Can Collagen Help People Lose Weight?
About 40% of adults in the United States are obese and therefore at an increased risk of several chronic diseases.1 This is a significant issue that has been ongoing for decades, and researchers are consistently searching for easy-to-implement solutions to help with the obesity crisis.
Protein has proven to be a useful tool for weight loss, preventing excess muscle loss and helping people to feel full on fewer calories. Collagen protein is a wildly popular supplement for skin, hair, nail, and joint health. We know that collagen peptides can be good for you, but many researchers are also interested in how this unique supplement may help with weight loss.
Below, we'll share the potential roles of collagen for weight loss, what the research says, and how to incorporate collagen into your daily routine.
Understanding Collagen and Its Functions
What are the benefits of collagen? The body contains more collagen than any other type of protein. It's known to be found in bones, joints, muscle tissue, skin, the circulatory system vasculature, and more.
Collagen is composed of a firm-yet-flexible matrix that provides structure but also has some bounce and flexibility.
Collagen supplements may help the body produce its own collagen, restoring integrity and a more youthful appearance to the skin and helping to support joint health. But does collagen help you lose weight?
Although there's not a lot of research on the subject of collagen and weight loss, some data suggests there could be a link between the two. Here's more about taking collagen peptides to lose weight.
Collagen's Role in Appetite and Satiety
Protein can play a significant role in weight loss through its effects on appetite and satiety.2 Since collagen is a protein, it is thought to offer these effects as well.
Protein helps to slow down digestion, extending feelings of satiety (fullness). This is helpful when trying to lose weight since it makes it a bit easier for people to maintain a caloric deficit.
Since collagen protein (which is typically supplemented as collagen peptides, which are thought to be easily digestible) is absorbed well by the body, this effect is particularly notable.
Impact of Collagen on Body Fat Reduction
In a 2023 randomized controlled trial, researchers investigated the effects of 12 weeks of daily collagen supplementation in active adults over age 50.3 After 12 weeks, the collagen group had lost a significant amount of body fat compared to the control group (who received a placebo drink).
This effect may be a result of the arginine and glycine that’s found in collagen. Arginine and glycine are two amino acids that commonly help the body produce creatine, which is necessary for energy production. Improved energy production can help support body composition changes such as reducing fat mass and increasing muscle mass.
There's also a possibility that collagen can help improve joint strength and reduce pain in some individuals, allowing people to be more physically active. In turn, this increased physical activity can help them to burn excess body fat.
Collagen's Influence on Metabolism
Collagen can modulate metabolism in a few interesting ways.
As mentioned above, the arginine and glycine in collagen can help support energy production. When your cells have more energy, they may function more efficiently, and you may burn more energy as a result. These changes can typically help lead to weight loss.
Collagen proteins also support muscle maintenance and growth, particularly when combined with resistance training. While it's important to vary proteins and not depend on collagen alone, improving your strength and muscle mass using protein and resistance training can often give you a "faster" metabolism. This is because muscle burns more calories than fat tissue, so increasing your muscle mass also increases the number of calories you burn at rest.
Similar to other proteins, collagen peptides may also help stabilize blood sugar levels — especially when consumed with a meal. Improved glycemic control can typically make it easier to manage cravings and food intake, so it's extremely important for weight loss.
In animal studies, collagen supplementation appears to influence the ratios of certain bacteria in the gut. While these studies are lower in quality than human trials, it is still worthy of noting that supplementing with collagen can help to activate certain metabolic pathways that may reduce abdominal fat accumulation, blood sugar fluctuations, and weight gain.4.
The Best Collagen Supplement for Metabolism
Although the research on the benefits of taking collagen for weight loss is limited, the link between the two looks promising.
If you're interested in taking collagen to help support your metabolism, it's important to choose one that's of high quality, effective, and easy to take.
One of the leading collagen supplements is Body Kitchen Youthful Beauty Advanced Powder. It's made with powerfully concentrated collagen peptides from grass-fed cows and marine sources. This active form of collagen can absorb easily and has been clinically shown to reduce eye wrinkles and improve skin elasticity.
In addition, the supplement contains resveratrol and hyaluronic acid. These skin-loving ingredients also help support your body's natural collagen synthesis, helping to keep joints strong and flexible so that you can stay active.
Wondering about the best time to take collagen for weight loss? Any time of day that's convenient for you is fine. Just remember: to see the optimal collagen supplement benefits, whether you're aiming for wrinkle reduction or fat loss, it's important to take it consistently over the course of several weeks to months.
Speak to a Doctor Before Adding a Collagen Supplement
For the most part, collagen supplements are safe and free of side effects.
People with shellfish allergies may need to avoid certain collagen supplements made with marine sources. Additionally, people who need to limit their protein intake - such as people with gout or chronic kidney disease - may need to avoid using collagen supplements as well. Finally, the side effects of collagen supplementation can include minor digestive issues such as bloating or nausea.
If you have any concerns about taking collagen or how it may affect your health or interact with any medicines you're currently taking, it's important to speak with your doctor before adding it to your routine.