Hey! Does your diet plan
include a collagen supplement? It's so versatile that it can be squeezed into almost any diet plan.
It's the most abundant protein found in your body. You start losing collagen in
your twenties and there is an accelerated loss in your mid-forties. While the
world gushes over the skin benefits of collagen, there's actually more to it.
In today's video let's discuss the many benefits of collagen supplements. Do they help to reduce
weight? What about healthy bones and the heart? We’re discussing all that and more...
1. It's an easy to digest protein
Collagen supplements are available in the form of tablets, capsules, liquids, and powders.
Studies have shown that you could require anywhere from 2.5 to 10 grams of collagen every day.
Does your dinner plate always have chicken, beef, pork, or some other nonvegetarian protein? It's
difficult for meat lovers to stay away from their favorite cuts but if you feel gassy, bloated,
have stomach pain, or burp too much after having them then you should probably go easy on the meat.
Proteins from animal sources are the most difficult to digest.
Giving up on proteins completely can make your body go through a
whole lot of undesirable changes. This is where collagen supplements step in.
Collagen supplements are easy on your tummy and break down easily. They’re hydrolyzed,
can make your digestive system relax and you won’t miss any proteins either.
Suppose you had a deficiency of Vitamin C. You can get over it by eating vitamin C rich foods. But,
you can get the full length of benefits of hydrolyzed collagen only through supplements.
Pick up the odor-free / tasteless variety to sneak into breakfast smoothies, a cup of coffee,
a bowl of soup, or broth. If you don't mind the flavor, you can try berry, lemon, peach,
apple, and many other collagen powders.
The collagen peptides that are tightly bound dissolve in water immediately.
Some people add a scoop of collagen supplement to
plain water. Just remember to warm the water a bit for easy dilution.
2. Helps to lose weight Collagen isn’t only meant
for health enthusiasts at the gym, it's meant for everyone. Unless of course,
you take medication for other diseases like hypertension or diabetes. Children,
mommies-to-be, and lactating people should talk to a doctor first.
After you gulp down a glassful of collagen protein
you will be less hungry and won’t be tempted to turn to unhealthy snacks.
Filling up with proteins has been shown to reduce sugar cravings drastically.
Sugar is the main culprit for obesity. By dropping sugar you'll be dropping those extra pounds too.
It will boost your metabolism, make you feel good and you’ll be in a better space mentally.
That being said, there are no direct studies that underline the benefits
of collagen for weight loss. The best time to have collagen protein is half
an hour before you plan to eat. That way you won’t make bad choices when you’re hangry.
3. Helps to build muscle mass
This one is for the gym rats. You must have seen so many weightlifters carrying a shaker bottle and
sipping from it occasionally. It looks so trendy. Many gym trainers recommend having protein shakes
when you are on your fitness journey and collagen is one of their top picks. A few
prefer having it as a pre-workout, between workouts, or as a post-workout recovery drink.
Collagen is a structural protein that actually works like glue to bind your body. You will
find it in your tendons, ligaments, skin, muscles…. literally everywhere! Although
there are 28 different types of collagen the prominent ones are type 1 2 3 and 4.
Your muscle mass decreases as you age. The ideal body composition is thought to have
less fat and a greater percentage of muscle mass. As collagen is an important compound
found in your skeletal muscles, consuming it as part of your diet helps to build them up.
A study found that people who took collagen regularly with a good amount
of exercising gained significantly more muscle mass and strength when compared
to people who just worked out regularly without taking any collagen supplement.
When you take external collagen it sets in motion the production of another protein called creatine.
Which ultimately promotes muscle growth after daily moderate physical activity.
But if you dream of pumped-up muscles, a barrel chest, and a brawny structure then you must
complement collagen with other sources of proteins like whey protein. Collagen is not complete in
itself and often requires the help of auxiliary protein sources. When you exercise you are making
your body work more than usual people. That's why your requirements will be higher than theirs.
Do consider a balanced blend of collagen and whey protein with your protein shakes.
4. Reverses heart disease
A weak heart can’t always be explained by genetics. An amalgamation of what you eat,
how much you exercise, and the way of dealing with stress often increases the
toxins in your body that lead to heart disease. Already having a weak metabolism can give you
diabetes and blood pressure that is enough to cause a massive heart attack indirectly.
When the bad cholesterol starts accumulating on the inner walls of your arteries they lose
their flexibility and the ability to pump oxygenated blood to your
heart. This is called atherosclerosis. With poor blood supply to the heart,
it can’t function optimally and causes more gruesome diseases like coronary artery disease.
A study found that people who added collagen twice a day to their diet
found a significant reduction in the markers of atherosclerosis after 6 months.
5. Keeps your joints healthy Imagine throbbing knee pain as soon as you wake
up. You have a desire to work out, but the pain is pulling you back. This is the reality for many and
they don't often put in extra effort to get rid of the pain. Thinking of it as age-related might
be true to a certain extent. Collagen remains the only way to reverse age-related joint problems.
A study found that athletes who consumed 5 grams of collagen peptide for 12 weeks
showed lesser joint pain when compared to a placebo. There is no doubt that collagen can
support repairing injured cartilage and give you some amazing anti-inflammatory benefits.
Although there are drugs available for osteoarthritis you might want to
supplement it with collagen. Another study found that knee arthritis could
be typically treated by adding type 2 collagen to regular medication.
6. Boost bone health in women A woman's body is constantly
changing throughout her whole life. The rapidly falling estrogen levels,
post mid-age, can also make your bones porous. The calcium and mineral levels start falling.
To stop rapid loss you will have to focus on clean eating, healthy living,
and exercising. If you feel you are not getting enough nutrition
from your food then there are always collagen supplements.
Studies have shown that taking collagen supplements regularly
stimulated bone formation and slowed bone loss. It may reduce
the risk of osteoporosis and arrest the reduction in the density of your bones.
7. Great for your hair and nails Collagen is naturally available in
various animal-based foods. It is especially found in the skin of the meat. Bone broth and gelatin
remain ace foods containing collagen. You must have seen your grandmother putting gelatin paste
on their hair and nails, for all we know they might have been right. But you need not apply
gelatin externally. We now have the much-evolved option of taking it orally for more benefits.
Collagen helps you to grow your hair and nails longer. It provides
structural strength and much needed resiliency.
8. May fix a Leaky gut A leaky gut may alter your
social life. With this condition, you might have an irresistible urge to empty your bowels after
consuming certain gluten-rich foods. Gluten sensitivity can also trigger celiac disease
causing leaky gut. As the number of people who are gluten intolerant increases, the food
industry has seen a surge in gluten free breakfast cereals, bread, cakes, beer, cookies and candies.
Also, it might have its root in a disease called irritable bowel syndrome. Usually,
the levels of collagen in such people will be very low. There is research that
suggests the serum level of type 4 collagen is significantly less in inflammatory bowel
disease patients. If you were to inspect your digestive tract you would see the insides of
the lining consist of collagen. With lesser collagen, your gut will have a less supportive
environment to function normally. Trying to level up the imbalance by adding collagen
supplement remains your best bet. Just as the problem didn’t arise overnight,
curing this condition will also take time. It could take anywhere from four weeks to 6 months.
There are both good and bad bacteria living in your gut as we speak. In order to make
everything work like a well-oiled machine, there has to be a healthy balance between the two.
Let's keep the conversation going with a couple of more digestive tract-related videos, shall we?
Watch 11 ways to clean gut bacteria or 14 effective ways you can maintain a healthy colon.
Go ahead, click one. Or better yet, watch both, and learn more about how to keep your
digestive tract healthy. Do you have collagen supplements? Let us know in the comments below!