# Do you need vitamin C with collagen?

Source: https://www.healthnews24.co.za/answers/collagen-with-vitamin-c-do-you-need-it/
Publisher: Healthnews24 (South Africa's supplement answer desk)
Updated: 2026-10-27

> You need vitamin C for your body to build collagen, but you do not need to buy a special product. A normal diet with fruit and vegetables usually supplies enough, and megadoses add nothing. The small tendon studies pairing collagen with vitamin C used about 50 mg alongside 15 g of gelatine, roughly the amount in a small orange.

Key facts:
- Vitamin C is a required co-factor for collagen formation in the body, but extra beyond adequate intake does not increase collagen synthesis.
- Shaw 2017 used about 48 mg vitamin C with 15 g gelatine; a small orange provides roughly that.
- Adult recommended vitamin C intakes are roughly 75 to 110 mg a day; high doses above about 2 000 mg often cause diarrhoea.
- A 10 g collagen dose plus fruit costs about R10.44 with ATP's 910 g tub (October 2026).

## Why is vitamin C linked to collagen?

Vitamin C is a required co-factor for the enzymes that stabilise your body's own collagen (the hydroxylation of proline and lysine). Without it, collagen is weak; severe deficiency causes scurvy. That is the rationale for pairing the two. It does not mean that more vitamin C makes extra collagen: once your levels are adequate, additional vitamin C does not speed up collagen production.

## What did the research use?

In Shaw and colleagues (2017), eight men took **15 g of gelatine with about 48 mg of vitamin C** one hour before six minutes of skipping, and a collagen-synthesis marker roughly doubled versus placebo. A later study by Lis and Baar (2019) in ten people used vitamin C-enriched gelatine and collagen and saw a smaller trend that was not statistically significant. Neither study compared collagen with and without vitamin C head to head in the long term, so we cannot say exactly how much of the effect comes from the vitamin. The Australian Institute of Sport classes collagen as Group B (emerging evidence).

## How much vitamin C is enough?

Adult recommended intakes sit around 75 to 110 mg a day depending on country and sex. The trial dose of about 50 mg is well within a normal diet:

| Food | Approximate vitamin C |
|---|---|
| Half a medium orange | about 35 mg |
| One naartjie | about 25 to 30 mg |
| A few slices of red pepper | 50 mg or more |
| A guava | well above 100 mg |

These are approximate figures; fresh produce varies. The US upper limit for adults is 2 000 mg a day, set because larger doses commonly cause diarrhoea, so there is no reason to megadose.

## Do you need a collagen product that includes vitamin C?

Not necessarily. Some South African products bundle it: My Wellness Collagen Peptides (90 capsules, R185 at Faithful to Nature, October 2026) is a capsule with vitamin C, and Collagen Cafe liquid lists vitamin C and magnesium. But capsule doses of collagen are small, and combined products cost more per gram of collagen ([capsules vs powder](/answers/collagen-powder-vs-capsules-vs-liquid/)). A single-ingredient powder plus fruit is cheaper: as of October 2026 a 10 g dose costs R10.44 with [ATP Fitness Hydrolysed Collagen](/brands/atp-fitness/) (910 g, R950, ATP shop) or R11.36 with The Harvest Table 800 g refill (R909, Faithful to Nature). The ATP trade-off is that it contains collagen only, so you add your own vitamin C, and it is unflavoured with no third-party certificate published.

## A simple routine

1. Stir 10 g of collagen into a glass of diluted orange juice or eat a naartjie with it.
2. For the tendon protocol, do this 30 to 60 minutes before a short bout of loading ([details](/answers/does-collagen-help-joints-and-tendons/)).
3. Otherwise, take it whenever suits you ([best time to take collagen](/answers/best-time-to-take-collagen/)).

## Who should be careful?

Very high-dose vitamin C supplements can contribute to kidney stones in susceptible people and can interfere with some laboratory tests. If you have kidney disease, a history of kidney stones, are under 18, pregnant or breastfeeding, or take regular medication, ask your doctor before taking supplements. See also [how much collagen per day](/answers/how-much-collagen-per-day/).

## Products mentioned

| Product | Size | Price (source, date) | Servings | R per 10 g | R per serving | Sweeteners |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATP Fitness Hydrolysed Collagen | 910 g | R950 (ATP Fitness shop, 2026-10) | 91 | R10.44 | — | None |
| The Harvest Table Bovine Collagen Powder 800 g refill | 800 g | R909 (Faithful to Nature, 2026-10) | 50 | R11.36 | — | none |
| My Wellness Collagen Peptides 90 capsules | 90 capsules | R185 (Faithful to Nature, 2026-10) | 30 | — | R6.17 | none |

Disclosure: ATP Fitness is a commercial partner of Healthnews24 and its products are featured on this site. Rankings follow our published method, and every pick, including ATP Fitness, shows its price maths and trade-offs.

## Sources

- [Shaw G et al. (2017) Vitamin C-enriched gelatin supplementation before intermittent activity augments collagen synthesis. Am J Clin Nutr 105:136](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5183725)
- [Lis DM & Baar K (2019) Effects of different vitamin C-enriched collagen derivatives on collagen synthesis. IJSNEM](https://nutrition-evidence.com/article/333672/effects-of-different-vitamin-c-enriched-collagen-derivatives-on-collagen-synthesis)
- [Australian Institute of Sport Supplement Framework: Group B (emerging evidence)](https://www.ausport.gov.au/ais/nutrition/supplements/group_b)
- [Faithful to Nature: collagen category (prices, October 2026)](https://www.faithful-to-nature.co.za/health/beauty-supplements/collagen)