Collagen is known and loved for its purported Benefits for your skin, hair and nails, but could this popular protein have another potential benefit: weight loss? It certainly won’t hurt your weight loss goals, said Ryanne Lachman, RD, LD, a nutritionist at the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine, but any impact of collagen intake on your weight could actually be indirect. So is it worth increasing your collagen consumption? We spoke to Lachman to find out.
Can Collagen Help You Lose Weight?
“Yes, collagen can help you lose weight, but indirectly,” Lachman told POPSUGAR. Collagen, she explained, is a protein that makes it a protein in and of itself good tool for weight loss. Eating high-protein meals can reduce blood sugar fluctuations, Lachman said, which can help you avoid excessive hunger and overeating. In other words, proteins help you stay full, and collagen is no exception. For example, a 2009 study found it included breakfast with gelatin (“cooked collagen”) 40 percent more filling than breakfast that contained other types of protein, which resulted in subjects eating about 20 percent fewer calories afterwards. A 2008 study found that gelatin actually did elevated levels of the hormone that tells you you are full. Aside from gelatin, a small 2019 study looked at a specific type of collagen derived from the skin of a skate (a type of fish similar to a ray), where eating fish was found to reduce body fat in overweight adults.
In addition, it could be collagen Reduce pain caused by inflammation. “When pain is reduced and physical activity becomes an option,” said Lachman, it is another way collagen can support weight loss goals.
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Should I Take Collagen Supplements for Weight Loss?
Powder additives and bone broths are popular ways to increase your collagen intake. However, Lachman recommended consuming collagen through solid animal or vegetable sources if weight loss is your primary goal. It’s just more filling that way, she explained, which in turn can help you stay full longer. “In terms of weight loss, chewing collagen can make a difference,” Lachman said. (Collagen supplements have some too serious – but rare – side effects note.)
The story goes on
Here are some naturally high collagen foods to supplement your diet, as well as some high in vitamin C and other nutrients that help your body increase its own collagen production.
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chicken
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fish
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Citrus fruits, berries, tropical fruits and tomatoes (vitamin C)
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Beans (amino acids and copper)
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Cashew nuts (zinc and copper)
Note that sugars and refined carbohydrates, which can already hinder weight loss due to their high calorie count and low nutritional value, can also damage your body’s collagen supply.
While collagen isn’t one of the first things weight loss experts recommend (that would be consistent exercise and a Nutritional diet!) there are indications that show that it can help, even if it is just about getting you full and staying full longer. Please hand over the chicken and beans!
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