Peptides for Weight Loss: Do They Actually Work?
You’re probably here because you’ve heard about using peptides for weight loss. And now you're wondering if it’s a good idea. Do peptides actually help with weight loss? If so, what are the best peptides for weight loss?
Many people are still striving to attain their perfect weight; the weight that will help them feel healthy. And studies are starting to show that taking peptides for weight loss could be the solution that you’re looking for.
Of course, with a wide range of diets and supplements targeting weight loss available, it’s worth putting peptides for weight loss under the microscope to better understand how they work.
So today that’s what we’re going to look at. Let’s take a closer look at peptides to see if they actually work, and which peptides are best to use in your weight loss journey. But before we dive into specifics, let’s make sure you understand what peptides are.
What are peptides?
We’re probably familiar with protein, the bionutrient that adds form and structure to our bodies, and you may even have heard of amino acids that build up proteins. Peptides are an intermediary step between the two.
To put it simply, peptides are tiny pieces that make up proteins.
You can think of peptides as microscopic building blocks that make up the proteins in your body. They are made of smaller units called amino acids. When these amino acids join together, they form a peptide chain.
What do peptides do?
Peptides take on important jobs in our bodies, but can also be used in medicine and skincare to help with specific tasks. Of particular importance right now is the growing interest in using peptides for weight loss.
Peptides have different jobs in our bodies. Some act as messengers, carrying important signals between our tissues and cells. Others work as hormones, which help control things like our growth, metabolism, and reproduction.
Some peptides even have special properties that can fight off harmful bacteria and other germs.
The advantage peptides have is that because of their small size, they can be digested easily. This makes them more bioavailable, and more nutrients can be transported where they are needed at faster speeds.
This has led to the development of supplements, medicines, and skincare products that use peptides to target specific markets – such as peptides to lose weight.
Research on taking peptides to lose weight is ongoing. In particular interest right now are collagen peptides for weight loss.
The importance of collagen peptides
What are collagen peptides? Collagen peptides are one of the most popular and accessible peptides available, so that’s our focus for today.
You’re probably familiar with some of the traditional benefits of collagen, including more youthful skin and improved joint health: but weight loss may also be a lesser-known (but highly effective) use of this do-it-all protein.
Collagen is a natural protein, found in cells throughout our bodies in muscles, ligaments, bones, organs, blood vessels, skin cells, and more. Its abundance in the body is due to the vital role that it plays in keeping our tissues strong and flexible. It's like a glue that holds everything together.
Collagen is in constant demand by the human body, but as we get older, our bodies produce less collagen. This can lead to wrinkles, joint stiffness, and weaker bones among other issues.
As we age, it becomes more important that we get the collagen that we need. A collagen peptide supplement is one way to do this.
Okay, so collagen protein is important. But does protein help you lose weight? Let’s take a look at the weight loss potential of collagen peptides.
4 ways collagen peptides work for weight loss
Each weight loss journey is individual, but there are clear ways peptides for weight loss support a healthy diet and exercise program. The beauty of collagen is that, because it is natural, it can be used in conjunction with a variety of weight loss plans.
It’s a good idea to speak to your doctor, nutritionist, or medical health professional to see how peptides for weight loss may benefit you. In the meantime, here are four ways that collagen peptides can help with weight loss:
1. Collagen may promote satiety
Satiety is the scientific term for “feeling full”. When we feel full, we eat less. If we eat less, our body stores fewer calories as fat and we lose weight as a result.
Peptides for weight loss may promote this feeling of fullness through a few mechanisms. In simple terms, while your stomach is digesting collagen, the message that it sends is louder than it would be with other foods.
Let’s call this message the “I’m full” signal.
Protein is known to be more satiating compared to carbohydrates or fats. How does our body let us know when it doesn’t want anymore food? It activates satiety hormones. These hormones help control our behavior. We hear the “I’m full” signal, and we’re not motivated to eat anymore.
When you consume collagen peptides, the protein content helps to activate satiety hormones such as peptide YY (PYY) and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1).
By promoting satiety, collagen peptides can help you manage your food intake more effectively. These peptides can reduce cravings and the desire to snack between meals.
Feeling fuller for longer may lead to a reduced overall calorie intake, which can support weight loss efforts. In this way, it becomes clear to see how peptides for weight loss can be a great support to your overall diet.
2. Collagen may slow digestion
So we’ve heard that the “I’m full” message the stomach sends is louder when we take peptides to lose weight. But there’s more. Peptides for weight loss help this “I’m full” signal to last longer than it would with other food groups by slowing digestion.
Collagen peptides can slow down the emptying of your stomach. Since they are a form of protein, they require more time and energy for digestion compared to quick sugars and other simple carbohydrates.
This slower digestion rate can help you feel fuller for longer periods, reducing the tendency to eat more frequently or over-consume calories.
Collagen peptides contain specific amino acids, such as glycine and arginine.
Glycine has been found to influence the release of certain hormones involved in appetite control, including leptin, which helps regulate energy balance. Arginine has been associated with increased levels of GLP-1, a hormone that helps suppress appetite.
As we learn more about collagen peptides for weight loss, we see how it can promote satiety that lasts. Dedication and willpower to a healthy diet is difficult, but it’s comforting to know that collagen peptides can lend a hand here to help you stay the course.
3. Collagen can support your exercise
There are two sides to the weight-loss coin. The first is diet, and the second is exercise. We’ve already learned how collagen peptides for weight loss support a healthy diet, but they also play a role in supporting a healthy exercise routine.
You can exercise in a gym, by joining a group swimming or tai chi class, or even by taking more walks outside. The most important thing is that you take on an activity that is suitable for your mobility, and you choose an exercise you can stick with.
Whatever exercise you choose, you’ll be using your body’s muscular and skeletal system for movement.
As we exercise, we cause microtears in our muscles. These tears need replenishing to build back strength, which means that the body is in a constant state of renewing itself.
This explains the aches and soreness we feel after grueling exercise. But the good news is that, if you take collagen supplements, you’re giving your body what it needs to build back muscle protein.
Although the power we need for movement comes from our muscles, the underrated heroes of our bodies are our joints.
Our joints are the connection points that allow movement to happen. So, what are our joints made up of that allows them to undertake this physical activity? That’s right, it’s collagen protein.
Over 70% of the dry weight of tendons and ligaments is collagen: demonstrating just how in-demand collagen is. Collagen can keep your joints strong, lubricated, and healthy so that you can exercise pain-free for longer periods of time.
It should be easy to see how this connects to peptides for weight loss. If your weight loss regime involves a 20-minute walk each day, and your knees always start hurting after 10 minutes, completing half the workout suddenly becomes much harder; and you’re less likely to do it.
Without the sufficient quantity of cardiovascular exercise, we may not be able to call on the body to use up its fat reserves, so peptides for weight loss can work by supporting our exercise routine.
4. Collagen can help prevent injuries
There is an additional way that peptides for weight loss support a healthy exercise program, and that’s by preventing injuries.
We’ve already learned how tendons and ligaments are reinforced with a constant flow of collagen protein to the connective tissue. The additional benefit of our ligaments and tendons being replenished regularly is that they may be less prone to injury.
But as if this wasn’t enough, collagen has a further supportive role to play in our joints – especially in our knees.
There’s a reason why our bones are shielded from coming into contact with one another. The hard, calcium-filled bones would grind against each other and effectively break each other down. It would be painful and very detrimental for our bodies.
This is why the body coats your joints with cartilage. The function of cartilage is simple: to act as a shock absorber for physical impact, and cushion bones so they don’t rub against each other.
The body needs a strong protein for this job, and we’ll give you one guess which protein makes up over 60% of cartilage.
That’s right, collagen is reliably doing what it does best here too. So once again, collagen peptides for weight loss can provide your body with the collagen that it needs to prevent injury and help you exercise pain-free for longer periods.
So now you know a few of the reasons why collagen peptides may be the best peptides for weight loss – but which supplement should you choose for best results?
Choosing a collagen peptide supplement
Collagen is one of the best supplements to help you lose weight, but not all collagen supplements are created equal. If you aren’t taking a high-quality supplement, you might find yourself asking: How long does it take for collagen supplements to work?
If you’re using a quality supplement, you should see marked results within 90 days, and sometimes faster. Of course, you need to make sure your collagen supplement is actually made of peptides – not collagen in its whole form.
Your supplement label should either say “collagen peptides” or “hydrolyzed collagen.” These both mean the same thing, because collagen goes through the chemical process of hydrolysis to be broken down into peptides.
Hydrolyzed collagen is much easier to digest, so if you want to enjoy the benefits of powder or liquid collagen for weight loss, it’s important to choose a hydrolyzed product.
You should also ensure that your supplement doesn’t contain any excess sugars or harmful additives. Most supplements aren’t regulated by the FDA, so it’s important to do your own research. Read product reviews, and look for companies that can back up their claims with scientific studies.
If you’re looking for a high-quality, trusted collagen peptide supplement to assist your weight loss plan, one sure choice is ProT Gold.
ProT Gold hydrolyzed collagen supplements come in both powder and liquid form so you can choose what fits your lifestyle best. There are even single-serve liquid collagen pouches that you can pop in your purse or gym bag and take on the go – no mixing required.
Best yet, ProT Gold collagen supplements are actually nano-hydrolyzed, which means they have gone through the process of hydrolysis more than once to make them fully digestible in just 15 minutes or less.
Taking a daily collagen supplement may be just what you need to supplement your diet and exercise program and achieve your weight loss goals.
