Bones are made only of minerals. Bones are alive, part mineral, part living tissue. And collagen is the inner scaffolding of that tissue. Without collagen, bones become hard but brittle, like chalk.
Collagen gives bones their flexibility and resistance to fractures. As age increases or under stress, the body produces less collagen, which can weaken bones. Vitamin C plays a big role in helping the body produce collagen. Foods like amla (Indian gooseberry), citrus fruits, and bone broth can nourish this inner strength.
Supplementing collagen (especially marine or type I collagen) has also been shown in recent studies to improve bone density in postmenopausal women and elderly adults.