The Best Time Of Day To Take Collagen Might Not Be When You Think

When you add a new supplement to your repertoire, it's important to identify how to best incorporate it into your daily routine (after all, if a supplement fits seamlessly into your lifestyle, you're likely more willing to make it a habit). This includes deciding when to take it, whether that be early morning, midday, or before bed. 

Many people believe that you should take a collagen supplement first thing in the morning, as your body is better able to break down proteins like collagen when you take them on an empty stomach. However, this is actually a myth—it doesn't really make a difference whether you take collagen on a full or empty stomach.

Firstly, "The bulk of the breaking down of proteins actually happens in the small intestine, so full stomach, half-full stomach, or empty stomach—there will be little difference," registered dietitian Scott Keatley, R.D., once told mbg.

Secondly, as mbg's vice president of scientific affairs Ashley Jordan Ferira, Ph.D., RDN, explains: "Hydrolyzed collagen peptides are exactly that, hydrolyzed (aka broken down) into peptides. Thus, once the protease and peptidase digestive enzymes in the small intestine interact with these collagen dipeptides and tripeptides, these tiny peptides and constituent amino acids are efficiently digested and absorbed by our gut—to then be utilized throughout the body, for benefits like skin hydration and elasticity1."*

While food may be broken down by stomach acid, collagen survives this journey, thus leading to its absorption in the small intestine. This means that it takes anywhere from three to five hours, Keatley says, to absorb the supplement. Given this gap of time between consumption and absorption, it would be pretty difficult to sync up this process with your REM cycle.

Furthermore, Ferira adds these insights from clinical research: "Collagen peptide supplementation research, including robust randomized controlled trials, did not study a nighttime collagen regimen in their study design. The positive effects that science demonstrates for collagen peptide supplements and the skin1, gut function, and even cardiometabolic health2 largely involved daytime consumption of the protein."* (And at mbg, we let the science inform and guide our recommendations).

With that said, Ferira shares that it would not be counterproductive to take collagen in the evening. "Whether morning, midday, or night—the most important common denominator is regular collagen consumption of a high-quality product to reap the benefits."