June 6, 2023

Does heat affect collagen supplements?

4 min read By Hanna Forrest

Collagen is an immensely popular nutritional supplement, and rightly so due to it being full of protein and essential amino acids.

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Some supplements can lose their nutritional value when exposed to heat, so with the weather heating up, “Does heat damage collagen supplements?” is a common (and understandable!) question.

The short answer is everyday heat will not damage collagen. However, if collagen is exposed to high temperatures for long periods of time, then yes this can cause damage to collagen proteins.

Absolute Collagen is also packed full of vitamin C which is negatively affected by heat. This is one of the reasons why we recommend that you store your AC sachets in a cool, dry place, out of direct sunlight.

To answer even more of your collagen-related questions we have gone into detail below about:

What happens when collagen is heated?
Top tips for storing collagen supplements in the summer.
Do’s and don’ts for cooking with collagen.
And, can you put collagen in coffee?

What happens when collagen is heated?

Collagen is protein rich and, when in its raw state, is made of large, triple helix chains of amino acids. The raw collagen structure is too large for our bodies to absorb, so we are unlikely to see any difference in our collagen levels or get any health benefits.

For our bodies to be able to absorb the proteins and goodness, collagen is heated to break down the molecular structure into collagen peptides.

This process is called hydrolysis, which involves heating and breaking down the molecular bonds between individual raw collagen strands.

The end result? Hydrolysed collagen.

Hydrolysed collagen is full of peptides and proteins which our bodies can easily absorb. Collagen is found in all of our connective tissues, supporting cohesion and elasticity, including skin, tendons, ligaments, cartilage and bones.

So, we’re sure you’ve guessed it by now, but yes, Absolute Collagen is hydrolysed collagen. Our pocket-sized sachets come ready made in the perfect condition for your body to reap the benefits of collagen and take in all of the goodness.

While raw collagen needs to be heated, hydrolysed collagen should not be heated. That’s because it will break down the collagen proteins even more, potentially damaging them and reducing their effectiveness.

Does your collagen contain vitamin C?

One of the reasons why we advise our Absoluters to store their AC supplements in a cool, dry place, is because Absolute Collagen is also rich in vitamin C and vitamin C is heat sensitive.

Best ways to store collagen in hot climates.

If you're planning a trip to soak up some sunshine this year, you’ll probably want to know the best way to travel with, and store, your collagen supplements while on holiday.

Good news for jet-setters - taking your Absolute Collagen on holiday is easy!

Collagen can travel in hand luggage or your suitcase.

London Heathrow recently became the first UK airport to announce the removal of the 100ml liquid restrictions. All other UK airports still have the 100ml limits in place (for now anyway).

Luckily for you, it doesn't matter where you fly from because Absolute Collagen is travel friendly.

Packed into handy 10ml sachets, our AC shots are fully compliant with airport restrictions and don’t take up much space in your luggage. So, however light you’re travelling, you’ll always be able take your collagen supplements with you.

And, if you’re a fan of our face serum, hair shampoo and conditioner too, we have our Absolute Little Luxuries Gift Set where you get all of these in mini-travel-size, plus a dashing washbag. That’s your essentials sorted!

Store your collagen in a cool place while on holiday.

When you’ve arrived at your destination, store your collagen supplements somewhere cool and out of direct sunlight. Try and put them somewhere visible, that way you won’t forget to take them each day.

Collagen can withstand temperatures up to 300°C (474°F), however it’s the vitamin C in our Absolute Collagen supplements that doesn’t like the heat. So keep this precious vitamin protected by popping your collagen in cooler locations like the safe, on your bedside table, or in the bathroom next to your toothbrush.

Storing your collagen at home over the summer months.

With the weather warming up and summer fast approaching, it’s a good idea to check that your AC at home isn’t in a sunny spot.

Our favourite place to store our collagen in hot weather is next to our toothbrush in the bathroom cabinet. Hidden from direct sunlight and somewhere you’ll definitely see it every day, it’s the perfect spot!

Can you add collagen to coffee and hot drinks?

The golden question.

When people ask if heat affects collagen, most of the time it’s because they want to know if you can add collagen supplements to hot coffee.

Well, tea and coffee lovers, we have good news. Yes, you can add collagen to coffee and hot beverages.

As we’ve mentioned above, collagen can withstand temperatures up to 300°C (474°F), and freshly made tea and coffee is around 90°C (195°F), well below any temperature that will cause any significant damage to the collagen.

In fact, adding your collagen supplement to your morning cup of hot coffee or tea is a great way of adding collagen to your daily routine.

Can you cook with collagen?

While the fruity flavour of our AC shots make most creative chefs or ambitious bakers want to experiment with the supplement as an ingredient, we don’t recommend you cook with Absolute Collagen. The temperatures that the supplement could reach within your oven or on your stove may affect the proteins, and will most definitely affect the vitamin C.

Although adding Absolute Collagen to hot food isn't recommended, you can add it to food. Many of our Absoluters enjoy their daily collagen boost by adding it to their morning smoothies for breakfast.

Tasty ways to enjoy your Absolute Collagen with food

Lemon vinaigrette is one of the most popular salad dressings so why not add your lemon Absolute Collagen into a traditional salad dressing recipe for an extra boost of flavour, and collagen.

Mango also works really well mixed into a mango chutney, the perfect condiment for a weekend curry. This vegan chickpea and cauliflower curry is a firm favourite of ours.

Or if the raspberry flavour is your collagen shot of choice, drizzled over a strawberry sorbet it is simply divine!

Still have questions? Get in touch with our ever so friendly customer service team, or read more about how to take and store your Absolute Collagen.