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 Contents

Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Introduction: The Missing Link to Modern Health

PART I
THE TRUTH ABOUT COLLAGEN
Chapter 1 The Essential Nutrient That Disappeared from
Our Diets
Chapter 2 The Smart New Way to Think about Dietary
Protein
Chapter 3 The Cool New Breakthrough Science on Collagen
Chapter 4 How to Get More Collagen in Your Diet—Starting
Today
Chapter 5 The Six Habits That Supercharge (or Sabotage)
Collagen
Chapter 6 How Stem Cells Repair and Restore Cartilage
and Skin
 PART II
WHAT COLLAGEN CAN DO FOR YOU
Chapter 7 Collagen Can Create Luminous Skin, Hair, and
Nails
Chapter 8 How Collagen and Other Remedies Can Heal
Your Gut
Chapter 9 Collagen Secrets to Eliminate Pain and
Inflammation
Chapter 10 Ten Other Surprising, Transformative Benefits of
Collagen

PART III
THE COLLAGEN DIET PLAN
Chapter 11 The 3-Day Collagen Cleanse
Chapter 12 The 28-Day Collagen Diet Meal Plan
Chapter 13 The Collagen Diet Recipes
Chapter 14 Your Simple, One-Stop Guide to Basic Collagen-
Related Info
The Collagen Diet for Life

Acknowledgments
Discover More
About the Author
Also by Dr. Josh Axe
Notes
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For my wife and best friend, Chelsea, who is
the love of my life, and my father God,
without whom none of this would have been
possible

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INTRODUCTION

The Missing Link to Modern Health

There are personal crises that stop you in your tracks, and
there are others that spur you to search for answers and
strive to make your life—and the lives of others—better. My
mom’s second cancer diagnosis was the latter.
Those of you who have read my books and follow my
YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook videos know the story: I
was in my mid-twenties and finishing up my training as a
doctor when I received a tearful call from my mom. She
had survived a tough bout of breast cancer when I was
thirteen, and ever since her treatment, she’d struggled
with her health. She was fatigued, depressed, and had
hypothyroidism. The vibrant, athletic woman I’d known in
my youth had become a shadow of her former self. In fact,
her diminishment—a result of the medications she’d taken
to fight off breast cancer—was the reason I had decided to
go into the medical field. In the years following her
diagnosis, I became determined to understand the causes
of ill health and find better ways to address them—ones
that didn’t leave you with long-term symptoms that
undermine your ability to live a full and fulfilling life.
I was immersed in this quest when I picked up the phone
and heard my mom’s tearful voice. She told me that her
doctor had found a tumor in her lung. Her words broke my
heart. Anyone who has heard a loved one utter the words “I
have cancer” knows what a gut punch it is. It brings you to
your knees. But as a health care practitioner, I was more
prepared for it than I had been as a child. I’d been studying
functional and integrative medicine and had learned a lot
since my mom had faced her first cancer diagnosis. I
recognized that this crisis was a call for me to step up and
help. I knew that making some super-healthy tweaks to my
mom’s diet and lifestyle could bolster her ability to fight the
disease. But I also knew that if I wanted to give my mom
the kind of guidance she’d need to beat this illness once
and for all, I would have to learn a lot more—and quickly.
From that day on, I made it my mission to read
everything I could about food and healing. I learned about
the ketogenic diet and its ability to reduce the corrosive
effects of high blood sugar, insulin, and inflammation,
allowing the body’s innate healing mechanisms to step
forward and take over. I investigated the healing properties
of herbs and spices, which contain thousands of compounds
that bolster the body’s ability to fight disease. Studying
Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine led me to a trove of
medical wisdom that is used successfully in many parts of
the world but is sadly underutilized in modern American
health care. And I learned about bone broth, which
contains key amino acids (the building blocks of proteins)
that are absent in the types of muscle-meat protein most of
us consume today.
Together, my mom and I carefully crafted a diet and
lifestyle that would allow her to tackle her new health
challenge from every angle: physically, emotionally, and
spiritually. She ate a nutrient-dense diet of whole foods rich
in antioxidants—foods like wild-caught salmon, leafy
greens, mushrooms, and berries—and healing spices like
turmeric. She also drank lots and lots of bone broth, which
contains beneficial compounds that improved her energy,
sleep, and ability to properly digest the rest of the food she
was eating. After nine months on the protocol we designed,
she beat cancer—without the use of dangerous drugs or
toxic radiation treatments. Today, not only is my mom
cancer-free, she is truly thriving. Her chronic fatigue, her
thyroid problems, and her depression are gone. She’s as
healthy as she was before her first cancer diagnosis. She
has, blessedly, returned to her old self.
My days and nights of intensive research paid off in a
spectacular way that defied my mom’s doctors’
expectations—and they led me down promising new
avenues of healing I’ve continued to explore as a functional
medicine doctor to this day. One of the most exciting things
I stumbled on during that time was bone broth and, more
important, collagen, the powerhouse protein it contains.
I’ve been studying this remarkable substance ever since.
Collagen is most famous for being a critical building
block of healthy skin, so you may recognize it from the
labels of beauty products. But its importance for health is
far more than skin-deep. Collagen is the most abundant
protein in the body. It’s found in skin, nails, bone, cartilage,
tendons, muscles, the gut lining, the disks that cushion
your vertebrae, blood vessels, and the outer layer of your
organs. Because it’s woven into so many tissues, it plays a
vital role in countless aspects of your health. In fact, new
research is demonstrating that collagen and the
compounds it contains may help regenerate new tissue, aid
in gut repair, boost your immune system, and even increase
your life span.
Based on my research, I believe it’s the unsung hero of
anti-aging medicine. It can help you

avoid the aches and pains of aging

stave off wrinkles and sagging skin
 heal persistent gastrointestinal issues or food
sensitivities
build your immune system, strengthening your
resistance to cold and flu bugs
maintain healthy nails and hair
bolster the strength of your bones and muscles

I’ve scoured the scientific literature on this remarkable

substance, uncovering study after study that confirms its
benefits and points toward its untapped potential. At the
same time, I’ve been blown away by the effects of collagen
on the hundreds of patients, friends, and loved ones to
whom I’ve recommended it. I’ve encouraged patients to
consume collagen-rich smoothies and, in some cases, to
follow a bone broth cleanse (during which they eat mostly
bone broth), to help support healthy joints, ligaments,
tendons, skin, and digestion. And just like my mom, these
patients started feeling better.
But the thing that truly persuaded me of collagen’s
immense healing power was experiencing it firsthand. I’ve
always had lots of energy. But several years after my mom’s
second battle with cancer, I found myself wiped out by
fatigue and experiencing erratic bowel habits, alternating
between constipation and loose stool. At first, I chalked up
my symptoms to stress and overwork, the lifestyle
conditions we tend to blame for all our inexplicable
symptoms. And the theory made sense. I was putting in
more than seventy hours each week treating patients and
building DrAxe.com. I struggled to relieve my symptoms
until I visited an acupuncturist who told me the root of the
problem lay in my gut.
I’d already learned about leaky gut syndrome—a
condition in which toxins, microbes, and undigested
proteins like gluten are allowed to pass from the intestines
into the bloodstream because the collagen-rich barrier
designed to keep them inside the gut has become too
permeable—and I knew that a healthy, anti-inflammatory
diet was the best way to cure it.* But my diet was already
chock-full of nutritious foods, with lots of inflammation-
fighting veggies. The one thing I was missing, I realized,
was collagen. I went from drinking bone broth only
sporadically to consuming several cups on a daily basis. I
focused on supporting my body’s overall collagen
production by eating chicken and salmon skin and
consuming more vitamin C and red veggies, like tomatoes
and beets, which contain lycopene, a substance that shores
up collagen. And I began putting heaping scoops of
powdered collagen in my morning smoothies. Over the
course of several months my symptoms diminished, then
went away completely.
Now I’m here to share what I’ve learned with you. We’ve
ignored collagen for too long—and at our own peril. I wrote
The Collagen Diet to change that. My goal is to help you
learn how to take advantage of this valuable yet overlooked
protein so you, too, can reap its innumerable youth-
preserving benefits. My approach is based on leading-edge
science and offers a safe, effective way to restore your
vitality, balance your hormones, and give your body the
precise mix of key ingredients it needs to fortify collagen
production for the long term. By the time you finish this
book, you’ll have a complete understanding of what
collagen is, why it’s so deeply critical for healthy aging, and
how to use it to improve your health and well-being.
In Part I, we’ll cover the collagen basics—everything you
need to know about this underappreciated substance. I’ll
break down the science behind how collagen works and
explain in clear, easy-to-understand language what collagen
does for us, why it’s so important as we age, and the many
ways we can keep our levels high, from practical
approaches, like exercise and diet, to cutting-edge theories
on supporting stem cell production.
 In Part II, we delve into the specific ways that collagen
benefits us, like improving our appearance and gut
function, eliminating pain, and resetting hormones—just to
name a few. By the time you’ve finished this section, you’ll
see how diverse and important collagen is for your overall
health and the dramatic impact it can have on everything
from your daily functioning to your life span.
In Part III, I provide two step-by-step diet plans—a 3-day
collagen cleanse and a 28-day collagen diet—that make it
easy to apply what you’ve learned to your busy life. To help
you make collagen a sustainable part of your diet, I’ve also
included seventy-two delicious recipes designed to
encourage your body’s collagen production and give your
skin, bones, gut, muscles, tendons, and blood vessels
optimal amounts of this rejuvenating ingredient, so they
will continue to function effectively and efficiently.
I’m grateful you’ve picked up this book, and I’m eager to
share with you everything I’ve learned about how collagen
can help you look and feel your best by supporting your
body from the inside out. I swear by my collagen-rich diet.
It supports my joints, helps me recover faster from the
wear and tear of exercise, protects my digestive system,
and keeps my body strong, flexible, and fit. And if you read
this book and follow its collagen-boosting plan, I know
you’ll experience these benefits as well.
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 PART I

The Truth about Collagen

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CHAPTER 1

The Essential Nutrient That

Disappeared from Our Diets

Why Embracing This Ancient Dietary Staple Can

Restore Your Health

We live in an era of unprecedented abundance. The food

supply in the United States contains about 3,750 calories
per person, per day. That’s a thousand calories more than
we consumed daily just two hundred years ago, according
to the U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization, and far
more than any of us needs. (Women require 2,000 calories,
on average, and men 2,500.) Our ancient ancestors, who
had to hunt wild game and gather berries to scrape
together enough calories to feed their families, would
undoubtedly be astonished by our effortless access to
sustenance. And envious.
But here’s the paradox: Despite the availability of food,
many of us are plagued by surprisingly poor health. Nearly
half of the people in the United States suffer from chronic
conditions like diabetes, joint pain, heart disease,
osteoporosis, gastrointestinal problems, inflammation, and
cancer, undermining their ability to participate fully in daily
activities and often cutting short their lives. Odds are, at
least a handful of people you care about are affected by one
or more of these persistent health problems. And the
situation is likely to get worse, since most of these
conditions become more prevalent with age—and our
population is rapidly graying. Ten thousand people in the
United States will turn sixty-five every day from now
through the end of 2029, according to the Pew Research
Center. The scope of the looming problem is mind-boggling.
And here’s what makes it even more tragic: Chronic health
conditions can be traced, in large part, to our modern diet.
Food is called sustenance for a reason. It is meant to
sustain us—not only to provide fuel for our bodies but also
to heal them, to give us the nutrients we need to look and
feel our best, and to provide us with ample energy to face
the demands of our increasingly stressful lives. But here’s
the catch: We need to eat the right foods. And that’s the
problem we’re facing now. The two “staples” of the typical
Western diet, sugar and refined carbs, fill our bellies but
shortchange our health. By providing largely empty
calories, they pack on pounds, undermine our bodies’
ability to function on a cellular level, fuel inflammation, and
increase our risk of every single chronic condition that’s
rampant today.
We no longer live with chronic hunger or the persistent
threat of starvation, as our ancestors did. But we are
starved for true nourishment. A variety of studies over the
past decade have found that many of us don’t get enough
calcium, potassium, fiber, folic acid, magnesium, iron, and
vitamins A, C, and E—nutrients that are indispensable for
building strong muscles, bones, blood vessels, skin, and
immune systems. Other compounds that were plentiful in
our ancestors’ diets, like phosphorus, silicon, glucosamine,
and sulfur, are missing from our everyday meals as well.
But there’s a lesser-known substance that’s notably
absent from the typical Western diet—one that I believe can
help us reverse our spiraling health issues and give all of us
the best shot at a long, robust, active life. It’s called
collagen. It’s the most abundant protein in the body, and a
growing database of research shows it is vital for the
structural integrity and healthy, long-term functioning of
our bodies.
Our ancestors’ diets were rich in collagen. Today, we
consume almost none. But thanks to recent research
showing that it can do everything from regenerating new
tissue to bolstering your immune system, it’s finally getting
its due. I’m a huge fan of collagen. And I believe that by the
time you’ve finished this book, you’ll understand why—and
you will be, too.

MEET THE INGREDIENT THAT JUST MIGHT

CHANGE YOUR LIFE

Collagen is a strong, springy, fibrous substance that is

woven into dozens of your body’s tissues. It’s responsible in
large part for the firmness and elasticity of your skin, the
strength of your nails and bones, and the pliability of your
cartilage, tendons, muscles, gut lining, and blood vessels. It
even encases your organs. On a functional level, collagen
gives you flexibility and strength, allows your joints to move
fluidly without aches and pains, and plays a role in
everything from wound healing to gut health to cardiac
health. It’s the glue that holds you together. Indeed, the
word collagen is derived from the Greek word for glue,
kolla.
There are sixteen different types of collagen, but about
90 percent of the collagen in your body is either type I, II,
or III—or some combination of the three. (I’ll explain each
type in the next chapter.) Those three predominant types
share the same molecular structure—a woven rope–like
shape known as a triple-stranded helix, which gives them
their strength and flexibility.
Because it plays a vital role in so many diverse aspects of
health, adding collagen to your diet is one of the best ways
to fight off both the visible and invisible signs of aging and
keep you feeling vibrant as the years tick by. For instance, a
recent study published in the journal Nutrients looked at
the effects of oral collagen supplementation on the skin of
aging mice, a reasonable stand-in for human skin. (Studies
that rely on taking widespread biopsies are often
performed in mice instead of humans, for obvious reasons.)
After eight weeks, not only did their skin have more
collagen, but its ability to repair frayed collagen fibers had
improved, its antioxidant enzymes were more active, and
the skin itself was firmer.1 It changed the tissue
quantitatively and qualitatively, according to the
researchers, effectively turning back the clock and making
the skin’s structure and appearance years younger.
As you get older, it becomes increasingly vital to get this
substance from your diet. Here’s why: In your mid-
twenties, your body’s natural collagen production begins to
decline at a rate of about 1 percent per year—a drop-off
that accelerates in your forties and fifties. By the time you
reach your early fifties, you produce roughly 30 percent
less natural collagen than you did in your twenties.
Waning collagen is a normal part of the aging process,
but it is fueled by certain lifestyle habits, including sun
exposure (ultraviolet radiation damages the skin’s collagen-
building cells), smoking, stress, poor gut health, consuming
too much sugar, and inflammation (which often stems from
poor diet and lifestyle habits). Molecules of sugar, for
instance, form what’s known as “advanced glycation end
products,” or AGEs, which can attach to the collagen and
elastin in your skin, causing wrinkles and loss of elasticity
and putting you at risk for inflammation-related skin
conditions like acne and rosacea.
As a result, it’s critical to replenish this diminishing
source of youth and vitality, and the most important way to
do that is with food. But the typical Western diet has been
largely stripped of collagen. Every time you remove the
skin from a chicken breast or put the tendinous gristle in
the dog’s bowl, you’re throwing away an opportunity to
bolster and sustain your body’s collagen. And, as you’ll
learn in the coming pages, those are just two examples of
the opportunities you’re almost surely missing to bolster
your body’s collagen and take advantage of its regenerative
effects.
There’s no medical test to gauge how much collagen you
have, but, honestly, you don’t need one. It’s easy to
recognize when this fundamental substance is becoming
dangerously low. Collagen deficiency makes itself known
through

Arthritis and joint pain. As you lose collagen-rich

cartilage, achy joints become more common.
Wrinkles, cellulite, and sagging skin. Collagen makes
up 75 to 80 percent of skin. Without collagen to
provide structure, skin sags and dimples.
More frequent cuts and abrasions. Thinning skin is
more vulnerable to daily wear and tear.
Slower wound healing. As a glue-like substance,
collagen helps the skin knit together.
Hair loss. Collagen supports hair growth.
Brittle nails. Collagen plays a role in nail growth and
strength.
Smaller, weaker muscles. Found in muscle tissue,
collagen plays a role in muscle growth.
Decreased bone density. There’s actually more
collagen than calcium in your bones!
 Gastrointestinal problems, like loose stool, gas, and
bloating. As the protective, collagen-rich lining in
your digestive tract thins, these symptoms become
more common.
Immune issues. Collagen supports your gut lining,
and 70 percent of your immune system is housed in
your gut.
Chronic inflammation. Collagen contains glycine, an
essential amino acid that’s a powerful anti-
inflammatory and helps protect the mucus lining of
the gut.
Food sensitivities. As the gut lining deteriorates due
to collagen depletion, you’re more likely to develop
symptoms from eating foods that didn’t bother you
before.
Heart problems. When the collagen in the lining of
your arteries begins to degrade, your arteries, which
carry blood from your heart to your tissues, become
less supple—a serious risk factor for heart disease
and high blood pressure.

By getting enough collagen in your diet, you can prevent

—and treat—many of these problems. Here’s one example:
In 2018, German researchers reported on the results of a
study looking at collagen and bone loss. For the trial, they
enrolled postmenopausal women whose bones were
thinning. Some of the women consumed 5 grams of a
collagen supplement every day for a year, while the others
were given a placebo. After twelve months, the collagen
group had significantly greater bone mineral density in
their spines and the top of their femurs (the bone most
associated with broken hips), while the placebo group’s
bones had become more fragile.2
I’m always wary when someone tells me a single
substance has such broad and diverse effects, and frankly,
you should be, too. But there’s a simple explanation for why
collagen can and does have an impact on so many different
parts of your body: Like an invisible suit of protective
armor, it’s woven into a multitude of tissues, from the
outermost layer of your skin to the innermost layer of your
blood vessels.
Everywhere it’s found, it serves to strengthen, fortify,
build, and renew tissue at a cellular level. It’s one of our
best defenses against the ravages of age—and a powerful
weapon for strengthening whole-body health and wellness.
I’ve been recommending collagen to patients, friends, and
family for the past decade and have seen remarkable
examples of improved health and healing.
For instance, in 2018, my dear friend and colleague
Jordan Rubin and I debuted a program called the Multi
Collagen Makeover, which contains many of the same
components as the Collagen Diet plan. As the program took
off, dozens of participants sent us revealing feedback. As
Debbie Fong, one participant, said, “I’m on day 21, and I
feel like I’m reversing in age. I’ll be sixty at the end of this
year and I can see all the physical changes on the outside,
so I can only imagine what it’s doing on the inside of my
body. My face glows now, and my skin is getting firmer. The
bags under my eyes are diminishing, and the drooping
under my eyelids is disappearing. My jawline is starting to
reappear. Totally amazing!”
A growing body of research supports that type of
anecdotal experience. Indeed, a 2019 review of the
literature published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology
concluded that oral collagen supplements increase the
elasticity, hydration, and density of aging skin’s collagen-
rich dermis (the layer that determines, in large part,
whether your skin is smooth or wrinkled)—all without any
adverse side effects.3
New studies in this burgeoning field are revealing
additional uses for collagen all the time. For instance,
collagen is now being combined with stem cells to help
regenerate knee and shoulder cartilage in those with
injuries and arthritis. And resorbable forms of the
substance are being used to dress oral wounds and
promote dental healing.
In the coming chapters, I’ll explain in detail the exciting
studies on collagen and their results, which show it can
improve the health of your skin, gut, joints, and more. But
first, it’s important for you to know a bit more about this
substance so you’ll better understand why it can have such
powerful effects.

EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN

Although collagen is on its way to becoming the “it” dietary

ingredient (especially in supplement form), it’s far from
new. This humble protein formed the backbone of our
ancient ancestors’ diets, which were made up of wild meats
and bone broth as well as vegetables, berries, herbs, and
spices. In the days when food was scarce, humans used
every edible part of the animal. They brewed collagen-rich
broth from the bones, tendons, and cartilage of fish,
chicken, and beef, and they routinely ate organ meats,
ligaments, and tendons, all of which are teeming with life-
giving collagen. As it turns out, their thrifty approach to
food use may have offered them protection against some of
the most common ailments that plague many of us today.
Take arthritis. This public health menace affects an
estimated 54 million to 91 million adults in the United
States (the higher number includes people who haven’t
received an official diagnosis), causing chronic pain and
forcing nearly half of sufferers to limit their daily activity.
However, when researchers from Harvard and several
other universities recently compared skeletons from
modern people to those of hunter-gatherers and early
farmers—skeletons that were as many as six thousand
years old—as well as bones from the nineteenth and early
twentieth centuries, they found that knee osteoarthritis is
at least twice as common today as it was in prehistoric and
early industrial times.4
All of the skeletons were from people who were fifty or
older, and the researchers controlled for age, body mass
index, and other confounding factors. Even so,
osteoarthritis affected just 6 to 8 percent of the prehistoric
samples and those from the 1800s and early 1900s, while
skeletons from the 1900s to early 2000s showed a rate of
16 percent. And that’s lower than the 23 percent the
Centers for Disease Control reports.5 Moreover, it is
estimated that by 2040 nearly 26 percent of U.S. adults will
be afflicted by the condition.
While the relatively recent rise in obesity has
undoubtedly played a role in the uptick, weight only
explains a fraction of the increase, according to the
researchers’ calculations. Their conclusion: In order to
prevent this debilitating condition, we should try to adhere
more closely to the physical activity and dietary patterns of
our early ancestors. And here’s what our ancestors ate:
veggies, berries, herbs, and collagen, collagen, collagen.
Our forefathers’ high-collagen diets may also have
protected them from common gastrointestinal conditions
that afflict far too many people today. In a study published
in Nature Communications, researchers analyzed the gut
bacteria of the Hadza, a foraging tribe in western
Tanzania.6 The Hadza, who still live entirely on wild game,
roots, and berries, just as our ancient ancestors did, not
only have radically different gut bacteria from the average
modern urbanite but also have zero incidence of irritable
bowel syndrome and Crohn’s disease.
Studies like these support the intriguing idea that
collagen has historically played an important role in human
health. Although our ancestors originally consumed the
collagen-rich parts of animals for practical reasons—when
food is scarce it makes sense to get every ounce of
nutrition you can out of every food source—they
undoubtedly benefited physically from the approach. And
there’s ample evidence that a number of cultures around
the world learned the value of this substance and began to
utilize it as a cure for a variety of ailments. Indeed,
collagen has featured heavily in traditional healing
modalities around for world for centuries.
In China, for instance, people have been using gelatin
made from boiled-down donkey skin for thousands of years
to keep their skin looking young and healthy. When you
simmer the collagen-packed bones of an animal, as you do
when you make bone broth, they eventually break down
into gelatin. In other words, like bone broth, gelatin is rich
in collagen; it’s just in a different form.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), healers also mix
donkey skin gelatin, or ejiao, with a variety of herbs
typically used in TCM to increase energy, improve sleep,
and bolster circulation. There are even references dating
back as far as the first century BCE to people in China and
Japan using gelatin as a hemostatic agent to promote
blood-clotting for everything from nosebleeds to internal
bleeding. It’s so effective that hospitals to this day use a
gelatin-based substance to promote clotting.
In the twelfth century, Moses Maimonides, the Egyptian
Jewish physician, prescribed chicken broth made from the
bones of chicken to treat colds—another remedy that is still
in use today. (Canned chicken soups contain collagen, but
they’re often loaded with sodium and preservatives. You’re
better off making your own.) And over the years, gelatin
from a variety of sources has been used to treat bone and
muscle weaknesses as well as digestive problems. In the
early twentieth century, for instance, the well-known
nutritionist Francis Pottenger Jr. prescribed gelatin for a
range of digestive complaints, including ulcers, heartburn,
and vomiting. In other words, collagen has long been a
staple of medicine and healing.

HOW TO EMBRACE A COLLAGEN-RICH DIET

Although the idea of nose-to-tail eating—consuming every

conceivable part of an animal—is an underground trend in
the United States today, it’s not the way most of us eat.
There are a number of contemporary cultures, however,
that never turned their backs on this crucial practice.
In Alaska, Canada, and Russia, for instance, muktuk,
made from the collagen-rich blubber and skin of whales, is
a staple of the Inuit diet. And head cheese, popular for
hundreds of years in Europe and elsewhere, is a gelatinous
cold cut made from the head of a calf or pig, along with
other body parts, like the tongue, feet, and heart. In fact,
most traditional diets worldwide, from Asia to South
America to Europe, rely on healthy quantities of collagen.
If you read the words head cheese and think, “Yuck!”
you’re not alone. I believe some traditional collagen-rich
foods are worth trying for their health value and unique
flavor, but rest assured: there are plenty of ways to get
more collagen in your diet without eating tongue or brain.
One of my favorites is to make bone broth by simmering
the bones of chickens, cows, or fish in a soup pot with other
healthy ingredients, like carrots, onion, celery, and bay
leaves. Bone broth is a staple of the daily diet my wife,
Chelsea, and I consume, and I recommend it to everyone. If
you make one change to your dietary routine, this should
be it. Bone broth is nutrient-dense, easy to digest, health-
promoting, and absolutely delicious. Moreover, you’ll derive
different benefits depending on the bones you use. Here’s a
quick breakdown of the collagen-related qualities of each
type:
 Bovine collagen, from the bones, skin, cartilage, and
tendons of cows, is largely made of types I and III, two of
the three most abundant collagen types in your body. It
provides you with a healthy dose of the amino acids glycine
and proline (in the following chapter I’ll explain more about
these amino acids), as well as the all-star joint-protecting
substances, glucosamine and chondroitin. It’s a valuable
ally for building muscle and promoting your body’s own
collagen production.
Chicken collagen, from the bones, skin, and gristle of
chicken, is rich in type II collagen, and as a result is best
for building cartilage. It also provides chondroitin sulfate
and glucosamine sulfate, both of which are also great for
joint health and work synergistically with collagen.
Fish collagen, from the bones and skin of fish, is easy
for your body to absorb and is mostly type I, the single
most common form of collagen in your body. Consuming
fish collagen can provide widespread benefits; it can
improve the structural integrity of everything from your
joints and skin to your vital organs, blood vessels,
gastrointestinal tract, and bones.
Egg collagen is found in the membrane inside the
shells of eggs. It’s mostly type I but has traces of types III,
IV, and X. It provides glucosamine, chondroitin, hyaluronic
acid (another hot substance in the anti-aging realm that
we’ll learn more about later), and various other amino
acids that benefit connective tissue, wound healing, muscle
building, and joint pain and stiffness. Of course, it’s hard to
eat eggshell membrane, so this type of collagen is mostly
found in supplements.

Bone broth is a simple, tasty way to boost your daily

collagen consumption, but it’s far from the only one. You
can also use protein powder made from bone broth in a
variety of recipes, from soups to smoothies to sauces. You
can start eating the skin on fish and chicken. And you can
eat the organ meats of animals, which are high in collagen.
Simpler still, you can take supplements that contain
hydrolyzed collagen. These are collagen peptides that have
undergone a process known as hydrolysis to break them
down into shorter chains of proteins. Studies show that
hydrolized collagen supplements can have the same
positive effects on your health as whole collagen. Or you
can eat gelatin, as more and more athletes are doing to
heal injuries and joint pain—which delivers the same
benefits as hydrolyzed collagen.
As you begin to increase your collagen intake, it’s
important to take a look at the rest of your diet, too, to
ensure that you’re consuming foods that limit inflammation
and support collagen production, like delicious vegetables
and nutrient-packed herbs, and avoiding those, like sugar
and carbs, that diminish it. And you also might need to
tweak your lifestyle to reduce inflammation, a collagen
killer. It’s important to get plenty of sleep, for instance, to
exercise regularly, and to reduce stress, which triggers us
to reach for foods high in sugar and simple carbs. In the
coming chapters I’ll lay out simple strategies for making
incremental changes that will help you feel a whole lot
better and help you take full advantage of collagen’s power.
I believe that collagen is the true missing link to modern
health. I’ve recommended it to hundreds of patients, and
the transformations they’ve made to their health and
physical appearance have convinced me that we all need to
embrace this vital element of ancient nutrition. When we
don’t get enough of the beneficial compounds found in
collagen-rich foods, the tissues in our bodies break down
more quickly and we suffer the consequences—from
hindered mobility to deficient digestion. In order to achieve
sustainable wellness that lasts a lifetime, we must return to
a collagen-rich diet, which served our ancestors so well. It’s
time to reclaim this age-old tradition and restore and
rejuvenate our vitality.
OceanofPDF.com
CHAPTER 2

The Smart New Way to Think about

Dietary Protein

Why You Likely Have an Amino Acid Imbalance—And

How Collagen Can Help

If you’ve ever picked up a weight-loss book, browsed a

health blog, or tried a fad diet, you’re undoubtedly familiar
with the word protein. Protein is one of three
“macronutrients” in the human diet, along with fat and
carbohydrates. Most popular weight-loss plans today advise
eating more protein—and for good reason: It is not only the
single most important ingredient for building and
maintaining your muscles, organs, tissues, and cells; it’s
also present in foods that are satiating, so it keeps you full
longer. And since dietary protein builds muscle, the
premier calorie-burning tissue in your body, it bolsters your
metabolism and is critical for reaching your ideal weight
and shape. Collagen is one important type of protein, and
it’s largely missing, as I’ve mentioned, from modern diets,
because it is found in parts of the animals that we typically
discard—the bones, skin, tendons, and cartilage.
Your body contains protein, too. About 17 percent of
your tissues are made up of protein, and collagen is the
most abundant type of protein in the body. This
multitasking workhorse helps keep your gut healthy,
plumps up your skin, cushions your joints, and plays a role
in everything from immunity to hormone balance. Simply
put, protein, including collagen protein, is vital to the
healthy functioning of nearly every physical aspect of your
body. It’s not a stretch to say that without protein, life
wouldn’t exist.
But without amino acids, protein wouldn’t exist. Amino
acids are the building blocks of protein, including collagen,
and they combine in a variety of ways to form a huge range
of tissues. There are twenty-one different kinds of amino
acids, and together they’re responsible for building and
repairing nearly every part of your body. Nine of them are
considered “essential,” which means you can’t manufacture
them internally. Since you literally can’t survive without
them, they must come from your diet. They’re found in the
most abundant quantities in meat, eggs, and dairy, but
they’re also in nuts, seeds, grains, vegetables, and
mushrooms—which means it’s vital to eat some of these
foods.
But here’s the critical factor that has been missing from
that equation for far too long: In order for your body to
function at its best, you need an amino acid balance. For
the past one hundred years or more, our culture has
focused predominantly on muscle meat as our main source
of protein—foods like chicken breast, lamb chops, filets,
and skinless fish—and turned its back on a variety of
healing, collagen-rich parts of the animal, like skin, bones,
and cartilage. But these discarded animal tissues contain
other important but nonessential amino acids found in only
small quantities in muscle meats.
In ignoring these tissues, we’ve created a nationwide
epidemic of amino acid imbalance, meaning our ratio of
essential to nonessential amino acids is badly out of whack.
Amino acid imbalance isn’t an acute health problem, like
cancer. But make no mistake: It’s a slow killer. As the years
pass, it quietly, incrementally, almost unnoticeably
undermines and erodes your health. But there’s an easy fix.
By adding collagen to your diet, you can turn it around.

WHY THE AMINO ACIDS IN COLLAGEN ARE SO

IMPORTANT

The majority of the collagen in your body is made up of

interwoven chains of important amino acids: glycine,
proline, and, depending on the exact type of collagen, a
third amino acid, often arginine, or hydroxyproline, an
amino acid precursor. The amino acids in collagen are
known as “conditionally essential.” You can survive without
them, but when you’re under stress or battling an illness,
they’re essential, according to the National Library of
Medicine. And who isn’t under stress? Our nonstop 24/7
culture means most of us need these conditionally essential
amino acids all the time—possibly more than ever in human
history.
For most of us, these conditionally essential amino acids
in collagen are actually essential. But if you’re not
consciously making an effort to consume collagen-rich
foods, like bone broth, gelatin, and the skin of chicken and
fish, your body is being largely deprived of these vital
building blocks.
And that nutritional void can have ramifications for your
health. For instance, muscle meat contains an essential
amino acid known as methionine, which plays several key
roles in the body—it promotes the production of
glutathione, for instance, which is known as the body’s
master antioxidant. But methionine also has a dark side.
Dozens of studies in rodents have shown that by decreasing
methionine in their diets (it is found in the highest
quantities in beef, cereal, dairy, eggs, and brazil nuts), they
consistently live 10 to 20 percent longer. In other words,
getting too much methionine can shorten your life.
Although long-term methionine restriction studies are
impossible in humans for ethical and logistical reasons,
laboratory research on human cells shows a similar effect
on life span: Low methionine equals longer life. And there
are other dangers of methionine. A study published in the
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism found that
when obese people restricted methionine, their ability to
burn stubborn body fat increased.7 And a study in
Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases found
that high dietary methionine intake increased the risk of
acute cardiovascular events like heart attacks in middle-
aged men.8
One reason methionine can adversely affect your health
is because it raises blood levels of another amino acid,
homocysteine—and homocysteine not only increases the
risk of diabetes and heart disease but also may accelerate
aging.
But here’s why adding collagen to your diet and creating
a healthier balance of amino acids is so important: When
you consume collagen, the body breaks it down into its
constituent amino acids—and glycine, one of the main
amino acids in all types of collagen, not only reduces
homocysteine levels in the blood after a high-protein meal
but also helps the liver metabolize excess methionine,
reducing its negative effects on health and life span. In
other words, by consuming a little collagen every day, you
rein in the damage caused by a muscle-meat-heavy diet.
Eating collagen provides amino acid balance.
The amino acids in collagen have a variety of other
vitally important effects. Here’s a quick overview of the
latest findings on the two key collagen-related amino acids:
 Glycine is high in the collagen found in your skin,
connective tissue, joints, and muscles. This all-star amino
acid supports cognitive performance and central nervous
system functioning by regulating nutrients that the brain
and nerves use for energy. It also balances electrolyte
levels, like calcium, chloride, and potassium, thereby
promoting better regulation of nerve impulses. In the body,
glycine helps break down fat, allowing it to be used as
energy by cells.
But there are additional reasons it is quickly becoming
recognized as a wonder substance. A number of recent
studies, for instance, have shown that glycine can help you
sleep. In one paper published in Sleep and Biological
Rhythms, researchers gave people struggling with
insomnia 3 grams of glycine before bed. The study subjects
said they slept better and felt less tired the next day—and
objective analysis confirmed it; the time it took them to fall
asleep and to drop into slow-wave sleep was shortened.9
That’s hopeful news for the 25 percent or more of people
who suffer from insomnia each year. Many sleep
medications have dangerous side effects. Glycine has none.
The most exciting new research reveals that glycine
appears to fight aging on the mitochondrial level. As we get
older, our mitochondria, the tiny, energy-producing
organelles inside our cells, develop defects. That’s a key
reason we can’t run as far or as fast at age fifty as we could
at twenty; it’s also the reason we get more fatigued from a
long day at work as we age. But preliminary laboratory
research has shown that adding glycine to a culture
containing cells from a ninety-seven-year-old person
transformed the aged mitochondria. The respiratory
defects the mitochondria had accrued over the years
disappeared, and the tiny organelles’ functional capabilities
were restored.10
That finding dovetails with promising new research in
animals. Glycine supplementation has been shown to
increase life span in rats, mice, and C. elegans, a tiny
wormlike creature that’s commonly used in anti-aging
research. Researchers speculate that glycine might help
extend life by increasing glutathione, which, as I mentioned
above, is known as the body’s master antioxidant.
Glutathione heals damage to cells’ DNA and mitochondria
caused by free radicals—unstable molecules that, left
unchecked, can wreak havoc and accelerate aging and
disease.
Proline is the other main component of collagen. In
fact, the first stage of collagen synthesis begins with a
three-dimensional strand known as procollagen—a collagen
precursor—primarily made up of glycine and proline. One
of proline’s key responsibilities is helping form new protein
in the body, including collagen and connective tissue,
cartilage, skin, and the lining of the gut.
In addition, when you have a wound, proline swings into
action to help it heal. Studies have found that levels of the
substance at wound sites are at least 50 percent higher
than plasma levels—and plasma is known for the key role it
plays in healing. Other research has shown that proline is
actively involved in every phase of the wound healing
process, from stimulating the migration of cells to building
new tissue. Proline is also an important component of
healthy skin. As we age, our skin tends to get thinner, and
as a result, more abrasion prone. But consuming a healthy
amount of proline-containing collagen can help keep your
skin strong, making it more impervious to everyday
scratches and scrapes. There’s even preliminary evidence
that proline can reduce the appearance of cellulite by
firming and tightening skin.
Finally, proline’s ability to generate new tissue can
benefit people who suffer from joint pain or gastrointestinal
problems or are at increased risk of heart disease. And it
can bolster metabolism and muscle mass, increasing
energy output during physical activity, which makes it
helpful for weight control.

Glycine and proline aren’t the only two amino acids in

collagen. Certain types contain glutamic acid, a precursor
to glutamine, which performs a variety of important
functions, like preventing anxiety and improving sleep,
concentration, digestive health, immune system function,
and energy. High glutamine levels encourage your body to
produce nitrogen, which helps with wound healing and
prevents muscle wasting (a common and often dire
problem that tends to go hand in hand with aging) and joint
pain. Arginine is also found in collagen, and new studies
are revealing a variety of uses that you’ll hear more about
in Chapter 10. Turns out, it’s critical for the health of your
heart and arteries. It can improve circulation, reduce blood
pressure, and strengthen the immune system.

WELCOME TO THE NEW IDEA OF AMINO ACID

BALANCE

You already know that you should consume a range of

vegetables, or “eat the rainbow,” since each source,
whether beets or brussels sprouts, contains unique
vitamins and minerals that bolster your body in various
ways. In my book Keto Diet, I explain why it’s important to
get a variety of types of fat in your diet as well. Research
has shown, for instance, that a diet lacking in omega-3 fats
and abundant in omega-6 fats can increase system-wide
inflammation and put you at increased risk for
inflammation-related diseases, like heart disease, chronic
pain, diabetes, and cancer.
A balance of healthy fats is crucial to a healthy diet, but
so is an appropriate balance of muscle-meat protein and
collagen protein—and at this point, the average American
diet is way off the mark. Most people get 95 percent or
more of their protein from meat, eggs, dairy, and plant
sources and 5 percent or less from collagen-rich sources,
like bone broth, fish or chicken skin, organ meats, or
gelatin. But since 30 percent of all protein in your body is
collagen, you should aim to get 25 to 35 percent of your
daily protein from collagen—maybe even as high as 50
percent for people over fifty-five or sixty, whose collagen
levels are already diminished.
This way of thinking about protein is relatively new to
nutritionists and will almost certainly be new to you. But
it’s important. Twelve years ago, very few of my patients
had heard of omega-3 fats. Now, nearly every American
knows what they are—and how critical they are for overall
health. A decade down the road, the same will be true of
dietary collagen. Everyone will understand the health value
of adding collagen to their diets. That’s why I’m delighted
to introduce you to this concept. By reading this book, you
are one of the first to be turned on to this under-the-radar
health breakthrough!
If you’re not eating a balanced protein diet—and by
“balanced” I mean one that includes collagen—you’re
depriving your body of the raw materials it needs to
maintain and sustain many of its most important tissues
and functions. The amino acids in collagen not only support
healthy collagen production but also complement and work
synergistically with those found in our usual protein foods,
like the muscle meat of beef, chicken, and fish. They’re an
essential part of the protein equation—and adding them to
your diet can bolster your overall health and even your
longevity.
A collagen deficiency can have health effects that most
doctors who aren’t knowledgeable about nutrition will
miss. Several years ago, I worked with a patient, Nicky,
who was in her mid-twenties. She was super-active—a yoga
instructor, who was also an enthusiastic CrossFit devotee.
Even so, her joints were achy and painful, particularly her
knees and wrists. She wasn’t even thirty, and she was
already suffering from pain so severe that she had to take a
break from exercise and teaching, her main source of
income. She told me that she consumed lots of veggies and
fruit and quite a bit of protein—which, at first blush, sounds
like a perfectly well-rounded diet. But because she was
suffering from joint pain, I suspected she needed more
collagen. She was busy and didn’t have time to make bone
broth, so I suggested she try using a couple of scoops of a
collagen supplement in her morning smoothie, an excellent
substitute for collagen-rich bone broth or organ meats.
When I saw her two weeks later, she was all smiles. Her
joints were feeling better, she told me. Within a month she
was back to her usual intense level of daily exercise—and
she has been able to maintain her activity without pain to
this day.

RETHINKING YOUR DIETARY PROTEIN NEEDS

Protein is vital for your health. Every day, your body taps
into its amino acid reserves to carry out numerous life-
saving functions, from supporting digestion to supporting
hormone and neurotransmitter production. Without enough
protein in your diet, your body can’t effectively repair
damaged tissues or undertake the constant process of
regeneration that keeps all your muscles and organs
functioning properly. And dietary protein contributes to
your amino acid reserves, a reservoir that you call upon
every day.
As you read through the coming pages, keep in mind
that certain stressors—processed foods, emotional stress,
sleep deprivation, environmental pollution from cars,
pesticides, smoking, and excessive alcohol consumption—
deplete this crucial reservoir. Some are more controllable
than others, but it’s important to try to do what you can to
maintain a physical environment that doesn’t reduce your
amino acid levels.
A great first step: Eat a clean diet, with the very best
sources of protein, like grass-fed beef, lamb, and venison;
pasture-raised chicken, turkey, and eggs; wild-caught fish
and seafood; raw, organic dairy products; and plenty of
bone broth. I realize these options can be expensive,
sometimes prohibitively, so do the best you can within your
means. I’m encouraging you to focus on clean protein not
because it’s trendy but because it can make a difference for
your health. When animals aren’t raised humanely, they
tend to become sick and require the use of antibiotics,
hormones, and chemicals, which wind up in the food supply
—and in your body.
And keep in mind that you don’t need enormous
quantities of muscle-meat protein—just 0.36 gram per
pound of body weight for the average adult. (Athletes and
people who exercise strenuously every day need about
double that amount.) That’s about 46 grams if you weigh
130 pounds and 64 grams if you weigh 180. A three-ounce
cooked chicken breast contains about 21 grams of protein.
The other thing that will make a difference is adding
protein in the form of collagen to round out your amino
acid intake. Here’s one way I like to think about amino acid
consumption: Imagine your body is a building. Traditional
sources of protein, like steak or salmon, are the bricks—the
big solid hunks that make up the majority of the structure.
When you eat meat, the amino acids it contains help build
new muscle, the brawny workhorse tissue in your body, and
keep many of your body’s systems functioning.
But if meat, eggs, and dairy are the bricks, collagen is
the mortar. It holds the entire structure together and keeps
it solid. It prevents the bricks from rubbing together and
becoming eroded and askew. When you consume collagen,
you reinforce your skin, cartilage, tendons, and ligaments,
as well as the linings of various tissues, from your gut to
your blood vessels. Mortar isn’t more important than
bricks. But without it, your structure is unstable and will
begin to show signs of wear—and eventually collapse—far
sooner than if you had maintained a solid level of mortar all
along.
Amino acid balance is a new way of thinking about
protein. And luckily there is a simple way to deal with this
prevalent but largely unrecognized problem of protein
imbalance. By adding healthy amounts of collagen to your
diet you can bring your amino acid levels into a more
wholesome equilibrium—a state that will give you the
internal tools you need to fight aging and function
optimally for the long term.
OceanofPDF.com
CHAPTER 3

The Cool New Breakthrough Science

on Collagen

What It Is, Where It Is, and Why You Need Different

Types

It’s hard to believe there’s one nutrient you can add to your
diet that will help you sleep better at night, support healthy
muscle tissue, and reverse many of the issues that crop up
with aging. But collagen is an incredibly versatile
substance. It has to be, since it’s found in such disparate
areas throughout the body. Think about it. Your skin is far
different structurally from your bones, and cartilage is
unlike muscles or ligaments or the lining of blood vessels.
And yet collagen is woven into each one—and in some
cases it makes up the bulk of the tissue.
How can a single substance assume so many diverse
forms? The answer is simple: While this multipurpose
tissue goes by a single name, its structure varies depending
on where it is in the body. In fact, over the past ninety
years or so, researchers have identified at least twenty-
eight different types of collagen, as many as sixteen of
which are embedded in the human body, where they offer
structural support, serve as a protective barrier to ward off
injuries and dangerous microbes, and allow us to maintain
a strong, yet flexible, physique.
As I’ve said, getting more collagen in your diet is
increasingly essential as you age and your collagen-dense
tissues begin to experience wear and tear. Adding 20 to 50
grams of the substance to your daily diet can improve the
health of your gut, skin, joints, hair, nails, immune system,
vertebral disks, and blood vessels. But I don’t want you to
accept my recommendations at face value. I came to
believe in collagen by understanding the research. It’s
important for you to understand it, too, so you’ll be better
equipped to make the best call for your own health. With
that in mind, let’s take a deeper look at what happens when
you consume collagen—as well as at the most important
types of collagen—and explore how the simple habit of
getting more of each type in your daily diet can be a boon
for your well-being and even add years to your life.

WHERE COLLAGEN IS FOUND—AND WHY IT CAN

MAKE A REMARKABLE DIFFERENCE FOR YOUR
HEALTH

When you’re young, your body is, quite literally, a collagen-

making machine. Starting at around age twenty-five,
however, production begins a gradual decline. While you
continue to manufacture the substance your whole life,
you’ll have a more robust yield, and avoid the problems
that come with collagen deficiency, if you add the
substance to your diet.
When you consume the skin on a chicken thigh or a
scoop of a hydrolyzed collagen in your morning smoothie,
your gut breaks it down into its key components: amino
acids. Your body then uses those amino acids to rebuild
your collagen-dense tissues. For instance, recent research
has found peptides (short chains of amino acids) in the
blood one hour after consuming less than 2 grams of
collagen—and the quantity of peptides in the blood
increases in a step-wise manner with higher and higher
oral doses.11 At the same time, when researchers traced
radioactively labeled collagen peptides, they found
evidence of the short amino acid chains in the skin,
cartilage, and intestinal walls.12 And a study in the Journal
of Cosmetic Dermatology found that oral collagen
supplements increased collagen density in the dermis, the
collagen-containing layer of skin that lies just below the
epidermis, or outer layer, after four weeks—and increased
skin hydration after eight weeks.13
Here’s how your body’s internal collagen production
plant works: Your connective tissue contains specialized
cells known as fibroblasts. For the most part, this is where
your body begins creating collagen. (Some cells in the skin
and encasing the organs manufacture it as well.) The DNA
in the nucleus of each fibroblast holds the specific recipe
for putting together one type of collagen. Just as a car goes
through a variety of stages as it makes its way through
production, the complex assembly line of collagen
production makes a series of stops within the cell itself.
Along the way, immature amino acid groups are formed and
undergo a process known as hydroxylation—essentially
attaching hydrogen and oxygen to the amino acid strands
to make the substance more stable. Hydroxylation requires
vitamin C—another reason it’s vitally important to make
sure you get enough of this nutrient. (Scurvy, the most well-
known collagen-deficiency disorder, develops in people who
consume too little vitamin C; its symptoms include bleeding
gums, weak blood vessels, and skin ulcers.)
Eventually, the characteristic braid-like triple helix
strands are created. The fibroblast secretes these mature
collagen strands into the area outside the cell, known as
the extracellular matrix, or ECM. (We think of our tissues
as being made up of cells, but a large portion of tissue
volume is filled by the non-cell-based ECM; this intricate,
dynamic network of large molecules, including collagen
molecules, determines each tissue’s physical properties
and is constantly being remodeled and modified.)
In the ECM, the collagen strands are assembled into
tough, flexible, three-dimensional collagen fibrils composed
of differing sequences of amino acids—each of which gives
rise to one of the sixteen different types of collagen. By the
end of the process, every type of collagen possesses
distinct properties that are perfectly tailored to the needs
of the body part in which it will be used. The type of
collagen in your bones, for instance, is more rigid, while
that in your tendons is more flexible—cartilage is
somewhere in between.
Although there are sixteen variations, six of them
account for roughly 99 percent of your total collagen, and
as a result they are the most important for your health and
well-being. Here’s what you need to know about each:

Type I makes up more than 90 percent of the collagen

in your body. These fibrils are remarkable in that they are
capable of withstanding forceful stretching without
breaking. Gram for gram, type I collagen is stronger than
steel. It has to be, considering the types of tissues where it
is used: skin, bones, tendons (which connect muscles with
bones), ligaments (which connect bones and hold joints
together), the supporting structures surrounding organs,
the meniscus (the cartilage between the surface of some
joints, including the knee), and the intervertebral disks that
connect the bones of your vertebrae.
This tissue is truly remarkable. It literally holds us
together. Anytime we run, jump, or lift, we place enormous
force on our ligaments, tendons, and cartilage. We’re able
to avoid injury and move with ease thanks to type I
collagen’s superhero strength and elasticity.
Edible type I collagen is being studied for a number of
potential uses in the health realm, particularly for the skin.
I’ll go into this fascinating research in more depth in
Chapter 5, but here’s an example of what scientists have
discovered: A recent study in the Journal of Aging Research
& Clinical Practice showed that consuming type I collagen
peptides was more helpful than placebo for decreasing
crow’s-feet and increasing skin firmness in women ages
forty-six to sixty-nine.14 Oral type I collagen was also shown
to hold potential for treating patients with cutaneous
systemic sclerosis, a serious condition characterized by
skin thickening that can also affect the organs and the
lungs; in the study, researchers found that patients with
late-phase disease had a significant reduction in their skin-
thickness scores compared with those who received a
placebo.15
And skin isn’t the only tissue that benefits from this
versatile protein. Daily type I collagen consumption has
been shown to reduce pain in people with osteoarthritis,
and a study in the medical journal PLOS One that looked at
mice with injury-induced osteoarthritis found dose-
dependent increases in cartilage in the injured joints as
well as an increase in the number of healthy cartilage cells,
known as chondrocytes.16
You can bolster your type I collagen intake by consuming
foods rich in the substance, including bone broth (type I is
found in beef bones and muscles), fish skin, and eggshell
membrane.
Type II primarily helps build cartilage, which is found
in connective tissue. The health of your joints relies on
cartilage, for instance, which is why type II collagen has
been shown to be beneficial for preventing arthritis and
other age-related joint pain. This spongelike tissue is also
found in the inner core (known as the nucleus pulposus) of
your intervertebral disks, so it plays a role in cushioning
your spine and keeping it healthy and pain-free as well.
Evidence of its effectiveness has appeared in the
scientific literature for years. For instance, in one trial a
group of researchers compared the effectiveness of type II
collagen with that of glucosamine and chondroitin in a
group of patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. At the end
of the ninety-day study, both groups improved; however, on
every measure—including stiffness, physical function, and
pain during daily activities—the participants who took
collagen had a two to three times stronger response, a
fascinating finding considering how many arthritis
sufferers rely on glucosamine and chondroitin to ease their
suffering. The researchers, who published the paper in the
International Journal of Medical Sciences, concluded that
subjects treated with type II collagen “showed significant
enhancement in daily activities, suggesting an
improvement in their quality of life.” 17

Likewise, there is evidence that consuming type II

collagen for three months reduces joint pain and swelling
in people with rheumatoid arthritis—and even reduces the
time it takes those with the illness to walk about fifty feet.18
To increase your intake of type II collagen, eat more
chicken skin and broth made from chicken, duck, or turkey
bones, as well as collagen supplements that specifically
contain type II.
Type III is found in skin and blood vessels and is a
major component of the extracellular matrix, the delicate
mesh-like tissue surrounding the organs, including the
heart. In fact, the myocardial connective tissue that
maintains the functional integrity of the heart is about 80
percent type I collagen and 20 percent type III—a common
combination throughout the body.
Deficiencies in type III collagen have been linked in
animal studies to a higher risk of ruptured blood vessels
and even early death. The best sources of type III are the
muscle and bones of cows (think: bone broth) and
supplements; make sure they specify that they contain type
III.
Type IV plays a vital, unsung role in health. Because of
the unique way its fibers link, it’s more pliable than other
types of collagen and can form sheets. As a result, it’s
found primarily in the basal lamina, a specialized type of
extracellular matrix that can be structured in several ways
—and is found in a variety of tissues throughout the body.
Muscle fibers, for instance, are encased in basal lamina,
which helps regenerate the tissue after injury; basal lamina
can also sit underneath sheets of epithelial cells (which line
the surfaces of your skin, organs, urinary tract, and blood
vessels), where it provides support for the tissue, limits
contact between epithelial cells and other types of cells,
and acts as a filter that allows only water and small
molecules to pass through; and the basal lamina can
separate two sheets of cells, as it does in the kidneys,
where it serves as a sort of molecular sieve, allowing only
certain particles through.
The basal lamina is part of what’s known as the basement
membrane zone, thin, sheet-like structures that support
cells in many tissues, including the inner ear, eye, and
blood vessels, and help regulate cell behavior. The
basement membrane zone is also essential for the
development of embryos and new blood vessels.
In addition, type IV collagen is also vital for wound
healing. German researchers analyzed sixty-two human
skin wounds (including surgical wounds and stab wounds)
and found type IV collagen helps knit the skin basement
membrane zone together, allowing it to fully heal.19 The
best way to get type IV into your diet is through
supplements; check the label to make sure yours contains
it.
 Type V is less prevalent but no less necessary than
some of the other collagens. First isolated in the placenta,
the organ that develops in a woman’s uterus during
pregnancy to provide oxygen and nutrients to the fetus, it
has since been found throughout the body’s connective
tissue. Research shows type V is present in the cornea
(where it makes up 15 to 20 percent of its total collagen),
skin, uterus, kidneys, lungs, liver, pancreas, periodontal
tissue that connects teeth to bones, and synovial
membranes, the specialized connective tissue that lines the
inner surface of joints. It’s used to manufacture hair
strands as well as cell membranes, the porous outer layer
of every cell that holds its contents together and lets
nutrients in while keeping pathogens and toxins out.
A deficiency of type V is associated with loss of corneal
functioning in a connective-tissue disorder known as
Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. You can get plenty of this nutrient
by consuming beef bone broth or through supplements that
specify that they contain it.
Type X is a bit of an outlier, because it’s not associated
with cartilage so much as bone. Indeed, it’s integral to the
process of what’s known as endochondral ossification, the
mechanism responsible for bone formation from conception
through adolescence. The process begins when
chondrocytes, the cells found in healthy cartilage,
synthesize their characteristic extracellular matrix that’s
rich in type II collagen and other substances. The
chondrocytes proliferate, promoting more matrix
production. At a certain point, the chondrocytes stop
multiplying and undergo maturation, secreting a new
matrix containing type X collagen. That distinct type X-
infused matrix then undergoes rapid calcification,
becoming bone.
A similar process seems to occur throughout life as bone
is continually remodeled—and the same mechanism swings
into action to repair a broken bone. Indeed, a study of mice
with bone fractures published in the Journal of Cell
Biochemistry found that accelerated healing was associated
with higher expression of a variety of substances, including
type X and type II collagen.20 Type X is found in eggshell
membrane and chicken skin, as well as supplements that
specifically say they contain it.

THE SEVEN SUBSTANCES THAT MAXIMIZE

COLLAGEN PRODUCTION AND FUNCTION

Consuming a diet rich in collagen is the best way to

replenish your body’s diminishing supply. But to completely
maximize your collagen growth and minimize collagen
breakdown, there are seven essential substances that you
also need to get from your diet—substances that will help
you look and feel younger.
Known as collagen “cofactors,” these key nutrients help
your body synthesize proteins and lipids to form different
tissues, especially cartilage. They can also help your body
retain collagen and make it function more effectively. And
they do a lot more. Cofactors tame rampant inflammation
and reduce free radical damage, both of which are
important for the health of your body’s collagen-rich
tissues. They support joint health, mobility, and flexibility.
They help form the cartilage that surrounds your joints as
well as the synovial fluid that provides lubrication to your
joints. They aid in your ability to recover and benefit from
exercise. And they support the health of your bones, gut,
and immune system.
Here are the seven cofactors that are the most
important:

Vitamin C. I mentioned this legendary nutrient in the

prior section and explained that it’s vital to hydroxylation,
the process by which collagen strands build stability. If you
don’t get enough vitamin C, your collagen production will
slow and you’ll suffer earlier and more severely from the
problems associated with low collagen, like wrinkled skin,
gut problems, achy joints, and lackluster nails and hair.
Although the current dietary guidelines call for just 90
milligrams a day for men and 75 for women, I suggest you
supplement the daily amount you get through diet by
taking up to 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C-rich powders
made from sources like amla berry, camu camu, acerola
cherry, kakuda plum, baobab, and sea buckthorn.
Copper. Getting a daily dose of this mineral will help
activate lysyl oxidase, an enzyme that stabilizes collagen
fibrils by building crosslinks with elastin, another protein
that adds elasticity to connective tissue. Without this
crosslinking, collagen doesn’t mature properly, putting you
at risk of weak bones, among other problems. Good sources
of copper include beef liver, oysters, lobster, squid, and a
variety of seeds and nuts, including sesame seeds,
sunflower seeds, cashews, and almonds. Aim for 900
micrograms a day.
Zinc. Consuming enough zinc is important because the
mineral activates proteins essential for collagen synthesis
as well as proteins that play a vital role in wound healing.
Good sources of zinc include lamb, pumpkin seeds, grass-
fed beef, garbanzo beans, cashews, kefir, mushrooms,
spinach, and chicken. The usual daily dose is 11 milligrams
for men and 8 for women.
Manganese. This little-talked-about mineral stimulates
enzymes that are important for the production of the amino
acid proline, a key component of collagen. Proline, as you
might recall from Chapters 1 and 2, helps protect blood
vessels, improves joint health, and plays a role in heart
health. Manganese is found in brown rice, amaranth,
hazelnuts, garbanzo beans, macadamia nuts, oats, white
beans, black beans, and buckwheat. You don’t need a lot of
this mineral—just 2.5 milligrams a day for men and slightly
less than 2 for women.
Glucosamine. This naturally occurring compound is
known as an “aminosaccharide” because it is made from
chains of sugars and proteins bound together. It is
abundant in the cartilage of your joints, particularly in the
fluid around the joints, where it acts as a natural shock
absorber and joint lubricant. Indeed, it has earned a well-
deserved reputation for its ability to slow the deterioration
of joints and ease joint pain. Not only that, it works with
collagen to form the connective tissues that make up parts
of the digestive tract and immune system. And glucosamine
creates cartilage from proteoglycans, proteins that bolster
hydration and load-bearing ability in connective tissue.
Glucosamine is one of the top supplements I recommend
as part of a natural approach to arthritis treatment. It’s
also present in bone broth, so it’s naturally part of a
collagen-building diet. Glucosamine can also be healing for
the gut and minimize jaw pain and bone pain. People often
ask me if they should take glucosamine or collagen. The
reality is, collagen and glucosamine work synergistically,
with glucosamine providing necessary joint lubrication
while collagen regenerates and restores aging tissue.
Studies show that taking 1,500 milligrams of glucosamine
daily can be effective for improving joint health. Take it in
500 milligram doses three times a day.
Chondroitin. This important structural component of
cartilage is one of the key substances, along with
glucosamine, that allows joints to retain water and
withstand pressure—and studies have shown that it can be
moderately effective in relieving joint pain on its own.
When it’s used in conjunction with glucosamine, it provides
greater relief. For instance, in the first phase of the most
comprehensive long-term study—the
Glucosamine/Chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial,
known as GAIT—researchers found that the combination of
the two substances offered significant relief to study
participants with moderate to severe knee pain.21 The
combination treatment also seems to help preserve
cartilage and decrease random joint pain in people who
don’t have arthritis; other research has shown it may help
in wound healing. As with glucosamine, it seems to bolster
tissue that contains collagen—so using the substances
together may be especially effective. The most effective
dose of chondroitin is 1,200 milligrams daily in three 400
milligram doses.
Hyaluronic acid. HA, as it is known, has become the
darling of the beauty industry—and for good reason.
Hyaluronic acid molecules have a unique ability to bind and
retain water, making it especially useful for skin care, since
skin better retains its youthful dewiness when it has a high
water content. In fact, half of the HA in your body is found
in your skin. It also helps boost collagen in the skin and
joints. HA is also found in the eyes, fluid around joints,
skeletal tissues, heart valves, and lungs; in every location,
it plays the important role of maintaining tissue hydration
and lubrication. As a result, hyaluronic acid is being used in
a variety of different ways—as a supplement to increase
overall content, as a topical skin serum or moisturizer, and
in eye drops. Daily topical application of serums containing
0.1 percent of HA can help support skin hydration,
minimize wrinkles, and bolster elasticity.
Just as collagen levels wane as the years tick by, age and
sun exposure take a toll on the size and number of HA
molecules in the skin. Taking hyaluronic acid supplements
can prevent this decline. Indeed, it has the ability to
improve skin’s texture and appearance and reduce the
signs of aging. What most people don’t know is it’s also
good for reducing joint pain. It’s also in bone broth—my
favorite collagen-boosting food. When taking HA orally,
consume about 50 to 80 milligrams once or twice a day.
 Now that you understand the basics of collagen, I hope
you’re beginning to share my enthusiasm for this
remarkable—and largely unappreciated—substance. In the
coming pages, I’ll lay out the simple dietary tweaks that
will help you maximize your body’s collagen-producing
potential and explain the fascinating research that is
revealing the ways in which supporting and amplifying your
collagen levels can benefit your appearance and your
health—and even add years to your life.
OceanofPDF.com
CHAPTER 4

How to Get More Collagen in Your

Diet—Starting Today
 The Easy Four-Part Approach to Replenish Your
Internal Fountain of Youth

Back when I worked directly with patients every day, my

most rewarding appointments were follow-up visits. They
gave me the opportunity to ask patients about how my
suggestions were working. Over the course of those years, I
saw hundreds of incredible health transformations. My
patients were able to reverse chronic health conditions
and, in most cases, get off all—or the majority—of their
medications. Whether their pain had receded, their
hormones had become more balanced, their gut problems
had cleared, they felt more energized, or they’d lost weight,
it was always deeply satisfying to know that someone had
followed my advice—and become healthier as a result.
Now that I have expanded my mission, I’m able to reach
millions of people through social media, YouTube videos,
my website, and books, which is a blessing. But I rarely get
to see patients one-on-one. So I’m always delighted when
people who use my products or participate in my health
programs take the time to send me feedback about their
results. This note from a woman who participated in our
Multi Collagen Makeover program reminded me why I love
my job and believe so strongly in trying to help people
make the best choices they can about their health:

I have been wanting to let you know that collagen

helped me tremendously. I had upwards of $5,000
worth of cryotherapy done one summer for skin
issues. My hair was thin and my nails were brittle and
neither was growing. I started using collagen in my
 smoothies daily, and what a huge difference! My skin
issues started disappearing and my nails grew longer
and got stronger. My hair has been thickening, and I
love it! My body actually needed this. Even my joints
feel better. I love collagen, and will continue to use it.

Reading her feedback was a wonderful moment of

affirmation. It brought me real joy to hear how she has
benefited from collagen. Her story is a great example of
what all of us stand to gain by adding this powerful
substance to our daily diets. Because collagen is woven
throughout your body and strongly associated with youthful
qualities like strength, healing, elasticity, and flexibility,
consuming more of it can reverse some of the most
common—and most frustrating and debilitating—collagen-
depletion symptoms we all experience as we age.
Supporting your collagen levels isn’t just about adding
collagen to your diet. To truly make the most of this age-
defying protein, you also need to protect your body’s
current collagen from damage and degradation and take
steps to promote the formation of new collagen. To that
end, I’ve created the following three-part dietary approach
that bolsters collagen from the inside out and the outside
in:

Eat foods rich in collagen and the amino acids that

create collagen, like proline, hydroxyproline, and glycine,
including bone broth.
Consume foods that support your body in creating its
own collagen and reduce collagen breakdown, including
foods and herbs high in vitamin C, zinc, and polyphenols.
Avoid foods that destroy the quality and quantity of
collagen in your body.

What follows is a comprehensive guide to what you

should eat (and what you should steer clear of) to make the
most of your body’s collagen. This simple, holistic,
sustainable nutrition strategy will repair, refresh, and
rejuvenate your body’s tissues so you remain nimble,
active, healthy, and pain-free for years to come.

THE BEST SOURCES OF DIETARY COLLAGEN

Job one is to add collagen to your diet, since at this point,

in all likelihood, you’re getting almost none. It’s always
advisable to get as many nutrients as you can from whole
foods, and the same holds true for collagen. But given our
fast-paced, busy lives, it can be tricky to consume whole
sources of collagen every day. So you may need to rely on
supplements to round out your collagen intake. With that in
mind, here are the collagen-rich foods and supplements you
should rely on as you follow my collagen diet meal plan
(Chapter 12):

Bone broth. Hands down my favorite source of

collagen, this traditional food has been consumed by
humans for millennia. This ancient elixir contains a
whopping dose of valuable collagen as well as important
minerals—calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulfur,
and others—that your body can easily absorb. What’s more,
it also has glucosamine and chondroitin, two substances
that protect joint health.
The bone broths with the most nutrition are the ones you
make from scratch at home, using the bones, skin, and
gristle from organic, free-range chickens; organic, pasture-
raised beef, bison, or lamb; or wild-caught fish. When you
brew bone broth from a chicken or turkey carcass, you’ll
get loads of type II collagen, which is indispensable for
joint health. When you simmer the bones of beef, lamb, or
bison, you’ll create a broth that’s rich in the most abundant
collagen in your body, type I, as well as type III. Together,
these two types of collagen strengthen virtually every body
part you can think of: your bones, bone marrow, cartilage,
skin, joints, hair, nails, muscles, tendons, ligaments, gums,
teeth, eyes, and blood vessels. And when you steep fish
bones, scales, and fins, you wind up with a particularly
healthy broth that contains one of the most absorbable
sources of type I collagen.
Chicken and fish skin. When you eat free-range chicken
and wild-caught fish, don’t discard the skin! Season it while
you’re cooking and consume it along with the meat. It’s
tasty, and it contains high quantities of easy-to-digest
collagen.
Organ meats. Another source of collagen we’ve largely
rejected is organ meats (also known as offal or glandular
meats). Liver, for instance, contains glycine and proline, the
amino acids that form the backbone of most of our bodies’
collagen. It also has an array of B vitamins, vitamin A,
selenium, and folate. When it comes from wild venison,
lamb, grass-fed beef, or pasture-raised chicken, liver is a
true superfood—more nutrient-dense than kale or spinach.
Other organ meats are worth adding to your diet as well.
Heart has copious amounts of CoQ10, a potent antioxidant
that helps prevent damage to cells, including collagen.
Kidney is high in vitamin B12, another antioxidant, as well
as selenium, a mineral that protects cells from damage.
Sweetbreads, made from the thymus and pancreas, are
high in vitamin C, which, as you already know, is a
necessary component of your body’s internal collagen
production.
Gelatin. As I’ve mentioned, gelatin is a type of protein
derived from collagen that is beneficial for forming strong
cartilage and connective tissue. It contains glycine, proline,
hydroxyproline, glutamic acid, alanine, arginine, aspartic
acid, and lysine. Bone broth is rich in gelatin. And you can
make your own gelatin by straining off the gelatinous top
layer of bone broth and allowing it to firm up in the
refrigerator overnight. It keeps for a week in the fridge,
and you can use it as a base for desserts, soups, and stews.
Collagen supplements. While eating whole foods is
preferable, it’s not always easy to get enough collagen that
way. High-quality supplements are an ideal way to fill the
gap. A quick stroll through the supplement section of your
local health food store, however, is enough to make your
head spin. With the range of options, from gelatin to
hydrolyzed collagen to collagen peptides, it’s hard to know
which ones to choose. Here are the five things you need to
keep in mind to make the best choice:

1. Look for hydrolyzed collagen or collagen peptides.

Although different products might say one or the
other, they’re essentially the same thing. Both labels
mean the product has undergone a process called
hydrolyzation, which breaks collagen molecules down
into individual collagen peptides that are easier for
your body to absorb. In addition to being more
bioavailable, hydrolyzed collagen peptides have a
lower molecular weight and can dissolve quickly into
nearly any liquid, making them incredibly simple to
add to your diet. You can throw a scoop or two in
your morning coffee or smoothie, or add it to soup or
stew.
2. Opt for products that contain a wide array of
collagen types. Since the most abundant collagen in
your body is type I, any collagen supplement you take
should contain it. But because it’s important to have
an amino acid balance, I believe it’s best to find a
supplement that has types I, II, III, V, and X, which
account for most of the collagen in your body. A
 multi-collagen product featuring bovine collagen,
chicken collagen, fish collagen, and eggshell
membrane collagen ensures that you’re getting all
five types.
3. Bone broth protein powder and bone broth collagen
powder are great options. While hydrolyzed multi-
collagen protein is wonderful for collagen building,
bone broth collagen has an added benefit I mentioned
above: It contains glucosamine and chondroitin. If
you have arthritis or are starting to develop aches
and pains in your joints, a bone broth supplement
may be a better option.
4. Make sure the label specifies the type of collagen the
product contains. If the types aren’t listed on the
label, there’s no way to be sure what you’re getting.
5. Check the dose. Taking 10 to 30 milligrams daily is
ideal for most people. You can take more, especially if
you are on a collagen-loading program and looking to
help improve collagen deficiencies. However, if the
label recommends a super-high quantity, I’d be wary.

ADOPT AN ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DIET

It’s not just age that takes a toll on the levels of collagen in
your body. It’s inflammation. You’ve undoubtedly heard that
word a lot, but unless you work in the medical field you
might not know exactly what it means. Here’s a quick
explanation: Inflammation is part of the body’s natural
immune response to injury and infection, so in many ways
it’s protective. If you fall and cut your knee, for instance,
the area will become swollen and tender—signs that the
body is healing and repairing the tissue. However, if you
eat a diet high in sugar and processed foods, gain too much
weight, experience chronic stress, get too much exposure
to UV light, smoke, or get too little sleep or exercise, the
body can become chronically inflamed—and that’s a big
problem. Chronic inflammation is linked to all sorts of
dangerous conditions, like heart disease, stroke,
depression, and autoimmune diseases. It can also degrade
your body’s collagen, leading to chronic pain, aging skin,
and conditions like osteoarthritis.
But research shows that a nutritious diet of whole,
organic foods that come straight from nature supports a
healthy inflammation response. As a result, it protects your
body’s collagen levels, and is a necessary, integral factor in
the collagen-boosting equation.
Eating a clean diet has an additional collagen-related
advantage: brightly colored vegetables and fruits, the
cornerstone of an anti-inflammatory diet, are packed with
antioxidants, which fight free radical damage. Free radicals
are unstable molecules in the body that are created by
normal wear and tear as well as exposure to UV rays,
toxins in the environment, and even unhealthy food. They
harm other molecules in your body by stripping them of
electrons.
It’s normal to have some free radicals. In fact, a healthy
balance between free radicals and antioxidants supports
strong physiological function. But if levels get too high,
these rogue molecules can overcome your body’s ability to
regulate them. This leads to a condition known as oxidative
stress, which causes inflammation, accelerates aging,
damages cells, and overloads the immune system. Even
more concerning, there’s evidence that excess free radicals
may target proteins in particular—including collagen.
Here’s the good news: Research shows that consuming a
diet high in antioxidants can keep free radicals in check
and protect collagen. A study in the British Journal of
Dermatology, for instance, found that tomato paste, which
is rich in the antioxidant lycopene, can safeguard the
collagen in your skin by doing away with free radicals
created by sun damage.22 Other research has shown that
consumption of vitamin E, beta-carotene (the red-orange
pigment found in carrots and other vibrant veggies),
vitamin C, and selenium produces similar protective effects.
Likewise, a study in animals in the journal Atherosclerosis
discovered that antioxidants increase the collagen content
inside arteries.23
An anti-inflammatory diet has one more important
benefit: It includes a variety of healthy foods that contain
vitamin C and many of the other collagen cofactors I talked
about in Chapter 3—substances that bolster your body’s
ability to absorb and utilize the collagen you get in your
diet. If you’re interested in doing everything you can to
preserve and promote your important collagenous tissue,
the very best approach is to augment your diet with
indispensable collagen-boosting foods, herbs, and spices
that protect your cartilage, skin, tendons, and ligaments
from the ravages of age. Fortunately, many of the same
foods that fight inflammation are also collagen cofactors.
Here are the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant foods
and herbs you should eat regularly to maintain—and fully
maximize—your collagen levels:

Vegetables. Dark, leafy greens, like kale, spinach, bok

choy, Swiss chard, and collard greens, are great sources of
vitamins C, E, and A, plus other collagen cofactors, like
zinc, manganese, and copper—all of which support collagen
production. They also contain chlorophyll, which increases
skin levels of procollagen, a vital component of collagen
production. And on top of that, they are excellent sources
of antioxidant vitamins and minerals, which reduce
inflammation. Bok choy alone contains more than seventy.
In addition, both collard greens and spinach contain
glutathione, the molecule that has been called the body’s
master antioxidant because it is the most abundant and
active antioxidant in our biological arsenal. The bonus:
Glutathione also affects enzymes that protect collagen from
degrading. (If you struggle to eat adequate portions of leafy
greens, try our delicious anti-inflammatory juice
suggestions in Chapters 11 and 12.)
Broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, celery, beets,
asparagus, and cauliflower are valuable collagen-protecting
allies as well. Asparagus, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and
cabbage are super effective at boosting glutathione levels,
for instance. And when you eat these wonder foods, your
body produces sulforaphane, a substance that has the
ability to reduce oxidative stress from free radicals and
protect tissues and cells from damage. Similarly, recent
pharmacological studies have shown that celery and celery
seeds can lower inflammation. Other inflammation-lowering
veggies include carrots, butternut squash, sweet potatoes,
onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, and eggplant.
And don’t forget allium vegetables like garlic, onions,
leeks, chives, and shallots. These veggies add tons of flavor
to food and pack whopping health benefits, since they’re
high in flavonols and organosulfur compounds, which make
them effective antioxidants and anti-inflammatories. Not
only that, sulfur is an essential micronutrient and a critical
ingredient for building collagen. Use a quarter cup or so of
these flavor boosters in every dish you possibly can, from
soups and stews to omelets, pizza, and pasta.
For other fresh vegetables, aim for three to five servings
a day. Each serving is about a cup. Half a cup of starchy
veggies, like sweet potatoes and squash, is enough.
Fruit. Among the most effective anti-inflammatory
polyphenols (plant-based nutrients with antioxidant
activity) are compounds known as anthocyanins, which give
blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries
their lovely red, blue, and purple hues. One study found
that after eating 375 grams of blueberries, people had
lower levels of oxidative stress markers and higher levels of
anti-inflammatory cytokines in their blood.24 I’m also a big
fan of elderberries, cranberries, acai, maqui, and goji
berries, all of which have sky-high ORAC (oxygen radical
absorption capacity) scores, which means they’re especially
good at absorbing and eliminating free radicals. Case in
point: One study found that mice, after drinking 5 percent
goji juice, had higher levels of protective antioxidants in
their skin—and significantly less inflammatory swelling—
after sun exposure.25
Cherries, grapes, avocados, olives, kiwi, apples,
pineapple, oranges, and other citrus fruits all lower
inflammation and fight free radicals as well. For instance, a
recent literature review published in the Journal of Oral
and Maxillofacial Surgery found that bromelain, a
substance in pineapples, is effective at reducing facial
swelling (a type of localized inflammation) in people who’ve
undergone surgery for impacted molars.
Consume one to three servings of fresh fruits daily (a
serving is about half a cup).
Fermented foods. Having a robust population of good
bacteria in your gut is critical for reining in inflammation.
Here’s one key reason why: When you have a
preponderance of unhealthy bacteria in your gut, your gut
lining becomes more permeable, allowing undigested
protein molecules and pathogens into your circulatory
system. This triggers your immune system and leads to
chronic inflammation. (My book Eat Dirt goes into detail
about this condition, known as leaky gut.) As a result, it’s
important to eat foods that support the growth of healthy
bacteria, like colorful plant-based foods—as well as
fermented foods, the all-stars of the probiotic world.
Fermentation is an age-old preservative process. Our
ancestors, who didn’t have refrigerators, relied on
fermented vegetables, like kimchi, sauerkraut, real pickles
(made from scratch, since store-bought pickles usually
aren’t fermented), and fermented soybeans, like miso,
tempeh, and natto, as a key part of their diets. What we
now know: When plants’ natural sugars become fermented,
their probiotic lactic acid bacteria content soars, turning
these simple foods into powerful probiotics—and, as a
result, super inflammation fighters.
Other fermented foods to add to your diet: grass-fed,
organic, unsweetened yogurt; kefir (made from cow, goat,
or sheep’s milk); and kombucha (made from black tea and
sugar). Likewise, raw, organic apple cider vinegar, made
from fermented apples, has been used in healing for
centuries and can promote gut health; it also is a great
source of vitamin C, a terrific collagen booster. Use 1 to 2
tablespoons per day. If you’re new to fermented veggies
and other foods, start with a half a cup a day and build up
gradually to one to two cups a day. This gives your gut time
to adjust to the presence of new bacteria. And be sure to
eat a variety of fermented foods, since each one contains
different beneficial bacteria.
Protein. As I explained in Chapter 2, your body is
meant to have a balance of amino acids. So in addition to
consuming the amino acids found in collagen, it’s also
important to get a healthy quantity of other amino acids—
many of them essential amino acids—from other types of
protein. While you should aim to get 25 to 35 percent (or
even up to 50 percent if you’re over fifty-five or sixty) of
your protein from collagen, the rest needs to come from the
wholesome, organic protein sources below. If possible, have
20 to 30 grams of protein with every meal. If you’re
vegetarian or vegan, be sure to eat the recommended daily
amount of seeds and nuts, which are good alternative
sources.
Wild-caught fish is at the top of my list, because it has a
full complement of amino acids, plus it is rich in sulfur.
Furthermore, fatty fish, particularly wild-caught salmon, is
one of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids available,
putting it in the A-plus category in terms of its ability to
slash inflammation. Tuna, sardines, and mackerel are all
excellent sources of omega-3s as well. Research shows that
people who regularly consume these omega-3-rich types of
fish are less likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis, an
inflammation-related condition, and omega-3 consumption
can help reduce joint inflammation and pain in those who
already have the illness. A 3-ounce serving of fish provides
19 to 26 grams of protein. (One word of warning: Farmed
fish doesn’t have the same nutrients as wild-caught, and I
recommend that you avoid it. I also don’t recommend
shellfish, because it is often contaminated.)
I’ve already told you about the many benefits of bone
broth, but here’s one more factor in its favor: It is a
powerful inflammation fighter. A study published in the
journal Chest found that sipping chicken broth reduced the
number of white blood cells that cause inflammation-
related symptoms, like a stuffy nose.26
Grass-fed beef, lamb, venison, and other meats (I don’t
recommend pork or shellfish, because they are often
contaminated with toxins) are important because they
contain complete proteins, meaning they give you the full
gamut of essential amino acids your body can’t live without,
plus other nonessentials. They’re also an important part of
a collagen-bolstering diet, because they contain sulfur, a
building block of collagen. A 3-ounce serving of any of
these meats provides about 25 to 29 grams of protein.
Pasture-raised poultry, like chicken or turkey, has an
amino-acid profile similar to that found in your body. A 3-
ounce serving provides 21 to 24 grams of protein. And
pasture-raised eggs are rich in a range of amino acids as
well as sulfur. Each egg contains about 6 grams of protein.
Meanwhile, raw, organic, and fermented dairy products,
like milk, yogurt, kefir, and cheese, offer the complete
gamut of essential amino acids, plus calcium and, in the
case of yogurt and kefir, gut-healing microbes. One cup of
full-fat yogurt, for instance, provides about 8 to 9 grams of
protein. I don’t recommend any dairy that is processed,
because it can be hard on the digestive system.
Plants have protein, too. Legumes, beans, nuts, seeds,
100 percent whole grains, and even some veggies, like
leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables, provide a variety
of amino acids. But it’s important to know that plant
proteins are considered incomplete proteins, because they
lack one or more of the essential amino acids your body
needs. So if you’re vegan or vegetarian, be sure to eat a
range of plant protein to ensure you’re getting all the
amino acids you need.
That said, plant protein has a lot going for it. Nuts and
seeds are great inflammation fighters, since they contain
high levels of inflammation-curbing magnesium, l-arginine,
and vitamin E. Walnuts, flaxseed, and chia seeds contain
alpha linoleic acid, a type of omega-3 fatty acid—and
omega-3s are one of the most potent anti-inflammatories
found in nature. Walnuts also contain ellagitannins, a type
of polyphenol that your gut converts into a compound that
protects the body against runaway inflammation. At the
same time, eating a healthy quantity of almonds has been
shown to lower some markers of inflammation, including C-
reactive protein (CRP).
Moreover, nuts and seeds make healthy, filling snacks and
can add crunch and flavor to salads. A half cup of cooked
grains, beans, or legumes contains 5 to 9 grams of protein.
One cup of vegetables has about 2 to 3 grams.
Fats and oils. Healthy fats, like coconut oil, grass-fed
butter, ghee, and organic mayonnaise, should be a part of
your daily diet. They support nutrient absorption, appetite
control, hormone production, and mental health. Likewise,
certain other fats are known for their ability to suppress
inflammation. Take extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). High in
monounsaturated fats, it also contains polyphenols, like
lignans and oleocanthal, which have been associated with
lower joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis. Walnut oil is
high in alpha-linoleic acid, which, as I mentioned above,
can lower levels of C-reactive protein, a key marker of
inflammation. Avocado oil, according to studies, seems to
lower CRP as well. When purchasing fats and oils, choose
organic products whenever possible. And use coconut oil or
butter for cooking and EVOO for salad dressing, drizzled
over cooked veggies, or as an ingredient in dips and
spreads.
Herbs and spices. Even though herbs and spices have
been used in healing for eons, in the West they’ve largely
been viewed merely as an easy way to add flavor to food—
until now. New studies are shining a light on the health
benefits of many everyday herbs and spices, and that
research has revealed their ability to tackle out-of-control
inflammation and neutralize free radicals. In fact, gram for
gram, these flavorful beauties offer more antioxidant
protection than vegetables and fruit.
The herbs and spices that should be a part of your
collagen-boosting, anti-inflammatory diet include: turmeric,
ginger, clove, cinnamon, rosemary, parsley, thyme, sage,
oregano, cayenne, black pepper, basil, and mint. They all
contain flavonoids that are involved in antioxidant
defenses, a healthy inflammation response, and cell
renewal. Turmeric, for instance, contains curcumin, a
yellow pigment that has strong antioxidant and anti-
inflammatory properties, probably because it inhibits
certain enzymes that drive inflammation. Ginger contains a
variety of anti-inflammatory compounds, including
gingerol, shogaol, paradol, and zingerone. A study
published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
found that clove and cinnamon stick are the most potent
antioxidants out of the twenty-six herbs and spices
studied.27 Studies of rosemary have repeatedly shown it
has anti-inflammatory capacity. Furthermore, research
published in Food and Function shows that rosemary can
reduce inflammation and oxidative stress in rats with
arthritis.28 Get in the habit of using these wonder
ingredients liberally when you cook (they’re great as a
replacement for sugar and salt) and adding them to your
bone broth. You can also get creative by making herbal
infusions and delicious, delicately flavored teas.
Tonic herbs and mushrooms. Supplemental herbs and
mushrooms can bolster your efforts at minimizing
inflammation. For instance, ashwagandha. It’s an
adaptogenic herb, meaning that its use can help to rectify
imbalances in the body, regulating your hormonal response
to stress as well as reducing the effects of free radical
damage. A study published in the Journal of
Complementary and Integrative Medicine showed that
ashwagandha exhibited antioxidant activity and lowered
inflammation in rats with arthritis—effects comparable to
those of methotrexate, a commonly prescribed
pharmaceutical. 29

Other adaptogenic herbs used in ancient health care

systems like Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine
include Asian and American ginseng, astragalus, and
rhodiola. Similarly, a variety of mushrooms possess
antioxidant properties, and studies show they may offer
protection against collagen degradation and promote
collagen synthesis, especially in wound healing. For
instance, Sparassis crispa, or cauliflower mushrooms,
improved wound healing in diabetic rats by promoting the
synthesis of type I collagen.30 Other free-radical-
scavenging mushrooms include the extremely common
white mushroom, Agaricus bisporus (when mature it’s
known as a portobello); reishi; white oyster mushroom; and
the giant funnel mushroom, whose white cap can grow up
to sixteen inches.
Beverages. The medical field has long recognized that
green tea’s high antioxidant content offers protection from
heart problems and cancer. More recent studies have
shown that it has anti-inflammatory properties as well.
I’m a fan of matcha, a high-grade, finely ground
concentrated green tea. The leaves are essentially ground
up, so instead of discarding the leaves after steeping, as
you do when you drink traditional tea, you consume a
dissolvable version of the actual leaves. As a result, matcha
offers a more potent blend of nutrients and antioxidants
called polyphenols, which have an anti-inflammatory effect.
I drink a cup or two every day.
Another beverage with anti-inflammatory properties is
red wine. It contains resveratrol, a plant-based polyphenol
molecule that has been shown to protect cartilage. One
study in the Journal of Medicinal Food found that high
doses of a resveratrol supplement reduced pain and
markers of inflammation in those with knee
osteoarthritis.31

Dark chocolate and cacao nibs. Who doesn’t love

chocolate? The good news is that, in moderation, dark
chocolate and cacao can be part of a healthy anti-
inflammatory diet. Dark chocolate contains flavonoids and
polyphenols, both of which fight free radicals. In fact, the
content of these substances is higher in dark chocolate’s
cocoa than in tea or red wine. Look for chocolate that is 70
percent cocoa or higher. Such varieties contain more
antioxidants and less sugar. Dark chocolate also contains
collagen cofactors, like zinc and manganese. Cacao, which
comes from the seeds of fruits of the cacao tree (from
which dark chocolate is made), is a superfood in its own
right, containing a variety of unique collagen-boosting
phytonutrients, including high amounts of sulfur and
magnesium. Cacao nibs have more antioxidant activity than
tea, wine, blueberries, and even goji berries. Have a few
small pieces a day.

AVOID THESE DIETARY COLLAGEN BUSTERS!

Just as there are foods that can protect and enhance your
collagen levels, there are ones that can tear it down. In
order to preserve this precious tissue, avoid these collagen-
destroying foods:

Refined carbs. Crackers, cookies, cereal, pasta, bread,

and baked goods contain sugar and chemicals that are
damaging to collagen molecules, thereby diminishing the
quality of the tissue, and can erode the quantity of your
collagen as well.
French fries and other fried foods. Fried foods fuel
inflammation, creating an internal environment that puts
collagen at risk.
Soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages. Sugar is
collagen’s nemesis. It causes your insulin to spike, which
leads to inflammation. And, as I’ve mentioned before, it
creates advanced glycation end products, also known as
glycotoxins, which fuel free radical damage and
inflammation.
Processed meats. Hot dogs, pepperoni, salami, and
lunch meats are packed with nitrates and other chemicals
that can lead to inflammation. Avoid them if you can.

Knowing what to eat is empowering because it provides

you with the basic information you need to choose foods
with confidence. The best part: A diet that’s healthy for
collagen is super nutritious for the rest of your body as
well. Reducing inflammation can help you fight almost
every other major disease that afflicts Americans today,
from heart disease to cancer. So by adopting a collagen-
boosting diet you’re really committing to a wellness-
boosting diet—one that will make you feel and look your
best. Here’s to enhancing collagen—and your life!
OceanofPDF.com
CHAPTER 5

The Six Habits That Supercharge (or

Sabotage) Collagen

How to Tweak Your Lifestyle to Protect Your Joints,

Skin, and More

We all know that our lifestyle choices have an impact on

our health. Even so, in the midst of hectic day-to-day
demands, it’s super easy to lose sight of our long-term
health goals. I’m as guilty as anyone else. When I’m under
stress at work, I sleep too little, skip exercise, and become
less diligent about my diet. Our bodies are designed to be
resilient, so they have the ability to adjust to those
challenges in the short term. But if poor habits become the
norm—if you’re chronically sleep-deprived or sedentary or
living on fast food—every system and tissue in your body
will suffer, including your collagen.
In previous chapters, we’ve seen how the modern
Western diet leads to collagen deficiency, and how
replacing it with an anti-inflammatory diet of whole,
organic foods—including lots of antioxidant-rich, collagen-
boosting veggies and collagen-rich foods like bone broth
and organ meats—can help you shore up your supply of this
vital, healthful substance. But it’s not just poor nutrition
that is taking a toll on collagen; our high-stress lifestyles
are also a big problem. In order to keep up with our always-
on, hard-driving culture, many of us make daily choices
that place undue pressure and stress on this at-risk tissue.
So my collagen diet plan isn’t just about tweaking your
daily eating habits. It’s about looking at your whole lifestyle
and making small changes that work synergistically with
your nutrition-related efforts to have a surprisingly big
impact on collagen. By pairing diet with lifestyle, you can
support and enhance this turn-back-the-clock tissue and
keep yourself feeling and looking young for years to come.
Here are the six healthy lifestyle choices that will
safeguard and stimulate collagen—and help you get the
most out of the collagen diet. (The bonus: They’ll improve
your health and your state of mind.)

Sit less, move more. When the American College of

Sports Medicine and the American Medical Association
officially endorsed the widespread health benefits of
movement with their 2007 Exercise Is Medicine initiative,
they were echoing an idea that has been promoted by
physicians since before Hippocrates. According to ancient
records, Susruta, an Indian physician, was the first to
recommend exercise to his patients in 600 BCE. “Diseases
fly from the presence of a person habituated to regular
physical activity,” according to Susruta.
He was right, of course, and heeding that ancient wisdom
is more vital now than ever. Although the percentage of
U.S. adults who meet the weekly exercise recommendations
(150 minutes per week of moderate exercise or 75 minutes
per week of vigorous aerobic exercise) has risen from about
42 to 53 since 2007, there are still millions of people who
are dangerously sedentary. And when it comes to collagen,
lack of physical activity can be ruinous. Research shows
that those who spend more time sitting have higher levels
of C-reactive protein (CRP), an important marker of
inflammation. And, as you know from Chapter 4,
inflammation attacks collagen, eroding both its volume and
its functionality.
That can be quite serious. In addition to the well-known
problems associated with collagen deterioration, like skin
wrinkling and joint pain, losing this vital tissue can
heighten your risk for cardiovascular disease. Studies show
that when the collagen in the lining of your arteries wanes
with age, your arteries begin to harden, which is an
important risk factor for heart disease and high blood
pressure.
But here’s the good news: Study after study has shown
that exercise can reduce inflammation. A recent study
published in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, for instance,
found that just twenty minutes of brisk walking is enough
to trigger an anti-inflammatory response.32 And a recent
literature review in the European Journal of Clinical
Investigation explained, at least in part, why: When you
start moving, your muscle cells release interleukin-6 (IL-6),
a protein that lowers levels of compounds that fuel
inflammation.33
At the same time, research has revealed that moderate-
intensity exercise can help build collagen. An animal study
published in Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine, for
instance, found that eight weeks of moderate-intensity
running not only increased collagen synthesis in the
Achilles tendon but also promoted the quality of the
tissue.34 And another animal study found that both low- and
moderate-intensity running significantly increased cartilage
thickness in the knee.35
If you already exercise, fantastic. Keep it up! If not, now
is the time to start. It can be challenging to start a new
fitness routine, much less commit to one long term. But
here’s something to try: Since motivation is notoriously
fickle, take it out of the equation as much as possible. Set
up a standing walking date with a reliable friend to keep
you accountable. Lay out your exercise clothes the night
before, so they’re the first thing you see in the morning.
Find a gym that’s near your home or work, so it’s easy to
get to. When you feel your desire to get out the door
waffling, remind yourself of the things you value—good
health (including healthy collagen!), increased vitality, the
ability to travel or play with your kids—that exercise can
deliver.
Don’t let tiny slipups derail you; if you miss a day or two
because of family obligations or the flu, just chalk it up to
life and go back to your routine. And believe in yourself!
Research shows that people who believe they have
unlimited supplies of willpower seem to exhibit more stick-
to-itiveness, not because they’re built differently from the
rest of us but simply because they believe they can.
Create calm. Stress in itself isn’t a bad thing. Indeed,
it’s meant to protect us. When you’re crossing the street
and see a car coming at you, or your toddler who can’t
swim jumps into the pool, it sets off an alarm in the brain,
which floods the body with a cascade of hormones that
prepare you to fight or flee. Your pulse quickens, your
muscles tense, your senses heighten. From time
immemorial, this response has protected us from incoming
threats, be it a saber-tooth tiger or an oncoming bus. But
when stress continues day after day—when you’re worried
about where your next paycheck is coming from, or going
through a divorce, or struggling with a chronic health
issue, or on call 24/7 with aging parents—your body stays
in that state of high alert and begins to release pro-
inflammatory cytokines. And by now you understand why
that’s dangerous: Inflammation can damage collagen.
There are many ways to tame stress: exercise; reading;
taking an Epsom salt bath (the magnesium calms your
nervous system); prayer; using essential oils like jasmine,
sandalwood, vetiver, and lavender; and taking supplements
like ginseng, ashwagandha, rhodiola, and magnesium.
But one of the most effective long-term solutions for
coping with stress is mindfulness meditation. It not only
helps relax you but also helps you become less reactive to
emotional situations. That’s important, because better
cognitive control is associated with less pronounced pro-
inflammatory cytokine reactivity to stress. In a recent study
in the journal Stress, researchers tested participants to
assess their level of cognitive control of emotional
information and the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in
their saliva. Then study subjects viewed either an
emotionally evocative video or a neutral video. When the
researchers remeasured participants’ salivary cytokine
levels, they discovered that those who had tested high on
cognitive control had significantly lower levels of the
inflammation-promoting chemicals after viewing the
emotional video.36 Mindfulness seems to increase cognitive
emotional control by building brain areas associated with
the skill, like the prefrontal cortex, and by diminishing the
size of the amygdala, which is associated with fear and
worry.
At the same time, the practice in itself reduces
inflammation. In a recent study, researchers from Carnegie
Mellon University recruited thirty-five people looking for
work—an understandably stressed-out group. Half
participated in a three-day mindfulness retreat while the
other half did a relaxation retreat. The researchers
compared participants’ brain scans and blood tests from
before the interventions and after. They found that the
mindfulness training (but not the relaxation) had rewired
participants’ brains, creating greater connectivity between
two areas: the default mode network, which is active when
your mind is wandering, and the executive attention
network, which is involved in paying attention and
planning. Those who attended the mindfulness retreat also
had lower levels of interleukin-6, a key marker of
inflammation.37
In a similarly intriguing finding, other research has
shown that meditation can tame an inflammation-related
signaling pathway known as NF-kB, which is associated
with aging tissue, including aging skin.38 In other words, it
may play a role in protecting collagen itself.
Mindfulness has been described as “paying attention on
purpose.” And while it’s not necessarily easy, the idea
really is that simple. Just sit quietly, close your eyes, and
bring your attention to your breathing, the sounds in your
environment, or the sensations in your body. Your mind will
wander and you’ll get distracted. That’s completely normal,
so don’t let it discourage you. When it happens, simply
acknowledge in a nonjudgmental way that your mind has
strayed, and bring your attention back to your breath (or
the sounds or sensations to attend to). Try to do this
practice every day for five to ten minutes, and work your
way up to twenty to thirty minutes. That small amount is
enough to make significant changes in your brain and your
ability to cope with everyday challenges.
Embrace sleep. Get your beauty sleep. How many
times have you heard that phrase? Turns out, the advice is
solid—and sleep’s effect on skin is real. For one thing, the
body undergoes necessary repairs during those hours of
shut-eye. Studies have shown, for instance, that bone
remodeling is interrupted in people who undergo a few
days of sleep deprivation. The same thing happens with
your skin. While you’re asleep, your body releases a variety
of chemicals designed to rebuild and repair skin—and a
critical part of the rejuvenation process is producing more
collagen. And, of course, sleep deprivation is a stress in
itself, which means it promotes inflammation.
To take full advantage of the collagen-promoting benefits
of sleep, make sure your bedroom is dark and quiet (wear
earplugs or use a white noise machine if you’re particularly
sensitive to noise); keep the temperature at 60 to 67
degrees, the range that is considered optimal for sleep; and
set aside eight solid hours on most nights. It can be hard in
our go-go-go culture to turn off the TV and computer and
crawl into bed. But giving yourself the gift of regular rest
can protect your whole body from the ravages of age.
Watch your weight. On a practical level, carrying too
much weight can compress collagen-rich tissues, like knee
and spine cartilage, causing them to wear down more
quickly than they should. But excess fatty tissue is also
dangerous because it, too, can promote inflammation,
especially if your weight collects in a spare tire around
your belly.
Fat cells release hormones, and research shows that the
deep fat that surrounds the organs in your belly, known as
visceral fat, is particularly active. They churn out pro-
inflammatory cytokines, which helps explain why people
who are apple-shaped as opposed to pear-shaped are more
likely to develop inflammation-related diseases, like insulin
resistance, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and
atherosclerosis. As you know, those chemicals also damage
collagen.
The best way to get rid of visceral belly fat is through a
low-carb, low-sugar diet. The anti-inflammatory diet I lay
out in this book is great for weight loss. Another option is
the ketogenic diet, which radically reduces carb intake and
is worth considering if you have a lot of excess belly fat.
(My Keto Diet book offers a comprehensive, effective plan
for slashing carbs and reducing belly fat.) Other science-
vetted strategies include getting daily aerobic exercise;
eating more soluble fiber and protein (including collagen
protein!), both of which help you feel full longer; and
getting plenty of sleep.
Take good care of your mouth. Gum disease is a
notorious driver of inflammation and is a serious risk factor
for cardiovascular disease. But simply brushing, flossing,
and seeing a dentist regularly for cleanings and check-ups
can go a long way toward protecting the health of your
gums—as can rinsing your mouth with salt water regularly.
A saltwater rinse can kill bacteria and get rid of stray bits
of food stuck in your teeth. It can also speed healing of
your gums. Just mix a half teaspoon of salt into a glass of
warm water and swish around your mouth for thirty
seconds several times a day. Practicing good oral hygiene is
an often-overlooked way to protect your collagen—as well
as your overall health.
Don’t smoke. Take one look at a longtime smoker’s skin
and you can see for yourself what it does to collagen. But it
doesn’t just affect the visible collagen in your tissue. In a
study reported in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases,
researchers followed current smokers and nonsmokers, all
of whom had osteoarthritis, for thirty months. By the end of
the study, they discovered that smokers were more than
twice as likely to have significant cartilage loss in their
joints as nonsmokers—and smokers experienced more knee
pain.39
There are a number of possible explanations. For one
thing, the toxins in cigarette smoke create free radicals, so
smoking increases oxidative stress that contributes to
cartilage loss. Additionally, animal studies have found that
chondrocytes—cells that produce collagen—become
disordered when the animals are exposed to cigarette
smoke. So if you need another reason to stay away from
tobacco, add protecting your precious supply of collagen to
the list.

As you move forward in this book—and as you begin to

practice the collagen-promoting plan I’ve laid out—I’d like
you to start working toward embracing a more collagen-
friendly lifestyle. Some of you may have a long way to go;
others may be almost there. Regardless of where you are
on that spectrum, this isn’t about perfection. It’s about
doing what you can and striving for a healthier approach
overall. Some of these changes are easier than others, but
they’ll all pay dividends—and not just when it comes to
collagen. Every single one of the strategies I suggest in this
chapter will improve your health on a cellular level. They
give you more energy, a clearer mind, greater equanimity,
and more confidence, which allows you to bring your best
self to your family, your friends, your colleagues, and the
world.
OceanofPDF.com
CHAPTER 6

How Stem Cells Repair and Restore

Cartilage and Skin

The New Frontier in Anti-Aging Medicine Is All about

Collagen

In the two previous chapters, I’ve explained dozens of ways

you can support your body’s natural collagen through diet
and lifestyle. Now I’m excited to tell you about a third
strategy for regenerating collagen-rich tissue: your body’s
own stem cells. If you tear a ligament, the new tissue that
forms as it slowly knits itself back together comes from
stem cells. The same thing happens in your liver. If you
have cirrhosis and adopt healthier lifestyle habits, the new
organ cells that replace the damaged ones originate from
stem cells.
In fact, throughout your life, the stem cells in your bone
marrow, body fat, skin, muscles, blood vessels, and brain
have been working diligently behind the scenes to patch up
and rebuild injured or damaged tissues—including those
with the highest collagen content, like your skin, ligaments,
tendons, cartilage, spinal disks, gut, and blood vessels.
The stem cells responsible for this remarkable act of
regeneration are known as adult stem cells. (They’re not
the controversial embryonic stem cells you’ve undoubtedly
heard about, but I’ll explain more about those later.) The
human body has more than two hundred types of cells.
Each has a specific size, shape, and skill set that makes it
perfectly suited to its function in the body. Except stem
cells. They’re nonspecific—in other words, they aren’t
assigned one particular role. But they have a unique
superpower: They’re the only cells that can transform into
other types of cells—be it tendon, liver, muscle, blood, or
brain—and seamlessly integrate into the distinct body parts
where those cells belong to revitalize and renew the
existing tissue.
As a result, adult stem cells are key players in your
body’s internal healing system. Sometimes they undertake
repairs on their own. For instance, in the skeletal muscle,
gut, bone marrow, and brain, adult stem cells continually
transform into new specialized cells to replace those that
are damaged through injury, illness, or normal wear and
tear.
Other times, adult stem cells lie dormant for years, as
often happens in the pancreas and heart. Then, when these
organs incur damage—from a heart attack, for instance—
the body activates these versatile cells, and they move in to
mend the organ and replace its worn-out and impaired
cells.
And now, thanks to recent medical advances, doctors are
increasingly using patients’ own stem cells to help them
overcome injuries and diseases. From regenerating
cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and skin to repairing
damaged hearts, fighting cancer, and fending off
Alzheimer’s, stem cells are beginning to take on greater
importance in medicine. As science continues to reveal
what these cells are capable of, they will undoubtedly play
an ever-larger role in treatments of the future.
While the idea of using stem cells to treat illness is new
and exciting, a similar concept, known as jing, or essence,
has existed in Traditional Chinese Medicine for several
thousand years. Jing is considered the origin of life.
Similarly, embryonic stem cells—those that are present
when a recently fertilized egg is three to five days old—give
rise to the entire body and every cell in it. Jing deficiency is
caused by chronic disease, stress, and aging—some of the
same hazards that damage and deplete stem cells. And, as
I’ll explain in more detail below, Chinese herbs meant to
nourish jing are increasingly being shown to promote stem
cell proliferation and differentiation.
Both Eastern and Western medicine agree: Having a
healthy population of stem cells ready to swing into action
when needed is vital for healthy aging—and healthy
collagen. But stem cells age, just like other cells in your
body, and they’re susceptible to many of the same
degrading insults, like poor diet and inflammation.
Fortunately, there are steps you can take to protect this
internal source of healing.
Let’s take a look at how stem cells come to the rescue
when collagen-rich tissue is damaged, as well as the simple
steps you can take—including the use of Chinese herbs—to
help you maintain a thriving population of these
remarkable cells, which provide your body with the ability
to regenerate collagen and heal itself.

HOW STEM CELLS PROMOTE HEALING

In 2005, Bartolo Colón, a longtime starting pitcher in Major

League Baseball, won the American League Cy Young
Award, an honor that goes to the league’s best pitcher. In
the years that followed, he struggled with injuries and was
shunted from team to team. Toward the end of the 2009
season, he was sidelined by an elbow injury, and he sat out
all of 2010. It looked like that moment in 2005 had been
the pinnacle of his quickly diminishing career. Then,
suddenly, in 2011 he was back—and throwing ninety-five-
mile-per-hour fastballs. He retired in 2019, after twenty-
one seasons—at age forty-six.
How did “Big Sexy,” as fans called him, manage to play
another eight years of Major League Baseball after
sustaining injuries that are often career ending? In 2010,
doctors harvested stem cells from Colón’s own body fat and
bone marrow and injected them into the damaged
ligaments around his elbow and the torn rotator cuff in his
shoulder. The cells worked to repair the damage in Colón’s
joints, restoring their collagen levels and, as a result, their
functionality.
Colón’s astonishing, stem-cell-driven comeback was the
first to be reported in the media—but he wasn’t the first
athlete to use the treatment to repair injured tendons,
cartilage, or bone tissue. And he definitely wasn’t the last.
By now hundreds of pro athletes, as well as high school
and college hopefuls, have received stem cell therapy.
Before he retired, Alex Rodriguez, who played shortstop
and third base, used it to repair an injured knee. Tiger
Woods had stem cell treatments to rejuvenate his knee
tendons. Kobe Bryant used his body’s own platelet rich
plasma, which supports stem cells, to help repair a torn
Achilles during his NBA comeback. And Super Bowl–
winning quarterback Peyton Manning had stem cell
injections to heal a neck injury.
You’ve probably heard a bit about stem cell therapy, the
cornerstone of the surging new field of regenerative
medicine. But here’s something you most likely don’t know:
The approach is an innovative way to surgically renew
collagen, because it has the potential to literally turn back
the clock on aging collagen-infused tissues, like cartilage,
tendons, ligaments, and bones.
That’s what seems to have happened with Bartolo Colón
and hundreds of other athletes who’ve returned to play
after stem cell therapy. Colón’s doctor used so-called
mesenchymal adult stem cells (MSCs) in his treatment.
They’re found in bone marrow, fat cells, dental tissue, and
skin, where they give rise to a variety of different types of
specialized cells, like bone, muscle, and fat. But MSCs can
also transform into cartilage cells called chondrocytes,
which produce the extracellular matrix in which collagen
resides; in other words, they’re particularly useful for
regenerating collagen.
Thanks to their ability to infuse cartilage with new life,
MSCs have been shown to be helpful in healing soft-tissue-
related injuries and illnesses. For a small study in the
International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases, for instance,
researchers injected MSCs into the joints of patients with
severe osteoarthritis and found they reported a significant
improvement in pain as well as the number of stairs they
could climb; when the researchers followed up with study
subjects five years later, the knees that had been treated
had deteriorated somewhat, but they still functioned better
than they had before the treatment.40 Likewise, a study in
Transplantation revealed that injecting MSCs into arthritic
joints can improve patients’ cartilage quality41—which
means it improves collagen quality as well.
Researchers believe that stem cells not only help heal
tissue directly, by creating new cells, but also create a
healing environment that promotes cellular rejuvenation.
Mesenchymal stem cells produce anti-inflammatory
cytokines, for instance. They also secrete growth factors,
which stimulate cell proliferation and promote the
production of the collagen-filled extracellular matrix. At the
same time, they signal the body to deliver nutrients and
other substances required for cellular repair.
While stem cells are an exciting new tool for helping
repair injured connective tissue, their healing promise
extends beyond anatomical issues. Bone marrow
transplants, which transfer blood stem cells to patients,
have been used for more than fifty years to treat blood
disorders like leukemia and lymphoma. What’s more,
studies are under way to determine if stem cell therapy
could one day change the course of devastating conditions
like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s, spinal cord injuries,
and even heart disease, cancer, and type 1 diabetes.
As I mentioned earlier, stem cell therapy is often viewed
as controversial, largely because of its connection with
embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Embryonic stem cells have
more versatility than adult stem cells. They can become any
type of cell, whereas adult stem cells’ transformation
options are somewhat more limited. However, that
versatility has a downside. For example, ESCs may
transform into the wrong cell types, causing tumors and
other problems. And the immune system sometimes sees
ESCs as foreign invaders and attacks the new tissue they
form.
The other concerning issue is that ESCs are harvested
from early-stage embryos not long after fertilization takes
place. The cells are retrieved from in vitro fertilization
clinics, which typically have a supply of extra embryos that
were not used by patients; in order to use these embryos
for stem cell research, doctors need informed consent from
the donors. The National Institutes of Health also has
guidelines that define how these cells can be used in
scientific studies. But understandably, some people object
to using embryonic tissue for research.
The field of regenerative medicine is new, and
researchers are still discovering how best to grow stem
cells in a lab, what conditions they’re most effective in
treating, and how to utilize them to optimize healing, but I
think it’s important for you to understand the state of play
when it comes to how stem cells heal and restore collagen-
rich tissue, as well as their medical potential.
I believe the treatment may one day offer next-level
healing for many people who have sustained joint- or bone-
related injuries as well as those who want to keep their
bodies as young and high-functioning as possible well into
old age.

HOW TO SUPPORT YOUR STEM CELLS (SO THEY

CAN PROTECT YOUR COLLAGEN!)

As I mentioned earlier, stem cells age, just like all other

living organisms. However, the aging of stem cells carries
greater significance, according to some researchers.
They’ve formulated the “stem cell theory of aging,” which
speculates that the human body’s aging process is the
result of aging stem cells. In other words, as stem cells get
older and become less capable of replenishing tissues and
organs with sufficient numbers of new cells to maintain
their function, our bodies themselves show more signs of
wear and tear, falling into decline and disrepair.
The theory makes a certain amount of sense. After all,
stem cells, more than any other types of cells, are
responsible for rejuvenating our tissue. And regardless of
whether stem cells are responsible for aging or simply play
an active role in the process, we know that these
remarkable cells, along with the collagen they create, can
help keep our bodies more youthful. As a result, it makes
sense to do everything we can to protect this elegant, built-
in, biological repair system.
Like collagen—and pretty much every other tissue in
your body—stem cells thrive in a wholesome, low-
inflammation environment. The dietary guidance I provided
in Chapter 4 will go a long way toward creating the ideal
internal milieu to foster stem cell replication and
differentiation. But here are six other ways you can help
your supply of stem cells thrive:

Slash your sugar consumption. That means staying

away from sweets and limiting simple carbs, which cause a
surge in blood sugar that’s almost as extreme eating a
candy bar. Need motivation? In a study looking at stem cell
function in the adipose tissue of people with and without
diabetes, researchers at Tulane University Health Science
Center found that elevated glucose in both groups (but
especially diabetics) reduced stem cells’ ability to
proliferate and turn into cartilage or bone cells—and could
actually cause stem cell death.42 Limiting sugar, on the
other hand, improves adult stem cell function and also
prolongs the cells’ life span.43
Try short-term fasting. Studies have long shown that
fasting can be good for the body. Now, research has
revealed that it can give stem cells a boost, too. For
instance, biologists from the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology recently reported that a twenty-four-hour fast
can reverse the age-related loss of intestinal stem cells in
mice44—a vital finding, since intestinal stem cells are
responsible for maintaining the lining of the intestine,
which renews every five days, as well as repairing damage
from infections or injuries. As you age, the population of
stem cells in your gut shrinks, making it more difficult to
recover from gastrointestinal infections. Scientists don’t
understand precisely how fasting helps, but here’s what we
know so far: When mice go without food for a full day, it
triggers a metabolic switch that prompts intestinal stem
cells to begin burning fatty acids instead of glucose, and,
for reasons that aren’t entirely clear, shifting from glucose
to fat revives the regenerative capacity of stem cells and
significantly enhances their function.
Similarly, another study in mice, reported in the journal
Cell, found that not eating for even a few hours can elevate
muscle stem cell activity—and the approach worked well in
both young and old rodents.45
Stay strong—and active. There’s lots of research
showing that exercise is good for stem cells—and having
healthy stem cells is vital for the body’s ability to repair
muscle tissue, along with cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and
bones. Studies have shown that aerobic exercise increases
the total number of bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal
stem cells and restores muscle stem cell mobilization and
regenerative capacity.
In one study, Polish researchers had a group of mice run
on a treadmill at progressive speeds over a five-week
period. At the end of the training, the researchers
compared the quantity of the mesenchymal stem cells in
their bone marrow with that of sedentary mice. They found
that the fit mice had significantly higher numbers of stems
cells than the sedentary group, and those stem cells were
primed to create new specialized bone cells. They
concluded that exercise may represent a novel,
nonpharmacological strategy for slowing the age-related
decline of musculoskeletal functions.46 (Other studies have
revealed similar findings for muscle cells.) And studies
looking at stem cell transplants show that exercise
stimulates your chondrocytes to grow new collagen-rich
cartilage.
The specific type and intensity of exercise may be less
important than the movement itself, seeing as everything
from strength training to yoga seems to help, and mild to
relatively vigorous exercise has been shown to be effective.
If you have trouble motivating yourself to get to the gym or
hop on your bike or go for a run, think of your stem cells
and collagen—and do it for them.
Get enough sleep. You already know how important
sleep is, but the health of your stem cells is yet another
reason to make sure you get adequate rest. Stanford
researchers found that hematopoietic stem cells (the type
used in stem cell transplants for a variety of malignant and
nonmalignant diseases) in sleep-deprived mice showed an
alarming decrease in activity. In fact, a sleep deficit of just
four hours triggered a 50 percent drop in stem cells’ ability
to transform into specialized cells in the blood and bone
marrow.47 And chances are, the same forces that damage
one type of stem cell take a toll on the others, including
those that help maintain healthy collagen. Is that extra
episode of your favorite binge-worthy TV show really worth
it?
Reduce stress. Earlier in this chapter, I mentioned
Traditional Chinese Medicine’s concept of jing and how
similar it is to the modern practice of using stem cells to
treat illness. Here’s another correlation: Stress, which
takes a substantial toll on jing, is also a nemesis of stem
cells. Here’s one interesting example of what stress can do
to stem cells: In a study published in the journal Cell Death
Discovery, researchers restrained mice with liver injuries
as a way to induce psychological stress. In response, the
mice secreted corticosterone, a stress hormone, which
impaired the ability of the rodents’ mesenchymal stem cells
to differentiate into the types of cells needed to repair the
damaged tissue in the liver.48
Add these foods to your diet. In addition to eating the
anti-inflammatory foods I suggest in Chapter 4—especially
bone broth, since the bone marrow it contains is a potent
source of mesenchymal stem cells—make sure you get
plenty of these stem-cell-boosting beauties in your diet:
Vitamin D3, which can reduce the aging of stem cells and
bolster their ability to differentiate into other types of cells,
for instance, and vitamin C, which can bolster stem cell
production.
Likewise, researchers at the Medical College of Georgia
found that epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a free-
radical-killing polyphenol in green tea, accelerates the
differentiation of stem cells in human skin and can even
encourage older skin cells, which normally would die off, to
become more robust and live longer.49 (Matcha green tea is
my favorite because it’s actually made from ground-up
leaves of the Camellia sinesis plant. The leaves aren’t
dried, as they are with most tea, so matcha contains a
higher level of antioxidants and chlorophyll, which is a
potent detoxifier that can help your body eliminate
damaging chemicals and heavy metals.) And several studies
show that goji berry extract can promote mesenchymal
stem cells; due to its stem-cell-boosting potential, some
companies are even working it into skin care formulas to
rejuvenate aging skin.
Spirulina, a type of seaweed found in alkaline lakes in
Africa and Central and South America, can be effective,
too. One study in mice found that eating spirulina for 28
days produced new neural stem cells and protected
existing stem cells from the dangerous effects of
inflammation50—an effect spirulina likely has on all types of
stem cells.
I’m a fan of zinc as well. It’s an essential element
required for stem cell division, migration, and proliferation,
and it has also been found to encourage stem cells to
proliferate and transform into other types of specialized
cells. Foods rich in zinc include grass-fed lamb and beef,
garbanzo beans, cashews, pumpkin seeds, plain whole fat
yogurt, chicken, turkey, eggs, mushrooms, and salmon.
And don’t forget these TCM herbs and foods for
building and protecting jing and protecting stem cells.
Schisandra berry helps to balance the jing with the two
other treasures of the body, the shen—our spirit or mind—
and the qi, our life source or bodily energy.
Eggs and fish roe are often used to build and replenish
jing. Indeed, eggs are nutritional powerhouses packed with
vitamin B12, folate, and vitamin D, and fish roe has
antioxidant and anti-aging potential thanks to its high
concentration of protein and omega-3 fatty acids.
Reishi is known as the king of mushrooms in TCM.
Traditional practitioners dry the mushroom, cut it into
slices, and boil it in hot water to make a healing soup or tea
that nourishes the heart, preserves liver health, promotes a
sense of calm, slows aging, and enhances vitality, strength,
and stamina.
Panax ginseng is used in TCM to enhance longevity,
among other things, and studies show it promotes the
proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells.
Fo-ti root is a Chinese herbal medicine derived from the
Polygonum multiflorum plant. Revered in the TCM world
for its ability to fight aging—it’s often prescribed for
premature graying—its benefits are due to its whopping
supply of antioxidants. Indeed, research suggests that fo-
ti’s anti-inflammatory effects are similar in strength to
those of prescription anti-inflammatory medications. The
primary essence of fo-ti is jing.
Astragalus is a plant in the legume family, and studies
have shown it has a number of effects on stem cells. A
study in Medical Science Monitor, for instance, found it can
regulate inflammation of mesenchymal stem cells;51 and a
paper in Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy found that
astragalus promotes proliferation and differentiation of
mesenchymal stem cells in bone marrow, in part by
activating an intracellular signaling pathway that plays a
role in regulating the cell cycle, including proliferation.52
Rehmannia, a type of flowering perennial plant, is
considered to be a “general tonic” by both TCM and
Japanese medicine, meaning it can help a wide variety of
symptoms and health concerns. A study published in
Genetics and Molecular Research found that after four
weeks of treatment with rehmannia, rats’ bone marrow
mesenchymal stem cells were induced to differentiate into
heart muscle cells.53 What’s more, lab research published
in Life Sciences showed that rehmannia could increase the
viability and proliferative capacity of fat-derived
mesenchymal stem cells—and it achieved that result by
secreting two types of growth factors. Furthermore, when
the researchers administered hydrogen peroxide to the
cells to kill them, rehmannia prevented many of the cells
from dying.54

I know you care about anti-aging breakthroughs as much

as I do, so I’m delighted to be able to share this information
on the importance of stem cells and the vital—and largely
unsung role—they play in keeping your collagen healthy
and abundant. If we want to shield our connective tissue,
joints, gut, organs, and skin from the havoc of age,
protecting our stem cells must be part of the strategy.
OceanofPDF.com
 PART II

What Collagen Can Do for

You

OceanofPDF.com
CHAPTER 7

Collagen Can Create Luminous Skin,

Hair, and Nails

The Ancient Herbs, Superfoods, and Essential Oils

That Will Bolster Your Beauty Routine

You peer closely in the mirror one day and notice small
crow’s-feet at the corners of your eyes and fine lines
around your mouth. Your skin isn’t as bright as it once was,
and it doesn’t feel as springy and elastic. Sound familiar? If
so, I’m glad you’re here. While these signs of aging are
perfectly normal (though exacerbated by bad habits, like
too much sun exposure, sugar consumption, stress, and
smoking), they’re typically the first, most visible signal
from your body that your collagen is on the wane. And
those hallmarks of aging skin gradually become more
noticeable as the years tick by, since, as you’ll recall,
there’s evidence that older adults produce up to 75 percent
less collagen than those younger than thirty.
Research shows that the most evident and reproducible
biological feature of aging skin is the atrophy of the
extracellular matrix, which is caused by a decrease in the
number of fibroblasts (the cells that produce collagen) and
a reduction in the quantity and quality of the collagen and
elastin. The majority of those changes are driven by
inflammation and free radical damage—which is why, in
Chapter 4, I emphasized the importance of eating an anti-
inflammatory, antioxidant diet.
But there’s good news: No matter your age, you can rein
in the typical effects of aging on your skin, hair, and nails
by adding collagen to your diet. (Although collagen in skin
care products is beneficial, too, consuming collagen is more
effective.) Indeed, collagen’s ability to preserve and refresh
skin, and, to a lesser degree, hair and nails, has been more
widely studied than any of its other uses. By now, paper
after paper supports its effectiveness.

A number of studies, including papers published in the

journals Skin Pharmacology and Physiology,55 Nutrients,56
and the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture,57
have found that using collagen supplements for four to
twelve weeks improves skin hydration, elasticity, and
wrinkles—the preeminent signs of aging skin, and the top
skin-related concerns of most people who want to improve
their appearance. What’s more, the trials revealed that
older people respond as robustly to the supplements as
younger subjects—sometimes more robustly. These papers
reveal that collagen is able to reduce crow’s-feet and other
wrinkles by stimulating procollagen 1, a collagen precursor,
along with other aspects of the body’s collagen-making
machinery. For instance, collagen ingestion leads to an
increase in the number of collagen-making fibroblasts in
the skin, so it effectively revs up the engine that is
responsible for producing both collagen and elastin, the
substance that allows skin to resume its shape after being
poked, pinched, or stretched, giving skin a multi-level
youth boost.
In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial
published in Nutrition Research, sixty participants
consumed a hydrolyzed fish collagen supplement that also
contained vitamins, antioxidants, chondroitin, and
glucosamine, while sixty others consumed a sham product.
After ninety days, those who were given the collagen-based
supplement had significantly more elasticity in their skin
than those in the control group, and biopsies showed an
improvement in the organization of their skin’s collagen
fibers, which is important, since one of the red flags of
aging is a fragmentation of the skin’s collagen network.58
The study in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology that I
mentioned in Chapter 3 also found reduced collagen
fragmentation in the skin to be associated with collagen
supplementation. This indicates that one of the most
important effects of ingestible collagen is that it can bolster
the quality of the collagen in your skin, thereby improving
its ability to keep the tissue taut, pliable, and elastic.
In a randomized, controlled trial published in the
Journal of Medicinal Food, researchers recruited 105
women with moderate cellulite. Some of the participants
were given a daily 2.5-gram collagen supplement, while
others received a placebo. After six months, those who had
been taking the collagen supplement had a noticeable
improvement in the appearance of their cellulite compared
to those who were given the sham treatment. The effect
was more pronounced in women who were a normal weight
than in those who were overweight, but both groups
experienced improvement, leading the researchers to
summarize their findings this way: “Based on the current
data, it can be concluded that long-term therapy with orally
administered bioactive collagen peptides leads to an
improvement of cellulite and has a positive effect on skin
health.”59
And a small double-blind placebo-controlled study
published in the journal Marine Drugs looked at people
who drank a supplement containing fish collagen combined
with ornithine, a nonprotein amino acid that has been
shown in some studies to increase levels of hormones that
have a beneficial effect on the skin. By the end of the eight-
week trial, those in the supplement group had significantly
more elastic and well-hydrated skin; they also had higher
plasma levels of insulin-like growth factor-1, a substance
that contributes to skin development and maintenance and
correlates with growth hormone—a key driver of skin cell
growth, proliferation, and regeneration. In other words,
adding collagen and ornithine to the diet activated the
machinery underlying youthful cell turnover and glowing
skin.60

Given the results of these studies, it’s safe to say that

collagen can stand up to the most effective skin care
products on the market. And in addition to the impressive—
and growing—body of science showing that collagen works,
people who use it rave about its effects on their skin.
Although testimonials are no substitute for science, they’re
valuable in their own right; like user reviews on Amazon or
Rotten Tomatoes, they offer an unvarnished glimpse of the
opinions and experiences of real people in the real world.
With that in mind, here is some of the feedback I’ve
received from people who participated in my Multi
Collagen Makeover program:
Jeanelle said: “My skin is much brighter after consuming
collagen every day for the past three weeks. The results are
undeniable. And I love that I can mix it into any beverage
without a bitter aftertaste.”
Betty said: “Before taking collagen, my hair was falling
out. Now it’s coming back in thick. I’m very satisfied, and I
want to thank you!”
A woman who didn’t provide her name said: “I will be
sixty at the end of the year. I was looking for something to
address issues with my skin and hair. Hair is starting to fall
out more than I like. Facial skin losing elasticity. Neck is
getting major wrinkles and getting crepey. Just one week
after taking collagen I started noticing some changes. Now
crepey neck is gone. Face and neck are getting smoother
and tighter. For me, this product works wonders.”
None of this feedback should come as any surprise—
especially when you understand what collagen does in the
skin. Up to 80 percent of the skin’s protein is collagen—and
protein is the stuff that acts as a support network for the
dermis, the layer that helps keep the tissue resilient and
supple. That vital support structure is pivotal for
preventing wrinkles and dry, dull skin.
Your hair and nails need collagen, too. Hair is primarily
made of the protein keratin, and keratin construction relies
on proline, one of the main amino acids in collagen. Not
only that, research shows that hair thinning and loss, a
common problem associated with aging, is caused in part
by hair follicle shrinkage, which can be the result of free
radical damage; and, as you already know, collagen,
especially from fish, is a potent antioxidant. Even more
intriguing, one study in Science linked hair follicle health
with type XVII collagen.61
Although the link between collagen and overall hair
quality has been the subject of very little scientific
research, I’ve heard plenty of stories from women who
have taken collagen and rave about its effects on their hair.
And a study in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology looking
at a proprietary substance that contains collagen as well as
other anti-inflammatory and antioxidant ingredients found
that women with thinning hair experienced a significant
improvement in hair growth, volume, and thickness after
using the supplement for six months—and, according to a
macrophotography analysis, there was a statistically
significant increase in the number of new immature hair
strands after just three months.62
Research on nails is somewhat scarce as well, but a
study in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology found that
participants who consumed 2.5 grams of a collagen
supplement once a day for twenty-four weeks had a 12
percent increase in the rate of their nail growth and a 42
percent decrease in broken nails, a sign of brittleness.63 At
the end of the trial, 80 percent of participants said they
were happy with the results—a finding that echoes reports
I’ve heard from patients, friends, and family, including my
sister, who have used collagen over the years.
Clearly, collagen can have an impact on your
appearance. But here’s the thing: It doesn’t operate in a
vacuum. In fact, it works best when it’s used in conjunction
with a variety of other strategies that support and promote
its production. In the coming pages, I’ll provide a quick
overview of microneedling and red light therapy, which can
increase collagen in the skin, then move on to other ways
to support skin collagen. From herbs and spices to
essential oils and superfoods—dozens of collagen-boosting
substances are also great for your skin, hair, and nails.

THE THREE BEAUTY TREATMENTS THAT CAN

ENHANCE YOUR SKIN’S COLLAGEN

There are dozens of beauty treatments on the market,

many of which can improve your skin’s appearance. But
because I know how important collagen is for turning
around aging skin, these three approaches are my favorites
—and are worth a try.

Red light therapy. Light therapy is actually an ancient

healing tradition, with roots in the medical traditions of
Egypt, Greece, China, and India. In this contemporary
version, low-power, red light waves are shined on the skin.
Red light can be absorbed by the skin to a depth of about
eight to ten millimeters, allowing it to penetrate into the
dermis, the skin layer where most of your collagen resides.
Studies have shown that light in the spectral range of 600
to 1,300 nanometers—red light is 620 to 700 nanometers—
is useful for promoting wound healing, tissue repair, and
skin rejuvenation. (By the way, red light doesn’t have the
more dangerous UVA or UVB rays that have been linked to
skin cancer and premature aging.) It pulls off this magic
trick by stimulating cell proliferation. Specifically, red light
therapy regenerates fibroblasts, the cells that give rise to
collagen.
A study published in Photomedicine and Laser Surgery
found that participants treated with red light therapy had
reduced wrinkles and fine lines, as well as improved skin
tone and increased collagen density confirmed through
ultrasonographic measurements.64 At the same time, the
therapy has been shown to be moderately effective for
reversing hair loss and stimulating follicle growth. A
literature review of the technique (also known as low-level
laser therapy) by researchers from Massachusetts General
Hospital and Harvard Medical School concluded that it can
stimulate hair growth in both men and women and may
work by triggering epidermal stem cells in the hair follicle
to shift into production mode.65
Microneedling. Also known as collagen induction
therapy, microneedling is a minimally invasive skin
treatment performed by moving a tool with tiny needles
over the skin, making minuscule punctures in the top layer.
Although you can do it at home if you have a microneedling
tool, it’s safest to have the treatment done by an
experienced dermatologist or aesthetician. The
infinitesimal wounds send the skin into repair mode and
trigger the body to ramp up collagen and fibroblast
production.
A study published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
found that patients treated one to four times experienced a
notable improvement in wrinkles, scarring, and stretch
marks—and they showed a significant increase in collagen
and elastin six months after treatment.66 Likewise, a study
published in the Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic
Surgery examined how well the treatment worked in
patients with deep acne scars; when the study was over,
the majority of participants had measurable decreases in
the severity of their scarring, and more than 80 percent
rated their treatment as excellent on a ten-point scale.67
Microneedling might bolster hair growth, as well.
Research in mice has shown enhanced expression of hair-
related genes and stimulation of hair growth in mice that
underwent microneedling. One study in humans showed
that when microneedling was used in conjunction with
Minoxidil, a prescription hair loss treatment, it was more
effective than Minoxidil alone.68
Exercise. Okay, so it’s not a beauty treatment per se,
but I had to mention working out here, because getting
your sweat on, whether through aerobic exercise or
strength training, increases the production of growth
hormone. And growth hormone, as I’ve mentioned, prompts
your fibroblasts to churn out more collagen. Although most
forms of exercise seem to trigger growth hormone, the
latest research indicates that strength training and interval
training (also known as burst training) are the most
effective. And putting the two together may offer the
biggest bang for the buck.
In a study published in PLOS One, researchers recruited
healthy young and middle-aged volunteers to participate in
a thirteen-week training program, which alternated
between two types of training. During one session,
participants did interval training—including three to five
sets of running or cycling at maximum velocity followed by
passive recovery for two to three minutes. Two days later,
they returned for a resistance training session. For the
resistance training, participants used progressively heavier
weights and did five to six exercises that targeted all the
major muscle groups. When compared to a control group,
who did not participate in the program, those in the
exercise group had significantly higher levels of growth
hormone at rest and in response to a sprint exercise.
Equally intriguing, before the exercise program, the
younger participants’ growth hormone levels were higher;
after the thirteen-week training program, the age
difference with regard to growth hormone had
disappeared.69 This suggests that a combination training
program can help those in midlife attain a more youthful
level of collagen-boosting hormones.
And don’t forget adaptive exercise, like yoga. It, too, can
be great for keeping your skin youthful and fresh, because
it reduces stress, a collagen killer, and the side-bending
and downward poses deliver a healthy dose of healing
blood and oxygen to your whole body, including your skin.
Moreover, levels of glutathione, the powerful antioxidant I
mentioned in Chapter 4, are higher in people who do yoga
regularly, while stress hormone levels are lower,70 making
the internal environment of your body more collagen-
friendly. I swear by yoga’s stress-reducing benefits, and so
does my wife, Chelsea. If you’re not already a practitioner, I
suggest you add it to your usual fitness routine at least one
day a week.

THE HERBS AND ESSENTIAL OILS THAT GIVE

COLLAGEN AN EXTRA BOOST

The true secret to skin health lies not in what you put onto
your skin but in what you put into your body. And collagen
is without a doubt the most effective form of edible skin
care. But its results can be bolstered by a number of other
lifestyle habits. The anti-inflammatory diet from Chapter 4
will supercharge your efforts to consume more collagen.
What’s more, many ancient herbs and spices, both dried
and fresh, along with essential oils (some of which you
apply to your skin) and superfoods, have antioxidant and
anti-inflammatory effects that help prevent the loss or
degradation of collagen and promote radiant skin. I already
told you about some of them in Chapter 4. But a number of
true powerhouse ingredients are worthy of a quick
additional mention here. Once you understand how and
why they work, you’ll see why I believe you should add
them to your routine.
The use of plant extracts and herbs to improve
appearance has roots in ancient times, with mentions in
medical texts and other writings from ancient China and
Egypt. These long-ago practitioners didn’t know specifically
how the plants worked, but through trial and error and
repeated use, they discovered the unique benefits of each
shrub, leaf, and flower. Now science is starting to support
and explain what the ancients discovered long ago. While
herbs’ mechanisms of action differ, they seem to protect
skin on a cellular level, often triggering fibroblasts, the
cells that produce collagen, to swing into action.
Ancient superfoods are similar. They’ve been used in
medicine throughout the ages, and now, with the help of
modern scientific methods, we’re beginning to appreciate
how and why they’re so beneficial for skin health. The same
goes for essential oils. Derived from plants, they contain
concentrated amounts of active compounds that naturally
support a healthy inflammation response, one of the many
ways they boost skin health. Here’s a look at a few of these
substances—and why and how they can protect the
collagen in your skin.

My three favorite skin-perfecting herbs and spices:

Turmeric. As you already know, one of the primary
drivers of skin aging is free radical damage, and when it
comes to battling reactive oxygen species, turmeric is a
rock star. That means it’s highly likely to do good things for
your skin, like prevent moisture loss and protect against
wrinkles. At the same time, curcumin, the active ingredient
in turmeric, is beneficial for wound healing, possibly
because it shortens the inflammatory phase of the process.
It also appears to facilitate collagen synthesis as well as
fibroblast migration and replication, according to a paper
in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences.71
Cinnamon. Who doesn’t love cinnamon? And it turns out
this delicious spice’s active component, cinnamaldehyde,
actually promotes type I collagen synthesis within skin
fibroblasts, according to research in the Journal of
Agricultural and Food Chemistry.72 Researchers believe it
works by triggering insulin-like growth factor-1 signaling,
which stimulates growth hormone.
Ginger. Like turmeric, ginger is a powerful antioxidant,
so it prevents skin aging at its source by eliminating free
radicals. Ginger’s impressive antioxidant capacity can also
protect collagen, research shows. One study in Wound
Repair and Regeneration found that when ginger is
combined with curcumin, it can promote wound healing—
and collagen production73—so consider using both in
recipes whenever possible.

The four best ancient superfoods for skin support:

Amla berry. According to research in the Journal of
Ethnopharmacology, amla berry extract increases
mitochondrial activity in the skin’s fibroblasts
(mitochondria are the energy-generating structures within
cells) and promotes the production of procollagen, the
precursor to collagen.74
Ginseng. This potent, inflammation-reducing antioxidant
may help your skin, too. Panax ginseng root extract can
trigger the production of type I collagen, according to
research in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, possibly by
triggering a protein that’s important for the production of
procollagen.75
Dong quai. Also known as female ginseng, this
traditional Chinese herb has powerful benefits for skin.
Studies show it decreases inflammation—and by now you
know how devastating inflammation is for collagen—and
reduces blood sugar, which also has anti-inflammatory
benefits.
Astragalus. Astragalus root is a popular Chinese herb
and has long been known to have skin-protecting benefits.
Now research is beginning to reveal why: Astragalus
stimulates hyaluronic acid production in the skin’s
fibroblasts, according to research in the Journal of
Ethnopharmacology,76 and hyaluronic acid in the skin binds
with water to retain moisture and protect collagen.

The top six essential oils with blockbuster beauty

benefits:
Frankincense. Research has shown that this ancient oil
can reduce the appearance of scars and stretch marks, and
it seems to have the same effect on wrinkles and fine lines,
according to a paper in Dermatologic Therapy. In that
study, researchers instructed study subjects to apply
frankincense oil to one side of their face for thirty days. The
treated side showed significant improvement in sun
damage, skin texture, and fine lines as well as an increase
in skin elasticity.77 The secret behind its effectiveness is
likely its inflammation-fighting ability. Mix two to three
drops of the oil with equal parts coconut or jojoba oil and
apply to your skin.
Pomegranate seed. The oil of the pomegranate seed
offers powerful protection from sun damage, according to
research, and actually inhibits the devastating UVB-
induced damage, thereby protecting collagen.78 Apply
several drops to the skin before and after sun exposure.
Lavender. Research shows that lavender essential oil
triggers the production of three of your body’s most
powerful antioxidants: glutathione (known as your body’s
master antioxidant), catalase, and superoxide dismutase.
When cells are under stress, including fibroblasts, it’s
glutathione that comes to the rescue. Lavender oil is also
helpful for wound healing, because it triggers protein
synthesis, including collagen. Apply a few drops of lavender
oil to the skin before bed; it also promotes sleep and
reduces anxiety.
Myrrh oil. A powerful anti-inflammatory, myrrh oil
contains terpenoids and sesquiterpenes, which control
inflammation and also fight free radicals. Myrrh oil is part
of my daily skin routine (and Chelsea’s) because it also
protects against the sun’s damaging UV radiation and
supports youthful, glowing skin. Apply a few drops to your
skin before bed. (It will relax you, too!)
Jojoba. This isn’t technically an essential oil, but I’m
including it here because it is wonderfully hydrating,
probably because it contains a number of helpful
ingredients like vitamin E, vitamin B complex, silicon,
chromium, copper, and zinc. It also can promote collagen,
according to a study in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology,
which showed that jojoba liquid wax, which is similar to oil,
stimulated fibroblast synthesis of type I collagen in
wounds.79 Apply two to three drops of jojoba oil to your
face.
Rosehip. There’s a good reason this oil (which isn’t
actually an essential oil) has created a name for itself in the
wrinkle-fighting realm: It’s packed with vitamin C, which,
as you already know, plays a vital role in collagen
production. Not only that, it also is a rich source of
essential fatty acids, including oleic, palmitic, linoleic, and
gamma linoleic. It can strengthen nails, too. Apply a few
drops to the areas you’d like to strengthen and support.
 Protecting your skin isn’t just a cosmetic issue. This vital
tissue is the first layer of defense against invading
pathogens as well as the largest organ in your body.
Keeping it youthful and structurally sound has ramifications
for your overall health—and promoting collagen is the
single best strategy to safeguard your skin. But I don’t
want to trivialize the cosmetic impact of collagen. When
you look in the mirror and see someone with vibrant hair
and skin—which, by the way, can still be luminous
(sometimes even more so!) if it has a few wrinkles and
laugh lines—you feel better about yourself, which
contributes to your happiness and sense of well-being.
That, in turn, can help you be a better parent, partner,
friend, and colleague. And there’s nothing superficial about
that.
OceanofPDF.com
CHAPTER 8

How Collagen and Other Remedies

Can Heal Your Gut

The Most Effective Foods and Supplements for

Transforming Digestive Health

Hippocrates, considered the father of modern medicine,

said, “All disease begins in the gut.” Indeed, before modern
technology allowed us to identify the culprits underlying
many illnesses, whether bacteria, a virus, or cancerous
cells, doctors believed that a number of health issues were
caused by imbalances in the gastrointestinal system. In
that era, the word hypochondria (which literally means
below, or “hypo,” the rib cage, or “chondria”) described not
imagined illnesses but real physical ailments that could be
traced to dysfunction in the GI tract.
With the advancement of technology, modern medicine
veered away from the ancient view of the gut as an
important source of disparate health problems. Now, we’re
once again beginning to appreciate the fact that those
doctors of old, whose practices were guided mostly by
observation and instinct, were on to something. In fact, the
science connecting your gastrointestinal health,
particularly your small intestine, with the well-being of the
rest of your body is growing exponentially by the day.
We now know, for instance, that the digestive tract is
actually a vital immune barrier, protecting you from disease
and contamination. The lining of the small intestine—
colloquially known as your gut—has some especially tricky,
and consequential, immunity-related responsibilities. It has
to distinguish the foreign contents of the intestines from
the body’s own tissues, control the absorption of nutrients,
and oversee the delicate balancing act between the local
immune response and the trillions (yes, trillions!) of
microbes that exist naturally in the gut. Altogether, a
whopping 70 percent of your immune system response
stems from the lining of your gut.
As long as it remains strong, the intestinal lining does a
remarkable job. But when your body’s physical defenses
become overwhelmed by external factors—some of the
biggies are stress, lack of sleep, toxins, viral or bacterial
infections, or a low-fiber, high-sugar diet—the gut lining
becomes vulnerable, making it easier for a population of
unhealthy bacteria to gain ground and set up camp. And
when that happens, it’s honestly no exaggeration to say
that all hell breaks loose.
When bad bacteria overwhelm the good they can create
cracks and holes in the gut lining, disrupting the tightly
controlled process of nutrient absorption and allowing
partially digested food, toxins, and bugs to leak through. If
those circumstances persist, you develop what’s known as
leaky gut syndrome, or increased intestinal permeability—a
condition that we now believe affects millions of people in
the United States. Worse, most sufferers don’t even know
they have it.
Leaky gut can cause food allergies, low energy, joint
pain, thyroid disease, autoimmune conditions, and a
sluggish metabolism. It interferes with nutrient absorption.
It can lead to impaired digestion. And it has been linked to
everything from Alzheimer’s and anxiety to rheumatoid
arthritis and type 2 diabetes. (My book Eat Dirt explains
why leaky gut can cause a range of health problems—and
how to cure it.)
At the same time, this dangerous intestinal permeability
puts you at risk for common GI-related illnesses, like
irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease
(IBD), Crohn’s disease, and chronic constipation, which
affect up to 70 million people in the United States. It also
plays a role in celiac disease, an autoimmune digestive
disorder, in which the body mounts an immune reaction to
gluten, a protein found naturally in wheat, barley, and rye.
And these gastro-centric illnesses can wreak havoc on the
rest of the body, triggering migraines, mood issues, fatigue,
joint pain, and skin disorders, among other problems.
The health of your gut is another reason it’s important to
start consuming collagen. The connective tissue in your gut
lining is made almost entirely of collagen, making it critical
for digestive health. As a result, adding this long-
overlooked substance to your diet helps tackle leaky gut at
its source.
When you sip a cup of nourishing bone broth or add a
scoop of hydrolyzed collagen to your green smoothie, your
GI tract breaks down the substance into its constituent
amino acids—including glycine, proline, and arginine (three
of the key amino acids in collagen), which are essential for
repairing and restoring the integrity of the intestinal lining.
Indeed, collagen actually seals and heals this vital tissue,
and as it does so it creates an environment in which a
range of other health problems related to intestinal
permeability can heal as well.
As I mentioned in the Introduction, I learned about the
gut-healing benefits of collagen when I was a young doctor.
I’d been recommending bone broth to patients, and it had
been one of the cornerstones of the diet I created for my
mom as she was going through her second bout of cancer.
But I was busy and stressed, and I hadn’t yet incorporated
it fully into my own diet.
Then I started experiencing some health problems of my
own. I usually have lots of energy, but I started feeling
depleted and run-down, like I barely had the oomph to get
through the day. I went to bed tired and woke up tired. It
was awful. At the same time, I started having GI problems,
with constipation one day and loose stool the next—
completely out of character for me.
I saw an acupuncturist, because I knew that ancient
healing treatment could help with fatigue and underlying
imbalances in the body. He told me about powerful food
combinations often used in traditional Chinese medicine to
support digestive health, including “one-pot” recipes, like
simmering healing herbs in meat and vegetable broths.
From then on, I committed to incorporating those healing,
collagen-rich dishes into my diet, and, as I did so, my gut
symptoms began to clear up and my energy rebounded.
As I began doing my own research, I found dozens of
case studies from Asia and the Middle East that provided
persuasive evidence for how the consumption of collagen-
rich broths, herbs, and spices could be deeply healing for
the gut. I immediately started incorporating these time-
tested health protocols into my treatment plans for
patients, which gave me the opportunity to see
innumerable examples of how people can benefit from
these gut-healing tonics.
Research on the gut-related effects of collagen is still
accumulating, but interest in the role this tissue plays in
gastrointestinal illnesses, and, as a result, whole-body
health, has never been higher. In the coming pages, you’ll
find a quick introduction to how and why your gut lining
develops problems, a roundup of some of the intriguing
research findings that reveal how collagen can help keep
your GI system healthy and free of chronic symptoms, and
a guide to the foods that can support collagen and
gastrointestinal health. By taking steps to restore the
stability of your gut lining, you’ll see an improvement in
numerous health conditions—and enable this important
tissue to fulfill its destiny as the true health hero it is.

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR GUT LINING—AND

WHY IT’S SO IMPORTANT

Most people don’t give a second thought to the lining of

their intestinal tract. But this unsung gatekeeper, buried
deep inside your body, is a biological marvel. Inside its
looping contours, food is broken down into its component
parts and absorbed into the bloodstream, so the nutrients
can be used by your body for fuel and routine maintenance.
This hardworking tissue, technically known as the
mucosa, is made up of several layers:

lamina propria, a layer of loose connective tissue that

contains fibroblasts, which synthesize the collagen-
rich extracellular matrix, as well as mesenchymal
stem cells, plasma cells, and a variety of types of
immune cells
basement membrane (more on this tissue later)
epithelium, or outer layer, the gatekeeper between
the inside of your intestine and your bloodstream

All three layers of the gut mucosa interact and have

important responsibilities for maintaining GI health. But
the epithelium, which is made up of just one thin layer of
cells, is the mainstay of the intestinal barrier. It is the
tissue that determines whether your gut is leaky or not.
This single layer of epithelial cells is fixed firmly
together by what are known as “tight junction” proteins—
almost like numerous, infinitesimal suction cups that
adhere each cell to its next-door neighbors. These tight
junctions are the access points that allow substances to
pass from your small intestine to your bloodstream. They
allow healthful nutrients to pass through so they can heal
and restore the rest of your body. But when the tight
junctions become loose, as they do in people with leaky gut,
they allow larger food molecules and microbes to sneak
through and enter the bloodstream. Because the immune
system identifies these larger molecules as foreign
invaders, it forms antibodies to the particles, which not
only can result in food allergies and sensitivities but also
produces chronic inflammation—which, as I’ve mentioned
before, is the root of dozens of modern-day diseases.
There are a number of ways your doctor can test for
leaky gut, including blood and stool tests, but there are
noteworthy signs that should make you consider whether
leaky gut might be the cause of your health problems.
Some of the symptoms, like bloating, fatigue, joint pain,
headaches, and digestive problems, are so common they
might not ring any alarm bells. But if you have several of
those symptoms chronically, you should consider seeing a
doctor who understands leaky gut. (Most functional
medicine doctors are a good bet.) What’s more, the
condition can cause more glaring signals that are likely to
get your attention. Here are the top seven problems that
point strongly to an issue with your gut lining:

Food sensitivities. Food allergies are one of the most

common symptoms of leaky gut. As I mentioned above,
when food particles and toxins seep through the intestinal
barrier into the bloodstream, your immune system goes
into overdrive and mass-produces a variety of antibodies,
which may make you reactive to allergens, like gluten and
dairy. In animal and human studies, leaky gut and food
allergies have been linked. For instance, researchers at the
Center for Celiac Research and Treatment at
Massachusetts General Hospital have found that three
factors are required for celiac to develop: ingestion of
gluten, a genetic predisposition to celiac, and increased
intestinal permeability.80
Inflammatory bowel disease. As far back as 1988,
scientists suggested that Crohn’s disease might be more of
a risk for people with leaky gut. Similarly, researchers have
discovered that people with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative
colitis often have elevated gut permeability in their colons.
Autoimmune disease. The key to understanding how
leaky gut can cause an autoimmune disease is through the
research on a protein known as zonulin, which opens up
the tight junctions between the cells of the epithelial lining.
Gliadin, a component of gluten, can increase zonulin levels,
as can unhealthy gut bacteria. When the zonulin pathway
runs amok, autoimmune and inflammatory disorders can
occur in genetically susceptible people. Indeed, studies
have shown that impaired intestinal epithelial function
occurs before the onset of type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune
disorder.81 And animal studies have shown that inhibiting
zonulin can ameliorate type 1 diabetes.82 Likewise, when a
certain type of bacteria slips through the tight junctions in
those with leaky gut, it can cause lupus, an autoimmune
disorder characterized by severe, persistent inflammation
that leads to tissue damage in multiple organs.83
Thyroid problems. There’s evidence of a connection
between leaky gut and Hashimoto’s disease, an
autoimmune thyroid disorder. Also known as chronic
thyroiditis, this low-thyroid condition causes fatigue,
weight gain, depression, and a host of other problems. As
many as 40 percent of those with Hashimoto’s have dilated
tight junctions in their gut lining, according to a review in
Endocrine Connections.84 And when those gatekeepers
become more lax, allowing an influx of unwanted pathogens
to invade your bloodstream, your immune system goes into
overdrive and starts attacking healthy tissues, including
your thyroid.
Nutrient malabsorption. Because the small intestine is
the place where nutrients are absorbed, when the gut
lining starts failing and becomes inflamed, it functions less
effectively. In my own patients with leaky gut, I observed a
number of nutritional deficiencies, including vitamin B12,
magnesium, and digestive enzymes. Malabsorption causes
symptoms like weight loss, loss of muscle mass, weakness,
difficulty concentrating and thinking clearly, and changes
in your stool. Since those symptoms are often subtle, a
stool test is the best way to diagnose the problem.
Inflammatory skin conditions. First described more
than seventy years ago, the gut-skin connection theorizes
that intestinal permeability can cause common skin
conditions, including acne and psoriasis. Although the
exact mechanism isn’t clear, it’s likely that the
inflammation created by leaky gut negatively affects the
skin as well.
Mood issues and neurodevelopmental disorders. You’ve
probably heard of the gut-brain axis, the two-way
communication that exists between the gut and the brain.
But the gut and the brain don’t just talk to each other. They
influence each other; if one is unhealthy and functioning
poorly, the other suffers as well. As a result, the toxins and
inflammation caused by leaky gut can affect your mood and
cognitive capacity. The inflammatory response
characteristic of excess intestinal permeability triggers the
release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and other chemicals
that are thought to induce depression, for instance. And
some experts theorize that autism may be connected to
problems that arise in the gut microbiome, particularly
within the first year of life.85

WHAT SCIENCE HAS REVEALED ABOUT

 COLLAGEN AND THE GUT

I’ve explained how and why the epithelial lining of the gut
is important. But just below that thin layer of cells lies a
dense sheet of specialized extracellular matrix known as
the basement membrane—and I bet you can guess what it
contains. Yep, collagen. In this case, it’s type IV collagen,
which is rich in the amino acids glycine, proline, and
hydroxyproline as well as chains of a variety of other amino
acids—an uncharacteristic pattern that allows this
particular type of collagen to function as a membrane by
assuming a lattice-like shape.
For years, scientists thought that basement membranes
did little more than provide structural support. Now we
know that these membranes contain growth factors, which
actually play a dynamic role in the tissues where they’re
found. They encourage cell development and rejuvenate
nearby cells, and they’re essential for the formation and
effective functioning of the tight junctions between
epithelial cells. In other words, they are vital for
maintaining a healthy gut lining, as well as restoring its
integrity when it becomes damaged. Likewise, the collagen-
rich lamina propria provides support and nutrition for the
epithelium, generates immune responses to protect the
tissue, and helps with wound healing and tissue
regeneration, thanks to its population of stem cells.
The latest research shows that gastrointestinal problems
can be hard on collagen and its amino acids. When
Canadian researchers analyzed the urine of people with
IBS, the most commonly diagnosed gastrointestinal
disorder in developed countries, they found metabolic
evidence of collagen degradation—results they chalked up
to the chronic low-grade inflammation caused by the
illness.86 Likewise, gastrointestinal levels of arginine, an
amino acid in collagen, are decreased in people suffering
from IBD.
However, collagen, and its amino acids, can also help
fight GI problems. Getting more arginine, for instance,
seems to help maintain normal intestinal physiology and
facilitate healing of the gut lining when the intestine is
damaged by IBD-related inflammation.87 What’s more, in
mice with colitis, a form of IBD, arginine treatment helped
reduce the permeability of the intestinal lining, thereby
restoring its ability to do its job.88 And when arginine was
combined with glutamine, the two amino acids worked
synergistically to slash pro-inflammatory cytokines in active
Crohn’s disease, another type of IBD.89
Research on a variety of gut-related illnesses is shedding
light on the many ways in which collagen and the amino
acids it contains can be beneficial for those with
gastrointestinal issues. Here’s a quick glimpse of some of
those studies:

Collagen may bolster the tight junctions in the

intestinal lining. In a laboratory study, researchers from
Tufts University induced dysfunction in samples of tissue
from the intestinal lining and found that by administering
marine collagen they were able to significantly mitigate the
dysfunction by enhancing the integrity of the tight
junctions.90
Glycine may alleviate damage to the intestinal lining—
and seems to offer protection from IBD. A study published
in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences found
that supplementing with glycine, the most abundant amino
acid in the body, could heal some damage to the intestinal
lining of piglets caused by E. coli infection.91 At the same
time, research that appeared in the journal
Gastroenterology found that in animals with induced IBD,
glycine administration alleviated diarrhea, weight loss,
ulceration, and inflammatory changes in the colon,
effectively preventing the illness from taking hold.92 A
review of glycine’s effects by researchers at the University
of North Carolina offered the most likely explanation for its
gut-protecting effects: It’s anti-inflammatory, it modulates
the local immune response, and it safeguards cells from
harmful compounds.93
Other amino acids in collagen can mitigate the damage
caused by IBD. A study in Molecular Nutrition & Food
Research looked at rats suffering from IBD. When
researchers gave the rodents a supplement of the amino
acid hydroxyproline (one of the amino acids in the collagen
in the intestinal basement membrane), it soothed the tissue
damage caused by the illness.94 There’s evidence that
glycine and prolyl-hydroxyproline may offer similar results
in animals with colitis.
L-glutamine stimulates the growth of the intestinal
mucosa. This amino acid is created by glutamic acid, an
amino acid sometimes found in collagen. It is also in bone
broth, and it works synergistically with the main amino
acids in collagen. In fact, some researchers believe that
glutamine offers the strongest stimulation for epidermal
growth of any nutrient. A study in Journal of Parenteral and
Enteral Nutrition found that glutamine restores a protein
that promotes tight junctions in patients with irritable
bowel syndrome.95 Other studies have found that glutamine
deprivation can lead to leaky tight junctions.96 And
glutamine has been shown to preserve tight junction
function during infection and other insults to the gut
lining.97
Collagen can protect your stomach, too. A study
published in Research Communications in Molecular
Pathology and Pharmacology found that glycine can inhibit
gastric secretion in the stomach and protect the mucus
tissue from ulcers.98
Finally, collagen helps with digestion. As it moves
through the GI tract, collagen attracts water and acid
molecules. By the time it gets to the intestines it’s filled
with fluid, so it helps break down other proteins and
carbohydrates and allows food to flow through the system
more easily.

FOODS, HERBS, AND SUPPLEMENTS THAT

SUPPORT COLLAGEN AND HEAL YOUR GUT

Reducing stress and exercising regularly are important for

gut health. In fact, we now have forty years of research
showing that stress negatively affects the microbial
population in your gut. And research shows that stress
makes the epithelial cells more permeable and erodes the
thickness and quality of the mucus layer in general.
Likewise, a variety of studies in animals and humans have
shown that regular exercise can protect your gut. For
instance, working out can encourage the growth of healthy
microbes in your gut and increase the bacterial metabolite
butyrate, which fosters epithelial cell proliferation and
promotes gut barrier integrity.
But, unsurprisingly, diet plays an outsize role when it
comes to the well-being of your GI system. While collagen
alone will benefit your gut—especially when you consume it
in the context of an anti-inflammatory diet—the following is
a list of foods and supplements that have also been shown
to be particularly helpful (and a few that are harmful) for
your intestinal lining, as well as for the microbes in your
gut.

Foods to eat:

Bone broth. This therapeutic brew contains a hefty

dose of the amino acids proline and glycine, as well as L-
glutamine, all of which can help heal your damaged cell
walls. As I mentioned above, dozens of studies have
revealed that glutamine is a powerful weapon when it
comes to protecting and improving gut health. It is not only
beneficial in improving intestinal barrier structure and
function but also can increase intestine-friendly bacteria,
while decreasing dangerous microbes. (In addition to bone
broth, glutamine is found in high quantities in grass-fed
beef, spirulina, Chinese cabbage, cottage cheese,
asparagus, broccoli rabe, wild-caught cod and salmon,
venison, and turkey. You need at least three servings of
glutamine-rich foods on a daily basis.)
Fermented foods. These superfoods rich in probiotics
and organic acids help restore good gut flora, which
improves nutrient absorption and overall gut health.
Sauerkraut, kimchi, kvass, yogurt, and kefir are excellent
sources.
Coconut-based products. The medium chain fatty acids
in coconut are easier to digest than other fats, so they work
well for those with leaky gut. Also, the fats found in
coconut, including capric acid, caprylic acid, and lauric
acid, have antimicrobial benefits. Coconut kefir is one of my
favorite superfoods, because it provides both healthy fats
and probiotics, which can help transform your digestive
tract.
Cooked vegetables. This may surprise you, but people
struggling with gut and digestive issues are better off
consuming cooked, rather than raw, vegetables. The
reason: Cooked vegetables, especially steamed, sautéed,
and baked, are easier to digest—and they are still
incredibly nutrient-dense and good for you. Traditional
Chinese Medicine teaches that consuming asparagus,
cauliflower, squash, pumpkin, and bitter veggies, like
dandelion greens, radishes, and chard, can also promote
digestive tract health by drying up dampness, along with
candida (a type of yeast) overgrowth, which damages gut
integrity.
 Healthy fats. Egg yolks, avocados, coconut oil, ghee,
and animal fats are easy on the gut and promote healing.
Omega-3 fats. Anti-inflammatory foods like salmon,
tuna, mackerel, halibut, black cod, sardines, and other
wild-caught fish can benefit a damaged gut.
Fiber. Research has shown that a low-fiber diet triggers
the expansion of mucus-degrading bacteria in the gut. And
as the thickness of the mucus begins to decrease, you
become more susceptible to certain colitis-causing
pathogens. That’s why a diet rich in high-fiber foods, like
sprouted chia seeds, flaxseeds, hempseeds, artichokes,
broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, kale, blueberries, and
raspberries, is crucial for gut health. If your gut isn’t overly
sensitive, aim for 30 to 40 grams of fiber a day.

Supplements that can support your gut:

Probiotics. If you’re going to take one supplement in

addition to collagen to support your gut health, this is it.
Probiotics help replenish good bacteria and crowd out the
bad. Look for strains like Bacillus clausii, Bacillus subtilis,
Saccharomyces boulardii, and Bacillus coagulans. Take 50
to 100 billion units a day.
L-glutamine. Glutamine powder is anti-inflammatory
and necessary for the growth and repair of your intestinal
lining. I recommend buying l-alanyl-glutamine, because
your body can absorb more of the substance when it comes
in this form. For most people 2,000 to 5,000 milligrams a
day is ideal.
Digestive enzymes. These substances ensure that
you’re fully digesting your food, thereby decreasing the
likelihood that small food particles will escape through a
leaky gut wall. Take one to two capsules at the beginning of
each meal.
Herbs and spices. Consuming plant-based medicinal
herbs can have a significant impact on your gut health. I
recommend herbs that are anti-inflammatory and warming,
a concept taken from Traditional Chinese Medicine. Herbs
that bolster gut health and fall into that category include
ginger, turmeric, and galangal. Also beneficial: herbs that
dry up dampness and candida, including pau d’arco,
parsley, jasmine, green tea, sage, and thyme. You can
consume herbs with food, take them in capsule form, or
steep them in hot water and drink as a delicious herbal tea.
Licorice root. This adaptogenic herb helps balance
levels of the stress hormone cortisol and improves acid
production in the stomach. At the same time, it supports
the maintenance of the mucosal lining in the gut. Take
approximately 500 milligrams once or twice a day.
Lion’s mane and reishi mushrooms. These adaptogenic
mushrooms have a positive effect on your gut—and your
entire body. Lion’s mane helps by healing the gut-brain
connection. Studies have shown it reduces gut
inflammation and stomach ulcers and helps regenerate
nerve and brain tissue. Reishi has long been called the
mushroom of immortality, and for good reason: It supports
the immune system, the gut, and the adrenal glands, which
secrete a variety of hormones that can impact the gut. Take
the dosage prescribed on the supplement’s label.
Marshmallow root. This natural antihistamine also has
beneficial antioxidant activity. When it’s used in
conjunction with ginger, it helps protect your stomach from
ulcers and offers overall support for gastrointestinal health.
Take 500 milligrams once or twice a day.
CBD oil. This increasingly popular supplement contains
cannabinoids found in the hemp plant, including
cannabidiol (CBD), cannabinol (CBN), and cannabigerol
(CBG), which have a calming effect on the sympathetic
nervous system—and relaxing the nervous system can help
heal the gut, soothe anxiety, and promote better-quality
sleep (also good for GI health). For those with GI problems
that are stress related, CBD oil is an effective supplement.
Consume 20 to 40 milligrams daily.

Substances to avoid (or consume in moderation):

Foods that feed the bad gut bacteria. Added sugars,

refined oils, genetically modified foods, synthetic food
additives, and conventional dairy products all fall into this
category. As a result, they can promote a runaway
population of unhealthy microbes that overwhelm the
protective bacteria—a condition that eventually leads to
leaky gut.
Common gut toxins. Everything from antibiotics to
over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories to
pesticides can affect the permeability of your gut. For
instance, antibiotics kill off good bacteria and allow
destructive microbes to gain ground. A study in the journal
Gut found that patients developed increased intestinal
permeability after taking NSAIDs for three to six months.99
And pesticides in food can cause inflammation and wreak
havoc with your hormones. Choose organic whenever you
can.
Alcohol. Both human and animal studies have come to
the conclusion that long-term, heavy alcohol use can result
in intestinal barrier dysfunction and alter the quality and
quantity of gut bacteria. Although the exact mechanisms
aren’t entirely clear, studies have shown that the probiotic
Lactobacillus is significantly suppressed during alcohol
consumption. Likewise, alcohol converts to glucose in your
body, and sugar is damaging to the epithelial lining. If you
drink alcohol, it’s best to buy certified organic or
biodynamic, dry-farmed wines, which are free of
mycotoxins, compounds produced by mold, and are lower
in sugar and, as a result, produce less glucose in the body.
A little alcohol won’t hurt you. But try to steer clear of daily
use, and avoid having more than one or two drinks on a
single occasion.

It’s easy to chalk up diarrhea, bloating, and gas to

spoiled food or a passing bug. But there are good reasons
to pay close attention to your bowel health and notice how
different foods make you feel. The effects of mild celiac
disease, for instance, can be subtle, but the consequences
of missing an underlying gut problem can be devastating.
Untreated, these gastrointestinal illnesses slowly erode
your health, affecting everything from your mood to your
energy level and your ability to function happily in the
world.
My hope is that this chapter will serve as a wake-up call.
By recognizing not only the importance of what’s going on
inside your belly but also how collagen can be pivotal for
setting you on a path to better health, you’re now officially
ready to take control of your GI issues and improve your
overall well-being.
OceanofPDF.com
CHAPTER 9

Collagen Secrets to Eliminate Pain

and Inflammation

The Most Effective Strategy for Protecting Joints and

Boosting Athletic Performance

Remember the information I shared in Chapter 6 about

big-name professional athletes like Alex Rodriguez, Kobe
Bryant, and Peyton Manning using stem cells to rejuvenate
the collagen in the connective tissue around their joints?
That is just one fascinating piece of a much larger—and
rapidly expanding—story of the ways in which collagen can
be the pivotal factor in keeping your joints healthy.
Joint health isn’t just an issue for professional athletes. It
affects everyone and matters for all of us—from the young,
who want to preserve their springy, robust, and highly
functioning tendons, cartilage, and ligaments, to
recreational athletes and weekend warriors of every age,
who want to continue participating in the activities they
love for as long as they possibly can, to the growing
population of mature and aged people, some of whom are
living dangerously sedentary lives because they suffer from
pain and disability due to loss of healthy connective tissue.
Between 2002 and 2014, the number of people who said
they battled severe joint pain (rated seven or more on a
scale of one to ten) jumped from 10.5 million to 14.6
million, according to the Centers for Disease Control100—
and the numbers have almost certainly grown since then.
About 54 million adults, by a conservative estimate,
currently have medically diagnosed arthritis, the leading
cause of joint pain, but by 2040, it’s expected that some 78
million adults in the United States—a quarter of the
population!—will be struggling with the condition.101
Fortunately, collagen can provide much-needed relief no
matter how severe the disease. And for those suffering with
debilitating daily pain, it can be the secret ingredient that
helps them regain their mobility, and along with it, their
capacity to live independent, functional, engaged lives.
When Oregon resident Lora Stone, fifty-five, reached out
to me not long ago, she told me that’s exactly what
happened to her. As a kid, she was a hard-core athlete and
daredevil. “I raced dirt bikes and played three sports all
through middle school and high school,” she said. “When it
came to fitness, I never learned to take it easy or be chill.”
Over the years she broke twenty bones, including several in
her back. And then, as she got older, the pain set in. “I have
arthritis in my hands, feet, knees, and back—and there are
times when it has been debilitating,” she said. “It got to the
point where I couldn’t really exercise anymore—and I don’t
do well with medications, so most of the time I just
suffered.”
That began to change in June 2017, when a friend
recommended she try collagen supplements. “After three
months of using a couple of scoops of multi-collagen
protein every day, I had less pain in my back and joints, and
they were no longer making the terrible grinding sounds I
had grown used to,” she said. “After a year of using
collagen, my pain level was way down and my endurance
and energy were higher than they’d been for a long time.
My fingernails and my hair got healthier, too, and my gut
problems have gone away. I still can’t run, but I can move
around without pain—and I can’t tell you what a difference
that has made in my life. Collagen has been a game-
changer for me. I’ve recommended it to all my friends. I’ll
never stop taking it.”
Lora’s story echoes feedback I’ve heard from hundreds
of patients, friends, and family over the years. Collagen’s
role in keeping your cartilage and connective tissue healthy
is still underappreciated—although recognition of the
substance’s benefits is growing by the day. In the following
pages, I’ll explain more about the impressive body of
scientific literature that is starting to reveal how, and why,
collagen can bring relief to people like Lora—as well as
how it can help anyone who has made fitness part of her or
his life and wants to stay in the game for the long term.

MEET THE COLLAGENOUS TISSUE THAT

PROTECTS AND CUSHIONS YOUR JOINTS

Most people know vaguely what connective tissue is, but

they might be hard-pressed to define it. Here’s a quick
explanation: It’s the stuff that binds, supports, or separates
tissues and organs—and includes, as you’d expect, your
cartilage, tendons, and ligaments, as well as some tissues
that might surprise you, such as bones, fat, lymph, and
blood. Bone is a dense type of connective tissue, for
instance, while blood, lymph, and fat are more liquid, or
viscous. But they come from the same embryological origin
as other types of connectives—and they have similar
functions in that they bind or connect disparate body parts.
Unlike your skin, which consists of cells that are tightly
knit together with little “extracellular” space, connective
tissue cells are dispersed in a gooey matrix. This viscous
substance is made up of collagen, elastin, and fibroblasts
(the cells that make collagen) as well as molecules known
as glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) and proteoglycans, which
are GAGs that are attached to proteins.
GAGs’ primary role is to support and maintain collagen
and elastin and help those fibrous substances retain
moisture. GAGs are ideal molecules for lubricating the
tissue around your joints, because they’re gelatinous but
not highly compressible. In other words, they allow for
mobility and flexibility but offer a firm cushion that stands
up to the many ways we bend, twist, and put pressure on
our joints, like running, jumping, lifting, pushing, and
pulling. GAGs contain glucosamine, a popular ingredient in
joint supplements. There are a handful of specialized types
of GAGs that are also helpful for joint health. You’ve
probably heard of the following two types, which are found
in your connective tissue and are crucial for its health:

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a type of GAG you’ve probably

seen in popular skin care products. It’s hot right now
because it bolsters moisture retention, which, as you know,
is fundamentally important to skin. But HA molecules are
critical for joints, too. They’re extremely large, as
molecules go, which makes them excellent lubricators and
shock absorbers in the connective tissue that buffers your
joints.
Chondroitin is another type of GAG found in cartilage
and tendons. You’ve most likely seen it, in combination with
glucosamine, in joint-supporting supplements. It’s a vital
component of connective tissue, because it enhances the
shock-absorbing properties of collagen and blocks enzymes
that break down cartilage.

Now that you understand a little about connective tissue

in general, let’s take a quick look at the types that are most
relevant for joint health. Cartilage is the main connective
tissue in your body. It’s made up of closely packed collagen
fibers in a rubbery, gelatinous substance called chondrin.
It’s strategically located throughout your body—in your
nose, trachea, and ears, for instance—but the tissue that
makes a difference for your mobility and ease of movement
is in your joints.
A 2 to 3 millimeter layer of cartilage covers the bones
that form each joint, whether in the shoulder, knee, hip,
foot, ankle, elbow, hand, or wrist, serving as a pillowy
shock absorber and lubricant that allows the bones to glide
easily over one another as you move. Its unique
combination of ingredients—a gel-like matrix filled with
collagen that is up to 80 percent water (although that
percentage decreases with age)—makes it a substance that
creates very little friction, so it’s the ideal material for
protecting joints. The knee also contains a second type of
cartilage, known as meniscus, that isn’t actually connected
to the bones but sits between them, providing extra
stability and shock absorption.
The disks between your vertebrae are also made of
cartilage. They’re composed of a tough circular layer made
of concentric sheets of collagen fibers and a gooey inner
core, called the nucleus pulposus, that’s a compression-
resistant hydrated gel containing collagen, water, and
proteoglycans. Positioned as they are between the bony
vertebrae, the disks have three important jobs: They hold
the spine together, allow for mobility, and absorb the
impact that our daily activities place on our spinal column.
The tricky thing about cartilage is that it contains no
blood vessels. Without a blood supply, it’s difficult for the
tissue to repair itself—and when cartilage wears away over
time, whether due to injury, age, being overweight, or
having poor postural alignment that places uneven
pressure on the tissue, it can eventually lead to stiff, painful
joints, the calling card of osteoarthritis.
However, by adding collagen to your diet, even tricky
cartilage injuries can heal. My friend and colleague Jordan
Rubin, a natural health practitioner and author of The
Maker’s Diet, learned how beneficial collagen can be when
he developed crippling pain in his kneecap in 2015. He was
diagnosed with chondromalacia patella, or “runner’s knee,”
which is caused by the breakdown of cartilage on the
underside of the kneecap, or patella, allowing the knee and
femur (the big bone in the front of your thigh) to rub
together.
Here’s what he told me about that time: “My knee
became so tender and inflamed that I couldn’t put weight
on my foot without getting a jab of pain, and I couldn’t
straighten my leg. It was so bad I had to use crutches to
get around. I already knew about bone broth, because I had
used it successfully to heal Crohn’s disease when I was in
my twenties. By the time my knee pain came on, however, I
had six children and had fallen out of the time-consuming
habit of making it. But because bone broth contains
copious amounts of collagen, a key component of cartilage,
I recommitted myself to drinking six cups a day.”
Within a few weeks, Jordan said, he had improved to the
point where he no longer needed crutches. And here’s what
I love about bone broth as opposed to pharmaceuticals or
anti-inflammatories: His knee continued to improve. Jordan
calls it the crescendo effect. “With bone broth, health
problems don’t just heal. They become better than before,”
he said. “Now I’m forty-three, and part of my regular
workout is doing squats with my son.”
The two other main joint-related types of connective
tissue, tendons and ligaments, are easy to confuse—and
there are notable similarities. They’re both made of
collagen, and neither has an abundant blood supply, so
healing can be slow. Both have a tendency to create dense
scar tissue as they heal instead of youthful, supple tissue.
But new research, which I’ll explain below, is revealing how
to avoid that.
 Ligaments and tendons differ in important ways, too.
Ligaments are x-shaped bands that attach bone to bone and
help stabilize joints. They allow movement but also provide
a limit, like a guardrail, so your joint mobility stays within a
safe range. For instance, the anterior cruciate ligament
(ACL) attaches the femur in your thigh to the tibia in your
shin, keeping the knee stable while allowing for all the
many movements the joint makes during the day. When
pushed too far, of course, ligaments can tear; ACL tears, for
instance, are common in athletes like basketball players
and skiers.
Tendons, on the other hand, attach muscles to other
body parts, usually bones. They have one of the highest
tensile strengths of any soft tissue—an invaluable
characteristic, considering the stress they’re put under
when we contract our muscles. But they’re prone to
injuries caused by overuse. The common, painful diagnosis
of tendinitis is the result of inflammation or irritation of the
tissue. While older adults are at risk for tendinitis because
the elasticity of their tendons decreases with age, people of
all ages can be plagued by the condition, from young
dancers and computer gamers to office workers who type
all day and avid tennis players. Other common tendon
injuries are strains and tears.
When you think about all the activities we typically
perform throughout the day—reaching for a tray on a high
shelf, say, or running five miles or squatting repeatedly to
pick up a toddler, or walking up and down stairs—you
realize we expect a lot from our joints as well as the
connective tissue that pads, lubricates, and protects them.
It’s not surprising that things can go wrong, especially as
the tissues age and lose collagen and water, the keys to
their strength and flexibility. But there’s hopeful evidence
that dietary collagen can help keep your connective tissue
healthy—and heal it when things go awry.
 THE SCIENCE THAT REVEALS HOW COLLAGEN
PLAYS A ROLE IN JOINT HEALTH

In 1993, researchers from Harvard Medical School

conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of type II
collagen in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, an
autoimmune illness in which the body’s own immune
system attacks the lining of the joints, damaging cartilage
and bone. Before the trial, all the participants were weaned
off the immunosuppressive drugs they’d been taking. Then
participants in the active arm of the trial were given type II
collagen, the most abundant protein in cartilage, for three
months, while the placebo group was given a sham
supplement.
By the end of the trial, most patients in the collagen
group had a significant decline in the number of swollen
and tender joints as well as the severity of swelling and
tenderness, while symptoms in the majority of those in the
control group became more severe. In fact, the collagen
users took fewer analgesics, on average, and their morning
stiffness decreased, while their grip strength increased.
Four of them had complete resolution of their disease.102
Even though this study, and others like it, began showing
that collagen could help with joint issues as far back as the
1990s, scientists were reluctant to give much credence to
the approach, because they didn’t believe that ingesting
collagen would allow the amino acids to get to the places in
your body that required help. Then, as I explained in an
earlier chapter, researchers started slowly connecting the
dots and building the case that consuming collagen does
actually benefit the body.
First, Japanese researchers found the presence of high
levels of a peptide containing hydroxyproline, a key amino
acid in collagen, in the blood of people who had consumed
a hydrolyzed collagen supplement. That 2005 study showed
that collagen peptide levels increased in a dose-dependent
manner, lending further credibility to the findings.103
Then, subsequent animal experiments showed that
collagen peptide is deposited in skin after it leaves the
blood.104 At the same time, laboratory studies revealed that
collagen peptides trigger the growth of fibroblasts
(collagen-producing cells) in a collagen gel. And other
research found that the peptides increase fibroblasts’
production of hyaluronic acid and chondrocytes’ production
of glycosaminoglycan—revealing that they can affect joint
tissue as well.105
Taken together, these findings strongly indicate that
ingesting collagen can be beneficial for your joints. And
thanks to that persuasive body of research, conventional
wisdom about the effectiveness of the approach is in the
process of undergoing a seismic shift, bringing more and
more interest from researchers who are keen to find ways
to safely treat common—sometimes debilitating—problems
that affect far too many of us.
Here’s a look at some of the promising findings:

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study

in Complementary Therapies in Medicine looked at two
hundred people who were at least fifty years old and had
joint pain in their lumbar spine or lower or upper limbs.
More than half of those in the treatment group, who took
1,200 milligrams of hydrolyzed collagen a day for six
months, experienced a significant alleviation of pain.106
In a study of 250 patients diagnosed with osteoarthritis
of the knee, Spanish researchers gave half of the group 10
grams of hydrolyzed collagen daily for six months.
Compared to those who were given a placebo, participants
in the collagen group had a significant decrease in pain as
measured by two commonly used scales of joint pain—and
those who had the greatest degree of joint deterioration
actually benefitted the most.107
U.K. researchers reported on the results of an
interesting double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled
trial in 2018. They gave a supplement containing
hydrolyzed fish collagen, glucosamine, chondroitin, L-
carnitine, vitamins, and minerals to half of their 120
subjects, all of whom were between the ages of twenty-one
and seventy; participants took the supplement for ninety
days. While the researchers’ primary objective was to see if
there was a change in participants’ skin elasticity (there
was), the researchers also assessed joint pain in a
subgroup of study subjects who were fifty-one to seventy
years old. What they found: The collagen users’ discomfort
decreased, on average, 43 percent, while joint mobility
increased by 39 percent. They concluded that the
supplement could be “an effective solution to slow down
the hallmarks of aging.”108
A 2018 review of studies on collagen for the treatment
of osteoarthritis symptoms concluded that research
convincingly shows that collagen is effective for decreasing
joint stiffness as well as decreasing patients’ self-reported
pain levels.109
And a paper in PLOS One may explain why the
substance helps people suffering from osteoarthritis. In
order to evaluate the tissue and cellular basis for the
positive effects of collagen, researchers from the University
of Rochester looked at mice that had developed
osteoarthritis in response to a meniscus- and ligament-
related injury. First, they supplemented the rodents’ usual
chow with collagen. Then, they took blood samples at
various times and found elevated hydroxyproline levels—
evidence that the collagen-related amino acid was
circulating in their bloodstream. Finally, they harvested the
rodents’ joints to analyze the tissue, and here’s what they
discovered: The animals had dose-dependent increases in
cartilage, chondrocyte number, and proteoglycan matrix at
three and twelve weeks post-injury, leading the researchers
to conclude that collagen is “disease modifying.”110 Not
only does it protect cartilage and prevent cartilage cells
from dying, but it also seems to have an anti-inflammatory
effect on the injured tissue.
Meanwhile, a number of studies on rheumatoid
arthritis (RA) have found positive results, including one
published in Arthritis Research and Therapy. In that
double-blind trial with 454 participants, researchers
compared the effect of collagen with methotrexate, a
commonly prescribed medication for RA, which is relatively
safe at low doses but can be fatal if you take too much.
They found that, while it wasn’t quite as effective as
methotrexate, collagen improved participants’ pain,
morning stiffness, joint tenderness, and swelling.111 The
bonus: Collagen is safe and free of side effects.

Researchers have also found increasingly promising

results for the use of collagen in athletes with pain related
to connective tissue and joints. In fact, the studies are so
persuasive that the International Olympic Committee’s
2018 consensus statement on dietary supplements gave a
thumbs-up to the use of supplementation with gelatin or
hydrolyzed collagen to increase collagen production,
decrease pain, and help athletes recover from injuries.112
Here’s a sampling of studies on athletes with connective
tissue injuries:

When German researchers conducted an observational

study on the effect of 10 grams of hydrolyzed collagen on
one hundred athletes with joint pain who did not have
osteoarthritis, they found that 78 percent of participants
reported a reduction of pain during movement by the end
of the twelve-week study. Similar percentages of
participants reported a decrease in pain when climbing
stairs or carrying objects.113
In a more rigorous follow-up of the above study,
researchers at Penn State University conducted a
randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study to
assess the effects of collagen supplements in ninety-seven
athletes who were having activity-related joint pain but had
no evidence of joint disease. The results showed that
participants who consumed 10 grams of collagen every day
for twenty-four weeks improved on five parameters: joint
pain at rest, when walking, when standing, when carrying
objects, and when lifting.114
Researchers at the Australian Institute of Sport
published a paper in 2019 in Nutrients that looked at
runners with Achilles tendinopathy, a difficult-to-treat
condition that causes pain, swelling, and stiffness in the
Achilles tendon, which connects your heel bone to your calf
muscle. In their small, double-blind, placebo-controlled
clinical trial, the researchers gave half of the participants a
collagen supplement for three months and the other half a
placebo; then, for another three months they swapped the
protocol, so the placebo group got the collagen and vice
versa. For the entire six months, both groups participated
in a twice-daily calf-strengthening program, the traditional
treatment for Achilles tendinopathy. The results showed
that both groups improved significantly while they were
consuming the collagen supplements—so much so that
twelve of the eighteen participants were able to return to
running—leading the researchers to conclude that the
collagen supplement may accelerate the benefits of a calf-
strengthening program.115
A paper published in the American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition may help explain why collagen is helpful for
athletic connective tissue injuries. In a small, randomized,
double-blind trial, researchers divided subjects into three
groups: One was given 5 grams of vitamin C–enriched
gelatin (a form of collagen); the second was given 15 grams
of the gelatin supplement; and the third was given a
placebo. One hour after each group ingested the fluid, they
jumped rope for six minutes. Participants repeated the
pattern of supplementation and rope-skipping three times a
day for three days, while researchers carefully monitored
changes in their blood. At the end of the study, the data
revealed that merely jumping rope for six minutes three
times a day doubled the rate of collagen synthesis. And
when participants consumed 15 grams of the collagen
supplement, the rate of collagen synthesis doubled again.
In other words, adding gelatin to a brief, intermittent
exercise program improves collagen synthesis and, as the
researchers put it, “could play a beneficial role in injury
prevention and tissue repair.”116

I mentioned in the last section that tendon and ligament

injuries have a tendency to form scar tissue, as opposed to
supple, new tissue, as they heal. But research indicates
there’s a way to circumvent that problem: By combining
collagen with exercises targeted to the specific tissue you’d
like to strengthen and/or heal. So, it makes sense to see a
physical therapist to find the exercise protocol that’s right
for your condition. Short workout sessions seem to be the
most effective for promoting connective tissue, according
to research findings. Just take collagen or gelatin an hour
before the workout, along with 200 milligrams of vitamin C,
which stimulates collagen synthesis.
Given the results of studies in athletes and in those with
joint-related disease, is it any wonder that more and more
people are calling collagen the latest superfood?

THE FOODS THAT SUPPORT HEALTHY

CONNECTIVE TISSUE
There are foods that can promote healing throughout the
body, including connective tissue injuries and ailments. By
making the right dietary choices, you can also keep
cartilage, tendons, and ligaments strong and healthy—
which will help you ward off common joint-related ailments.
Here are the joint-supporting all-stars.

The five foods (and categories of food) you can’t live

without:
Bone broth. I know I’ve talked about this a lot, but no
chapter on connective tissue would be complete without a
mention of this collagen-rich brew. Because here’s the
thing: Bone broth also contains a slew of other joint-healthy
ingredients, like glucosamine and chondroitin as well as
calcium, magnesium, phosophorus, silicon, and sulfur.
Sulfate-containing veggies. I mentioned these in Chapter
4, but to recap, foods like broccoli, cauliflower, garlic,
cabbage, and onions contain sulfate, which combines with
chondroitin to form cartilage. It’s also required for the
process of sulfation, to produce glucosamine sulfate and
chondroitin sulfate, both of which help facilitate cartilage
production and repair.
Bioflavonoids. Blueberries, blackberries, cherries,
cinnamon, acai, red cabbage, and onions contain
anthocyanidins, which help strengthen connective tissue by
forming particular links between collagen fibers. And acai,
apricots, nectarines, cherries, and raw cacao contain
catechins, which prevent collagen degradation.
Zinc-containing foods. Lamb, grass-fed beef, oysters,
sesame seeds, and pumpkin seeds are all high in zinc,
which is required for production of connective tissue.
Copper-containing foods. Avocado, cacao, sesame seeds,
sunflower seeds, and cashews contain copper, which is
required for the maturation of collagen.
The seven supplements you should consider adding to your
diet:
Vitamin C. Not only does this substance increase
collagen synthesis but it also accelerates bone healing after
fractures and reduces oxidative stress. And it reduces the
risk of cartilage loss and disease progression in people with
osteoarthritis. When buying a vitamin C supplement, make
sure to look for a food-based formula that contains
superfoods like camu camu, amla berry, or acerola cherry.
Take up to 1,000 millgrams of C per day.
Turmeric. I’ve already mentioned this potent anti-
inflammatory a number of times, but it can protect
connective tissue as well. Indeed, a number of studies in
animals and in the lab have shown that it helps with
rheumatoid arthritis, and here’s why: Turmeric contains
two joint-protecting compounds—curcumin, which reduces
inflammation, and turmerone, which promotes stem cell
growth. Together, they nourish and rejuvenate the tissue in
your joints. Use turmeric liberally on food or take a
supplement as directed.
Omega-3 fatty acids. The Arthritis Foundation
recommends omega-3 fatty acids, and the fish, like salmon,
tuna, sardines, and anchovies, that contain them, as part of
an arthritis-fighting anti-inflammatory diet. And there’s
some evidence this all-purpose anti-inflammatory may be
effective in helping fight pain. Consume 1,000 to 2,000
milligrams of an omega-3 supplement daily.
Hyaluronic acid. In high doses, this substance is so
effective at treating osteoarthritis it has been approved by
the Food and Drug Administration for that purpose. The
FDA-approved version of HA requires injections from a
health care provider—but there’s evidence that lower
doses, like those found in supplements, can reduce joint
stiffness and chronic pain. Take a supplement as directed.
Glucosamine. Essential for the production of GAGs,
glucosamine is also required for collagen and connective
tissue formation and integrity. You can get this vital
ingredient in bone broth or a bone broth protein
supplement—or take a glucosamine-containing supplement
as directed.
Chondroitin. A vital structural component of cartilage,
chondroitin gives the tissue its bounce and compression
resistance. Chondroitin is in bone broth and bone broth
protein supplements, too—or you can take a chondroitin-
containing supplement as directed.
Spirulina. This vitamin-rich supplement contains
superoxide dismutase, an enzyme that helps reduce joint
inflammation. Take a supplement as directed.

The four oils that fight pain and inflammation:

CBD oil. According to the Arthritis Foundation,
preliminary research suggests that CBD may help with
arthritis pain.117 In animal studies, for instance, CBD
relieved arthritis pain and inflammation.118 And a 2016
analysis of small studies in people with rheumatoid
arthritis, osteoarthritis, and fibromyalgia (a chronic pain
condition) found that CBD eased participants’ pain and
improved their ability to sleep.119 CBD is a powerful anti-
inflammatory and has no side effects, so it’s worth a try.
Take 20 milligrams of a certified organic CBD supplement
two to three times a day.
Peppermint oil. This oil is often recommended for
rheumatoid arthritis, because it has analgesic, anesthetic,
and anti-inflammatory properties that help alleviate joint
pain and stiffness. Rub a couple of drops onto the affected
area.
Frankincense and myrrh oils. Each of these oils can be
helpful for rheumatoid arthritis sufferers, but research has
shown that when they’re taken together, they can suppress
joint inflammation and relieve pain in rheumatoid arthritis
sufferers. Mix together and rub a couple of drops onto the
affected area.

Joint health is an issue most of us don’t consider till we

have a problem, whether a sports injury or arthritis. And
there’s no doubt that once you’ve developed one of those
issues, using collagen, along with collagen-bolstering
nutrients, can help you fight it. But I’d like to propose
another option before I wrap up this chapter: If we all
proactively incorporated collagen into our diets, we could
support the healthy levels of connective tissue we already
have—and potentially prevent joint-related problems from
ever occurring, or at least make them much less likely.
Imagine that. What if we could avoid some of the million-
plus hip and knee replacements in the United States every
year? Or help keep older people active and engaged by
keeping their joints pain-free? Or give midlife athletes the
opportunity to return to play safely after a tendon or
ligament injury?
By embracing collagen, I believe that this is not only
possible but probable. I’ll drink (a cup of bone broth) to
that!
OceanofPDF.com
CHAPTER 10

Ten Other Surprising, Transformative

Benefits of Collagen

Promoting Sleep, Detoxifying Your Body, Bolstering

Immunity, and More

While collagen is becoming more widely known,

especially in the realm of skin care and joint health, one of
the reasons I wanted to write this book was to spread the
word about its valuable effects that aren’t talked about
much yet—how collagen, and the amino acids in it, can help
protect your cardiovascular system, for instance, and aid in
weight loss, and even help you live a longer, healthier life.
These intriguing benefits are hot areas of research in the
scientific realm, but a number of the positive findings are
only just starting to trickle out to the general public—and
I’m excited to be able to share them with you here.
One of the reasons collagen can play such disparate
roles in your body is because it’s a protein—and proteins,
and the amino acids they contain, are incredibly versatile.
You might think that all they do is build muscle—or, in the
case of collagen, provide structure and support to the
surrounding tissue—but that’s just part of their job.
Indeed, proteins have countless responsibilities in your
body. They help produce hormones, the body’s chemical
messengers that allow cells in various parts of your body to
communicate with one another; they facilitate important
chemical reactions in your body; they help maintain your
internal fluid and pH balance (the balance between acids
and bases that is enormously important for your overall
health); and they support your immune system by forming
antibodies, the substances that protect you from all manner
of viruses and bacteria and other disease-causing invaders.
And once you start looking at the amino acids in protein,
things get even more interesting. Glycine, for instance, a
predominant amino acid in collagen, is also a
neurotransmitter, a chemical that transmits signals from
one nerve cell to another, or to a muscle or gland cell. It
can either stimulate or calm the brain and nervous system,
so it is intimately involved in your body’s everyday
functioning and has been shown to be an effective sleep aid
and memory enhancer.
As you begin your collagen journey, it makes sense for
you to understand the range of ways this substance can
make a difference in your health, including these
compelling, but less well-known, outcomes. With that in
mind, let’s get right to it.

Research on collagen looks at the substance from a variety

of angles. Some studies look at the effects of hydrolyzed
collagen supplements given to people and animals. Others,
like many of the studies on athletes with sports injuries
that I mentioned in the previous chapter, use gelatin, a
substance that is extremely similar to hydrolyzed collagen.
And still others look at individual amino acids in collagen.
By now, you know that when you consume collagen, your
body breaks it down into these amino acids. So studying
these compounds can shed light on some of the nuanced
benefits of collagen. And the latest research shows that
collagen-related amino acids are powerhouse players in
your physical and emotional well-being in their own right,
with the ability to contribute to, and sometimes catalyze,
meaningful health transformations.
Here are the top ten lesser-known—but truly mind-
blowing—ways that collagen, and/or its amino acids, can be
therapeutic.

COLLAGEN CAN IMPROVE SLEEP

One in four people in the United States develops insomnia

every year, a condition characterized by an inability to fall
asleep or stay asleep.120 Chronic insomnia is defined as
sleeplessness that strikes at least three nights a week and
lasts for more than three months. Tossing and turning
every few nights is so common it sounds innocuous. But it’s
not. Sleep deprivation raises your risk for depression,
decreased work productivity, workplace accidents, and car
accidents.
In addition, insomnia is difficult to treat. The
medications that doctors often prescribe, like
benzodiazepines and other sedatives, can be addictive if
you take them night after night. They can make you feel
groggy the next morning, and if you consume alcohol or
other drugs at the same time, they can dangerously
depress your nervous system—and sometimes cause you to
stop breathing.
As a result, a side-effect-free approach for treating sleep
problems is desperately needed—and research shows that
glycine can help. For instance, a polysomnographic study,
which tracked participants’ brain waves, blood oxygen
levels, heart rate, breathing, and eye movements
throughout the night, found that glycine helped people fall
asleep more quickly and enter deep sleep more quickly;
indeed, participants’ subjective reports the next day
confirmed that they had slept better than usual, and their
memories were sharper.121 What’s more, they felt less
sleepy the next morning—results that echoed a similar
small, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial
published in Sleep and Biological Rhythms, which showed
that participants who took 3 grams of glycine before bed at
night were significantly more likely to say they felt more
awake, lively, and clearheaded in the morning than those
who took a placebo.122
My clinical experience supports those findings. I
routinely recommended collagen to patients with gut
problems or skin issues or joint pain. During our follow-up
appointments, after they told me about the improvement
they’d had with their primary problem, many of them would
mention that they were sleeping better as well.
Animal studies point to a likely mechanism of action.
When researchers gave rats oral glycine, they found that
the substance showed up in the animals’ cerebrospinal fluid
and brain tissue, where it triggered the temperature-
controlling part of the brain to drop the rats’ core body
temperature.123 And that may be the key, or at least an
important contributor, to glycine’s effectiveness. Body
temperature vacillates in a daily rhythm, rising in the
morning and dropping at night. Research has long shown
that as body temperature falls in the evening, it facilitates
the onset of sleep as well as the ability to stay asleep. Since
glycine seems to foster this drop, it can enhance restful
slumber.

COLLAGEN CAN PROMOTE A CALMER, MORE

UPBEAT MOOD

Anxiety disorders affect 40 million adults in the United

States, or 18 percent of the population each year, and
nearly half of the 16 million American adults diagnosed
with depression have an anxiety disorder as well.124 But
sleep deprivation is a well-recognized contributor to
depression and irritability—and difficulty falling asleep and
staying asleep is a symptom of depression itself. Because
glycine has the ability to help with sleep, it also has the
potential to improve the emotional health and quality of life
of millions of people.
This collagen-related amino acid also affects mood in
ways that have nothing to do with sleep. In the brain stem
and spinal cord, for instance, glycine acts as a soothing
neurotransmitter, similar to GABA (gamma-aminobutyric
acid), which plays a role in reducing anxiety and relaxing
the nervous system. Indeed, a study in Psychiatry and
Clinical Neurosciences found that oral glycine boosted
serotonin, the brain chemical that is often low in people
with depression, in the prefrontal cortex of rats.125 The
positive impact glycine has on serotonin may also benefit
those with schizophrenia, although more research is
needed to determine the substance’s effectiveness.
Likewise, as I explained in detail in Chapter 8, collagen
can give your gut the building blocks it needs to heal and
seal itself. And the health of your gut is intimately linked to
the health of your brain and to your mood. Ninety percent
of your serotonin receptors are in your gut, for instance. At
the same time, the teeming ecosystem of good and bad
bacteria in your gut can also affect your mood. Recent
research looking at two large groups of Belgians, for
instance, found that several species of gut bacteria are
missing in people with depression—and those species may
play a role in the production of dopamine, a feel-good
neurotransmitter in the brain, as well as butyrate, an anti-
inflammatory, which could be connected, since
inflammation has been implicated in depression. 126 The
research, published in Nature Microbiology, doesn’t prove
cause and effect, but it expands on earlier animal research
and smaller studies that have hinted at a similar gut-brain
cause of depression.

COLLAGEN CAN HELP YOU CONTROL YOUR

WEIGHT

We all know what a challenging national problem obesity is

—and anyone who has tried to lose weight has learned that
it’s not easy. Hundreds of scientific studies have been
devoted to finding the right combination of nutrients to
make the process more successful—and high-protein diets
consistently come out on top. Today, they’re among the
most popular diets in the United States, thanks to their
reliable ability to help you shed pounds. Eating a protein-
dense diet really does work.
One reason it’s so effective is that protein is satisfying—
and that applies to collagen just as it does to a nice pink
salmon fillet. Food that keeps you full longer helps you eat
less throughout the day. And there’s evidence that
hydrolyzed collagen protein is highly satisfying.127 In fact,
a number of participants in the Multi Collagen Makeover
program mentioned how filling collagen is and said it had
helped them control their appetites and slim down. I’ve
experienced the same thing myself. My wife, Chelsea, and I
rely on a daily dose of collagen in our morning smoothies to
help us feel satisfied and energetic throughout the
morning.
But that’s just one of several interesting ways that
collagen can help you shed pounds. For instance, a study
on rats eating a high-sucrose diet (similar to the high-sugar
diets many Americans consume) showed that glycine
protected the animals from accumulating abdominal fat,
which usually accrues when you eat a lot of sugar.
Published in the American Journal of Physiology—
Regulatory, Integrative, and Comparative Physiology, the
research revealed that when they were given glycine, not
only did the animals’ fat cells shrink, but the rats also had a
higher rate of fat metabolism128—a finding that has
important implications extending beyond weight loss.
Deep abdominal fat is the toughest kind to shed and the
most dangerous for your health, putting you at heightened
risk of metabolic and cardiac problems. In fact, the rats on
the high-sucrose diet without the addition of glycine
developed high blood pressure and high triglycerides. So
glycine may serve a dual purpose: By targeting the
stubborn fat stored in your abdomen, it may help you lose
weight and slash your risk of diseases that affect far too
many overweight people around the world. As a result, it
can be a game-changer for health.
When it comes to weight loss, one of the notable
challenges many of us face is maintaining a slimmer body
size. Studies confirm that most people experience this
frustrating outcome: By diligently cutting calories, they
lose weight fairly easily. But they struggle to keep the
pounds off, even if they continue eating a low-calorie diet.
One key reason this experience is so common is that when
you shed pounds you typically lose lean muscle tissue along
with fat. And, since muscle burns more calories than any
other type of tissue in the body, your metabolic rate takes a
nosedive.
Interestingly, collagen has a unique ability to help you
maintain lean body mass as you drop pounds. In one study,
researchers at the University of Melbourne looked at mice
that were put on a calorie-restricted diet. When they gave
the mice glycine, it not only accelerated their fat loss but
also protected against muscle loss129—a finding that has
been repeated in people with cancer and sepsis, two
conditions in which sufferers often lose dangerous amounts
of lean muscle as their weight plummets.
Glycine is known as the anti-aging amino acid because of
its well-known ability to help your body maintain lean
muscle mass into old age. The upshot: Adding collagen to
your diet can protect your muscle tissue as you shed
pounds—and help you keep the weight off for good.

COLLAGEN CAN BUILD STRONGER MUSCLE

Healthy muscle tissue can keep your metabolism humming

along at a high rate—and contribute in myriad ways to your
ability to stay happy and healthy with age. It can give you
the physical stamina and agility to continue to travel, for
instance, or go to community or cultural events, or
participate in physical activities with your children or
grandchildren; it can allow you to bounce back more easily
after illnesses and injuries; and it can help you maintain a
high energy level so you can continue to meet the demands
of your job, even as the years tick by.
Robust muscle and connective tissue is particularly
important for athletes, and the International Olympic
Committee’s 2018 consensus statement on dietary
supplements and high-performance athletes lists collagen
and gelatin in its section on supplements that may assist
with training capacity, recovery, muscle soreness, and
injury management.130
Collagen seems to be particularly helpful when paired
with exercise. In a study in the British Journal of Nutrition,
fifty-three elderly men with muscle loss underwent three
supervised resistance-training sessions a week for twelve
weeks. Roughly half were given a collagen supplement, and
the other half received a placebo. At the end of the trial, all
participants’ muscle mass, bone mass, and quadriceps
strength increased, while their fat mass decreased—but the
effect was significantly more pronounced in those who
received the collagen supplements.131
These findings make a lot of sense, when you consider
that muscle is suffused with collagen, where it provides
mechanical strength and immune support and helps repair
the tissue. In fact, research indicates that hydroxyproline-
glycine plays a role in muscle cell differentiation and
growth. And, as you learned in the previous section, glycine
has been found to help inhibit the deterioration of muscle
protein.
But here’s something I didn’t mention: Glycine can also
aid in muscle building. Turns out, this tiny amino acid is
required to synthesize creatine, a compound that helps
repair damaged muscle and build new, stronger tissue.
Athletes often use creatine supplements to boost strength,
endurance, and overall performance. In fact, one seminal
study found that when you add creatine supplements to
your usual strength-training regimen, you can double your
strength and lean muscle gains.132 So getting glycine in
your diet can bolster your ability to create this valuable
muscle-building substance naturally.
And there’s another collagen-related amino acid that’s
important for healthy muscle tissue. Arginine has the
ability to significantly increase growth hormone levels,
which contributes to muscle growth. It also is known to
effectively improve blood flow, so your body can deliver
more nutrients and oxygen to muscle tissue. And feeding
your muscle allows you not only to build more healthy
tissue but also to exercise more efficiently with less fatigue
and pain.
That can be great for all of us—but it can be truly life-
changing for people who have narrowing of the blood
vessels in their legs and feet, a condition that makes it
painful to walk. As a result, sufferers are at risk of
becoming dangerously sedentary. Here’s the good news:
Research shows that arginine supplementation can improve
walking distance and reduce muscle aches in patients with
this type of atherosclerosis133—so it can help them
maintain muscle and stay healthy and active in spite of
their disease.

COLLAGEN CAN PROMOTE BONE HEALTH

About 50 percent of bone is made up of protein, and the

majority of it is collagen. Indeed, people who consume too
little protein have reduced bone density and increased
rates of bone loss. That’s more important than it may sound
at first blush. It’s estimated that one in three women and
one in five men over age fifty will fracture a bone due to
osteoporosis—and those fractures can be devastating.
Australian and Danish researchers recently reported on a
ten-year study in people over fifty who had sustained
fractures related to fragile bones. In the first year after
breaking a hip, 33 percent of men and 20 percent of
women had a higher risk of dying—and the risk was still
significant a full decade later.134
Happily, protein can be particularly beneficial for aging
people, who are at the most risk of osteoporosis. A study of
more than 140,000 postmenopausal women, for instance,
found that each 20 percent increase in protein intake was
associated with significantly higher bone mineral density
throughout their bodies, including in the fracture-prone
hips.135
What’s more, animal studies looking specifically at
collagen protein have shown that it can increase bone
formation and bone mineral density (BMD)—and a study
published in Nutrients in 2018 found the same thing
happens in postmenopausal women with age-related low
bone density. In that randomized, placebo-controlled trial,
women taking collagen supplements for a year had
significantly increased bone density in their spines as well
as their femoral necks, the bone at the top of the femur
that is most likely to break when someone fractures their
hip, whereas BMD decreased over the same time period in
the placebo group. Collagen supplementation was also
associated with a favorable shift in biological markers that
are indicative of increased bone formation and reduced
bone erosion.136
Similarly, a study in pairs of identical twins, who have
the same genetic makeup and, as a result, are often used in
scientific research, revealed that in each pair of twins, the
one with the higher intake of glycine and alanine, another
collagen-related amino acid, had significantly higher BMD
in her or his spine than the sibling with lower intake;137
that finding is particularly hopeful for people with a family
history of osteoporosis, because the research indicates that
upping your consumption of glycine and alanine may
improve your bone health, regardless of your genetic risk
for the condition.

COLLAGEN CAN BE HEALTHY FOR YOUR HEART

Cardiovascular disease is listed as the underlying cause in

about one out of every three deaths in the United States.
An average of one person in the country dies every thirty-
eight seconds of the disease, according to recent stats from
the American Heart Association.138 So finding ways to
support heart health and the cardiovascular system as a
whole is high on the national agenda. Now, more and more
researchers are looking to collagen as a potential way to
achieve this goal.
Not long ago, Norwegian researchers reported on a
study in which they followed more than four thousand
people who had experienced angina, or chest pain, for
nearly seven and a half years. The results, reported in the
Journal of the American Heart Association, showed that
those with higher glycine levels in the blood had a lower
prevalence of obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes—
all contributors to cardiovascular disease. As important,
those with higher glycine had a decreased risk of having a
heart attack during the study period. The researchers
theorized that glycine’s positive effects on heart health
could stem from the fact that the amino acid might help the
body metabolize and get rid of fats and cholesterol.139
But there are other ways glycine likely bolsters
cardiovascular health. Research has shown, for instance,
that in rats eating a high-sucrose diet, increasing their
intake of this amino acid decreases their levels of
circulating fatty acids, abdominal fat, and blood
pressure.140 At the same time, glycine deficiency can be
dangerous. There’s evidence that it fosters atherosclerosis
in mice141—and low glycine levels correlate with obesity
and diabetes. On the flip side, when insulin resistance
improves, so do plasma glycine concentrations.142
Arginine, too, has earned kudos for its positive effects on
heart health. Indeed, one of the most noteworthy benefits
of arginine is its ability to improve blood flow and
circulation. In the body, this amino acid is converted into
nitric oxide, which causes blood vessels to dilate, thereby
keeping your blood pressure within a normal range. And
high blood pressure is a major risk factor for stroke.
Indeed, a literature review published in the Journal of
Chiropractic Medicine confirmed that arginine helped
reduce diastolic and systolic blood pressure in people with
hypertension.143
There’s also evidence that it prevents clots and plaque
from forming—another way it reduces the risk of stroke.
And, like glycine, arginine can be helpful for those with
angina, because nitric oxide prevents clots that cut off
blood supply. Taken together, it’s safe to say that having
healthy glycine and arginine levels—which you can sustain
by adding collagen to your diet—can protect your heart.

COLLAGEN CAN STRENGTHEN YOUR IMMUNE

 SYSTEM

A healthy immune system is obviously vital to your ability

to fight off colds and other viruses as well as battle cancer
and random cellular abnormalities. And, as you know by
now, the majority of your immune system resides in your
gut—which means that keeping your belly healthy can keep
your whole body healthy. What’s more, fascinating research
has begun to show that the amino acids in collagen may
help keep this disease-fighting system in tip-top shape.
Indeed, not long ago, a woman named Raquel sent me this
note:
“Four years ago, I had a new baby and was feeling ill. I
caught every sickness that came along. I went to almost
fifteen doctors and no one could tell me what my problem
was. Then, I came across your website and read about
leaky gut. I tried collagen, and now I know how to treat my
problem. I have no words to thank you.”
Scientific research supports the collagen-immunity link.
A study in rats with deteriorated immunity caused by the
drug methotrexate found that giving them type II collagen
for twenty-eight days bolstered their body weight as well as
key markers of immunity, including T cells, which were
significantly increased in the blood and spleen.144
T cells are a type of white blood cell that plays a primary
role in fighting cancer, as well as bacterial and viral
invaders. (They’re called T cells because they mature and
develop in your thymus, located behind your sternum.) In a
laboratory study reported in the journal Cell, researchers
found that by elevating levels of arginine, an amino acid in
collagen, they could bolster T cells’ metabolic fitness and
survival capacity—and in mice arginine enhanced the cells’
anti-tumor activity.145 At the same time, researchers have
long suspected that glycine has the ability to modulate the
immune system and may also play a yet-to-be-explained
role in fighting cancer.
Arginine can bolster immune function as well, thanks to
its free radical–scavenging ability. And, since nitric oxide
acts as a neurotransmitter and protective agent against
outside threats, it has a positive effect on both the central
nervous system and the immune system.

COLLAGEN CAN INCREASE ANTIOXIDANT

PROTECTION AND DETOXIFICATION

Glycine is one of three amino acids that your body requires

to produce glutathione—and, as I’ve mentioned in previous
chapters, glutathione is a superhero antioxidant, offering
cells protection from damaging free radicals. But
glutathione does more than that. It also helps support
immune function and may help prevent the progression of
cancer; improves insulin sensitivity, which helps prevent
the development of type 2 diabetes; generates sperm cells;
reduces symptoms of Parkinson’s disease; and protects the
body from the damage caused by ulcerative colitis. Some
researchers speculate that it may even help children with
autism, since there’s evidence that they have lower levels
of the substance than children without autism.
At the same time, glutathione can detoxify chemicals
that make their way into your body, like environmental
toxins and pollutants and prescription and recreational
drugs. In fact, doctors intentionally bolster the substance in
people who overdose on acetaminophen. The reason: In the
liver, glutathione binds to toxins, the first step in escorting
them out of the body. Research in people who frequently
eat fish shows that those who have genes that tamp down
glutathione synthesis have higher levels of mercury.146
Unfortunately, levels of glutathione drop with age, so as
the years tick by, it’s more important than ever to have high
levels of the substance’s building blocks, including
arginine, cysteine, and glutamate. A study published in the
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that although
glutathione deficiency in elderly people occurs because of a
notable reduction in synthesis, supplementation with
glycine and cysteine fully restores the body’s glutathione
production system.147

COLLAGEN CAN RESTORE SEXUAL AND

HORMONE HEALTH

As men age, their ability to develop and maintain an

erection begins to deteriorate. Roughly 40 percent of men
are affected by this concerning condition by age forty, and
70 percent develop a problem by the time they’re
seventy.148 Doctors have long known that nitric oxide,
which, as you already know, is bolstered by arginine, is
necessary for healthy erections. Men with cardiovascular
problems tied to low levels of nitric oxide in the blood are
more likely to suffer from erectile dysfunction (ED). The
reason: An erection depends on the ability of the smooth
muscle to relax, a process triggered by nitric oxide.
Given the fact that arginine supports nitric oxide,
researchers have been exploring whether the amino acid
can help men who are struggling with ED. A study in the
Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy found that, while arginine
alone was only mildly effective at combating ED, when it
was combined with pycnogenol, another name for the
extract of French maritime pine bark, it helped 92.5
percent of men achieve a normal erection after three
months of treatment.149 In fact, arginine seems to improve
circulation to the genital tissues in both men and women,
making it an effective way to turn around sexual
performance problems for both sexes.
 Additionally, some research suggests that treatment with
N-acetyl cysteine and arginine together can help balance
hormones and restore normal sexual function in women
with estrogen imbalance as well as polycystic ovary
syndrome, a common health problem caused by an
imbalance of reproductive hormones, and a leading cause
of infertility. A small pilot study indicated that when women
who are struggling to conceive consume arginine, along
with herbs like chasteberry, green tea extract, and
antioxidant supplements, rates of pregnancy improve.150

COLLAGEN MAY INCREASE YOUR LIFE SPAN—

AND YOUR HEALTH SPAN

In the realm of anti-aging science, the most sought-after

outcome is the ability to extend longevity. One of the most
effective and hopeful strategies for achieving that goal is
through fasting and/or calorie restriction. But recent
cutting-edge research on amino acids has revealed an
additional strategy that might be helpful: supplementing
with glycine.
A study in PLOS Genetics, for instance, looked at C.
elegans, a tiny nematode that is often used in scientific
research. Although it’s a simple organism, many of the
molecular signals that control its development are also
found in humans, and studying cell death in the worm could
hold the key to understanding—and counteracting—the
effects of aging in humans. In fact, in this study
supplementing with glycine significantly prolonged the life
span of C. elegans.
Similar research found that glycine supplementation
extends the lives of mice and rats as well. Anti-aging
researchers from around the country collaborated on one of
the recent papers showing that glycine could extend the
lives of mice and concluded, “Our glycine results
strengthen the idea that modulation of dietary amino acid
levels can increase healthy life span in mice, and provide a
foundation for further investigation of dietary effects on
aging and late-life diseases.”151
Meanwhile, glycine’s positive effects on glutathione may
help you remain healthy well into old age. In a study
published in the Journals of Gerontology: Biological
Sciences, researchers followed nearly 2,600 people age
sixty and older living in Stockholm. For six years, they
logged participants’ chronic conditions and tracked their
total serum levels of glutathione.152 What they found: As
glutathione levels dropped, the number of diseases the
study subjects fell prey to increased, findings that point to
the idea that propping up glutathione levels by taking
glycine, one of the components of glutathione, can keep
you healthy even as you get up in years.
Indeed, the title of a separate study published in the
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition may sum it up best
of all: “Deficient Synthesis of Glutathione Underlies
Oxidative Stress in Aging and Can Be Corrected by Dietary
Cysteine and Glycine Supplementation.”153 Collagen may
be one of your best allies in your quest to age well.

Individually, each of these discrete effects of collagen is

important. Taken together, the vast array of evidence is
jaw-dropping. For a substance we’ve ignored for the past
hundred or so years, collagen is quickly proving itself to be
worthy of admission into the esteemed pantheon of
superfoods. I’m glad you’ve decided to welcome it into your
life and hope that by reading this far you have a thorough
understanding of the many reasons I recommend it and use
it daily.
The next few chapters will give you all the practical
information you need for incorporating collagen into your
diet. Before we leave this informational section of the book,
I want to thank you again for taking this journey—and
congratulate you on the one you’re about to begin. Here’s
to reaping the dramatic and diverse benefits of collagen in
your own life!
OceanofPDF.com
 PART III

The Collagen Diet Plan

OceanofPDF.com
CHAPTER 11

The 3-Day Collagen Cleanse

Everything You Need to Know to Do an At-Home

Collagen-Based Reset

You’ve probably heard a lot about cleanses in the last few

years, and you may have even come across some that
require you to shell out a shocking amount of money for
juices or other special ingredients. The collagen cleanse
isn’t like that. It’s a simple, no-gimmicks approach that
allows you to take advantage of two incredibly powerful
health-transforming strategies: intermittent fasting and
collagen loading.
Intermittent fasting is a strategy in which you eat during
a prescribed window during the day—usually six, eight, or
ten hours—so your body has a longer-than-usual stretch
without food. (You might have your first meal at noon and
your last at 8 p.m., for instance.) Even that fleeting fast
can, according to a study in Obesity, activate molecular
signaling pathways that “optimize physiological function,
enhance performance, and slow aging and disease
processes.”154
Fasts and cleanses are slightly different, but the collagen
cleanse actually uses both strategies. A fast is when you
abstain from a type of food, or from all food, for a certain
period of time. A cleanse is a dietary strategy that supports
detoxification. Collagen is great for cleansing, because it
contains glycine, which plays a role in the production of
glutathione, and, as I explained in Chapter 10, glutathione
binds to toxins in the liver and helps your body excrete
them. Additionally, the herbs, fruits, and veggies you’ll be
consuming on the collagen cleanse support and enhance
this necessary cleaning-out process.
Indeed, in just three days, the collagen cleanse can help
you lose weight, normalize blood sugar, decrease
cholesterol, promote growth hormone (which helps you
burn fat and create more collagen-rich body tissues), help
you think more clearly, slash inflammation, reset hunger
hormones to healthy levels, slow the aging process, and
possibly even add years to your life. Its benefits stem from
both its super-healthy ingredients and the fasting aspect. In
fact, research has shown that intermittent fasting, like
long-term fasting, prompts your cells to make more copies
of the SIRT3 gene, one of several longevity genes and one
that prevents free radical formation and improves cells’
ability to repair damage they incur through contact with
toxins and daily wear and tear.155
Intermittent fasting has been shown to be so effective at
promoting beneficial hormonal and metabolic changes in
your body that the National Institutes of Health has funded
a number of studies to determine how and why it works—
and dozens of books have recently been written about the
approach. That makes it sound trendy, but in truth fasting
has been practiced by cultures around the world for
thousands of years. It’s a fundamental part of many
religious traditions and has long been recognized as a way
to cure and rejuvenate the body. Philippus Paracelsus, a
Swiss physician who lived in the 1500s, said, “Fasting is the
greatest remedy; the physician within.” Even Benjamin
Franklin was a fan. He said, “The best of all medicines is
resting and fasting.”
My wife, Chelsea, and I do a collagen cleanse that
includes intermittent fasting at least twice a year—and I’ve
recommended it to hundreds of patients—because it’s a
quick and efficient way to clean out your system and
restore lost nutrients. I always feel refreshed and
rejuvenated afterward.
Because you’ll be sticking with liquids only while you
fast, you’ll reduce the usual amount of stress on your
digestive system; just as sleeping at night gives your body
time to undertake fundamental repairs, reducing your food
intake gives your GI system the opportunity to rest and
repair. And the nutrition you will be putting into your body
is manifestly healing.
A cornerstone of the approach is bone broth, one of the
most nutrient-dense, therapeutic foods known to man. As a
result, you’ll be loading up on collagen. So this fast is not
only an effective way to launch your new collagen-friendly
lifestyle, but it also confers tons of collagen-driven benefits
in its own right.
As you’ve already learned, bone broth and other
collagen-rich foods and supplements can reduce symptoms
of common digestive disorders, like leaky gut syndrome,
irritable bowel, or inflammatory bowel disease; it can
support healthy joints, ligaments, and tendons; it can
strengthen your bones; it can boost your immunity by
increasing the beneficial bacteria in your gut; and it can
halt and even turn around the obvious signs of skin aging.
Some cleanses fail to provide the important trace
minerals we need for ongoing energy, immunity, digestion,
and cellular repair, and because they’re often lacking in
electrolytes they can cause brain fog, fatigue, and
moodiness. But because bone broth is made from animal
bones, tendons, skin, and cartilage—tissues that are
teeming with minerals and electrolytes, like calcium,
phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, sulfate, and
fluoride—the risk of those problems is far lower. Indeed,
the glycine in bone broth (and other forms of collagen) can
help you get more sleep, which is a salve for mood, and
may also enhance mental performance and memory.
Another benefit of doing a collagen-based fast: While you
can lose weight, just as you can anytime you drastically
reduce your caloric intake, adding collagen can prevent the
muscle loss that often accompanies fasting-related weight
loss. Because collagen is made up of the amino acids
glycine, proline, arginine, hydroxyproline, and glutamic
acid, which shore up muscle, this 3-day cleanse can help
you hang on to every ounce of your healthy, calorie-burning
tissue, even as you drop pounds. At the same time, glycine
is a necessary ingredient for the production of glutathione,
one of the body’s most powerful detoxifying agents, which
helps the liver flush out chemicals, stored hormones, and
other waste.
Juice is another aspect of this collagen cleanse that’s
particularly important. Simply put, juicing is an easy way to
get a whopping helping of fresh veggies, herbs, spices, and
low-sugar fruit into your diet in one easy meal. In liquid
form, veggies and herbs are super easy to digest, allowing
your body to quickly absorb more of the vitamins and
minerals they contain. Drinking raw, freshly made juice can
increase your intake of antioxidants and nutrients, such as
chlorophyll, a green pigment found in certain plant foods
that is beneficial for detoxification and controlling
inflammation. At the same time, raw juice is packed with
antioxidants that fight free radicals, setting the stage for
maximum absorption and utilization of the dietary collagen
you’re consuming, and protecting your body’s current
stores of collagen.
The best and easiest way to make homemade raw juices
is with a juicer; however, if you don’t own a juicer, you can
place the ingredients in a high-speed blender, blend so that
everything is as liquefied as possible, then strain out the
solid pulp. To save time, make at least two servings of juice
at once and store the leftovers in the fridge; they’ll keep for
up to two days, but you’ll probably drink it before then. If
you’re truly pressed for time, instead of juicing you can mix
water with a powdered green superfood supplement. Do
not substitute with store-bought juice, however; it’s loaded
with sugar and, sometimes, preservatives.
In the coming pages, I provide some delicious, nutrient-
packed juice recipes, but if you want to get creative, feel
free! Here are some of the detoxifying, collagen-boosting
veggies, herbs, and fruit I use regularly, any of which you
can use in your own concoctions:

beets
blackberries
cabbage
carrots
celery
cilantro
cucumber
ginger
kale
lemon
lime
mint
parsley
raspberries
romaine lettuce
spinach
Swiss chard
turmeric
wheatgrass

The third pillar of my collagen cleanse is herbal tea. Tea

has been used as a health supplement and medicinal
substance in both Traditional Chinese Medicine and
Ayurvedic medicine for four thousand years. For instance, a
homemade tea that contains cinnamon, pau d’arco (a
medicinal substance that comes from the wood and bark of
the pau d’arco tree), ginger, and astragalus can turn
around candida overgrowth. A brew made from milk thistle,
turmeric, bupleurum, and moringa can help with
detoxification. A combination of schisandra, holy basil,
matcha, and white tea can help with aging skin. Simmering
ginger, peppermint, licorice, and astragalus together can
bolster gut health. And a tea made of ginger, echinacea,
astragalus, clove, and reishi mushrooms can support your
immune system. For the purposes of this cleanse, you can
try making some herbal teas on your own; just boil two
cups of water, then add a teaspoon of your favorite herb or
spice, be it tulsi (holy basil) or turmeric powder. Or keep it
super simple and use organic, packaged herbal teas of your
choice. If you like a little caffeine, green tea is a great
option; excellent decaf choices are ginger or chamomile.
In addition to giving your digestive system a break, the
reason we do cleanses with fluids—and these fluids in
particular—is that broth, veggie juice, and herbal tea are
“serum soluble.” That means your bloodstream and cells
can easily absorb them, so the nutrients they contain make
their way quickly and efficiently into your body, where they
can be utilized in whatever way you most need them.
Anyone can benefit from a collagen cleanse, but you can
expect to reap particularly noticeable benefits if you suffer
from digestive disorders or symptoms like bloating,
diarrhea, or constipation; food allergies; or fatigue,
sluggishness, or difficulty sleeping.
During your collagen cleanse, stick to the following
guidelines every day:
 Consume only liquids, including bone broth, raw juice
made mostly from veggies (but you can include a single
type of fruit), teas, herbal infusions, coffee, and water.
These liquids will provide essential nutrients and decrease
hunger—and the bone broth, juice, and herbal tea will keep
you hydrated.
Get two servings of collagen, with one serving from
real bone broth (homemade or store-bought—so long as it’s
real bone broth—or made from a hydrolyzed bone broth
supplement and water). The other serving can be from a
hydrolyzed collagen supplement, preferably one that
contains multiple types of collagen.
Drink at least two cups of herbal tea or herbal
infusions.
Have two cups of antioxidant-providing raw juice that’s
made mostly of veggies.
Drink two to four cups of water.
If you’re so inclined, have a cup or two of black coffee
—but no more than that, and steer clear of it after noon;
otherwise it may interfere with your sleep.
Listen to your body! While intermittent fasting has
loads of benefits, if you feel weak, light-headed, or fatigued,
have an extra raw juice with a serving of collagen protein;
if that doesn’t help, have a light snack, like a cup of
steamed veggies, an avocado, or a handful of blueberries.

As I mentioned above, intermittent fasts usually restrict

calorie consumption to a six-, eight-, or ten-hour window, so
choose the one that’s right for you. If you’re new to fasting
and cleanses, I suggest you start with the eight-hour time
frame; if that’s too difficult, you can stretch it to ten hours
and add another veggie juice or collagen dose at 8 p.m. Or,
if you have experience, you can be more restrictive in your
eating hours, while still consuming two servings of
collagen, veggie juice, and herbal tea. But give yourself the
flexibility to change it up if you feel it’s too difficult. Also,
pick the hours that work best with your lifestyle. Some
people like to eat from 10 a.m. or 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Others
prefer to shift their window earlier or later. You can have
water or black coffee outside of your eating window and
remain in a fasted state; your window doesn’t start until
you consume something with calories.
If you exercise, you’ll get the biggest fat burn if you do
so in a fasted state, so lots of people choose to work out in
the morning before they’ve eaten. Regardless of when you
exercise, plan to have a cup of bone broth or a green juice
with some hydrolyzed collagen protein immediately
afterward, so you can replenish your calories and prevent a
precipitous drop in energy.
Ready to begin? Here’s a complete guide to your 3-day
collagen cleanse, using an eight-hour eating window.

Day 1

Upon waking
Water and, if desired, black coffee, matcha, or herbal
tea

10 a.m.
Veggie juice: cucumber, beets, Swiss chard, lemon,
and turmeric

12 p.m.
Cherry Vanilla Collagen Smoothie (see the recipe
here)
Herbal tea or infusion (2 tea bags)

3 p.m.
Veggie juice: celery, cucumber, spinach, cilantro,
lime, and ginger
6 p.m.
Homemade bone broth (or broth made from a bone
broth protein supplement)
Herbal tea or infusion

Day 2

Upon waking
Water and, if desired, black coffee, matcha, or herbal
tea

10 a.m.
Veggie juice: spinach, romaine lettuce, beets,
cucumber, lemon, and turmeric

12 p.m.
Strawberry Coconut Bone Broth Smoothie (see the
recipe here)
Herbal tea or infusion

3 p.m.
Veggie juice: raspberries, cabbage, carrots, ginger,
wheatgrass, mint, and lemon

6 p.m.
Homemade bone broth (or broth made from a bone
broth protein supplement)
Herbal tea or infusion

Day 3

Upon waking
Water and, if desired, black coffee, matcha, or herbal
tea
10 a.m.
One scoop hydrolyzed collagen protein mixed with a
glass of water, almond milk, or unsweetened coconut
milk

12 p.m.
Veggie juice: cucumber, spinach, blackberries, lemon,
ginger, and parsley

3 p.m.
Homemade bone broth (or broth made from bone
broth protein supplement)

6 p.m.
Veggie juice: carrot, cabbage, kale, Swiss chard, lime,
and cilantro
Herbal tea or infusion
OceanofPDF.com
CHAPTER 12

The 28-Day Collagen Diet Meal Plan

Your Step-by-Step Guide to Bringing Collagen into

Your Life

Welcome to the heart of your collagen journey! I’m

delighted you’re here. What lies ahead is a way of eating
that can shield you from the most common challenges of
aging, from wrinkles and thinning hair to arthritis,
gastrointestinal ailments, cardiovascular problems, and
weakened immunity. What’s more, it’s simple—and
sustainable.
Now that you’ve completed your 3-day cleanse, your
body is well on its way to becoming a collagen-building
machine—and you’re ready to embark on the super-
nutritious diet you’ll find in the coming pages. Although
this can be a short-term diet, it’s also one you can easily
tweak—and stay on for years. Built around the healthiest
inflammation-fighting ingredients, it’s carefully designed to
support whole body wellness—and keep your collagen
levels high. It also provides amino acid balance, something
you’ve likely been missing your whole life. And it can help
you lose weight.
Every day, you’ll be consuming the equivalent of three
(or more!) servings of collagen from a variety of sources.
Bone broth and hydrolyzed collagen supplements are the
mainstays of this approach. But I also encourage you to
bolster your collagen consumption by eating the skin on
chicken and fish and adding organ meats to your diet.
If you have time, I recommend making bone broth at
home. Here’s how: Put several pounds of beef bones or
chicken necks, feet, and wings, along with carrots, celery,
onion, garlic, and your favorite herbs and spices, in a
stockpot with 18 to 20 cups of water; simmer for 24 to 48
hours. If you don’t have the time or bandwidth to make
your own, fear not; easier alternatives are available. You
can make bone broth from a powdered supplement, as I’ve
mentioned, or buy it premade from your health food store.
Regardless, you’ll find it to be an incredibly versatile health
food. As you’ll see from the fantastic recipes in Chapter 13,
you can add grains, legumes, veggies, or protein to bone
broth—or use it as a base for stews or smoothies. As you
get more comfortable with the program, feel free to get
creative with it—and have fun. Food is meant to be savored
and enjoyed.
By eating several servings of collagen a day, you’ll not
only be receiving a healthy balance of amino acids but also
consuming nearly 25 to 30 grams of protein, which will fill
you up and offer sustained energy. But many of you will
benefit from having more than three servings of collagen. If
you’re over forty, or already have problems with your joints,
GI system, metabolism, or skin, or you exercise more than
an hour a day, I suggest you consume four or five servings,
which will ensure that you’re ingesting enough amino acids
to repair and rebuild your collagen-rich tissue.
You can eat collagen throughout the day, but there are
several times that are ideal—and may help you get the most
from your efforts. Here’s when I like to have collagen:
 First thing in the morning. Adding collagen to your
coffee or breakfast smoothie will give you a solid hit of
protein to start your day; as a result, it will fill you up and
fuel your body for the next few hours.
After exercise. As with any other protein supplement,
it’s helpful to consume collagen after a workout, because it
promotes tissue repair and muscle growth. In addition, the
unique amino acids in collagen are the building blocks of
the soft tissue in your joints, which may have experienced
stress during your workout—so a post-workout dose of
collagen gives your cartilage, tendons, and ligaments the
nutritional support they need to undergo necessary
maintenance as well.
Before bed. As you’ve already learned, collagen is
teeming with glycine, the amino acid that has been shown
in scientific studies to help you fall asleep and stay asleep.
Research shows that 3 to 5 grams of glycine is enough to
encourage peaceful slumber. Since glycine makes up about
a third of collagen, one heaping scoop of a hydrolyzed
collagen supplement, or a half cup of bone broth, will
provide what you need.

By adding collagen throughout the day you’ll likely be

taking in more protein than usual, so this eating plan is
great for curbing hunger and cravings—and losing weight.
The bonus: Diets with higher amounts of protein also
support healthy blood sugar levels.
Some of you undoubtedly already eat relatively
nutritious diets; for you, adopting my collagen plan may
feel more like tweaking your current approach than making
wholesale changes. For others who are used to consuming
more processed foods, this way of eating, which includes an
abundance of vegetables, healthy fats and oils, protein, and
unprocessed carbohydrates, will feel more foreign. As a
result, it may be more challenging to stick with it.
 If you run into emotional resistance and find yourself
craving processed foods, here’s what I want you to think
about: Recently, researchers from the National Institutes of
Health looked at people eating an ultra-processed diet
(with foods like sugary cereal and packaged blueberry
muffins with margarine for breakfast, or canned chicken
salad sandwiches on white bread with canned peaches in
heavy syrup for dinner) versus those eating an unprocessed
diet (with meals like plain Greek yogurt with strawberries,
bananas, and walnuts for breakfast and stir fry with beef,
broccoli, onions, peppers, ginger, garlic, and olive oil over
basmati rice for dinner). The study subjects stayed at the
NIH Clinical Center’s Metabolic Clinical Research Unit for
twenty-eight days, so the researchers knew exactly what
they ate, and how much, at every meal. One half of the
group was given the ultra-processed diet for the first two
weeks, then switched to the unprocessed diet for the next
two weeks, while the other half did the reverse.
Participants were given three meals a day, plus snacks, and
were instructed to eat as much or as little as they liked.
The meals in the two groups varied widely by how
processed they were, but the foods that were included were
matched for energy density and basic macronutrients.
Here’s what the research revealed: The group eating the
processed diet consumed a whopping 500 calories a day
more than the unprocessed diet group, on average.
Unsurprisingly, the processed diet group gained an average
of about two pounds in two weeks, while the unprocessed
group lost about two pounds.156
It’s one of the most persuasive diet studies I’ve ever
seen, because it effectively links processed foods with
weight gain, which, in turn, contributes to everything from
arthritis and GI problems to heart disease and high blood
pressure. I wanted to share it with you here, because it’s a
graphic illustration of the risks of processed foods—and the
rewards of consuming a diet that’s based around whole
foods from nature.
While the NIH study diet didn’t contain collagen, it was
in other respects very similar to the diet I provide in these
pages. And, as you’ve learned by now, a varied diet that
includes an abundance of healthy plant and animal foods
will provide your body with the essential nutrients it
requires, including vitamin A, vitamin C, copper, sulfur, and
iron, to properly absorb—and make use of—dietary
collagen.
And don’t forget to focus on adopting healthy lifestyle
strategies as you eat your way to a healthier you. The
following strategies can enhance the benefits of this life-
changing diet plan:

Maintain your usual water intake, ideally around eight

8-ounce glasses a day. Maintaining fluid intake is
important, because it aids in digestion—and thirst often
masquerades as hunger. If you’re hungry, have a glass of
water and wait ten minutes to see if the feeling subsides.
Aim to get at least seven hours of sleep every night.
Sleep gives the healthy nutrients you’re ingesting during
the day time to repair your organs, muscles, and collagen-
rich tissues. Sleep boosts your mood and energy as well—
and will help you stick to this diet plan.
Exercise as you normally would—and if you don’t
exercise, please start. If you’re typically sedentary, start
doing twenty minutes of walking every day. If you’re used
to exercising, save your tough workouts for days when
you’re not fasting. On fasting days, it’s best to stick with
walking or yoga.
Don’t beat yourself up if you stray from the plan a
little. One of the most common reasons people give up on a
diet is that they cheat. They mistake a single slipup or two
for wholesale failure. Don’t let that happen to you! Try to
avoid consuming empty calories from processed or
prepackaged foods. But if you have a moment of weakness,
don’t let it derail your whole plan. Just acknowledge the
mistake—and use it as a moment to recommit to the
program.

With that in mind, let’s get to it.

THE 28-DAY COLLAGEN DIET MEAL PLAN

Day 1

Breakfast
Cherry Vanilla Collagen Smoothie (here)
Organic coffee (optional: blended with 1–2
tablespoons of coconut oil, butter, or ghee) or
tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Lunch
Butternut Bisque (here)
Side salad topped with homemade dressing: 1
tablespoon of olive oil mixed with apple cider vinegar
and seasoned to taste
Golden Tea (here)

Snack (optional)
Guacamole (here) served with raw veggies

Dinner
6 ounces of wild-caught salmon (or another type of
wild-caught fish) cooked in 1 tablespoon of coconut or
olive oil
Steamed broccoli or brussels sprouts, topped with 1
tablespoon of flax oil and seasoned to taste
½ baked sweet potato
 Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Day 2

Breakfast
Peach Probiotic Smoothie (here)
Organic coffee (optional: blended with 1–2
tablespoons of coconut oil, butter, or ghee) or
tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Lunch
Indian Curry Soup (here)
Side salad topped with homemade dressing: 1
tablespoon of olive oil mixed with apple cider vinegar
and seasoned to taste
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Snack (optional)
4 ounces of strawberries served with ½ cup full-fat
cottage cheese

Dinner
Spaghetti Squash with Roasted Chicken, Lemon, and
Parsley (here)
½ cup of fermented veggies (such as sauerkraut or
kimchi)
Side salad topped with homemade dressing: 1
tablespoon of olive oil mixed with apple cider vinegar
and seasoned to taste
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Dessert
Key Lime Pie (here)

Day 3
Breakfast
Strawberry Coconut Bone Broth Smoothie (here)
Organic coffee (optional: blended with 1–2
tablespoons of coconut oil, butter, or ghee) or
tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Lunch
Beef and Butternut Squash Soup (here)
½ cup of fermented veggies
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Snack (optional)
Blueberry Muffins (here)

Dinner
Roasted Chicken with Roma Tomatoes and Onions
(here)
Maple-Glazed Rosemary Carrots (here)
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Day 4 (Optional Cleanse Day)

Breakfast
Carrot Ginger Bone Broth Shake (here)
Organic coffee (optional: blended with 1–2
tablespoons of coconut oil, butter, or ghee) or
tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Lunch
Green Brain-Boosting Smoothie (here)
Organic coffee (optional: blended with 1–2
tablespoons of coconut oil, butter, or ghee) or
tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Snack
 Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Dinner
Whole Body Tonic Juice: 4 celery stalks, ½ cucumber,
1 cup pineapple chunks, ½ green apple, 1 cup baby
spinach leaves, 1 lemon, and 1-inch knob ginger
Bone broth soup (or 1 scoop of bone broth protein
mixed with 1¼ cups hot water)
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Day 5

Breakfast
Blueberry Bliss Collagen Smoothie (here)
Organic coffee (optional: blended with 1–2
tablespoons of coconut oil, butter, or ghee) or
tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Lunch
Slow Cooker Gingered Beef and Broccoli Soup (here)
Side salad topped with homemade dressing: 1
tablespoon of olive oil mixed with apple cider vinegar
and seasoned to taste
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Snack (optional)
No-Bake Bone Broth Protein Muffins (here)

Dinner
Leftover Roasted Chicken with Roma Tomatoes and
Onions (here)
Leftover Maple-Glazed Rosemary Carrots (here)
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Dessert
 No-Bake Cashew Truffles (here)

Day 6

Breakfast
Collagen-Enhancing Veggie-Loaded Egg Bake (here)
Organic coffee (optional: blended with 1–2
tablespoons of coconut oil, butter, or ghee) or
tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Lunch
Leafy Green Salad with Salmon (here)
Sweet Potato Fries (here)
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Snack (optional)
4 ounces of blueberries served with ½ cup full-fat
cottage cheese

Dinner
Slow Cooker Steak Fajitas (here)
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Day 7

Breakfast
Pumpkin Pie Smoothie (here)
Organic coffee (optional: blended with 1–2
tablespoons of coconut oil, butter, or ghee) or
tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Lunch
Leftover Slow Cooker Steak Fajitas (here)
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice
Snack (optional)
Butternut Squash Chips (here)

Dinner
6 ounces of organic free-range chicken cooked in 1
tablespoon of olive or coconut oil
Summer squash or zucchini sautéed in 1–2 teaspoons
of olive oil, coconut oil, or ghee
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Day 8

Breakfast
Loaded Kefir Breakfast Bowl (here)
Collagen Coffee (here)

Lunch
Creamy Tomato Soup (here)
½ cup of fermented veggies
Side salad topped with homemade dressing: 1
tablespoon of olive oil mixed with apple cider vinegar
and seasoned to taste
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Snack (optional)
4 ounces of raspberries served with ½ cup full-fat
cottage cheese

Dinner
Quinoa-Stuffed Bell Peppers (here)
Mashed Faux-tatoes (here)
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Day 9
Breakfast
Mint Chocolate Smoothie (here)
Organic coffee (optional: blended with 1–2
tablespoons of coconut oil, butter, or ghee) or
tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Lunch
6 ounces of organic grass-fed lamb cooked in 1
tablespoon of coconut oil
Steamed kale topped with 1 tablespoon of olive oil
and seasoned to taste
½ cup of quinoa or rice cooked in bone broth
(optional: sprinkle with turmeric and herbs)
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Snack (optional)
Blueberry Macadamia Bars (here)

Dinner
Stir-Fry Salmon (here)
Mashed Sweet Potatoes (here)
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Dessert
Apple Crisp (here)

Day 10

Breakfast
Black and Blue Berry Smoothie (here)
Organic coffee (optional: blended with 1–2
tablespoons of coconut oil, butter, or ghee) or
tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Lunch
 Leftover Stir-Fry Salmon (here)
½ cup of fermented veggies
½ avocado
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Snack (optional)
Leftover Blueberry Macadamia Bars (here)

Dinner
Meatball Soup (here)
½ cup of quinoa or rice cooked in bone broth
(optional: sprinkle with turmeric and herbs)
Side salad topped with homemade dressing: 1
tablespoon of olive oil mixed with apple cider vinegar
and seasoned to taste
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Day 11 (Optional Cleanse Day)

Breakfast
Cherry Vanilla Collagen Smoothie (here)
Organic coffee (optional: blended with 1–2
tablespoons of coconut oil, butter, or ghee) or
tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Lunch
Peach Probiotic Smoothie (here)
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Snack
Spicy Heart Health Juice: ⅛ or less jalapeño, 1-inch
knob ginger, 1 clove garlic, 1 medium raw beet, 2
carrots, 1 lemon, and 1 cucumber

Dinner
 Immune-Supporting Juice: 1 bell pepper (red, green,
yellow, or orange), 1 small head broccoli (with stem),
1 lemon, 1 cucumber, 1-inch knob ginger, and 1
tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Green Brain-Boosting Smoothie (here)
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Day 12

Breakfast
2–3 eggs fried in 1 tablespoon of butter or avocado oil
Organic coffee (optional: blended with 1–2
tablespoons of coconut oil, butter, or ghee) or
tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Lunch
“Noodle” Bowls (here)
Cauliflower Tabbouleh Salad (here)
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Snack (optional)
Raw veggies served with ½ cup hummus

Dinner
Chicken Noodle Soup (here)
Roasted Cruciferous Vegetables (here)
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Dessert
Banana Chia Pudding (here)

Day 13

Breakfast
Strawberry Coconut Bone Broth Smoothie (here)
 Organic coffee (optional: blended with 1–2
tablespoons of coconut oil, butter, or ghee) or
tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Lunch
Leftover Chicken Noodle Soup (here)
Leftover Cauliflower Tabbouleh Salad (here) or ½
baked sweet potato
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Snack (optional)
4 ounces of blueberries served with ½ cup full-fat
cottage cheese

Dinner
2–3 eggs fried in 1 tablespoon of butter or avocado oil
Sliced tomato and cucumber drizzled with lemon
juice and olive oil and seasoned to taste
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Day 14

Breakfast
Pumpkin Pie Smoothie (here)
Organic coffee (optional: blended with 1–2
tablespoons of coconut oil, butter, or ghee) or
tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Lunch
4 ounces of organic grass-fed beef cooked in 1
tablespoon of coconut oil
Steamed or roasted asparagus drizzled with 1
tablespoon of olive oil and seasoned to taste
½ cup of brown rice cooked in bone broth and topped
with turmeric and herbs of your choice
Snack (optional)
Almond Cacao Collagen Balls (here)

Dinner
6 ounces of organic free-range chicken cooked in 1
tablespoon of coconut oil
Mashed Faux-tatoes (here)
½ cup of fermented veggies

Day 15

Breakfast
Black and Blue Berry Smoothie (here)
Organic coffee (optional: blended with 1–2
tablespoons of coconut oil, butter, or ghee) or
tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Lunch
Butternut, Cauliflower, and Carrot Soup (here)
Side salad topped with homemade dressing: 1
tablespoon of olive oil mixed with apple cider vinegar
and seasoned to taste
Golden Tea (here)

Snack (optional)
Leftover Almond Cacao Collagen Balls (here)

Dinner
6 ounces of wild-caught salmon (or another type of
wild-caught fish) cooked in 1 tablespoon of coconut or
olive oil
Steamed broccoli or brussels sprouts topped with 1
tablespoon of flax oil and seasoned to taste
½ baked sweet potato
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice
 Day 16

Breakfast
Collagen-Enhancing Veggie-Loaded Egg Bake (here)
Organic coffee (optional: blended with 1–2
tablespoons of coconut oil, butter, or ghee) or
tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Lunch
Leftover Butternut, Cauliflower, and Carrot Soup
(here)
Side salad topped with homemade dressing: 1
tablespoon of olive oil mixed with apple cider vinegar
and seasoned to taste
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Snack (optional)
4 ounces of strawberries served with ½ cup full-fat
cottage cheese

Dinner
Chicken Tenders (here)
½ cup of fermented veggies
Side salad topped with homemade dressing: 1
tablespoon of olive oil mixed with apple cider vinegar
and seasoned to taste
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Dessert
Coconut Chia Pudding (here)

Day 17

Breakfast
2–3 eggs fried in 1 tablespoon of butter or avocado oil
 Organic coffee (optional: blended with 1–2
tablespoons of coconut oil, butter, or ghee) or
tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Lunch
Leftover Chicken Tenders (here)
½ cup of fermented veggies
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Snack (optional)
Chocolate Cherry Protein Bars (here)

Dinner
Shepherd’s Pie (here)
Side salad topped with homemade dressing: 1
tablespoon of olive oil mixed with apple cider vinegar
and seasoned to taste
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Day 18 (Optional Cleanse Day)

Breakfast
Blueberry Bliss Collagen Smoothie (here)
Organic coffee (optional: blended with 1–2
tablespoons of coconut oil, butter, or ghee) or
tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Lunch
Mint Chocolate Smoothie (here)
Organic coffee or tea/herbal infusion of your choice
(optional)

Snack
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice
Dinner
Whole Body Tonic Juice: 4 celery stalks, ½ cucumber,
1 cup pineapple chunks, ½ green apple, 1 cup baby
spinach leaves, 1 lemon, and 1-inch knob ginger
Bone broth soup (or 1 scoop of bone broth protein
mixed with 1¼ cups hot water)
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Day 19

Breakfast
Omelet made with bell peppers, spinach, and
tomatoes
Organic coffee (optional: blended with 1–2
tablespoons of coconut oil, butter, or ghee) or
tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Lunch
Leftover Shepherd’s Pie (here)
Side salad topped with homemade dressing: 1
tablespoon of olive oil mixed with apple cider vinegar
and seasoned to taste
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Snack (optional)
Leftover Chocolate Cherry Protein Bars (here)

Dinner
Quinoa-Stuffed Bell Peppers (here)
½ cup fermented veggies
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Dessert
No-Bake Chocolate Chip Cookies (here)
 Day 20

Breakfast
Strawberry Coconut Bone Broth Smoothie (here)
Organic coffee (optional: blended with 1–2
tablespoons of coconut oil, butter, or ghee) or
tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Lunch
Butternut Bisque (here)
Side salad topped with homemade dressing: 1
tablespoon of olive oil mixed with apple cider vinegar
and seasoned to taste
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Snack (optional)
4 ounces of blueberries served with ½ cup full-fat
cottage cheese

Dinner
Seared Tuna with Asparagus (here)
Bean Salad (here)
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Day 21

Breakfast
Loaded Kefir Breakfast Bowl (here)
Organic coffee (optional: blended with 1–2
tablespoons of coconut oil, butter, or ghee) or
tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Lunch
Leftover Seared Tuna with Asparagus (here)
Sweet Potato Fries (here)
 Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Snack (optional)
Guacamole (here) served with raw veggies

Dinner
6 ounces of organic free-range chicken cooked in 1
tablespoon of olive or coconut oil
Summer squash or zucchini sautéed in 1–2 teaspoons
of olive oil, coconut oil, or ghee
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Day 22

Breakfast
Peach Probiotic Smoothie (here)

Lunch
Beef and Butternut Squash Soup (here)
½ cup of fermented veggies
Side salad topped with homemade dressing: 1
tablespoon of olive oil mixed with apple cider vinegar
and seasoned to taste
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Snack (optional)
4 ounces of raspberries served with ½ cup full-fat
cottage cheese

Dinner
Italian Chicken and Eggplant Casserole (here)
Roasted Cruciferous Vegetables (here)
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Day 23
Breakfast
Mint Chocolate Smoothie (here)
Organic coffee (optional: blended with 1–2
tablespoons of coconut oil, butter, or ghee) or
tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Lunch
Leftover Italian Chicken and Eggplant Casserole
(here)
Leftover Roasted Cruciferous Vegetables (here)
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Snack (optional)
Butternut Squash Chips (here)

Dinner
6 ounces of organic grass-fed lamb cooked in 1
tablespoon of coconut oil
Steamed kale topped with 1 tablespoon of olive oil
and seasoned to taste
½ cup of quinoa or rice cooked in bone broth
(optional: sprinkle with turmeric and herbs)
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Dessert
Cacao Blueberry Ice Cream (here)

Day 24

Breakfast
Green Brain-Boosting Smoothie (here)
Organic coffee (optional: blended with 1–2
tablespoons of coconut oil, butter, or ghee) or
tea/herbal infusion of your choice
Lunch
Creamy Tomato Soup (here)
½ cup of fermented veggies
½ avocado
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Snack (optional)
Leftover Butternut Squash Chips (here)

Dinner
Roasted Salmon with Kefir, Garlic, and Avocado
Sauce (here)
½ cup of quinoa or rice cooked in bone broth
(optional: sprinkle with turmeric and herbs)
Side salad topped with homemade dressing: 1
tablespoon of olive oil mixed with apple cider vinegar
and seasoned to taste
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Day 25 (Optional Cleanse Day)

Breakfast
Cherry Vanilla Collagen Smoothie (here)
Organic coffee (optional: blended with 1–2
tablespoons of coconut oil, butter, or ghee) or
tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Lunch
Pumpkin Pie Smoothie (here)
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Snack
Spicy Heart Health Juice: ⅛ or less jalapeño, 1-inch
knob ginger, 1 clove garlic, 1 medium raw beet, 2
carrots, 1 lemon, and 1 cucumber
Dinner
Immune-Supporting Juice: 1 bell pepper (red, green,
yellow, or orange), 1 small head broccoli (with stem),
1 lemon, 1 cucumber, 1-inch knob ginger, and 1
tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Strawberry Coconut Bone Broth Smoothie (here)
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Day 26

Breakfast
Black and Blue Berry Smoothie (here)
Organic coffee (optional: blended with 1–2
tablespoons of coconut oil, butter, or ghee) or
tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Lunch
Leftover Creamy Tomato Soup (here)
Cauliflower Tabbouleh Salad (here)
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Snack (optional)
Raw veggies served with ½ cup hummus

Dinner
Chicken Thighs with Burst Tomatoes (here)
Steamed broccoli or brussels sprouts topped with 1
tablespoon of flax oil and seasoned to taste
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Dessert
Almondy Chocolate Chip Cookies (here)

Day 27
Breakfast
Loaded Kefir Breakfast Bowl (here)
Organic coffee (optional: blended with 1–2
tablespoons of coconut oil, butter, or ghee) or
tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Lunch
Leftover Chicken Thighs with Burst Tomatoes (here)
Leftover Cauliflower Tabbouleh Salad (here) or ½
baked sweet potato
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Snack (optional)
4 ounces of strawberries served with ½ cup full-fat
cottage cheese

Dinner
2–3 eggs fried in 1 tablespoon of butter or avocado oil
Sliced tomato and cucumber drizzled with lemon
juice and olive oil and seasoned to taste
Tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Day 28

Breakfast
Omelet made with bell peppers, spinach, and
tomatoes
Organic coffee (optional: blended with 1–2
tablespoons of coconut oil, butter, or ghee) or
tea/herbal infusion of your choice

Lunch
4 ounces of organic grass-fed beef cooked in 1
tablespoon of coconut oil
 Steamed or roasted asparagus drizzled with 1
tablespoon of olive oil and seasoned to taste
½ cup of brown rice cooked in bone broth and topped
with turmeric and herbs of your choice

Snack (optional)
Almond Cacao Collagen Balls (here)

Dinner
6 ounces of organic free-range chicken cooked in 1
tablespoon of coconut oil
Mashed Faux-tatoes (here)
½ cup of fermented veggies
OceanofPDF.com
CHAPTER 13

The Collagen Diet Recipes

72 Delicious Options to Ensure You Get Enough

Collagen

In this chapter, you’ll find seventy-two of my favorite

collagen recipes, from delicious smoothies that will help
you start your day with a dose of long-lasting energy to
simple (and yummy!) chicken, salmon, steak, and veggie
meals you can whip up for dinner. I’ve also included some
of my go-to snack items, such as Blueberry Macadamia
Bars, and desserts, such as Banana Chia Pudding. They’re
proof that eating clean, healthful foods doesn’t mean
sacrificing decadent flavor. I can’t wait for you to try them.
Some quick advice about which types of ingredients to
choose:

Buy organic produce whenever you can. Organically

grown fruits and veggies have the greatest health benefits
and help you avoid pesticides and chemicals.
When you’re purchasing protein, opt for grass-fed beef,
pasture-raised poultry and eggs, and wild-caught fish.
These are the most nutritious options, and they don’t
contain hormones or other contaminants often found in
conventionally raised animals.
Buy full-fat versions of dairy products. They’re far more
nutritious than low-fat options, which are laden with sugar
and missing the healthful fats your body needs to function
its best.

It can feel overwhelming to try new recipes and novel

ingredients, so I encourage you to approach these meals
and snacks with a sense of curiosity, adventure, and fun.
The best way to lose weight and improve your health is to
enjoy the journey. My hope is that the delectable and
nutritious options in this chapter will make it easy for you
to do just that.

BREAKFASTS AND BEVERAGES

COLLAGEN COFFEE

SERVINGS: 1–2
TIME: 5 MINUTES
1½ cups organic brewed coffee
1 tablespoon butter from grass-fed cows
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 scoop collagen protein

Place all ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend

until smooth.

GOLDEN TEA

SERVINGS: 2
 TIME: 5 MINUTES
1½ cups unsweetened almond milk
½ cup water
1 scoop turmeric bone broth protein
1 tablespoon ghee
1 tablespoon raw honey
Ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice to taste

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the

almond milk, water, and bone broth protein.
Warm for 2 minutes.
Add the ghee and honey and stir for another 2 minutes.
Stir again and pour into glasses. Top with cinnamon or
pumpkin pie spice (if using).

CHERRY VANILLA COLLAGEN SMOOTHIE

SERVINGS: 1
TIME: 5 MINUTES
1 cup unsweetened almond milk, plus more if needed
1 cup frozen cherries
1 scoop vanilla bone broth protein
3–4 ice cubes

Place all ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend

until smooth, adding more almond milk as needed.

GREEN BRAIN-BOOSTING SMOOTHIE

SERVINGS: 1–2
TIME: 5 MINUTES
½ avocado
½ banana
½ cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 scoop vanilla bone broth protein
6 whole shelled walnuts
½ cup water

Place all ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend

until smooth.

BLACK AND BLUE BERRY SMOOTHIE

SERVINGS: 2
TIME: 5 MINUTES
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup frozen blackberries
½ frozen banana
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
½ cup full-fat unsweetened canned coconut milk
2 tablespoons almond butter

Place all ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend

until smooth.

BLUEBERRY BLISS COLLAGEN SMOOTHIE

SERVINGS: 1–2
TIME: 5 MINUTES
1½ cups fresh or frozen blueberries
5 macadamia nuts
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon raw honey or 2–3 drops liquid stevia (optional)
2 tablespoons collagen protein
2 cups full-fat unsweetened canned coconut milk, plus more
if needed

Place all ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend

until smooth, adding more coconut milk as needed.

CARROT GINGER BONE BROTH SHAKE

SERVINGS: 1–2
TIME: 5 MINUTES
3 cups grated carrots
1-inch knob fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
3 tablespoons bone broth protein
1¼ cups full-fat unsweetened canned coconut milk
1 tablespoon raw honey
Handful of ice cubes

Place all ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend

until smooth.

MINT CHOCOLATE SMOOTHIE

SERVINGS: 1–2
TIME: 5 MINUTES
1½ cups unsweetened almond milk, plus more if needed
1–2 drops peppermint extract
2 tablespoons cacao powder
1 scoop chocolate bone broth protein
6 ice cubes, plus more if needed
Cacao nibs to taste
 Place all ingredients except the cacao nibs in a high-
powered blender and blend until smooth. Add more almond
milk or ice as needed.
Top with cacao nibs.

PEACH PROBIOTIC SMOOTHIE

SERVINGS: 1–2
TIME: 5 MINUTES
½ banana
¾ cup frozen peach chunks
½ cup full-fat unsweetened canned coconut milk or full-fat
plain goat-milk kefir or yogurt
1½ cups unsweetened almond milk
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 scoop vanilla bone broth protein
⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract

Place all ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend

until smooth.

PUMPKIN PIE SMOOTHIE

SERVINGS: 1–2
TIME: 5 MINUTES
½ cup canned pumpkin puree
½ cup pureed cooked butternut squash
½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1½ cups unsweetened almond milk, plus more if needed
1 scoop vanilla bone broth protein

Place all ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend

until smooth, adding more almond milk as needed.

STRAWBERRY COCONUT BONE BROTH SMOOTHIE

SERVINGS: 4
TIME: 5 MINUTES
¾ cup full-fat unsweetened canned coconut milk, plus more
if needed
1 tablespoon vanilla bone broth protein
3 cups fresh or frozen strawberries
1 cup ice

Place all ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend

until smooth, adding more coconut milk as needed.

ALMOND BERRY CEREAL

SERVINGS: 1
TIME: 5 MINUTES
½ cup full-fat unsweetened canned coconut milk
½ cup fresh or thawed frozen blueberries
¼ cup sliced almonds
¼ cup flaxseed meal
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Combine the coconut milk, blueberries, almonds, and

flaxseed meal in a serving bowl. Sprinkle with cinnamon and
enjoy.

COLLAGEN-ENHANCING VEGGIE-LOADED EGG BAKE

 SERVINGS: 8
TIME: 40 MINUTES
8 large eggs
¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 scoops collagen protein (optional)
1 raw sweet potato, shredded
1 red bell pepper, diced
½ red onion, diced
1 cup chopped fresh spinach
½ cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
4–5 leaves basil, sliced

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

Whisk together the eggs, almond milk, salt, and collagen
protein (if using) and set aside.
Place the shredded sweet potato in the bottom of a
greased 9 × 13-inch casserole dish.
Pour the egg mixture over the sweet potato and evenly
distribute the remaining vegetables over the top.
Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked
through. Sprinkle with basil and serve.

LOADED KEFIR BREAKFAST BOWL

SERVINGS: 2
TIME: 5 MINUTES
2 cups full-fat plain goat-milk kefir
1 kiwifruit, sliced
½ cup fresh or frozen blueberries
½ cup fresh or frozen blackberries
¼ cup goji berries
¼ cup sliced almonds
¼ cup chopped walnuts
3–4 drops liquid stevia per bowl (optional)

Combine all ingredients and divide between two bowls.

Enjoy cold.

QUINOA PORRIDGE

SERVINGS: 1
TIME: 35 MINUTES
½ cup quinoa
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1½ cups unsweetened almond milk
½ cup water
2 tablespoons raw honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt

Combine the quinoa and cinnamon in a medium saucepan

and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3
minutes, or until quinoa is toasted.
Add the almond milk, water, honey, vanilla, and salt.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes,
stirring occasionally, until the porridge is thick and the
grains are tender, adding more water if needed.
As the porridge cooks, stir more frequently to prevent
burning, then transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy.

MAIN DISHES

BEEF AND BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

 SERVINGS: 6
TIME: 35 MINUTES
6 cups beef bone broth
1½ teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 pound beef stew meat, sliced or cubed
1 yellow onion, diced
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed

In a large pot over medium heat, bring the bone broth,

spices, and salt to a simmer.
Add the remaining ingredients and return to a simmer.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes.
Serve warm.

BUTTERNUT BISQUE

SERVINGS: 4
TIME: 1 HOUR
4 tablespoons ghee
1 red onion, chopped
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
2 teaspoons dried sage
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks
4½ cups beef bone broth
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

In a large pot over medium heat, melt the ghee. Add the
onion, apple, and sage and cook, stirring occasionally, for
about 8 minutes.
 Add the squash and bone broth. Bring to a simmer and
cook for 15–20 minutes, or until the squash is fork-tender.
Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until the
squash is pureed and the mixture is smooth. (Use caution
when blending hot liquids.)
Heat through and season with the nutmeg, salt, and
pepper before serving.

BUTTERNUT, CAULIFLOWER, AND CARROT SOUP

SERVINGS: 6–8
TIME: 1 HOUR
FOR THE ROASTED VEGGIES
2 cups chopped carrots
1 large butternut squash, peeled and chopped
1 small head cauliflower, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons avocado oil
Sea salt to taste

FOR THE BROTH

1 (15-ounce) can full-fat unsweetened coconut milk
3 cups bone broth or vegetable stock
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons curry powder
1-inch knob fresh ginger, peeled
1-inch piece fresh turmeric, peeled
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

FOR THE TOPPINGS

Coconut cream to taste
Raw or roasted pepitas to taste

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.

On a large baking sheet, combine the veggies, avocado
oil, and salt and stir to coat. Roast in the preheated oven for
45 minutes, or until fork-tender.
Place all the broth ingredients in a large bowl. Using an
immersion blender, blend until smooth.
Once the veggies are roasted, carefully add them to the
bowl with the broth ingredients. Set the immersion blender
to the lowest setting and blend, slowly increasing the speed,
until smooth.
Top with coconut cream and pepitas for a little crunch.

CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

SERVINGS: 6–8
TIME: 1 HOUR
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1 cup diced yellow onion
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
4 cups bone broth
4 cups water
3–4 cups shredded cooked chicken
2 bay leaves
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon dried herbs, such as oregano, thyme, and
parsley
16 ounces rice noodles, uncooked

Heat the avocado oil in a large pot over medium-high

heat. Sauté the onion, carrots, and celery for 4–5 minutes,
or until the vegetables soften and the onions are
translucent.
Add the bone broth and water and bring to a low boil. Add
the chicken and seasonings. Reduce the heat to low and
simmer for 30 minutes, allowing the flavors to come
together.
Add the noodles and simmer for 8–10 minutes, or until the
noodles are fully cooked.
Discard the bay leaves and serve.

CREAMY TOMATO SOUP

SERVINGS: 6–8
TIME: 20 MINUTES
3 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
1 tablespoon coconut oil
4 cups diced fresh tomatoes
1¾ cups full-fat unsweetened canned coconut milk
½ teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
4 cups beef bone broth
4 scoops collagen protein
Minced fresh basil to taste
Black pepper to taste

In a medium pot over medium-low heat, sauté the garlic

in the coconut oil for 5 minutes, or until lightly browned.
In a high-powered blender, puree the tomatoes, coconut
milk, salt, vinegar, bone broth, and collagen protein until
well combined.
Pour the mixture into the pot with the garlic and bring to a
simmer, stirring occasionally.
Simmer for 10–15 minutes. Remove from the heat and
allow the soup to rest for 5 minutes.
 Serve topped with the fresh basil and pepper.

SLOW COOKER GINGERED BEEF AND BROCCOLI SOUP

SERVINGS: 4
TIME: 8 HOURS
2 teaspoons coconut oil
¼ cup coconut aminos (a liquid made from the aged sap of
coconut blossoms that serves as a low-glycemic, vegan,
gluten-free alternative to soy sauce)
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 garlic cloves, smashed
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 pound rib-eye steak, sliced into strips
2 cups beef bone broth
2 scoops collagen protein
1 head broccoli, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

In a slow cooker, combine the coconut oil, coconut

aminos, vinegar, garlic, red pepper flakes, and ginger.
Place the steak in the slow cooker and flip to coat.
In a small bowl, combine the bone broth and collagen
protein. Stir until combined and pour into the slow cooker.
Cook on low for 6–8 hours.
Add the broccoli 1 hour before serving.
Sprinkle the sesame seeds over the top and serve.

INDIAN CURRY SOUP

SERVINGS: 4
 TIME: 35 MINUTES
6 cups beef bone broth
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
3 tablespoons curry powder
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cups chopped cauliflower florets
2 red bell peppers, chopped
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1¾ cups full-fat unsweetened canned coconut milk

In a large pot over medium heat, bring the bone broth

and ginger to a simmer. Add the curry powder, onion,
cauliflower, red peppers, and cayenne.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and
simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the coconut milk and stir until well combined. Cook
for an additional 5–10 minutes.
Allow the soup to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

MEATBALL SOUP

SERVINGS: 4–6
TIME: 50 MINUTES
1½ pounds ground bison or beef
2 large eggs, whisked
1½ teaspoons sea salt, divided
1 teaspoon smoked paprika or cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons coconut oil
6 cups beef bone broth
2 bay leaves
4 carrots, chopped
1 large sweet potato, chopped
1 cup fresh or frozen cut green beans
1 cup fresh peas
2 fresh tomatoes, chopped

In a medium bowl, mix together the meat, eggs, ½

teaspoon salt, and paprika or cayenne. Roll into small
meatballs.
In a large pot over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the
meatballs and cook for 5-8 minutes, flipping halfway
through.
Add the bone broth, remaining salt, bay leaves, carrots,
and sweet potato. Bring the soup to a simmer over medium-
high heat.
Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 20
minutes, or until the sweet potato is tender. Discard the bay
leaves and serve immediately.

“NOODLE” BOWLS

SERVINGS: 4
TIME: 50 MINUTES
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted and divided
1 tablespoon sea salt, plus more to taste
1 tablespoon black pepper, plus more to taste
½ medium red onion, diced
3 stalks celery, chopped
6 carrots, chopped
4 cups chopped kale, stems removed
8 cups beef bone broth
3 medium zucchini, spiralized into noodles
Chopped fresh basil to taste

Preheat the oven to 325ºF.

 Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the
chicken on the paper, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the
coconut oil, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the salt and 1
tablespoon of the pepper. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the
internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165ºF.
In a large stockpot over medium heat, combine the
remaining coconut oil, onion, celery, and carrots and cook
for 8–10 minutes.
Add the kale and bone broth. Stir to combine.
Reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 25 minutes.
Take the chicken out of the oven and allow to cool for 5
minutes.
Using two forks, shred the chicken and add it to the
stockpot. Simmer for another 15 minutes.
Add the spiralized zucchini, stirring to combine.
Add salt and pepper to taste and serve topped with the
fresh basil.

WHITE BEAN AND KALE SOUP

SERVINGS: 2
TIME: 40 MINUTES
1 quart organic free-range chicken broth, divided
4 links pork-free chicken sausage
½ onion, chopped
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
4 cups cooked white beans, such as cannellini, navy, or
great northern, divided
½ bunch kale, stems removed and leaves roughly chopped
1 tablespoon butter from grass-fed cows

In a large pot, heat ¼ cup of the broth over medium heat.

Slice the chicken sausage into bite-size pieces and add to
the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
 Add the onion, salt, and pepper and cook another 10
minutes.
Meanwhile, place 2 cups of the beans and 1 cup of the
broth in a blender. Blend until smooth, then set aside.
Add the remaining broth to the pot and bring to a boil.
Add the kale, then cover, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring
occasionally, for 5 minutes.
Uncover, then add the remaining beans, bean puree, and
butter. Season to taste, then simmer until heated through.
Serve immediately.

WILD RICE AND SPINACH SOUP

SERVINGS: 2
TIME: 45 MINUTES
1 tablespoon butter from grass-fed cows
1 cup wild rice, cooked
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 quart organic free-range chicken broth
½ cup chopped carrots
7 ounces baby spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
¼ teaspoon sea salt
Black pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.

Add the rice, onion, and bell pepper. Cook for 3 minutes, or
until the vegetables soften and the rice is heated through.
Stir in the broth and cook for 7 minutes, or until the
mixture begins to boil.
Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 15
minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the carrots, cover, and cook for 10 minutes, or until
the carrots are tender.
 Add the spinach, salt, and pepper and cook for 2 minutes,
or until the spinach is wilted. Serve immediately.

ITALIAN CHICKEN AND EGGPLANT CASSEROLE

SERVINGS: 4
TIME: 50 MINUTES
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 large eggplant
½ cup almond meal
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 large eggs
24 ounces prepared marinara sauce with no sugar added
1 cup shredded whole-milk mozzarella cheese
1 bunch fresh basil, sliced

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

Slice the chicken breasts horizontally into two thin
cutlets. Slice the eggplant into ¼-inch-thick slices. Pat the
chicken and eggplant dry with paper towels.
In a small bowl, mix the almond meal, Italian seasoning,
and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs.
Dip the eggplant and chicken slices in the egg, then in
the almond meal mixture. Arrange the pieces in a 9 × 13-
inch casserole dish.
Top with marinara sauce and cheese. Bake for 30–35
minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken
reaches 165ºF.
Top with the basil and enjoy.

CHICKEN TENDERS
 SERVINGS: 4
TIME: 20 MINUTES
2 large eggs
1 scoop collagen protein
Italian seasoning to taste
Sea salt to taste
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced into strips
1 cup brown rice flour or coconut flour
1 tablespoon coconut oil

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs slightly. Add the

collagen protein, Italian seasoning, and salt, mixing well.
Dip the strips of chicken in the egg mixture, then coat
with the flour.
In a medium frying pan over medium heat, melt the
coconut oil. Fry the chicken, turning once, until golden
brown and the internal temperature of the chicken reaches
165ºF. Serve warm.

CHICKEN THIGHS WITH BURST TOMATOES

SERVINGS: 2
TIME: 40 MINUTES
2 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup fresh cherry tomatoes
2 sprigs thyme
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Pat the chicken thighs dry and season with the salt and
pepper.
Arrange the chicken skin side down in a cold skillet. Place
the skillet over medium heat and, once hot, cook for 10–12
minutes without turning. Once the skin is browned, remove
the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
Add the tomatoes, thyme, and red wine vinegar to the
skillet. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until
most of the tomatoes have burst on their own. Reduce the
heat to medium-low.
Return the chicken to the pan with the tomatoes, this
time skin side up. Cook another 10 minutes, or until the
internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165ºF.

ROASTED CHICKEN WITH ROMA TOMATOES AND

ONIONS

SERVINGS: 4
TIME: 40 MINUTES
2 teaspoons coconut oil
2 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
2 tablespoons ghee
2 tablespoons minced garlic
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ white onion, sliced
1 cup sliced Roma tomatoes
½ cup chicken bone broth
Chopped fresh basil to taste

Preheat the oven to 425ºF.

In a skillet over medium-high heat, heat the coconut oil.
Pat the chicken thighs with a paper towel to remove
excess moisture. In a bowl, mix together the ghee, garlic,
salt, and pepper and spread the mixture under the skin of
the chicken and on the outside.
Place the chicken thighs in the skillet skin side down and
sear for 5 minutes, or until browned.
Flip the chicken over and add the sliced onion and
tomatoes.
Pour the bone broth around the chicken.
Place the skillet in the oven and roast for 15–20 minutes,
or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of
165ºF.
Let cool for 5 minutes and top with the basil before
serving.

SPAGHETTI SQUASH WITH ROASTED CHICKEN,

LEMON, AND PARSLEY

SERVINGS: 4
TIME: 1 HOUR
1 medium spaghetti squash
2 tablespoons ghee, divided
1½ pounds bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
½ cup chicken bone broth
1 scoop collagen protein
¼ cup chopped parsley, divided

Preheat the oven to 425ºF.

Cut the spaghetti squash in half and scoop out the seeds.
Place the squash facedown on a baking sheet and bake for
40–50 minutes, or until soft.
Let cool, then use a fork to scrape the flesh out. Set
aside.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1
tablespoon of the ghee. Season the chicken with the salt
and pepper.
Place the chicken in the pan skin side down. Sear for 5
minutes, then remove the chicken from the pan and set
aside.
Add the garlic to the skillet and brown for about 30
seconds. Add the lemon juice, broth, collagen protein, and 1
tablespoon of the parsley and stir.
Return the chicken to the pan, skin side up. Place the pan
in the oven and roast for 10–12 minutes, or until the internal
temperature of the chicken reaches 165ºF.
Toss the hot spaghetti squash with the remaining ghee.
Divide the spaghetti squash among four serving plates, top
with the chicken and remaining parsley, and serve.

ZUCCHINI AND CHICKEN SALAD

SERVINGS: 1–2
TIME: 15 MINUTES
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
1¼ pounds zucchini, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
8 ounces baby spinach leaves, chopped
½ red onion, thinly sliced
¾ cup chopped pecans
¼ cup chopped fresh mint

In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice,

salt, and pepper. Add the zucchini and toss to coat. Set
aside.
Heat the grapeseed oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add
the chicken and season with the salt and pepper.
 Cook for 7 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.
Remove from the skillet and slice into thin strips.
In a serving bowl, toss the chicken with the zucchini
mixture, spinach, onion, pecans, and mint. Serve
immediately.

CURRIED TURKEY SALAD

SERVINGS: 4
TIME: 5 MINUTES
4 turkey breasts, cooked and diced
1 stalk celery, diced
4 scallions, white and tender green parts only, chopped
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
⅔ cup golden raisins
½ cup chopped pecans
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon curry powder
¾ cup vegan mayonnaise made with grapeseed oil, such as
Vegenaise

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.

Distribute among four serving bowls and serve
immediately.

QUINOA-STUFFED BELL PEPPERS

SERVINGS: 2–4
TIME: 45 MINUTES
6 cups water
2 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 scoops bone broth protein
2 bell peppers (any color), halved and seeded
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon coconut oil
1 onion, diced
1 zucchini, chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
½ cup chopped parsley
1 cup crumbled goat cheese

Preheat the oven to 450ºF.

In a medium pot, combine the water, quinoa, and bone
broth protein. Cook quinoa according to package directions.
Meanwhile, sprinkle the bell peppers with the salt and
pepper. Place the peppers on a baking sheet and roast cut
side down for 20 minutes, or until the skin begins to char.
Remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to
375ºF.
While the bell peppers roast, melt the oil in a skillet over
medium heat. Add the onion, zucchini, garlic, and Italian
seasoning. Season with additional salt and pepper. Cook,
stirring occasionally, for 10–12 minutes, or until the
vegetables are tender. Add the quinoa to the skillet. Sprinkle
with the parsley and stir to combine.
When the bell peppers are ready, turn them cut side up
and fill the halves evenly with the quinoa mixture. Heat in
the oven until warmed through. Top with the cheese and
serve.

SPICY WALNUT TACOS

SERVINGS: 2–3
TIME: 10 MINUTES
1½ cups ground raw walnuts
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
¾ teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons coconut aminos (see here)
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Bibb lettuce leaves
Prepared salsa to taste
Prepared guacamole to taste

In a food processor, combine the walnuts, cumin,

coriander, coconut aminos, and cayenne pepper. Process
until a coarse mixture forms.
Spoon an equal portion of the mixture onto each lettuce
leaf. Top with salsa and guacamole and serve.

LEAFY GREEN SALAD WITH SALMON

SERVINGS: 1
TIME: 10 MINUTES
FOR THE DRESSING
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon maple syrup or monk fruit syrup (optional)

FOR THE SALAD

2 cups torn leafy greens, such as spinach, kale, or baby
chard
¼ cup fresh blueberries
2 tablespoons mixed raw nuts, such as almonds, walnuts,
and cashews
1–2 tablespoons mixed raw seeds, such as pepitas,
sunflower seeds, and flaxseeds
2 tablespoons crumbled goat cheese
½ ripe avocado, sliced
1 fillet (6 ounces) wild-caught salmon, roasted*

In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients.

In a large bowl, assemble the salad ingredients. Drizzle
with the desired amount of dressing and enjoy.

ROASTED SALMON WITH KEFIR, GARLIC, AND

AVOCADO SAUCE

SERVINGS: 4
TIME: 45 MINUTES
FOR THE FISH
1½ pounds wild-caught salmon fillets
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon sea salt
½–1 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

FOR THE SAUCE

1 ripe avocado
2 cups full-fat plain goat-milk kefir, or more if needed
2 scoops collagen protein
2 garlic cloves, smashed
¼–½ teaspoon sea salt

Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Line a baking sheet with

parchment paper.
Rub the salmon with the olive oil, season with the salt
and pepper, and place it skin side down on the prepared
baking sheet. Drizzle with the lemon juice and roast for 15
minutes, or until the salmon flakes when gently pressed.
 Meanwhile, in a high-powered blender, combine the
sauce ingredients and blend on high speed until well
combined. Add more kefir as needed.
Remove the salmon from the oven. Peel the skin off and
break the flesh into chunks. Arrange on serving plates and
drizzle with the sauce. Serve immediately.

STIR-FRY SALMON

SERVINGS: 2
TIME: 20 MINUTES
¼ cup coconut aminos (see here)
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 cup chopped bell peppers (any color)
1 onion, chopped
1 pound wild-caught salmon, skinned and cut into 1½-inch
cubes
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1½ cups chopped fresh mushrooms
1 head broccoli, chopped and blanched

In a large skillet over medium heat, combine the coconut

aminos, vinegar, sesame oil, bell peppers, and onion. Cook
the peppers and onion until translucent.
Add the salmon and coat with the mixture.
Add the coconut oil, ginger, sesame seeds, garlic,
mushrooms, and broccoli and stir.
Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or
until the salmon is cooked through. Serve warm.
 SEARED TUNA WITH ASPARAGUS

SERVINGS: 2
TIME: 25 MINUTES
2 wild-caught tuna fillets (6 ounces each)
¼ cup coconut aminos (see here)
Juice of ½ lime
1 bunch asparagus
2 tablespoons avocado oil, divided
½ teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

Preheat the broiler.

In a medium nonreactive bowl, marinate the tuna in the
coconut aminos and lime juice for 15 minutes.
Place the asparagus on a baking pan and toss with 1
tablespoon of the avocado oil and the salt. Place under the
broiler for 6–8 minutes, or until the asparagus has softened
and is a little browned.
Heat the remaining avocado oil in a large skillet over
medium-high heat. Add the marinated tuna fillets and cook
for 2 minutes. Flip the fish and cook for another 2 minutes.
If desired, cook the sides of the fillets for 1 minute each.
Arrange the tuna on serving plates and sprinkle with the
sesame seeds. Slice and serve with the asparagus.

GRILLED FLAT IRON STEAK

SERVINGS: 4–5
TIME: 40 MINUTES
1½ pounds flat iron steak
¼ cup coconut aminos (see here)
Juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

In a medium nonreactive bowl, marinate the steak in the

coconut aminos, lime juice, and salt for 30 minutes.
Grease an outdoor grill or a stovetop grill pan with the
olive oil and heat over medium-high heat.
Place the steak on the grill or grill pan and cook for 4–5
minutes on each side, or until the meat is done to your
liking.
Let the steak rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes. Slice
it into ¼–½-inch-thick slices and enjoy.

SHEPHERD’S PIE

SERVINGS: 8–10
TIME: 1¼ HOURS
FOR THE FILLING
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 pound ground beef or lamb
2 large carrots, sliced thin
1 yellow onion, diced
1½ cups frozen green peas, thawed

FOR THE GRAVY

1 scoop bone broth protein
2 cups water or beef or lamb stock
1 cup chopped cauliflower
1 onion, chopped
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
3 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
1½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
4 tablespoons butter from grass-fed cows, at room
temperature
½ cup arrowroot starch

FOR THE TOPPING

1 recipe Mashed Faux-tatoes (here)

To make the filling, heat the coconut oil in a large skillet

over medium-high heat. Add the meat, carrots, and onion.
Cook, stirring often, until the meat is browned and the
vegetables have begun to soften, 10–15 minutes.
Drain the fat from the skillet, then add the peas and stir
to combine. Transfer the filling to the bottom of an 8 × 8-
inch baking dish and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
To make the gravy, combine the bone broth protein,
water or stock, cauliflower, onion, salt, and pepper in a
medium pot. Heat, uncovered, over medium-high heat until
simmering. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir
in the thyme, rosemary, and garlic and remove from the
heat.
In a high-powered blender, combine the Worcestershire
sauce and butter. Pour in the stock mixture and blend until
smooth. Add the arrowroot starch and blend until smooth.
Pour the gravy evenly over the filling in the dish.
Prepare the Mashed Faux-tatoes according to the recipe
directions and spread on top of the meat and vegetables.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until the
topping begins to brown and the gravy is bubbling. Cool for
10 minutes before serving.

SLOW COOKER STEAK FAJITAS

 SERVINGS: 6–8
TIME: 8 HOURS
FOR THE FAJITAS
1½ pounds skirt steak
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 red onion, sliced
1–2 jalapeños, seeded, deveined, and sliced
1–2 cups prepared salsa
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon garlic powder
½ tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
6–8 almond-flour tortillas

FOR THE TOPPINGS

Plain goat-milk yogurt
Chopped fresh tomatoes
Chopped scallions
Fresh cilantro leaves

Place all the fajita ingredients except the tortillas in a

slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.
Serve on the tortillas and top as desired with the yogurt,
tomatoes, scallions, and cilantro.

SIDES
 BEAN SALAD

SERVINGS: 8–10
TIME: 10 MINUTES
FOR THE DRESSING
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon maple syrup (optional)

FOR THE SALAD

1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans
1 (15-ounce) can great northern beans
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans
½ red onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 cup chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon sea salt

In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients

and set aside.
Drain and rinse the beans. Combine with the remaining
salad ingredients in a large bowl.
Drizzle with the dressing and toss. Serve chilled.

CAULIFLOWER TABBOULEH SALAD

SERVINGS: 6
TIME: 35 MINUTES
1 large head cauliflower, chopped
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch parsley, leaves and tender stems only, chopped
1 bunch scallions, white and tender green parts only,
chopped
2 cups chopped Roma tomatoes
1 teaspoon sea salt, or more to taste
1 teaspoon black pepper, or more to taste

Place the chopped cauliflower in a food processor and

process until the pieces resemble grains of rice.
In a large nonreactive bowl, combine the processed
cauliflower and the lemon juice.
Add the olive oil, parsley, scallions, tomatoes, salt, and
pepper. Stir thoroughly.
Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, stirring every
hour.

CREAMED SPINACH

SERVINGS: 6
TIME: 20 MINUTES
2 tablespoons butter from grass-fed cows
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ yellow onion, finely diced
1 (10-ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed and well
drained
¼ cup heavy cream
½ cup shredded whole-milk mozzarella cheese
½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.

Add the garlic and onion and cook for 4–5 minutes, or until
the onion is translucent.
Add the spinach and cook for another 3–4 minutes.
Stir in the heavy cream and cheeses. Cook on low,
stirring often, for 7–9 minutes, or until the cheese has
melted and the sauce has thickened. Serve warm.

LEMON PEPPER GREEN BEANS

SERVINGS: 8
TIME: 10 MINUTES
2 tablespoons coconut oil
3 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the
green beans and garlic and stir-fry for 3 minutes, or until the
beans are crisp-tender.
Reduce the heat, then add the lemon juice, zest, salt, and
pepper.
Cover and steam for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Serve immediately.

MAPLE-GLAZED ROSEMARY CARROTS

SERVINGS: 4–6
TIME: 25 MINUTES
3 cups sliced carrots
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1½ tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

Place the carrots in a medium skillet and add just enough

water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and
simmer for 5–10 minutes, or until the water has evaporated
and the carrots are soft.
Reduce the heat to low, stir in the remaining ingredients,
and cook for another 5–10 minutes.
Serve immediately.

MASHED FAUX-TATOES

SERVINGS: 4
TIME: 25 MINUTES
1 medium head cauliflower, cut into chunks
2 scoops collagen protein
4 tablespoons ghee
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
Chopped fresh parsley to taste

In a large pot fitted with a steamer basket, steam the

cauliflower for 10 minutes, or until the florets are tender.
Combine the cauliflower, collagen protein, ghee, salt, and
pepper in a food processor. Process until smooth.
Top with the parsley and serve immediately.

MASHED SWEET POTATOES

SERVINGS: 2–4
 TIME: 25 MINUTES
2 sweet potatoes, chopped
½ cup full-fat unsweetened canned coconut milk or heavy
cream
2 tablespoons ghee or coconut oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 scoops collagen protein (optional)
½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut (optional)

Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the potatoes, and boil

for 15 minutes, or until fork-tender.
Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Add the
coconut milk, ghee or coconut oil, salt, and collagen protein
(if using). Mash with a masher or a fork and stir everything
together until the ingredients are evenly incorporated.
Stir in the shredded coconut (if using) and serve warm.

ROASTED CRUCIFEROUS VEGETABLES

SERVINGS: 4
TIME: 30 MINUTES
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup cauliflower florets
1 cup quartered brussels sprouts
2 tablespoons avocado oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat the oven to 425ºF.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, then spread the
mixture out onto a large baking sheet.
Bake for 20–25 minutes, tossing halfway through, until
the vegetables are browned and crispy. Serve warm.
 SWEET POTATO FRIES

SERVINGS: 3–6
TIME: 1 HOUR
1–1½ pounds sweet potatoes
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Peel the potatoes and cut

lengthwise into ½-inch-wide strips.
Place the potatoes along with the remaining ingredients
in a resealable plastic bag and shake until the potatoes are
completely coated. Spread onto a baking sheet.
Cook for 30–45 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes.
Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate and serve warm.

SNACKS

ALMOND CACAO COLLAGEN BALLS

YIELD: 8–10 BALLS

TIME: 20 MINUTES
½ cup raw almonds
½ cup almond flour
3 tablespoons coconut butter
3 tablespoons almond butter
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk, plus more if
needed
2 scoops collagen protein (optional)
Handful of cacao nibs

In a food processor, combine the almonds, almond flour,

coconut butter, almond butter, maple syrup, almond milk,
and collagen protein (if using).
Process until the mixture is smooth and doughy. You may
need 1 extra teaspoon or so of almond milk, depending on
how dry the mixture is.
Transfer to a mixing bowl, add the cacao nibs, and mix
with your hands or a spoon.
Using your hands, roll the dough into bite-size balls.
Freeze for 10–15 minutes, or until firm. Store in an
airtight container in the refrigerator.

BLUEBERRY MACADAMIA BARS

SERVINGS: 6
TIME: 2¼ HOURS
½ cup melted coconut butter
¼ cup raw honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt
4 scoops vanilla bone broth protein
½ cup dried blueberries
½ cup chopped raw macadamia nuts
3 tablespoons water

In a medium bowl, whisk together the coconut butter,

honey, vanilla, and salt. Add the bone broth protein and stir
well. Add the remaining ingredients and combine
thoroughly.
Pour into a greased loaf pan. Refrigerate for 1–2 hours,
then cut into bars.
 BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

SERVINGS: 12
TIME: 40 MINUTES
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted, plus more for greasing
pan
1 cup oat flour
½ cup almond flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon sea salt
6 scoops collagen protein
3 large eggs
½ cup raw honey
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Grease a standard muffin tin with coconut oil and set
aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the oat flour,
almond flour, baking powder, salt, and collagen protein.
In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, honey,
applesauce, vanilla, vinegar, and 2 tablespoons melted
coconut oil. Stir until well combined.
Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir
well.
Fold the blueberries into the batter.
Fill each compartment ¾ full, then bake for 30 minutes,
or until golden brown on top.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH CHIPS

 SERVINGS: 4–6
TIME: 40 MINUTES
1 large butternut squash
1 tablespoon avocado oil
2 teaspoons dried sage
1 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat the oven to 450ºF. Line a baking sheet with foil.

Peel the butternut squash. Use a mandoline or a sharp
knife to cut it into thin rounds. Cut until you reach the
seeded part of the squash. You may either remove the
seeds and cut more slices or reserve the rest of the squash
for another use.
Arrange the squash slices on the prepared baking sheet
and drizzle with the avocado oil. Sprinkle the sage and salt
evenly across the squash.
Bake for 15 minutes. Flip the chips and bake for another
7–9 minutes, or until crispy.

CHOCOLATE CHERRY PROTEIN BARS

SERVINGS: 4–6
TIME: 1½ HOURS
1 cup dried cherries
5 pitted Medjool dates
1 cup cashew butter
½ cup cacao powder
3 tablespoons collagen protein
1 tablespoon flaxseeds
2 tablespoons coconut oil
½ teaspoon sea salt

Line an 8 × 8-inch baking dish with parchment paper.

 In a food processor, combine the dried cherries and dates
and pulse into small pieces.
Add the remaining ingredients and pulse until a dough
forms.
Spread the dough out evenly in the baking dish.
Place the dough in the freezer for 1 hour.
Cut into squares and store in an airtight container in the
freezer.

CUCUMBER SALSA

SERVINGS: 2–4
TIME: 5 MINUTES
3 cups quartered cherry tomatoes
1 cup chopped green, red, and yellow bell peppers
2 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 jalapeño, seeded, deveined, and chopped
1 small Vidalia onion
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and serve.

GUACAMOLE

SERVINGS: 8–10
TIME: 10 MINUTES
4 ripe avocados
½ red onion, finely diced
¼ cup chopped cilantro
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
Juice of 1 lime
1 small jalapeño, seeded, deveined, and finely diced
(optional)
1 scoop collagen protein (optional)

Remove the avocado flesh from the skins. Save one seed
and discard the rest. Mash the avocado in a large bowl with
a fork.
Stir in the remaining ingredients until everything is well
incorporated. Place the saved seed in the middle of the
bowl. This helps keep the guacamole from browning.
Allow the guacamole to sit for 10 minutes so the flavors
can meld. Remove the seed, stir, and serve.

NO-BAKE BONE BROTH PROTEIN MUFFINS

SERVINGS: 12
TIME: 1¼ HOURS
4 cups cashews
3 cups pitted Medjool dates
2 tablespoons cashew butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons vanilla bone broth protein
2 tablespoons water
⅛ teaspoon sea salt

In a food processor, pulse the cashews until small chunks

form. Add the remaining ingredients and process on high
speed until a dough forms, scraping the sides as needed.
 Place liners in a muffin tin or cupcake pan. Evenly
distribute the dough in each compartment of the pan.
Cover and freeze for 1 hour before serving.

SPICED NUTS

SERVINGS: 2
TIME: 10 MINUTES
½ cup raw honey
2 cups pecan halves, whole almonds, or walnut halves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 300ºF.

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients and toss until
the nuts are completely coated.
Spread the nuts onto a cookie sheet in a single layer.
Toast for 5 minutes, or until the nuts are fragrant, tossing
occasionally.
Serve immediately or let cool and store in an airtight
container.

DESSERTS

ALMONDY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

SERVINGS: 12–14
TIME: 20 MINUTES
2 cups almond flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup stevia-sweetened or unsweetened chocolate chips
2 scoops collagen protein (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with

parchment paper.
Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl.
Divide dough into 12–14 portions and roll into balls. Place
on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
Press down each cookie with a fork. Bake for 10–12
minutes, or until the edges are golden.

APPLE CRISP

SERVINGS: 8
TIME: 10 MINUTES
8 Granny Smith apples, cored
1 cup raisins, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes and
drained
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 scoop vanilla bone broth protein
2 cups whole shelled walnuts
1 cup pitted Medjool dates
Pinch of sea salt

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

In a food processor, combine 2 apples, the raisins, 1
teaspoon of the cinnamon, 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice,
the nutmeg, and the bone broth protein and process until
smooth and all ingredients are fully incorporated.
Chop the remaining apples. In a large bowl, toss the
chopped apples with the remaining lemon juice. Pour the
apple-raisin puree over the apples and mix well.
Spoon the mixture into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate and
set aside.
In the food processor, pulse the walnuts, dates, salt, and
remaining cinnamon until coarsely ground.
Sprinkle the mixture over the apples and press down
lightly with your hands.
Bake for 30 minutes and serve.

BANANA CHIA PUDDING

SERVINGS: 3–4
TIME: 30 MINUTES
1 cup full-fat unsweetened canned coconut milk
¼ cup ground chia seeds
5 tablespoons raw honey
1 banana
1 scoop vanilla bone broth protein
¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or ground cinnamon

Place all the ingredients in a food processor or blender

and process for 1 minute.
Refrigerate for 10–15 minutes before serving.

CACAO BLUEBERRY ICE CREAM

SERVINGS: 8
TIME: 3½ HOURS
1 (15-ounce) can full-fat unsweetened coconut milk
¾ cup water
⅔ cup maple sugar
⅔ cup cacao powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 pint fresh blueberries

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk

together all the ingredients except the blueberries. Bring to
a simmer and whisk until the sugar has dissolved. Remove
from the heat.
Pour the mixture into a glass container or mixing bowl
and place in the refrigerator. Let it chill for 2–3 hours.
Remove the mixture from the refrigerator and pour into a
chilled ice cream maker. Churn for 20 minutes. Add the
blueberries and churn for another 5 minutes. Return the
mixture to the mixing bowl and freeze for 1 hour.

CARROT CAKE SQUARES

SERVINGS: 10
TIME: 35 MINUTES
1 cup pitted Medjool date halves
½ cup coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¾ cup vanilla bone broth protein
1½ cups shredded carrots
½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1½ cups rolled oats
¾ cup raisins
 Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
Line an 8 × 8-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
In a food processor, combine the dates, coconut oil,
vanilla, and cinnamon. Process until well combined.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt, and
bone broth protein until well combined.
Add the date mixture to the egg mixture and stir until
incorporated.
Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
Transfer to the baking dish and bake for 20–25 minutes,
or until golden brown on the outside.

MOCK CHEESECAKE PUDDING

SERVINGS: 2
TIME: 5 MINUTES
1 cup cashew butter
⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
⅓ cup raw honey
4 pitted Medjool dates
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon sea salt

In a high-powered blender, puree all ingredients until

smooth. Serve immediately or chill 2–3 hours before
serving.

COCONUT CHIA PUDDING

SERVINGS: 2
TIME: 3¼ HOURS
1 (15-ounce) can full-fat unsweetened coconut milk
¼ cup ground chia seeds
10–12 drops liquid stevia
2 scoops collagen protein (optional)
Sliced kiwifruit, berries, cacao nibs, sliced bananas, or goji
berries for garnish (optional)

In a small bowl, mix the coconut milk, chia seeds, stevia,

and collagen protein (if using). Let sit at least 2–3 hours in
the refrigerator, or as long as overnight, until the mixture
has thickened and achieved a puddinglike consistency.
Divide the pudding into two bowls. Serve with optional
garnishes or enjoy it plain.

KEY LIME PIE

SERVINGS: 6–8
TIME: 2¼ HOURS
FOR THE CRUST
3 cups raw whole shelled walnuts
2 cups pitted Medjool dates
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt

FOR THE FILLING

1¼ cups raw cashews, soaked in water overnight
1 scoop collagen protein
Zest of 2 limes
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 cup pitted Medjool dates
1 tablespoon raw honey
1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
 In a food processor, combine the crust ingredients and
process until the mixture becomes a dough.
Spread the dough out evenly in the bottom of an
ungreased 9-inch springform pan. Place the pan in the
freezer for 30 minutes.
In a high-powered blender, blend all the filling ingredients
on low speed until well combined.
Remove the crust from the freezer. Pour the filling
mixture on top of the crust, cover the pan, and return the
pie to the freezer.
Freeze for at least 2 hours. Defrost the pie in the
refrigerator for 20 minutes before serving.

NO-BAKE CASHEW TRUFFLES

SERVINGS: 6–8
TIME: 10 MINUTES
1 cup raw cashews
2 tablespoons cashew butter
6 pitted Medjool dates
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted and cooled
1 tablespoon full-fat unsweetened canned coconut milk
3–4 scoops chocolate bone broth protein

In a food processor, process the cashews until small

chunks form. Add the cashew butter, dates, ½ teaspoon
cinnamon, vanilla, coconut oil, coconut milk, and bone broth
protein, blending until the mixture achieves a pastelike
consistency.
Using your hands, roll the dough into 6–8 bite-size balls.
Dust with 1 teaspoon cinnamon and chill in the
refrigerator for 1 hour, or until firm.
 NO-BAKE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

SERVINGS: 6
TIME: 2¼ HOURS
1½ cups almond butter
¼ cup raw honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 scoop bone broth protein
½ cup stevia-sweetened chocolate chips (at least 80%
cacao)

In a medium bowl, stir together the almond butter,

honey, vanilla, and salt. Add the bone broth protein and
combine thoroughly.
Stir in the chocolate chips and place the mixture in the
refrigerator for about 2 hours.
Remove from the refrigerator, form into cookie shapes,
and enjoy.

NO-BAKE PUMPKIN PIE

SERVINGS: 6–8
TIME: 10 MINUTES
FOR THE CRUST
2 cups pecan or walnut halves
½ cup pitted Medjool dates, soaked in water for 30 minutes
Pinch of sea salt

FOR THE FILLING

2 cups canned pumpkin puree
1 cup pitted Medjool dates, soaked in water for 30 minutes
¼ cup unsweetened almond milk or water
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon coconut oil
Dash of vanilla extract

In a food processor, blend the crust ingredients until well

combined.
Pat the mixture evenly onto the bottom and sides of a 9-
inch pie plate, pressing gently with your fingers.
In a high-powered blender, puree the filling ingredients
until thoroughly combined and smooth.
Pour the filling into the crust. Refrigerate for at least 1
hour before serving.

RASPBERRY ICE CREAM

SERVINGS: 4
TIME: 1 HOUR
1¾ cups full-fat unsweetened canned coconut milk
5 pitted Medjool dates, halved
1 scoop collagen protein
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2½ cups fresh or frozen raspberries
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
¾ teaspoon lemon zest

In a high-powered blender, puree the coconut milk, dates,

and collagen protein until completely smooth.
Add the vanilla, raspberries, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
Puree on high speed until well blended.
Pour the mixture into a glass container and store in the
freezer for an hour. Then transfer the mixture to an ice
cream maker and prepare according to the manufacturer’s
instructions.
Transfer the ice cream to a large glass container with a lid
and freeze for at least 1 hour or overnight.

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CHAPTER 14

Your Simple, One-Stop Guide to Basic

Collagen-Related Info

Answers to the 13 Most Common Questions

Life is busy, and retaining all the information I’ve given

you about collagen can be tricky, so I want to leave you
with a quick and simple summary of some of the most
important things you need to know. Here are answers to
the thirteen questions I get asked most frequently.

WHAT DO THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF COLLAGEN

DO FOR YOU?

There are many different types of collagen. The most

common are I, II, III, V, and X. Here’s a quick overview of
each:
 Type I collagen is the most abundant type found in the
human body. It’s in your bones, teeth, skin, ligaments,
tendons, cartilage, and the disks between vertebrae. By
consuming type I collagen, you can promote skin health
and normal wound healing, as well as lean muscle mass
and digestive health.
Type II collagen is provided in the highest
concentrations from chicken collagen. It helps form
cartilage, safeguards joint health, and supports the organs
and the respiratory system.
Type III collagen usually occurs with, and supports,
type I collagen. It plays an integral role in the health of the
intestines, heart, blood vessels, and muscles.
Type V collagen helps form tissues of the liver, lungs,
muscles, bones, and the placenta in pregnant women. It
also supports the structure of trillions of cells.
Type X collagen helps promote bone strength and
supports cartilage maintenance.

IF MY BODY ALREADY MAKES COLLAGEN, WHY

DO I NEED TO CONSUME MORE?

Your levels of collagen-rich tissues wane as you age, and

your body begins producing less—a double whammy that
leaves you more and more in need of dietary collagen.
Collagen production also suffers when you’re very active,
sick, dealing with a lot of stress, or exposed to other
collagen-depleting factors, like an autoimmune illness,
excessive sun exposure, poor diet, or smoking—second- or
firsthand.

HOW DID OUR ANCESTORS (OR PEOPLE EATING

TRADITIONAL DIETS) CONSUME COLLAGEN?
Throughout history, people obtained collagen by consuming
real bone broth, and, along with it, nearly every part of the
animal. People ate nose to tail, meaning they consumed
bone marrow, organ meats, skin, the small bones found in
fish, and so on. In contrast, our modern diet includes little
collagen, because we consume lots of muscle meat and/or
conventional protein supplements but usually discard other
valuable animal parts.

WHAT ARE THE BEST SOURCES OF COLLAGEN?

Real bone broth—made with the bones, skin, connective

tissue, and organ meats of animals—is my favorite. Other
great alternatives are hydrolyzed collagen supplements
made from ingredients like beef collagen, chicken collagen,
eggshell membrane collagen, and fish collagen. Taking
collagen supplements rather than consuming collagen
naturally from foods is similar to getting other nutrients,
such as vitamins and minerals, from supplements. Real
foods contain more than a single nutrient and are more
complex. In this case, bone broth, for example, provides not
only collagen but also minerals and antioxidants. It’s best
to try to get nutrients from real food sources whenever
possible. However, collagen supplements can come in
handy, because they’re convenient. They make it simple to
increase your collagen intake. Plus, a good-quality collagen
supplement will provide multiple types of collagen (such as
types I, II, III, V, and X), along with collagen cofactors such
as chondroitin and glutamine. If you’re using a collagen
supplement, it’s important to purchase one that’s sourced
from whole foods.

ARE THERE VEGETARIAN/VEGAN ALTERNATIVES

 TO COLLAGEN?

Unfortunately, there is no plant-based option that offers all

of the benefits of collagen. Collagen is a unique protein
found only in animals. That said, vegetarians and vegans
can support collagen production by eating collagen-
boosting nutrients, such as those listed in Chapter 5.
Eating enough protein daily is important to support your
internal production of collagen as well. I recommend eating
pasture-raised eggs, organic dairy products (raw, if
possible), and fish in order to get enough “complete
protein” in your diet and also to obtain small amounts of
collagen. If you strictly avoid all animal-derived foods, be
sure to get plenty of protein each day from different plant
sources, such as nuts, seeds, legumes, 100 percent
whole/ancient grains, or plant-based protein powder.

WHAT ARE COLLAGEN SUPPLEMENTS MADE

FROM?

Collagen is a protein made up of amino acids. It is found

throughout the human body as well as the bodies of other
animals. To make collagen supplements, manufacturers
derive collagen from dried, concentrated real bone broth or
animal parts, including bones, skin, organ meats, scales
and fins (in the case of fish), and other types of connective
tissue. These parts are typically cleaned, soaked to
separate fat, and then soaked in an alkaline or acid solution
to help release the collagen. The collagen is then
evaporated and milled to help form a fine, consistent
powder that is easy for the body to absorb and utilize.
Collagen is most often sourced from chickens and cattle
but can also come from pigs and other animals; from fish,
shellfish, and jellyfish; and from eggshells.
 DOES COLLAGEN INTERACT WITH ANY
MEDICATIONS?

Because it’s a natural protein already found in the body,

collagen should not interfere with medications. That said,
some people need to follow lower-protein diets due to
certain health conditions involving the kidneys and liver, as
well as genetic conditions that make it harder to digest
protein properly. If you have concerns about taking
collagen supplements, you should talk to your physician.

IS COLLAGEN SAFE TO CONSUME DURING

PREGNANCY OR WHILE BREASTFEEDING?

As with other protein powders, collagen protein is

generally considered safe during pregnancy or while
breastfeeding. For thousands of years, many traditional
cultures around the world have considered collagen-
containing foods, like bone broth and animal organs, to be
highly nutritious for pregnant women and new mothers.
However, it’s always best to speak with your physician
before starting any new diet or supplement plan.

WHAT MAKES COLLAGEN POWDER DIFFERENT

FROM OTHER PROTEIN POWDERS?

Collagen is unique, due to the amino acids it contains. It is

especially high in glycine, proline, and arginine, which
many other protein powders are missing or contain in
minuscule amounts. But like other protein powders,
collagen can be a good post-workout option. Glycine, for
instance, interacts with glutamine and cysteine to produce
an important antioxidant called glutathione. It also helps
with the synthesis of creatine, which is important for
muscle building, athletic performance, and energy output.
Hydrolyzed collagen protein is easy to digest, because the
amino acids are already broken down, making it a great
option for people who react poorly to other protein
powders.

HOW ARE COLLAGEN AND CALCIUM COFACTORS

INVOLVED IN MAINTAINING BONE STRENGTH?

Bone is a living, growing tissue that is mostly made of

collagen and is constantly being broken down and renewed.
Collagen is a protein that supports the bone-building
process by encouraging stem cells to turn into bone cells
and proliferate. Calcium and other minerals like phosphate
add strength to bones and help them to harden. More than
99 percent of the body’s calcium is contained in the bones
and teeth. The combination of collagen and calcium
supports bone strength and integrity.

SHOULD I USE COLLAGEN POWDER AS A MEAL

REPLACEMENT?

Collagen powder is a dietary supplement, not a meal

replacement. However, you can make a collagen shake or
smoothie with a variety of ingredients that will serve as a
healthy meal, and bone broth provides the basis of hearty
soups and stews that are full-fledged, satisfying meals.

HOW LONG WILL MY COLLAGEN POWDER LAST,

AND WHERE SHOULD I STORE IT?
Collagen powder will last several years. Always check the
“best by” date on the product you purchase. Store collagen
powder at room temperature in a dry location where it’s
not exposed to direct sunlight.

ARE THERE ANY SIDE EFFECTS ASSOCIATED

WITH CONSUMING COLLAGEN SUPPLEMENTS?

Collagen is easy to digest and rarely causes side effects. A

minority of people experience mild indigestion as they’re
getting used to the product. If you feel gassy, bloated, or
constipated, cut your collagen in half, then gradually
increase your daily servings.
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 The Collagen Diet for Life

Final Thoughts as You Move Forward

If you’re feeling great after your 28-day collagen diet

comes to a close, I encourage you to continue following the
plan’s basic guidelines and using your favorite recipes.
Because the program is built around whole foods, juicing,
and fasting, as well as healthy sources of collagen, it’s an
approach you can maintain for life.
If you want to introduce more variety into your diet, you
can easily do so and still maintain your weight and bolster
collagen by transitioning to a modified plan that includes
plenty of the collagen-rich and nutrient-dense foods
mentioned throughout this book.
I recommend that you continue to practice intermittent
fasting, because it confers such a wide range of health
benefits. Choose the approach that fits with your life and
feels right to you, whether it’s fasting daily (by eating
within an eight- or nine-hour window and then fasting for
fifteen to sixteen hours) or having a once-weekly cleanse
day. In order to refresh your body, you should consider
periodic three-day, liquid-only cleanses throughout the
year. Chelsea and I do it twice a year. It leaves us feeling
energetic, recharged, and able to think more clearly and
function at our best.
If you find yourself reverting to old habits that don’t
serve you, or if you’re gaining weight or feeling fatigued,
consider simply restarting the 3-day cleanse and repeating
the 28-day meal plan. No matter what type of diet you
decide to follow for the long term, I urge you to include
collagen in your daily repertoire. So long as you continue
using it, it will provide benefits for your metabolism, joints,
muscles, and skin—tissues that are integral to your health
and well-being.
I know you’re as concerned about healthy aging as I am.
I believe that collagen will give us all the best shot at
staying pain-free and active, avoiding the common
problems and pitfalls that crop up with age—and achieving
lifelong wellness. May we all reach that goal together.
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 Acknowledgments

Books never come into being without the hard work of lots
of people, and this one is no exception. I’m grateful to
Ginny Graves, for her superb work helping me craft this
book. My sincerest thanks to Bonnie Solow, my literary
agent, who always has my back and is the smartest in the
business, and to Tracy Behar, editor extraordinaire, and her
wonderful team at Little, Brown Spark, for their keen
editing, thoughtful guidance, and deep dedication to
bringing readers the best nutrition and health information
available. I also owe a debt of gratitude to my dear friend
and business partner Jordan Rubin, who encouraged me to
write this book and served as an ever-present sounding
board and source of support—and to my entire team at
Ancient Nutrition, whose hard work and enthusiasm are as
inspiring as they are gratifying. Finally, to the people who
follow me on social media, fans of my website, and readers
of this book: You’re the reason I’ve dedicated my life to
healing, and you have my heartfelt gratitude.

Big Blessings!
Josh Axe
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 About the Author

Dr. Josh Axe, DNM, DC, CNS, is the founder of the

world’s #1 most visited natural-health website, DrAxe.com.
He is also the bestselling author of Eat Dirt, Keto Diet, and
Keto Diet Cookbook and the cofounder of Ancient Nutrition
supplement company. Dr. Axe appears regularly on The Dr.
Oz Show and has written for Shape, PopSugar, HuffPost,
Men’s Health, Forbes, Business Insider, Muscle & Fitness
Hers, and Well+Good.

draxe.com
Twitter: @drjoshaxe
Facebook: DrJoshAxe
Instagram: @drjoshaxe
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ALSO BY DR. JOSH AXE

Keto Diet Cookbook

Keto Diet
Eat Dirt
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Related to Aging and Metabolism,” Rejuvenation
Research 18 (2014): 162–172.
156. Kevin D. Hall, Alexis Ayuketah, Robert Brychta, et al.,
“Ultra-Processed Diets Cause Excess Calorie Intake
and Weight Gain: An Inpatient Randomized Controlled
Trial of Ad Libitum Food Intake,” Cell Metabolism 30
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* Leaky gut can be caused by antibiotics, which kill off both good and bad
bacteria in your digestive tract, as well as by a lack of exposure to the microbes
in dirt, where health-promoting soil-based organisms thrive; my book Eat Dirt
offers an in-depth look at the problem and how to treat it.
* For roasting instructions, see the Roasted Salmon with Kefir, Garlic, and
Avocado Sauce recipe on the next page.

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