4 answers
Collagen in drinks is absorbed like regular protein - your body breaks it down into amino acids rather than building it directly into your skin, so the effect is way overhyped. If you want to support your skin, it's easier to just eat normal protein sources and stay hydrated - it'll be cheaper and just as beneficial.
The thing is, how much collagen from drinks actually gets absorbed by your body in any useful way. When you drink collagen, it breaks down in your stomach into amino acids like any other protein, and there's no guarantee those molecules will end up in your skin or joints - your body distributes nutrients based on its own priorities. If you want to take care of your skin and joints, it makes more sense to just eat enough protein, vitamin C, and actual food sources of these things. Collagen in drinks is more marketing hype than a miracle cure.
Hydrolyzed collagen is absorbed slightly better than whole collagen, but that doesn't solve the main problem - even if the amino acids reach your skin, your body decides where to send them, and it's not necessarily where you want them to go. Plus, these drinks often have added sugar and flavorings, so it might be cheaper to just buy regular collagen powder without all the filters and unnecessary vitamins, or pick foods with vitamin C instead - that'll definitely help your body synthesize its own collagen.
Have you actually checked whether the drink contains hydrolyzed collagen or if it's just marketing? I agree with the previous answer that your body breaks it down into amino acids - that's a fact. But here's the thing: hydrolyzed collagen is absorbed better than regular protein because the molecules are already broken down into smaller pieces, and some research suggests that amino acids specific to collagen (proline, glycine) can actually help your own skin produce collagen. But that only works if you're eating enough protein overall and drinking water - without that, no amount of collagen is going to help.
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