncientNutrition’s product and was allergic to it. Always look at a THIRD PARTY’s analysis on a product. Else, greed and bias enters when one is trying to profit from a business.
The manufacturer can test heavy metals to a higher threshold of detection than the 5-10 ppb that the medical community actually considers safe. The Lower thresholds of detection not only are more expensive, but do not make for attractive marketing. This way they’ll just declare the product free of contaminants, without advertising what the detection limits were in the tests performed.
Their current testing(located on their site) is still very high in mercury…as of April 2025.
Lead ≤ 0.5 mcg per serving ICP-MS USP
0.250
Arsenic ≤ 10 mcg per serving ICP-MS USP
0.420
Cadmuin
≤ 4.1 mcg per serving ICP-MS USP
0.100
Mercury ≤ 2.0 mcg per serving ICP-MS USP
<0.001
Whose?
Just FYI, Biosil is not even a collagen product and shouldn’t be grouped with the rest of these products. It’s a form of silica called orthosilicic acid, so it’s a mineral supplement.
Otherwise, this was such a helpful article!
Can you test Tranont Collagen?
Orgain protein powder test well what about their collagen mixed with the super foods not just strait collagen how does that test?
I use live conscious powder collagen, please let me know that it’s clean and free from all the bad toxins
Can you do review on vegan Collegan boosters vegan protein Collegan or supplements?
There is no such thing as vegan or vegetarian collagen. Collagen comes from animals.
Would also love a review of vegan option!
Check out Sunwarrior
Thanks for sharing the information about best brands. I will surely gonna try this.
Some brands that you mentionned actually tested positive to arsenic! Sports research is one of them (0.5mcg of arsenic per scoop). Please be careful.
You can read the study there https://www.organicconsumers.org/blog/consumer-beware-these-popular-collagen-supplements-contain-heavy-metals
Thank you Enn for this very helpful additional information.
I please need your help to on the table with level of toxins, I am breastfeeding and looking for a clean source to support me during the day with extra calories.
Please help here.
I’m 70 I read and read and read plus comments. It’s so confusing. Can we not make it simpler with a graph and/or vs percentages? Just looking for prices per ounce is difficult and then comes ingredients/metals, grass fed where??? Ugh!!!!
Agree! Graphs would be really helpful!
Double Wood Supplements brand has a very good collagen powder.
I have been enjoying ALL your articles and research since I discovered this site.
I would like to see more Dr. Mercola products included in your lists. He has a readership of several million (I forget how many) so I’m sure a lot of others would be interested, too.
Someone above said he’s a proven quack, but didn’t cite their source for that proof. His supplements are some of the best money can buy and I’ve been using them for years. His COVID views are controversial, yes, but his products are among the top ones out there near as I can tell, so I’d love to see them included in future articles. Thank you for all your hard work and research!
I love Mercolas supplements and his Covid view turned out true!
Please include links to back up claims (I’m talking about people who respond). For instance, it’s mentioned that Dr. Mercola’s comments about COVID were correct. What comments? Says who?
Thank you
Based on various studies: Gelatin and specifically “hydrogenalized” collagen came out equal in terms of their benefits as long as you consume them with vitamin c.
It was also noted that consuming in the morning/afternoon (depending on when your 12 hour fast ends) following intermediate fasting and a 15 minute aerobic exercise allowed for the most complete collagen synthesis or your bodies ability to utilize the collagen to its fullest and thus repair tendons.
I have been taking Ancient nutrition collagen and they were on the bottle or in the publication does it talk about it’s not real levels or lead levels and there’s no warning on the bottle whatsoever I didn’t get sick from taking it wondering what I should do next I was on it for six months
Sorry about my txt message it all came out wrong What I was try to txt is that I have been taking ancient nutrition collagen and come to find out it does not fall under the guidelines and the California proposition for safety But no word on the bottle does it post a warning as it should I’ve been taking it for over Six month and started having terrible trouble with my colon. I don’t know what was causing my colon problem until I stopped taking ancient nutrition and my colon slowly started healing back up but I have had this problem now for a year and I do believe it is do to their product. What should I do since they did not put a warning label on their product
Me too! I quit using all the powdered bovine products, including Standard Process, Ancient, Optimal, and Heart and Soil. My IBSd and colon were really irritated. Dropping back to eating as clean as possible, while continuing to learn how we’re constantly being tricked, has served me best and my system is finally settling down.
Unfortunately, reviews for Perfect Supplements’ collagen say that the formula has changed for the worse in 2019-2021. I was going to order 3 canisters, but now I will choose another brand.
This article is from 2021, not all of their products were the best rated, where did u see the poor reviews?
Thank you so much for the great work. Your research report is thorough. I will certainly donate to the ‘Cause’.
Can you state your source please
I am so glad to have found your site! There is a wealth of great information on here. Would you say that an item on the “bad” products list, that same brand’s other products should also be avoided? Vital Proteins Beef Powedered Gelatin is on there, should all their other products, ie marine collagen be avoided too?
Well done article. You explained it very well.
Doing more research. Found this excellent piece describing our contribution to deforestation and the use of grain-fed cattle in Brazil, as well as some Aussie, NZ,
and possibly decent U.S. sources as well. Refreshing.
https://www.reallifeofpie.com/blog/the-truth-about-collagen-powders
Brazilian grass-fed most likely means rain forest that has been cleared for pasture. I wouldn’t buy ANY Brazilian pasture affiliated products. Is having that brand of collagen worth supporting the desolation of the Amazon? Ehh, no thanks.
Read this article here for a small glimpse into the reality of Brazilian agriculture: https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jul/02/revealed-amazon-deforestation-driven-global-greed-meat-brazil
As people from a wealthy nation we have the power to shape the market! Don’t unwittingly buy into this bull****. Use your dollars wisely and do not support deforestation!
To follow up on my previous post. I meant to type median rather than medium.
Here is what a proper food label should have, whether you’re from California, Idaho, or Mars:
per 1 pound dry weight
lead:
mercury:
cadmium:
hexavalent chromium:
arsenic:
radioactivity level:
benzene*:
PCBs:
dioxin:
*including benzene formed when exposed to heat, UV, or digestion, such as when soda has vitamin C in it as well as benzoic acid. Fruit juice is still being added to soda, such as grapefruit sodas, with benzoic acid which means benzene is being formed.
100g dry weight, instead of “per serving”. Servings are often stated in unrealistically small amounts. By keeping the dry weight large and identical from food to food, people will be able to more quickly gauge the overall amount of a toxin as compared with other foods. People will eventually consume large quantities of many foods that are usually served as small individual servings. And, sometimes people will want to consume much more than a “typical” serving.
Knox please? It’s extremely important for people to know about these widespread brands.
California’s warning is lousy because it doesn’t tell people anything, directly, about the amount of different heavy metals and arsenic. Telling people that there can be something in it makes a lot of people think “Well, if it were serious the federal government and/or my state would put a stop to it! Californians are just so uptight!”
What’s far worse is that we have all of these other states that don’t care and a federal government that also doesn’t care. I just found a government study that tested dog food. One of the brands it tested had 272 times as much lead in it as the medium US citizen’s exposure level. I didn’t see any information in the study to identify that brand or rank them by toxicity.
We live in the Wild West only without the freedom that went with it.
What about LiveWell?
I also would like to know about LiveWell.
We can add that to the update!
Hi Leah,
When you update, would you also look into Paleo Valley’s bone broth protein?
https://paleovalley.com/store/grass-fed-bone-broth-protein
After reading your article and the white paper from OCA/Clean Label, I wrote to Paleo Valley and asked about their testing and sources (deforestation concerns make Brazilian cattle a non-starter for me). Paleo Valley told me exactly what I wanted to hear: all batches go through third-party lab tests for heavy metals as well as for pesticides and herbicides. They also said that all of their sources are in the US; most “are East Coast/Upstate NY. All farms are AGA certified and USDA approved. The process for breaking down the bones is actually done at a lab in Germany, they only use filtered water to break down ground up bones so that they eventually can dissolve when mixed.” This all sounded good (except the “ground down bones” part – that seemed odd for broth). But they provided no back-up. I’m not the investigator that you are, so I’m going with bone broth from White Oak Pastures for now (I live in Georgia and am a big fan of this rancher). I’m more of a smoothie-drinker than a soup fan, so would like to know if Paleo Valley can back up their claims. Thanks so much for all the great information.
Hi there thanks for doing so much research. I was going to purchase Vital Protein collagen peptides until I saw them listed in your bad list. However every other website lists them as one of the tops. I’m confused but not refuting you. I just want to make sure I buy collagen without heavy metals. I saw your recommendation for perfect collagen peptides but want to make sure you promote it because you like it not because you are affiliated or compensated. Can you assure me your opinion is not biased please and ty
There is an affiliate disclosure below the first paragraph of every post so you can see clearly before any of the “meat” is presented. Most the links to products on this site are affiliate in nature. Some investigations we choose to just link up one brand while others we decide to link up several. That’s all based on my comfort level promoting brands and what’s their ingredients are. This is how we survive as a business and it pays for our work. You are free to do whatever you decide because it’s your choice. With this investigation, we promoted Perfect Supplements because they have so many certifications, handed me current labs, and they are one of the few brands that does NOT contain heavy metals above Prop. 65 limits. Most of the collagen brands flunked heavy metals.
Hi Leah thank you for all your hard work, it’s greatly appreciated. Everyone I talk to and even different people online are all praising Tranont products, especially the collagen. The before and after photos are extremely impressive and I personally know one of them so i know they are not photo shopped. There products are pretty expensive so I’d love to know how good/safe they truly are. I know a few other people on here have asked if y’all could look up Tranont as well.
We can consider testing those brands when we do an update.
I was curious as well. I’ve been taking the Vital protein Collagen for 3 to 4 months now. Now I’m scared to rebuy.
I appreciate learning about the impurities that can be present in Collagen.
Is Gelatin, such as the grocery brand, Knox, subject to the Prop 65 label warning?
Thank you for ALL of the great information, not just the information about metals. This is a great resource.
Are there any Organic, zero heavy metal Collagen powders?
I can’t find any. Many say grass fed, but not Organic.
Thanks
Perfect collagen tested for .2mcg/serving of arsenic on the Organic Consumers test results of 28 of most popular collagen products. 0 for lead , mercury & cadmium.
Top performers were BioOptimal. Neocell Super Collagen & Puori.
Very interesting info.
https://www.organicconsumers.org/sites/default/files/collagen_white_paper.pdf
Anyone know anything about Mercola Collagen? They say it’s organic & grass fed but it doesn’t have the AGA label. I asked them about heavy metals. I was told that Dr. Mercola didn’t think it was necessary to test for that since it would be minimal. Surprising.
Dr Mercola has been proven to be a quack, so I wouldn’t trust anything said by him or his company.
I know your comment is several months old, but I had to scroll for awhile to find my brand mentioned anywhere – BioOptimal. It’s not on any of the MV lists that I could find. Thank you for your post!
This report has been a God send for me! THANK YOU for the incredibly detailed and thorough investigation you conducted. I only wish I found it sooner. I have been through 5 different brands of collagen powder over the last several months. I saw the most results, regarding nail growth and repair, with Great Lakes but I didn’t feel comfortable with that brand because of the trace amounts of mercury. I eat a very clean diet so I’m not willing to compromise when it comes to heavy metals. The other brands didn’t seem to help my nails at all. I just ordered my first container from Perfect! Thank you, thank you, thank you for doing all the hard work for your readers!
Hi…I have just started using NativePath Collagen and wonder if I should continue. I noticed it is on your list of Best Brands, but there is no further information. Does it contain enough of the collagen types to be useful with only Type I & III in their powder? Or are some of the other types essential as well?
Hi Leah,
I read that for your collagen to have any benefit whatsoever it has to have to be “Bone Broth Collagen”. Curious to what your take is on that? After extensive research with trying to find one that has no additives and is grass-fed and incorporates bone broth is PALEO PRO. The only thing with this brand is their plain, unsweetened variety is with Tumeric Root. No warnings on the label, 16g of protein/serving. I’m wondering if they are on the newer side and that is why they got missed? It’s a company based in CA.
I think Dr. Mercola also says his collagen is from bone broth. I haven’t tried it.
Please report on BioOptimal Organic Free Range Bone Broth Protein Collagen and Protein Superfood Supplement. It doesn’t have a breakdown for amino acids on the container, so I’m concerned that this is not the best. Thank you, Shirley Biscotti
Thank you so much for this research, this has led me to make an informed purchase.
Any reports on Dr. Axe’s collegen products? I’ve been using his product for about 2 years. I would appreciate any information.
Thank you for this service. It really is “consumer beware” and with so much corruption in CDC and FDA, it’s hard to know where to get good information. Thanks again.
Dr Axes brand is ancient nutrition which is listed above under bad brands.
he releases his COA now on his multi collagen protein. this is based on a false report and clearly on an affiliate partnership. I wouldn’t trust this source of reporting, sorry.
What about marine collagen? I loved Vital Proteins Marine Collagen.
Wow thank you so much for this comprehensive list. I’d like to know where these stand on your list:
Nutrivein Multi Collagen (Pills 2250mg) and Revive Naturals Multi Collagen Hydrolyzed Protein Powder. Mamavation has become my trusted go-to site for many years! God bless and keep on sharing!!
Thanks for doing such an extensive comparison and letting me know what to look for in a collagen brand!
Hi i have just purchased appliednutrition liquid collagen.would like to know how safe is the brand. Thanks
Ancestral supplements has collagen product. I asked them if they tested for lead and they emailed me about their supplements testing. Was wondering what you thought of that company?
Love this Leah! Thank you 🙂 If you do any more studies, I’ve recently purchased Sun, Cow, Grass brand bone broth powder, which is labeled organic. Great job on this. It’s so hard to know. Much appreciated!
Holy mother of god this has to be the most thoroughly researched well written unbiased article I’ve ever read on the internet. Well done!! ????????????????????????
Also wondering if there are any marine collagen products tested?
In the article, they said they are going to review that in an upcoming piece on seafood.
This is conflicting because the consumer labs report says that both the ancient nutrition and the vital proteins brands were fine and uncontaminated/were under Prop 65 standards…so which is it lol
agreed – additionally all the studies you are pulling from are unfounded and outdated.
You might want to check back with Perfect Supplements. I just received COAs from them for their plain collagen and their arsenic and cadmium levels are much higher than they were two years ago. I wouldn’t consume this product.
Vital Proteins has 20ppb of arsenic, 200%. A shame because this the one I used to buy. *sigh..
Vegetarians have another option to receive collagen. Agar is a vegetarian substitute for Gelatin since it is derived from a plant and has higher gelling properties. Moreover, Agar Agar is considered a healthy addition to weight loss plans due to it being low in calories, fat, sugar and carbohydrates.
While Agar can be a sub for gelatin in recipes, that is where the similarities end. It unfortunately will not have the same amino acid profile that makes collagen/gelatin healing. Just because something gels, doesn’t give it the same benefits of gelatin. Pectin gels too! Sadly for vegans, there is nothing that can simulate the benefits of collagen/gelatin. I’m a practitioner that has helped individuals heal from various chronic ailments over the past 20 years – I’ve seen nothing close to gelatin for healing specific issues.
What are the specific issues that you have seen gelatin heal? I have a MS in Holistic Nutrition which is why I’m asking.
Was any information collected on marine collagen that you can share?
Hi! This came at a perfect time as I’ve been considering collagen supplements now that I’m turning 48 and seeing and feeling my age more. I wanted to ask if this would be beneficial for a cat I have that has lost weight and lab tests show nothing wrong. Thanks!
is Great Lakes collagen hydrolysate the one that you tested?
Just started looking into purchasing gelatin for baking purposes. Wondering if you have any knowledge on Amandean Grass-Fed Beef Gelatin Powder. This is there statement on sourcing:
The cattle are sourced from Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay. Note that we don’t source from Argentina, where the majority of cattle are actually from feedlots now. The animals we use are pasture raised and grass fed and all are traceable back to the farms they came from. Hope that helps!
Thank you for the information. Do you have any information about where Nature’s Sunshine Grass Fed and Pasture Raised Collagen may fall on your list?
We can add them for you! We just need some time to reach out to them about prop. 65 warning first.
Hi Leah,
I didn’t see Nature’s Sunshine on this updated list. Were you able to find anything about them?
Thank you,
Karen
Also interested on Nature’s Sunshine
Thanks very much for this info. You do Wonderful research on a lot of the products that I use and often wonder about what’s really in it! I APPRECIATE YOUR HARD WORK!!
Thank you so much! Your words mean a lot to me! XXOO
Very informative, thanks! I’ve had great results with the Perfect Supplements brand as well!
Thanks for this article and recommending some safer brands, now I’ll know what to look for awesome info
Thank you for stopping by Catherine! Let me know how it goes!
I’m so glad you like Perfect Supplements…they are in my coffee every morning now! 🙂
The brand that is being recommended, Perfect Supplements, still has 14ppb of Lead. 280%. There is no safe level of Lead.