Does Collagen Help Heal Broken Bones?
If you’ve broken a bone, you already know that recovery can take six to eight weeks on average — sometimes even longer if you’ve broken something like your pelvis or tibia. Depending on which bone you’ve broken, that’s a lot of downtime, and you may be itching to get back to life as usual.
In the course of your internet research, you might have read something about collagen helping heal broken bones. Well, we’re here to deliver the facts. Read on to learn more about collagen, its role in bone repair, and whether taking collagen can actually speed up your recovery process.
Is Collagen in Bones?
Collagen isn’t just the secret behind dewy skin and glossy hair — about 90% of your bones’ organic structure is made up of collagen, too. This is primarily Type I collagen, which acts like the scaffolding of a building, giving your bones flexibility and tensile strength.
Imagine collagen as the rebar in concrete, holding everything together while minerals like calcium phosphate fill in the gaps to make bones rock-solid. Without collagen, you’re looking at brittle bones with the structural integrity of a stale croissant.
And it’s not just in bones. Type III collagen helps support the stuff between your bones, like cartilage and ligaments. Other types of collagen can be found in your skin, hair, eyes, blood vessels, and gut.
How Can Collagen Support Bone Repair?
When you break a bone, your body doesn’t just hit “repair” and call it a day. It’s more like a four-stage construction project.
First, your body forms a hematoma (read: internal bruise). Then it starts building a soft callus made of collagen and cartilage. This temporary fix helps bridge the gap until real bone tissue can move in.
This is where collagen really comes in handy. During the fibrocartilaginous phase, it provides the framework for other cells (like osteoblasts) to move in and start laying down bone material. Over time, this scaffold is mineralized and hardened into a solid bony callus.
Collagen makes sure everything heals in the right shape and strength. Without enough collagen, that bone remodel might take longer, be weaker, or take the wrong shape.
Can Collagen Supplements Encourage Bone Health?
Your body already makes collagen. But what happens when you take collagen supplements? Do they actually help your bones heal faster or better? Science says yes — maybe.
A 2018 placebo-controlled study
found that hydrolyzed collagen supplements (that’s collagen broken down into easy-to-absorb peptides) increased bone mineral density in postmenopausal women with age-related bone loss. The researchers credited collagen’s ability to stimulate osteoblast activity, which helped the bone repair process go by quicker.
While more research is definitely needed, especially in younger adults and those recovering from injuries, these findings suggest that taking collagen may give your body the raw materials it needs to speed up recovery.
But before you start mainlining collagen powders, remember this: supplements aren’t magic. They’re like adding bricks to a construction site — you still need builders (for instance, nutrients and rest) to get the job done right.
How To Support Natural Collagen Production
Whether or not you decide to take collagen supplements, it’s not a bad idea to support your body’s natural collagen production, as well. To give your body a hand, you’ll need to supply it with all the materials it needs to make collagen.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is absolutely essential for collagen production. It acts as a co-factor in the enzymatic process that turns amino acids into sturdy, functional collagen fibers. Without enough vitamin C, your body’s collagen production can slow down, and that means slower bone healing. However, your body doesn’t make or store vitamin C, so daily intake is a must.
Top vitamin C-rich foods include the following:
- Oranges
- Strawberries
- Bell peppers
- Kale
- Kiwi
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
Protein
Collagen is literally made of protein (specifically the amino acids glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline), so if you’re skimping on protein, your collagen production will suffer. During bone healing, your body ramps up its demand for these amino acids to repair tissue and regenerate bone. This means it’s time to prioritize protein like it’s your job.
Protein-packed foods include the following:
- Eggs
- Chicken
- Tofu
- Beans
- Lentils
- Fish
- Greek yogurt,
- Bone broth
And yes, collagen powder counts too. Just make sure you're hitting your daily needs. Most adults should generally aim for about 0.8g of protein per kg of body weight (more if you’re healing or super active).
Other Nutrients
Vitamin C and protein get all the glory, but several other micronutrients are involved in the bone healing process. Zinc plays a big role in cell repair and collagen formation, while copper helps stabilize the collagen structure. Then there’s vitamin A, which supports tissue growth, and manganese, which activates enzymes involved in collagen production.
The best food sources of these nutrients include the following:
- Zinc: Oysters, pumpkin seeds, beef, and chickpeas.
- Copper: Liver, cashews, and mushrooms.
- Vitamin A: Sweet potatoes, carrots, and spinach.
- Manganese: Whole grains, pineapples, and nuts.
How To Supplement With Collagen
Thinking about trying collagen for yourself? Here’s what you need to know before you start blending up your first collagen smoothie.
First, collagen comes in powder, capsule, and even liquid form, so make sure you choose a form that’s easy for you to take. Additionally, hydrolyzed versions (aka collagen peptides) are generally easier for your body to absorb.
Collagen supplements are usually well-tolerated, but some folks report mild digestive issues like bloating or heartburn. If you’re pregnant, nursing, or on meds, it’s a good idea to run it by your doctor first, just in case.
Finally, remember that results take time. Think months, not days. But hey, Rome wasn’t built in a week either.
The Bottom Line
So, does collagen help heal broken bones? Science says possibly, but only if your body has the right nutritional backup, like vitamin C, protein, and key micronutrients.
Whether you're sipping bone broth or blending up a scoop of peptides, you can help give your body what it needs to recover more efficiently. To learn more about health hacks and super supplements, visit the Everyday Dose blog today.
Sources:
Everything You Need to Know About Fractures and Fracture Healing | Northern Arizona Orthopaedics
An Overview of Bone Cells and their Regulating Factors of Differentiation | PMC
