How Much Collagen In Chicken Is Irrelevant - Here's 5 Reasons Why

Written by Lean Greens Crew | Evidence-Based

We’ve all heard some version of the phrase “You are what you eat.”

And if that’s true, chicken should be doing a lot of heavy lifting for your joints.

After all, chicken contains collagen. Collagen is what keeps joints cushioned, skin supported, and connective tissue doing its job. Chicken is cheap, familiar, and shows up in everything from curries to Sunday roasts.

So logically, eating chicken regularly should mean your collagen needs are covered… right?

And yet.

People who eat chicken multiple times a week still notice:

• Clicking or stiff joints
• Slower recovery after exercise
• Skin that feels thinner or less resilient than it used to
• General wear-and-tear creeping in earlier than expected

That’s not a failure on your part. And it’s not because chicken is “bad”.

It’s because most people are missing one big thing.

The One Big Thing Most People Miss: Bioavailability

Chicken does contain collagen.

But:

• The parts of the chicken most people eat contain very little of it
• The way we cook chicken often damages it
• And even when collagen is present, your body struggles to absorb it efficiently

In other words, this isn’t a quantity problem.

It’s an absorption problem.

Let’s break down exactly where things go wrong—and what actually helps.

Reason #1: You’re Eating the Wrong Part of the Chicken

If you’re trying to be “healthy”, chances are you’re buying boneless, skinless chicken breast.

It’s lean. It’s high in protein. It fits neatly into calorie trackers.

But from a collagen perspective?

It’s the worst option on the bird.

Why breast meat falls short

Collagen lives in connective tissue—the stuff that holds joints, tendons, and cartilage together.

Chicken breast is a muscle that barely works during the bird’s life. Less work = less connective tissue = less collagen.

Research comparing different cuts of chicken shows:

• Breast meat: roughly 1–2% collagen by weight
• Thigh meat: closer to 3–4% collagen by weight

That means thighs can contain up to double the collagen of breast meat.

The fix

If you’re relying on chicken for collagen:

• Stop obsessing over breast meat
• Swap in thighs, drumsticks, or wings where possible

They’re:

• More collagen-rich
• More forgiving to cook
• Less likely to dry out

Still not perfect—but a step in the right direction.

Reason #2: The Collagen Is Mostly in the Skin (And That’s a Trade-Off)

Here’s the uncomfortable truth most health blogs gloss over:

The highest concentration of collagen in chicken isn’t in the meat at all. It’s in the skin.

A modest serving (around 50g) of chicken skin can provide roughly 10g of collagen.

Sounds great… until you look at what comes with it.

That same 50g serving also delivers:

• ~20g of fat
• ~225 calories

Eating fried chicken skin daily is not exactly a long-term strategy for most people.

The trade-off problem

You can get collagen from chicken skin.

But you also have to accept:

• A significant calorie increase
• A high fat load
• A habit that’s hard to sustain consistently

For most people, this becomes a once-in-a-while food—not a reliable daily source.

The fix

If you enjoy chicken skin:

• Eat it intentionally
• Don’t rely on it as your primary collagen source

Consistency matters more than occasional spikes.

Reason #3: High Heat Destroys What You’re Trying to Get

Collagen is a protein.

And like most proteins, it’s sensitive to heat.

High-temperature cooking methods—grilling, frying, broiling—can denature collagen, damaging its structure before your body ever sees it.

So if your chicken is:

• Char-grilled
• Pan-fried until crisp
• Cooked quickly at high temperatures

You may be destroying a large portion of the collagen content in the process.

The irony

People often choose these cooking methods because they’re tasty.

But the very methods that make chicken enjoyable can reduce the value of the nutrient they’re trying to get.

The fix: Low and slow

The best cooking methods for collagen are:

• Slow cooking
• Pressure cooking
• Gentle simmering

These methods convert collagen into gelatin, which is:

• Easier to digest
• More accessible to the body
• Less structurally damaged

Bone broths exist for a reason.

They work—but they require time, planning, and consistency.

Reason #4: Your Body Only Absorbs About Half of Food-Based Collagen

This is the big one.

Dietary collagen from whole foods is a large, complex protein.

Your digestive system has to:

1. Break it down into smaller fragments
2. Convert it into usable amino acids and peptides
3. Transport those building blocks where they’re needed

Even under ideal conditions, research suggests that only about 50–60% of collagen consumed from whole foods is actually absorbed and used.

The rest?

• Gets broken down inefficiently
• Gets diverted for other protein needs
• Or gets excreted

Why this matters

Let’s say you somehow manage to eat 10g of collagen from food.

In reality, your body might only use:

• 5–6g of that amount

And that’s before you factor in cooking losses, food choices, and daily variability.

Peptides vs whole food collagen

Hydrolysed collagen peptides are different.

They’re:

• Pre-broken down into small chains
• Easier for your gut to absorb
• Shown to reach the bloodstream rapidly

Studies show absorption rates close to 100% for hydrolysed peptides.

This isn’t about “supplements vs food” as a moral issue.

It’s about efficiency.

The fix

Food is fuel. Food is nourishment. Food is essential.

But food is not always the most efficient delivery system for specific compounds.

If you rely only on whole food collagen, you’re accepting major losses along the way.

Reason #5: Chicken Collagen Isn’t the Type Most People Actually Need

Not all collagen does the same job.

There are at least 28 different types of collagen in the human body.

The most relevant ones here:

• Type II collagen

  • Found mainly in cartilage
  • Predominant in chicken collagen
  • Associated with joint cushioning

• Type I & III collagen

  • Found in skin, tendons, ligaments, gut lining
  • Predominant in bovine (cow) collagen

Why this matters

If your main goal is:

• Skin elasticity
• General connective tissue support
• Gut lining integrity

Eating chicken—even perfectly prepared—may not give your body the specific building blocks it prioritises for those tissues.

Chicken isn’t “wrong”.

It’s just specific.

The fix

Match the collagen type to the goal:

• For joints and cartilage → slow-cooked chicken, bone broth, Type II
• For skin and general structure → bovine collagen (Type I & III)

Most people want both.

Relying on one source limits the outcome.

Why Food Alone Becomes Hard to Rely On

To consistently get meaningful collagen from food, you would need to:

• Eat collagen-rich cuts regularly
• Include skin or bone broth often
• Cook meals low and slow
• Accept higher calories and fat
• And still lose around half during digestion

That’s a lot of friction.

And friction kills consistency.

Supplements We Suggest (And Why)

This isn’t about replacing real food.

It’s about closing the gap between what’s theoretically possible and what people actually do day-to-day.

We applied the Rule of 1 to this problem.

The one problem to solve? Absorption and consistency. (OK that 's TWO)

Collagen Greens

Collagen Greens was designed as a daily habit, not a 12-hour cooking project. If you've heard of AG1, this is the UK alternative with added benefits.

Here’s how it bridges the gap.

1. Superior absorption

We use bovine collagen peptides—hydrolysed and pre-digested—so your body doesn’t have to fight to break them down.

Less waste. More consistency.

2. The “beauty” collagen types

Bovine collagen is naturally rich in Type I & III, the structural collagens most associated with:

• Skin resilience
• General connective tissue support
• Gut lining structure

It complements, rather than replaces, food-based sources.

3. Built-in partners

Collagen doesn’t work in isolation.

Vitamin C plays a key role in collagen synthesis, which is why we pair collagen with nutrient-dense greens:

• Spinach
• Broccoli extract
• Wheatgrass

No separate steps. No extra pills.

4. Bonus strength support

We include 4g of creatine monohydrate, a compound well-studied for:

• Supporting physical performance
• Everyday energy availability
• Muscle support alongside activity

You won’t find that in a chicken dinner.

The Bottom Line

Chicken isn’t useless. Collagen from food isn’t a myth.

But relying on chicken alone to support joints, skin, and connective tissue is:

• Inefficient
• Inconsistent
• And harder than most people realise

If you love cooking, slow-cook your meals, and enjoy bone broth—great. Keep doing it.

If you want a 30-second daily habit that removes friction and fills the gaps?

That’s exactly why Collagen Greens exists.

No guilt. No wellness theatre. Just something you’ll actually stick to.

👉 [Shop Collagen Greens & Start Your Risk-Free Trial]