Collagen peptides have so many benefits for the human body, but can they help you lose weight? While collagen peptides do not directly make you lose weight, high quality proteins leave you more satiated which reduces craving and helps support you in your journey of losing weight. To lose weight you will need a balanced diet and exercise. Collagen peptides are not a weight loss or amino acid supplement and are not a diet pill or powder. Collagen peptides, also known as collagen hydrolysate, do however make it easier for you to lose weight and make your journey a little less painful. So, in short, yes, collagen peptides do help you lose weight, but not in the ways you may think. Below are the insights into what collagen peptides are and how they work, as well as the benefits they have in supporting your weight loss journey.
What are they?
While United States Food and Drug Administration approved collagen peptides might sound fancy, they are a natural protein that is created and utilized in your body every day. Collagen peptides are basically the building blocks of your tissues and allow you to continue in tip top shape. They are gluten free and full of vitamin C. Collagen peptides are a structural protein that are used to build collagen production and connective tissues in the body. These include structures like bone, cartilage, muscles, and much more. Their function is to rebuild the tissues and make it stronger and fuller. This function benefits the body in many areas. For example, it can improve skin elasticity, promote healthy hair, and provide many other health benefits. Even though it is naturally produced in your body it is still beneficial to supplement. This is because as you age your body is unable to produce the same amount of collagen as you did when you were young. Collagen begins to decrease in people as young as 30 years old. Collagen peptide supplements help to decrease the gap of what you used to produce and what you naturally create now. Collagen protein supplements are created in unflavored pills and collagen powders. They all have different benefits, but all have the same ingredient, so you can decide what works best for your needs.
Reduce Calories
Many people’s weight loss weakness is consuming too many calories. When you eat too many calories your body transforms the extra food into fat. As the cycle continues you gain more weight and it can be more difficult to lose the weight. The issue is usually that the foods you are eating include lots of empty calories and are not healthy, but because they taste good, you continue to eat them without getting full. This over consumption leads to an overload in calories. Collagen peptides help to make you feel full, so you are less likely to continue to eat. In return you will eat less calories which will make it easier to lose weight. The main idea in losing body fat or body weight is burning more calories than you consume. By eating nutrient dense, high quality proteins from the collagen peptides, you will be more likely to decrease your calorie consumption, therefore making it easier to lose weight.
Reduce Hunger
As previously mentioned, adapted nutrition’s collagen peptides are full of high-quality proteins. Proteins are great at making you feel full and satisfied after you eat a meal. When you are not hungry you will be less likely to eat more and can wait longer between meals. Collagen peptides on their own are very filling, but if it is in a powder form it is even more filling. Grass-fed protein powder collagen peptides are usually eaten in another type of food. Some common ones include smoothies, bone broths, morning coffee, and milkshakes. The food itself is filling, but in conjunction with collagen peptides they are even more filling. Not to mention you are getting nutrients from the collagen as well as the fruit or dairy in the drink or food. Overtime you will be eating less and getting more nutrients from the foods you do eat so you will be able to lose weight faster. This is similar to the results you'd see with paleo and keto diets. Reducing hunger and consuming an abundant protein amount is a large part of losing weight, so by conquering your hunger you have won half the battle to losing weight.
Supporting Fitness
To lose weight you must exercise, and to do so your body needs to be working at full capacity. Collagen peptides help to support your fitness by promoting muscle growth, joint pain and joint health. When you are exercising you will create microtears in your muscle that allow them to be fixed and continue to build. Collagen peptides are what are responsible for rebuilding your muscles and keeping them growing. As your muscles grow you will be able to work out harder and longer which will ultimately lead you towards weight loss and overall wellness. In addition to growing your muscle mass, collagen peptides also support the health of your joints. Your joints are vital to exercise because they are what absorb the shock of your exercise and allow you to be mobile. In your joints are cartilage discs that pad the bones from rubbing against each other. When your cartilage degenerates, it can make moving around painful. Pain and suffering will make it difficult to be active and work towards wellness. Well, collagen peptides encourage the cartilage to stay healthy and strong so that you can better utilize your body to its full potential.