Benefits Of Collagen Peptides For Weight Loss: How Supplements May Help

Collagen peptides are a type of dietary supplement that have become quite popular as an effective support for weight loss. Although there is no magic weight loss pill, collagen supplements full of collagen peptides are definitely showing their worth as a valuable addition to the weight loss regime.

Want to understand what the benefits of collagen peptides for weight loss are?  Keep reading and we’ll do our best to explain them.

What is Collagen?

Everyone has heard about collagen for skin health, but what exactly is collagen and why would it be beneficial for weight loss?

Collagen is a powerful protein found throughout the connective tissues that the body naturally produces. This protein not only provides structural support and elasticity but it also has much responsibility in the body’s functionality from mobility, digestive, cardiovascular, and well just about everything our body does.

As the production of collagen begins to decline with age, we start to see the signs in our skin health, joint pain or stiffness, and even digestive issues. Basically, all age-related health concerns can be traced to the collagen protein levels in our connective tissue. This is why collagen supplements are popular in the health and wellness industry.

What Are Collagen Supplements?

Millions of people take collagen supplements every day, but what exactly are they? Collagen supplements, such as collagen powder or liquid collagen, are designed to help replenish the body’s supply of this vital protein as collagen synthesis drops off.

Typically made from bovine, marine, or plants, collagen supplements come in many forms, including capsules, powders, and drinks. Not all collagen supplements are created equal, so do your research. You want a high quality supplement full of pure collagen peptides or hydrolyzed collagen from a reputable manufacturer. Cheaper collagen supplements may have fillers, artificial ingredients, refined sugars, and fewer nutrients than a quality one.

People swear by collagen’s anti-aging benefits, from skin health to less joint pain. More recently, studies have shown a real connection between collagen supplements and weight management. When you understand the role that collagen plays in the digestive system, muscle mass, energy production, and overall health, it’s easy to grasp why taking collagen supplements can assist weight loss.

Not only do collagen supplements up our collagen levels, they actually stimulate the body into producing more collagen by providing the body with the raw materials such as amino acids it needs for collagen production, boosting our collagen levels even more.

Can Collagen Peptides Help Me Lose Weight?

If you’re looking to promote weight loss, you might be wondering if collagen peptides are as helpful as the wellness industry is touting them to be. What is the relation between collagen peptides and weight loss?

Here’s what we know about collagen and satiety, muscle mass, reducing fat accumulation and relieving joint pain and how these work to enhance your weight loss efforts.

Promote Satiety

Collagen peptides provide protein and amino acids that have been shown to promote satiety and weight loss. One study showed that participants who took collagen peptides before a meal felt fuller and ate less than those who did not take them.

The main reason for satiety or feeling of fullness is that collagen peptides help to slow down the digestion of food, making you feel fuller for longer.

Collagen peptides help to balance blood sugar levels, which can prevent cravings and overeating. They’re an easy and convenient way to promote satiety and weight loss. Simply add them to your favorite beverage or food and you’ll feel fuller and more satisfied.

A popular way for taking collagen peptides is to kick-start the morning with a protein packed collagen smoothie. Simply add a 1/2 to 1 full scoop of a powdered collagen supplement to your favorite smoothie recipe and you are getting the proteins, healthy fats and nutrients necessary to get your day off to a healthy start.

With the satiety that comes with collagen peptides as well as the balanced blood sugars, you will not only feel full longer but you will less likely have cravings that often come mid-morning due to a lack of a healthy and balanced breakfast. Fewer cravings or less need to snack is a big part of trying to lose weight.

Increase Muscle Mass

Whenever one desires to lose weight, increasing or building muscle mass is always beneficial. Taking collagen peptides has shown to be effective for weight loss and increasing muscle mass.

A peptide is a short chain of amino acids, and collagen peptides are small fragments of collagen proteins. Amino acids are the foundation of collagen and needed for both collagen production as well as the formation of muscles and energy production. 

Are you aware that lean muscle mass burns more calories than fat, even in a state of rest? One study showed that subjects who took collagen peptides for eight weeks increased their muscle mass by two pounds, on average. Think of how that relates to more calories being burned off!

Reduce Fat Accumulation

Studies are showing that collagen peptides can help reduce fat accumulation in the body. One way collagen peptides achieve this is by inhibiting the activity of an enzyme that promotes fat synthesis. Collagen peptides can also help decrease the size of fat cells.

Since collagen can actually help to regulate metabolism, this also helps to prevent the storage of fat cells. 

Did you know that collagen can actually break down cellulite? Because collagen is also connected to skin health, as cellulite is broken down, or even just loose or sagging skin which happens as we lose weight, collagen can help tighten skin and smooth over the appearance of skin that has been dimpled because of cellulite.

Since reducing fat accumulation can also help improve other health markers—such as cholesterol levels—the benefits of collagen peptides for weight loss are more than just seeing lower numbers on the scale.

Relieve Joint Pain

You may be wondering what joint pain has to do with weight loss but it actually is quite related. As we experience joint pain or stiffness with the decline of collagen, we tend to be less active. Less active means less potential to burn calories, which as you know is a big part of weight gain. If we burn fewer calories than we take in, not only will we see weight gain but we will in fact have more body fat.

Collagen is not only necessary for the flexibility of our joints but it helps cushion the joints so we don’t have joint pain when we move. Collagen with its much needed amino acids provides hydration for our skin as well as for joints and muscles.

The relief from joint pain that collagen peptides provide, helps to reduce inflammation in both our joints and throughout our body. Inflammation is a big hindrance in our health, including weight maintenance. Having less inflammation in our body can definitely boost our ability to lose weight.

What Are the Signs That I May Need Collagen For Weight Loss?

When considering collagen for weight loss, you may be wondering “How do I know if I may actually need collagen for weight loss?” or “Are there any signs that might lead me to think that I need collagen to help me lose weight?”

The body is complex, including that it ‘speaks’ to us when something isn’t right. Here are a few examples that your body may be ‘speaking’ to you about the need for collagen peptides for weight loss.

If you’ve been working hard to lose weight including exercise and eating healthier but aren’t seeing any results, you should consider collagen.

Pain is usually the biggest advocate for our body. Not only does inflammation or pain limit our mobility or motivation to get moving, inflammation interferes with so many of our healthy body functions, including the absorption of vital minerals and nutrients. Collagen plays a large role in reducing inflammation.

If your digestive system isn’t functioning well, this can greatly hinder your weight loss. Signs of an unhealthy digestive system could very well be telling you that you need to up your collagen levels for the digestive system to function.

Are you struggling with a lot of cellulite or fat deposits? If so, this can be due to a lack of collagen in the body. Collagen is needed to break down fat deposits and deter the formation of cellulite.

Speaking of our skin, how is your overall skin health? Are you seeing a lot of signs of skin aging? If so, this is definitely a sign of collagen deficiency. Perhaps you’ve lost weight and are seeing loose skin? Other benefits of collagen peptides for weight loss are collagen’s ability to help tighten and tone loose skin.

Know your body. Look for the signs of declining collagen synthesis. If the signs are there, your body is pointing you to collagen supplementation.

Are There Any Side Effects of Taking Collagen Peptide Supplements?

Generally speaking, taking collagen peptide supplements are safe for everyone. If you are allergic to fish or seafood, you should stay away from supplements made from marine peptides.

When beginning supplementation, be sure to start with a lower dosage. Too much collagen at the onset of your new regime can cause minor digestive issues such as cramping or diarrhea as your body adjusts to the collagen peptides. Once your body is used to the added collagen, you will be able to gradually increase your dosage with no issue.

The Bottom Line

You are now prepared to make an informed decision whether or not you want the benefit of collagen peptides for weight loss. With so many additional health benefits that come from taking collagen peptides, you won’t be disappointed with the results. For more great health tips and resources, be sure to explore our Health Blog. Ready to find the right products for your health regime? Head on over to our collagen product page to find the best products to achieve those wellness goals. Don’t just take our advice, find out for yourself why collagen is such an incredible boost to your health. 

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