How Can Collagen Help Us Reduce Fat?

Collagen differs from regular protein and is a structural protein that affects multiple systems in the human body, including the skin, hair, gastrointestinal tract, joints, bones, and muscle tissue. The body has a limited capacity to synthesize collagen and it needs to be obtained through food. However, collagen-rich foods are not abundant and are usually found in animal tendons, cartilage, bone marrow, and some organs. As age increases, the body's synthesis of collagen gradually decreases, and aging is also related to it.

Differences between collagen and protein

Protein

Protein is a long chain of amino acids folded into a molecule. A complete protein must consist of nine essential amino acids, which is why we need to obtain them through diet. Meat, dairy products, and eggs are sources of complete proteins, whereas plant proteins are not complete.

Collagen Protein

Collagen protein is a completely different type of protein. It is not complete, meaning it does not contain all nine essential amino acids. Instead, it is composed of many non-essential amino acids, including glycine, proline, and alanine.

Collagen protein helps in weight loss

Research conducted abroad indicates that collagen protein is more effective in reducing fat than whey protein. Two groups of participants were chosen for a 12-week study. One group had whey protein added to their diet, while the other group had collagen protein added. The results showed that the collagen protein group lost an average of about 2kg more weight than the whey protein group.

Conclusion of the study: Collagen protein powder may help reduce body weight to some extent. However, it does not accelerate fat decomposition but rather inhibits fat differentiation and prevents excessive fat growth. Collagen protein can be helpful in the weight loss process, but the effect of 2kg additional weight loss over 12 weeks is achievable with extra effort for fitness enthusiasts.

Obtaining collagen protein

Collagen protein is not widely available in daily life, which is why collagen products are expensive. However, this does not mean that we cannot obtain collagen protein. Bones are a good source, as bone marrow contains some collagen protein, which becomes gel-like when cooled. Fish also contain some collagen protein, typically found in the head, but other parts of the fish also provide good nutrition. These food sources cannot be directly utilized after ingestion and still need to be broken down and synthesized. Foods containing sulfur elements can help us synthesize collagen protein, such as garlic, broccoli, and cabbage, which are commonly consumed in our daily diets.

In summary, collagen protein has a certain degree of help in weight loss. The primary benefits of collagen protein powder are for the skin and skeletal joints. The presence of collagen protein in beauty products is not without reason. For fitness enthusiasts, consuming collagen protein can help strengthen joints and alleviate joint pain, providing some benefits in this regard.