Real food or Supplementation?
Let's say you want to take a more holistic and natural approach to improve your health. You might think that taking a collagen supplement is the way to go, but you can get collagen from food sources rather easily.
If you're looking for benefits similar to those in supplements, eating foods that contain collagen is a good place to start.
Some reasons why you might want to focus on eating real food containing collagen include:
-You want to take a more natural approach to improve your health.
-You're interested in the potential benefits of collagen for weight loss but aren't sure if a supplement is necessary to get quality sources of collagen in your diet.
-You want to avoid any potential side effects that might come with taking a collagen supplement.
-You're not interested in spending money on a supplement that could have no real effect on your overall weight.
Many people struggle with losing weight, even if they have a general idea of what to do. One of the main reasons for this is that many people don't know how to lose weight in a healthy way.
They might try crash dieting or other unhealthy methods in an attempt to see results quickly. Unfortunately, these methods often lead to frustration and eventually quitting altogether.
If you're looking to lose weight in a healthy way, it's important to first understand how your body works. Your body uses proteins differently than it uses fats and carbohydrates. When looking specifically at weight loss, simply adding more protein to your diet isn't a sure-fire way to lose weight.
In this article, we'll explore the role of collagen in weight loss and whether or not it's something you should consider including in your diet.
Collagen is a protein found in the connective tissues of animals. It’s also present in human skin, hair, and nails.
Supplement companies and their reps often claim that consuming extra collagen can improve your health in various ways, including by helping you lose weight.
But does collagen actually help you lose weight the way the supplement companies are telling you?
Collagen supplements often contain collagen from bovine hides or fish and can be delivered in supplement form via a flavorless powder that you can get in either powder or pill form, but many foods also contain collagen.
Meat, poultry, fish, and bone broth all contain good sources of collagen that you can build into your overall diet without the need for supplementation, should you want to focus on real food first.
When we consume collagen through food or supplements, we're essentially giving our bodies the building blocks it needs to create new proteins.
Collagen supplements usually contain either type I or type II collagen or a combination of both. Type I collagen is found in skin, hair, nails, and bones. Type II collagen is found in cartilage and joints.
Because collagen is not an efficient protein source, due to being an incomplete protein and being low in other Essential Amino Acids (EAA), simply consuming more in supplement form isn't an ideal way to improve your overall health.
While there is some evidence to suggest that consuming extra collagen has some benefits, the jury is still out on whether or not it can actually help you lose weight.
Despite large claims from various supplement companies claiming that increasing your overall intake of collagen will help you lose weight, the evidence is extremely weak on its overall benefits from supplementation.
Collagen is the main protein found in connective tissues, such as skin, tendons, and ligaments. It's also abundant in bone and cartilage. Collagen has many important functions, including providing structure and support to the body, helping to heal wounds, and protecting organs.
Collagen is found in many foods, so it's not necessary to take a supplement if you're looking for benefits similar to those in supplements.
Foods that contain collagen include bone broth, seafood, and organ meats.
Collagen supplements are generally considered safe, but there's little scientific evidence to support their use. If you're considering taking a collagen supplement, talk to your doctor first.
While collagen supplements are not necessary for weight loss, incorporating more collagen could help if you're looking to add more protein, although a whey or even plant-based protein with more abundant EAAs could be more effective.
Companies claim that including collagen in your diet can help improve your skin health, reduce joint pain, and promote better overall health, but these claims have not been fully verified through rigorous scientific studies.
Simply increasing protein alone does not directly correlate to substantial weight loss either.
Eating more protein in your diet may help you feel more full, and it will aid in giving you the necessary nutrients to rebuild muscle and tissue after strenuous activity, but collagen alone has been found to be a very ineffective protein source.
Eating more collagen in your diet also doesn't allow you to dictate how it is used. Your body will determine where the amino acids from any protein source (including collagen) will go.
This means that if your body needs the amino acids to rebuild neurotransmitters, hormones, or enzymes to keep your body functioning, you can't simply take more collagen and expect your skin, nails, or hair to improve automatically.
You also can't assume that adding more collagen into your diet will make your body utilize fat cells differently or more efficiently.
Collagen supplements are popular among people who want to improve their health, but there's little scientific evidence to support most of the claims made about them. Some people believe that taking collagen can help with weight loss, but this is not supported by science.
Protein is an essential macronutrient that helps our bodies repair and grows cells, but it won’t directly help you lose weight. In order to lose weight, you need to create a calorie deficit, which means consuming fewer calories than you burn.
When it comes to weight loss, there are many factors you have to consider. One of those is the protein you’re consuming. Some people might think that collagen would be ideal because it’s low-calorie and easy to digest. However, that’s not actually the case.
Collagen is not an ideal protein source for weight loss for a few reasons.
First, collagen is a very slow protein to digest. This means that it won’t be as effective in repairing muscles after a workout or in providing a quick boost of energy. Instead, it’s better to consume proteins that are more easily digested, such as whey protein or casein protein, unless you have a dairy allergy. In that case, turn to a plant-based protein powder instead.
Second, while collagen is low in calories, it’s also low in nutrients. So if you’re trying to lose weight, you might want to consider getting your protein from sources that are more nutrient-dense, such as lean meats, fish, or legumes.
So, while collagen might have some benefits for human health, it’s not the best protein source for weight loss. If you’re looking to slim down, there are other options to consider.
While protein can help you feel fuller for longer and therefore consume fewer calories overall, it’s not the only factor that contributes to weight loss. You also need to consider the other foods you’re eating as well as your activity level. So, including protein as part of a healthy diet might help you lose weight, but eating protein alone will not lead to weight loss.
To summarize, Collagen is a protein found in the connective tissues of animals. Collagen peptides are also more easily absorbed than other forms of Collagen, but collagen alone has been found to be ineffective for weight loss and should not be used as an alternative source of protein if you're looking to slim down. Instead, it's better to consume proteins that are more easily digested such as whey or casein protein.
Simply increasing protein alone does not directly correlate to substantial weight loss, and we don't have direct control over how our body uses the protein or where it prioritizes the nutrients, so a more sustainable health solution would include focusing on real foods and addressing more fundamental root issues that contributed to the weight gain in the first place.
If you're interested in getting more information on non-supplement related weight loss solutions, send us an email or reach out to us here on our website to get started with a sustainable long-term plan to keep you healthy, happy, and functioning well!
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