The truth about collagen and weight loss: Does it really help?

The benefits of collagen have been well-documented over the last couple of decades, particularly when it comes to health and beauty.

Whether it's adding some bounce back to your hair, tightening your skin, or firming up your nails, collagen has been understood to be a key ingredient when it comes to addressing a particular type of outer health.

Recent studies though have indicated that even beyond your hair, skin and nails, collagen, particularly collagen peptides, may help with your inner health too.

From addressing blood pressure to joint pain and weight loss, the links between collagen peptides and your overall body composition are becoming more and more apparent.

But what does this actually mean? Does collagen help with weight loss? And how can taking collagen supplements help you to build lean body mass and improve your overall health?

To explore what this means, let's first take a look at what collagen is, and what collagen peptide supplementation may mean for your weight loss journey.

What is collagen?

Collagen is a major structural protein made up of amino acids. In fact, collagen is so major it makes up approximately 30% of all proteins found in the human body.

It's found in skin, hair, nails, tendons, cartilage and bones, and works with other substances such as hyaluronic acid and elastin, to maintain skin health in particular, giving your body elasticity, volume and moisture [1].

While our bodies naturally produce some collagen using amino acids found in protein-rich or collagen-rich foods like meat and fish, ageing, sun damage, smoking and alcohol consumption all decrease collagen production.

In particular, once we hit middle age, our collagen production starts to decline which can affect not just our skin and weight, but also our muscle strength.

As a result, at a certain age, collagen supplementation might provide you with a multi-faceted health boost [3].

Does collagen help with weight loss?

Collagen has been long shown to support the firmness, elasticity, suppleness and moisture content of the skin, with specific collagen peptides even making wrinkles less noticeable.

However, the question of whether collagen peptides help with weight loss or weight management is a relatively new one [1].

Collagen peptides, which are hydrolysed collagen, have been found to have a high absorption rate and are used often as a food supplement without any known side effects.

While its impact on skin health, hair and nails has been well documented, recent findings suggest that hydrolysed collagen peptides may support lesion prevention, tissue repair, weight loss and an overall increase in fat-free mass [2].

These studies have found that specific collagen peptides, when paired with an exercise regime, had a beneficial effect on body fat reduction, particularly abdominal fat, which is a major point of concern for many people [3].

But how does collagen promote weight loss? And how can it help you to maintain a healthy, lean body mass?

It helps you feel fuller for longer

Collagen is a protein, and there are numerous studies that suggest protein, and a high-protein diet, can help you to feel fuller for longer.

High protein diets have been found to increase the hormones that make us feel full and suppress the hormones that make us feel hungry, effectively suppressing appetite, while also increasing thermogenesis, which is the process by which your body generates heat.

To do this, your body burns calories and fat cells, which is one of the main ways we lose weight.

In other words, collagen protein can be a part of a broader protein supplementation diet that helps you maintain lean body mass through a restricted diet in combination with resistance training.

It may help maintain lean muscle mass

On that note, collagen consumption can also help you in promoting lean body mass as collagen is the main structural protein in your muscles.

Several recent studies have shown that collagen peptides containing mostly non-essential amino acids increase fat-free mass and help with building strength during resistance training and full-body hypertrophy workouts [4].

In one randomised controlled trial, in particular, people using collagen peptide supplementation were found to not just build body mass and fat-free mass, but develop muscle strength more than those who weren't on collagen supplements.

It alleviates joint pain

While it might seem like joint pain has little to do with weight loss, the elasticity of movement and ease with which our knees, shoulders, elbows and other joints work are vital to maintaining regular exercise habits and simple movement.

The role collagen plays in supporting not just muscle mass but the connective tissue that keeps our body functioning at its best is well documented.

Understanding the relationship between healthy joints and a healthy lifestyle is vital not just to losing weight but to maintaining activity, independence and overall bone mass.

Do collagen peptides help burn belly fat?

A few recent studies have suggested that collagen peptides can in fact support your body not just in maintaining a normal weight or in developing lean mass, but in burning body fat.

One particular double-blind placebo-controlled study looked at a collagen peptide found on fish skin and found evidence indicating that it did seem to have anti-obesity effects through the suppression of fat accumulation.

Not only did it help participants of the study to lose weight, but it also affected their body composition by helping them to specifically lose abdominal fat [2].

Other studies have also found that collagen, particularly collagen peptides found on skate (a type of fish predominant in Korea) skin, has a positive impact on high blood pressure, glucose control, and the regulation of lipid metabolism [3].

This research demonstrates that not only is collagen peptide supplementation potentially a way to lose weight, but it has other health benefits that may impact your skin, hair and nail health, connective tissues, cardiovascular health and more.

How to use collagen for weight loss

Collagen supplements alone probably aren't going to have an enormous impact on your weight, but they can be a really effective tool in helping you to optimise your exercise habits, particularly with strength and resistance training.

They can also help you get the most out of your food intake and broader lifestyle changes that support your health and well-being journey.

Using specific bioactive collagen peptides with targeted amino acid make-ups is going to be the most useful in targeting weight loss and weight management during these lifestyle changes.

As a result, speaking to an experienced doctor or healthcare professional is vital in understanding if collagen peptide supplementation may be right for you.

Targeted programs such as Juniper's Weight Reset Program are designed to help you hit and maintain your healthy weight goals, and many people who have participated in the program have seen a significant reduction in weight as well as the building of higher muscle mass.

This holistic program is tailored for you, pairing medically backed treatments with coaching, community and data tracking to help you create the body composition that has you looking and feeling your best.

If you have questions or concerns about using collagen for weight loss, the guidance of knowledgeable medical practitioners and the support of the community are here for you.

How much collagen should you have per day?

Collagen for weight loss is taken via oral ingestion. It is available in both liquid and powder form, although powder is generally considered more common.

There have been many studies into how collagen peptide supplementation and collagen protein interact with fat cells and the body more broadly, and the current recommendation is that 2.5g-15g per day is safe and effective for looking and feeling your best.

Image credit: Pexels/Anna Tarazevich