Let's look at each of the ingredients on their own and see what they can do for us.

Collagen is a compound found in your skin and in the connective tissues that make up your tendons, ligaments, muscles, and more. It’s the most abundant protein in the body. However, over time, aging breaks down the collagen in your body and makes it more difficult to produce more.
Collagen helps provide structure to your skin and fortify your bones. It may also relieve joint pain. Because of its potential health benefits, collagen powder has become a popular supplement. Made from animal tissues, this nutritional powder is typically hydrolyzed, which means the proteins have already been broken down, making it easier for your body to absorb it.

In addition to improving some aspects of skin health and appearance, collagen supplements may offer a few other benefits.
One study looked at the effects of taking collagen supplements in 102 women in postmenopause who had reduced bone mineral density (BMD). A follow-up study in 31 of these women found that taking 5 grams of collagen daily for a total of 4 years was associated with a progressive increase in BMD. These findings suggest that taking collagen supplements long-term may help increase bone mineral density in people in postmenopause, who are at a greater risk of developing osteopenia and osteoporosis.

Supplements Help Replace What’s Naturally Lost Through Aging

Collagen is the “glue” that holds your body together, says Angelone. It makes up about one-third of the protein in your body, research shows. Thing is, she says, your body produces less collagen starting in your thirties and forties. Collagen peptides added to your diet may serve to replace what your body begins to lack as you age, and support your overall health.

Collagen May Help Lessen Joint Aches and Pains
Joint pain can make it difficult to exercise, which can knock you off the path toward your goals. Taking a collagen supplement may help you get back on track. “There is some evidence that collagen can be great for supporting connective tissues and improving joint pain after exercise,” says Angelone. For instance, one study published in January 2017 in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism found that athletes with knee pain who took 5 g of collagen peptides daily for 12 weeks had less joint pain during exercise compared with a placebo group. Oral collagen may support cartilage repair and may also have an anti-inflammatory effect.

Here's the vitamin C catch: Your body cannot effectively produce collagen without the antioxidant. Vitamin C is actually able to promote fibroblast production, tend to damaged collagen DNA, and regulate collagen synthesis, or the pathway in which collagen is made. "Vitamin C is a key cofactor in the synthesis of collagen and elastin, [which helps] give your skin that plump and youthful appearance," says Keira Barr, M.D., dual board-certified dermatologist.*

But it goes a step further, too, as vitamin C can also take on a protective role. (As if it hasn't done enough already!) Vitamin C stabilizes the collagen you already have thanks to its antioxidant properties, which can help neutralize free radical damage, a main source of collagen degradation and DNA damage.*

Yes, you can take collagen and vitamin C together. In fact, doing so will likely boost your skin health even more than if you just took one of the supplements on its own.

What is type 1 collagen? Without a doubt, type I collagen is the most abundant protein found in humans (and in all vertebrates).

Type I or type 1 collagen is the strongest type of collagen. If you're looking for a collagen for supporting skin health, type 1 is a top choice since it's literally a building block of the skin. Generally speaking, our collagen production naturally decreases as we age, which is why many people are turning to collagen supplements featuring type 1 collagen to support healthy skin.

Type 1 collagen, for example, can be found in supplements featuring bovine or fish collagen. These also generally feature certain amino acids, including proline, glycine and hydroxyproline.

Fish or marine collagen generally demonstrates increased absorption rates and bioavailability due to the smaller particle size of fish collagen peptides. Egg collagen, which is located in the whites and shells of eggs, contains mostly type I collagen, but also can feature other types of collagen, including collagen type X.

Critically, collagen types I and III are the major components of skin, hair, nails, muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, gums, teeth, eyes and blood vessels. Together, these two types of collagen constitute more than 90 percent of the collagen found in the body.

They are composed of amino acids that support growth, maintenance and repair of the body with typically high amounts of the amino acids glycine and proline plus hydroxyproline and hydroxylysine, all of which are found in muscle and skin.

What is collagen type ll? Type 2 collagen is the major collagen found in cartilage. Cartilage is connective tissue that protects the ends of long bones at the joints. It's also a structural component of the ear, the nose, the bronchial tubes, the rib cage and more.

Since type ll collagen helps to form the cartilage that protects our joints, it's no wonder that this variety of collagen is often known for supporting healthy joints.

Supplements featuring chicken collagen, such as chicken bone broth protein powder, can be great supplements featuring type II collagen. Chicken collagen also inherently features chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine sulfate, which are both popular for supporting healthy joints.

Chicken collagen also contains hyaluronic acid, a gel-like substance that hydrates the skin and hair, fills the eyes, surrounds tissues around our nerves and is contained in the synovial fluid between our joints. It lubricates and cushions joints, while serving as a shock absorber in the joints.

Type II collagen can also support healthy, normal chondrocytes — small cells found within the cartilage of joints.

Type III is a fibrillar collagen and is a major component of our skin and organs. In the body, type collagen is often found in the same locations as type l.

Like type l, it is often in supplements designed to support healthy skin. Bovine collagen, which is derived from the muscles, bones and skin of cows is another collagen supplement option that features mainly types l and lll collagen. These are two of the most abundant types of collagen in the human body.

Type III collagen frequently works in tandem with type I collagen and is in bone, cartilage, bone marrow and connective tissue.

Type V collagen is one of the minor collagen components, forming interstitial collagen fibers — along with type I collagen — and plays a significant role in regulating the development of collagen fibers of connective tissue. Type V collagen co-exists with type II collagen in joint cartilage, while supporting healthy collagen fibers of type II collagen.
Type V collagen also functions to create the cells of a pregnant women's placenta, which is the organ that attaches to the lining of the womb. Type V collagen also helps to form cell surfaces and hair.

Collagen type X (which is generally found in eggshell membrane collagen) is a protein typically present in normal joint cartilage. Overall, type X collagen is described as a “network-forming collagen.”
Ancient Nutrition's eggshell membrane collagen is the only type of collagen backed by human clinical studies, and it can deliver proven results for the body. For example, it reduces joint discomfort rapidly (7 days), continuously (30 days) and persistently (90 days). It improves the appearance of crow’s feet after 4 weeks and skin tone after 8 weeks. It promotes healthy hair thickness and growth with a reduction in hair breakage

Which collagen is considered best? Collagen is an amazing health supporter in general, but the collagen that is "best" for you can depend on your health goals since different types of collagen can support different areas.

Collagen peptides are made by breaking down whole collagen proteins into smaller pieces. When taken by mouth, collagen peptides seem to build up in the skin and cartilage. This might help improve some skin and joint conditions.

A main difference between collagen vs. collagen peptides is that collagen peptides are generally more bioavailable – they are better absorbed into the bloodstream because they are much shorter chains of amino acids than collagen and gelatin. Because they’re fully hydrolyzed and therefore shorter, collagen peptides are more readily broken down into a form that can enter the bloodstream upon digestion. To put it simply, collagen peptides are the more broken down form of collagen.

Methylsulfonylmethane or MSM is a naturally occurring compound found in plants, mammals, and laboratory-formulated supplements. Some dietary supplements for arthritis, including glucosamine and chondroitin, have added MSM to the mix, as the latter can also help with joint inflammation. The health benefits of MSM are still undergoing research, but use of the compound indicates many ways in which it can be used to improve wellness. In addition to inclusion in joint remedies, MSM is a separate dietary supplement.

During exhaustive exercise, muscle damage occurs and oxidative stress increases (8 Trusted Source).

This causes athletes to experience muscle soreness and pain, which can hinder athletic performance and training.

MSM can naturally speed muscle recovery after intense exercise by reducing inflammation and oxidative stress.

A study in 18 men showed that taking 50 mg of MSM powder per kg of body weight for 10 days significantly reduced exercise-induced muscle damage and increased antioxidant activity following an 8.7 mile (14 km) run (9 Trusted Source).

It may also be beneficial for reducing pain after prolonged exercise.

In one study, 22 healthy women received 3 grams of MSM or a placebo per day for three weeks leading up to a half marathon. The MSM group reported less muscle soreness and joint pain than the placebo group (10 Trusted Source).

Another study found that athletic men taking 3 grams of MSM daily for two weeks had lower levels of IL-6 and less muscle pain after intense resistance exercise (11).

The anti-inflammatory properties of MSM are well documented by scientific research.

It’s believed that MSM inhibits NF-kB, a protein complex involved in inflammatory responses in your body (4 Trusted Source).

It also reduces the production of cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-ɑ) and interleukin 6 (IL-6), which are signaling proteins linked to systemic inflammation (5 Trusted Source).

Additionally, MSM can increase levels of glutathione, a potent antioxidant produced by your body.

For example, supplementing with MSM significantly reduced inflammation in mice with stomach ulcers by inhibiting the release of inflammatory cytokines including TNF-ɑ and IL-6, as well as increasing glutathione levels (6 Trusted Source).

Another study in 40 physically active men showed that taking 3 grams of MSM before exhaustive exercise decreased the release of inflammatory cytokines and prevented the over-stress of immune cells, compared to a placebo (7 Trusted Source).

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) support
Some people may be able to ease the symptoms and effects of premenstrual syndrome or PMS with MSM. In particular, headaches and PMS-related pain have been reported to improve, along with alleviation of depression. More generally, MSM can reducing swelling and pain throughout the body.