Collagen is the most common protein in your body, helping keep skin smooth and joints strong and flexible. While vegetables don’t contain collagen, many provide the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants your body needs to make it. Adding these collagen-supporting vegetables to your meals can help keep your skin firm and your joints healthy.
Dark leafy greens like spinach, kale, and Swiss chard are all rich in vitamin C, one of the most important nutrients for collagen production. Vitamin C helps your body make pro-collagen, which is the body’s precursor to collagen. Leafy greens also deliver antioxidants that protect collagen from the sun and environmental damage.
Bell peppers are also beneficial for collagen production due to their vitamin C content. Spicier varieties contain capsaicin, a natural compound that gives the peppers their heat and has anti-inflammatory effects. These effects can support joint and skin health by protecting your cells and tissues from damaging inflammation.
Tomatoes are another great source of vitamin C and contain lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that helps protect collagen from breaking down. Lycopene has been linked to smoother, firmer skin and may help guard against sun-related skin damage.
Cooking tomatoes makes it easier for your body to absorb lycopene, so tomato sauces and soups can be just as good for your skin and joints as fresh tomatoes.
Carrots are packed with beta-carotene, a plant pigment your body converts into vitamin A. Vitamin A supports the cells that make collagen, helping keep your skin’s structure strong and slowing signs of skin aging. Since vitamin A is fat-soluble, it’s best to pair carrots with a source of healthy fat like avocado or olive oil for optimal absorption.
Sweet potatoes provide beta-carotene along with vitamin E and manganese, nutrients that help protect your skin, support collagen, and keep connective tissue strong. These nutrients also act as antioxidants, which help reduce inflammation, maintain skin elasticity, and promote overall skin repair and resilience.
Broccoli contains glucosinolates, which are plant compounds that your body converts into a powerful antioxidant, sulforaphane. The antioxidative properties of sulforaphane support natural detoxification and help protect skin cells from damage. Broccoli is also a source of vitamin C, which adds to its antioxidant benefits and helps keep skin healthy and vibrant.
Garlic is rich in sulfur, a mineral that supports collagen production and helps protect existing collagen from breakdown. The sulfur compounds in garlic also have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which can benefit both skin and joint health by reducing inflammation and protecting connective tissues from damage.
Beets contain betalains, natural plant compounds that help protect skin cells from damaging inflammation. They also help your body produce nitric oxide, a molecule that relaxes blood vessels and improves circulation. Better blood flow allows more efficient delivery of oxygen and nutrients to your skin and connective tissues, supporting healthy collagen production.
