5 Benefits of Collagen Powder
Have you heard about collagen powder? It seems like the next big hype but this time I actually feel the hype is warranted. Collagen can now be found in just about everything — from creams and cosmetics, to powders and pills. As the most abundant protein in the body, collagen is found in your muscles, skin, blood, bones, cartilage, and ligaments. You may want to consider squeezing in an extra serving of this vital protein for several reasons, as collagen is a building block that:
promotes skin elasticity
holds together your bones and muscles
protects your organs
heals the gut
The good news is that your body produces collagen on a regular basis. But, it does slow down with age. It also slows down with smoking, sun exposure, and an unhealthy diet. If you don't have enough collagen in the body you may start to see wrinkles and sagging skin, or even experience joint pain.
Keep reading to discover five specific benefits you may experience if you take the time to up your collagen consumption.
1. Eases joint pain
As your cartilage weakens and deteriorates with age, you may start to feel stiff, achy joints. It’s possible that upping your collagen intake may help reduce joint pain and alleviate symptoms of arthritis.
In a 2009 study, participants took a collagen supplement for 90 days. Results showed that osteoarthritis symptoms decreased by 40% while the severity of symptoms dropped by an impressive 33%.
In an older study from 1993 with the same collagen supplement, participants with severe rheumatoid arthritis saw a reduced number of swollen and tender joints — 4 out of 60 participants also experienced complete remission.
2. Reverses skin aging
One of the most well-known benefits of collagen is its ability to promote glowing, vibrant skin. This essential protein provides elasticity to the skin, helping it to appear more youthful and healthy. But as you get older and collagen production declines, fine lines, loose skin, and dryness can occur.
A study published in 2014 randomly chose 46 of 69 women, ages 35-55 years old, to take a collagen hydrolysate supplement. The rest of the group took a placebo. The women who took the collagen showed an improvement in skin elasticity within four weeks.
The same manufacturer also conducted another study in 2014 with the same supplement, which significantly reduced wrinkles after just eight weeks.
3. Helps build muscle and burn fat
Collagen is a major component of muscle tissue, so it should come as no surprise that it can have a big impact when it comes to building muscle mass. Plus, collagen also contains a concentrated amount of glycine, an amino acid involved in the synthesis of creatine which provides muscles with the fuel needed to power through your workout. So what happens when you add collagen to your workout routine?
There’s not much research on collagen and exercise, but a study in 2015 looked at collagen supplements in 53 older males with sarcopenia, a condition where you lose muscle mass due to aging. After 12 weeks, those who took supplements along with resistance training saw an increase in fat loss and muscle strength more than the placebo group.
4. May reduce cellulite
Besides keeping your skin healthy and glowing, collagen may also help improve the appearance of stubborn cellulite. Cellulite is when the layer of fat under the skin pushes up against the connective tissue, creating a dimpled or lumpy appearance on the skin.
Another study was sponsored in 2015 by manufacturers to see what collagen would do for cellulite. They randomly assigned 105 women, ages 24-50, to take collagen for six months. Those who did demonstrated a clear improvement in skin texture. Yet cellulite is incredibly common — an estimated 80 to 90% of women have it. It’s a natural part of aging and skin formation and not a cause for concern.
5. Improves digestive health
Collagen is in the gut’s connective tissue and can help support and strengthen the protective lining of your digestive tract. This is critically important because alterations in the barrier function of your intestine, also known as leaky gut syndrome, can allow particles to pass into the bloodstream. This may result in inflammation.
In fact, an older study from 2003 looked at 170 individuals with inflammatory bowel disease and found that they were more likely to have lower levels of serum collagen. So the current theory is that by increasing your intake of collagen, you could help build up the tissues that line your gastrointestinal tract and promote better gut health.
Here are a few easy ways to kick up your collagen intake:
1. Experiment with bone broth
Bone broth is made by simmering bones to help extract the flavor and beneficial nutrients. Not only is it an excellent source of collagen, but it’s also tasty and easy to add to your diet by using it to make soups and stews, whole grains like rice and quinoa, and even to moisten leftovers. You can easily make bone broth at home, or save time by purchasing it in powder form.
2. Try out powdered gelatin
Gelatin is essentially the cooked form of collagen, and powdered gelatin can be a quick and convenient way to bump up your collagen consumption. It can be mixed into any liquid, including soups, stews, and broths. You can also enjoy it to satisfy your sweet tooth by making homemade Jell-O or natural fruit snacks.
3. Supplement with collagen peptides
Collagen peptides are another easy option to get your fix of this important amino acid. Most brands sell hydrolyzed collagen peptides, which means that the amino acids in collagen have been broken down so that they’re more easily digested and absorbed. Collagen powder can also be added to smoothies, hot beverages, or baked goods to pump some extra protein into your day.
There is also ways to get collagen in through your daily diet. If you want to consume collagen naturally, eat a well-balanced, high-protein diet that includes animal products. Collagen is in beef, chicken, fish, and egg whites.
But you don’t want to eat too much protein, either. Your body doesn’t tell the collagen where to go. Instead, it distributes the collagen like it would any other nutrient. So taking collagen supplements works much like exercise — it’s difficult to target a specific need, but increasing your intake could still have benefits.
Collagen For Weight Loss
Collagen is a protein that’s naturally found in the body. It makes up 25% to 30% of the proteins in your body and gives structure to connective tissue like your skin, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, muscles, bones and blood vessels. I test for collagen supplements to help people improve skin elasticity, reduce appearance of skin wrinkles, increase skin hydration, reduce bone loss, improve brittle nails, boost hair health, support heart health and improve weight loss. Because collagen helps gives so much structure to the body it can be used for lots different reasons in the body. When I test for collagen ! test for it in capsules or powder. There are lots of different kinds out on the market and they are not all made the same so before you add it into your daily life I highly suggest getting muscle tested for it.
Bone broth is the number one food that has collagen in it and the question is do you test better for chicken bone broth or beef? It is best taken on an empty stomach. This way the body can absorb more nutrients from it. If you are doing the capsule or powder that can be taken with food.
Let me now explain how collagen can help with weight loss goals:
Promote satiety
Collagen supplements may increase satiety, or the feeling of fullness. This could aid weight loss by reducing hunger, and therefore, how many calories you eat in a day. Collagen might have this effect because it’s a protein. According to a 2020 study, high-protein diets increase satiety hormones. They also suppress ghrelin, which is a hunger hormone. According to a 2008 study, increased protein intake can also increase thermogenesis, which is the ability of the body to produce heat. The more heat your body makes the more calories it will burn which will help with weight loss. The study also notes that higher protein diets may stimulate muscle protein anabolism, “favoring the retention of lean muscle mass while improving metabolic profile.”
Increase muscle mass
Building muscle is an essential component of weight loss. That’s because muscle burns more calories at rest than fat does, increasing overall calories burned. Taking collagen supplements helps increase muscle mass. Remember, collagen is the main structural protein in your muscles. In a 2015 study involving older adults, participants with sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss) completed 12 weeks of weight training. Half of the participants took collagen peptide supplements, while the other half took a placebo. Those who took collagen peptides experienced a greater improvement in muscle mass and strength. They also lost more fat mass than the placebo group. These results suggest that collagen supplements can support loss of body fat by enhancing the effects of weight training on muscle mass.
Reduce fat accumulation
There’s some evidence that collagen may reduce the development and accumulation of fat cells. A 2019 study found that collagen from skate, a type of fish, reduces body fat in humans. The amount of fat lost was small, but suggests potential benefits for weight loss.
Relieve joint pain
Collagen supplements might indirectly help weight loss by reducing joint pain. Healthy joints are needed to move comfortably during exercise and daily activities. Engaging more regularly in physical activity could then in turn support weight management. A 2015 study found that collagen peptides can help people with osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis happens when your joint cartilage wears down, causing joint pain and stiffness. If joint pain prevents you from working out, let us know at your next appointment so we can muscle test you to see if a collagen supplement can help!