Collagen cocktails are all the rage — but health experts are giving mixed reviews
Forget protein shakes — collagen cocktails have come into fashion with the promise of younger-looking skin.
But some health experts and bartenders are bad-mouthing the tipsy trend, claiming that alcohol negates the effects of collagen — and the drinks don’t even taste that good.
“Alcohol can dehydrate the body, including the skin, which is contrary to the hydrating effects of collagen,” Wan Na Chun, a registered dietitian, personal trainer, and owner of One Pot Wellness, told Well+Good this week.
“While the addition of collagen to alcohol is not necessarily harmful, the health benefits of collagen are negated when it is consumed with alcohol,” Chun added.
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body and has been called the glue that holds it together. It’s found in connective tissue, tendon, bone, muscles, and cartilage — it gives skin its elasticity.
Collagen production decreases as you age, which has given rise to collagen supplements, a global market that was valued at $1.99 billion in 2021, even as some medical experts have expressed wariness about their effectiveness.
Mixing collagen powder or liquid collagen with alcohol has also taken off in recent years.
TikTok is full of recipes for collagen cosmos, French martinis with a collagen twist, and vodka & punch x collagen.
But alcohol is known to dehydrate and inflame the skin, which is the opposite of the intended effect of collagen.
“Alcohol is actually one of the worst, most aggressive compounds to destroy your skin,” New York nutritionist Jairo Rodriguez told Vogue in November. “I always joke with my patients, ‘If you want to get older, go ahead and drink!’”
One study found alcohol increases facial lines, under-eye puffiness, and skin redness, among other aging indicators.
Catherine Gervacio, a registered dietitian and nutrition writer, told Well+Good that collagen supplements are best paired with a nutritious diet — not a liquid one — since vitamin C, zinc, and copper are needed to spur collagen production.
The outlet also tapped two veteran NYC bartenders to make some collagen cocktails — with mixed results.
The taste was compared to “dirty socks” and the texture was reminiscent of “raw lime Jello.”
“We wouldn’t recommend collagen in any drink,” Lilly DeForest-Campbell, owner/operator of 1897 Beekman House in Dundee, NY, declared to Well+Good.
