Collagen Peptides and the Keto Diet

One of the many perks of being conscious about your aging skin while on a keto diet is how well collagen fits into your diet. 

Collagen is a protein known for its youthful effects on the body. Aside from the beautifying results, collagen can also keep you satiated as well as support the health of your muscles.

Learn all about the properties and benefits of collagen peptides for those on a keto diet and find out about the best foods and supplements that are rich in collagen to help you with your weight loss and anti-aging journey!

What Is Collagen?

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body, commonly found in the bones, muscles, skin, and tendons. This nutrient which, is well-known in the beauty industry, is the substance that holds the body together and forms a scaffold to provide strength and structure.

Three types of collagen include:

• Type I. This type addresses aging and is found in ligaments, organs, skin, hair, and nails.
• Type II is found in the cartilage and is applied to joint pain, arthritis, and other ailments.
• Type III collagen supports the elasticity of the skin as well as the health of your lungs, circulatory system, and connective tissues.  

There are two sources of collagen: 

• Endogenous collagen is a type of natural collagen which is synthesized by the body.
• Exogenous collagen is man-made or synthetic and typically comes from sources such as supplements.

What Foods Are Rich in Collagen?

Are you looking to increase your collagen intake? One good way to do that is to consume foods that are naturally rich in collagen. 

Diet plays a more significant role than supplements because of their bioavailability or their capacity to be used by the body right away.

Here’s a list of some foods rich in collagen that you can add to your diet.

Bone Broth

The first kind of food that is rich in collagen is bone broth. Most foods contain only antioxidants and other nutrients that help the body to synthesize collagen, but bone broth is one of the best foods that contain actual collagen which your body can use right away when consumed. 

Cooking animal bones for a long time helps to release collagen as well as other amino acids, proteins, and electrolytes that can improve the skin’s appearance. 

This results in a broth that is rich in nutrients and can arguably be better than collagen supplements. You can season the broth with spices for flavor, too. 

Bone broth has the richest amount of type I collagen and this is very good for the health of your skin. Connective tissue and bones are the main ingredients providing an abundance of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, glucosamine, chondroitin, amino acids, and other nutrients.

Chicken and turkey broth, on the other hand, are rich in type II collagen useful for supporting the joints.

Wild Salmon

Salmon contains a mineral trace of zinc that has been known to activate the necessary proteins for collagen synthesis in the osteoblastic MCT3-E1 cells, as the Nutrition and Research Practice states. 

It is also rich in omega 3 fatty acids which help reduce inflammation and build healthy skin cells by breaking down collagen and elastin. This results in supple, moisturized skin from the inside out and a youthful appearance, helping you look younger and more glowing.

As there is no way for our body to produce omega 3 fatty acids, we need an external source to provide us with this nutrient. You can also get omega 3 fatty acids from other fish such as tuna, mackerel, seafood, and grass-fed meats if you are not a fan of salmon.

Collagen Supplement Sources

In terms of collagen supplements, animals are the main source. Although cows and fish are the superior sources, pigs and chickens also help you with the protein supply.

Cow and fish remain the top sources since they contribute to type I collagen in the body, thus assisting with the vitality and elasticity of hair, nails, skin, and bones. 

Types of Collagen Supplements

Collagen supplements can be in the form of powder or pills. Both are versatile products because they can be soluble in liquids and some foods. 

You may be asking which one to pick, but it all comes down to your personal preference. Some people love adding the powder to their drinks, desserts, or breakfast foods. But if you’d rather not, then pills may work for you!

What Are the Benefits of Taking a Collagen Supplement?

Numerous benefits have been known when taking FDA-approved collagen supplements, especially when integrated with proper diet and exercise. We prepared some examples of the benefits of taking a collagen supplement to further shine a light on this matter.

Improves Health of Skin and Hair

The first benefit that collagen supplements give is that it helps improve the health of your skin and hair. 

Did you know that our collagen production decreases as we age? This results in looser skin, more wrinkles, and less elasticity. This is why increasing the collagen levels in your body can help to make your skin look smoother, firmer, and helps in the repairing of your skin cells.

Collagen does this magic to your crowning glory by supplying keratin, a protein that makes up the hair. Your body breaks down the collagen supplements you take into amino acids that then make new proteins and compounds for your skin’s health. 

According to the International Journal of Cosmetic Science, free radicals, which are compounds that develop from stress, pollutions, alcohol, and other influences, can be fought by the antioxidant collagen to protect your skin and hair follicles. 

Reduces Joint Pains and Degeneration

Collagen supplements help reduce joint pains and degeneration. Over time, when we lose collagen in our body, our tendons and ligaments tend to have a hard time to get moving, leading to swollen joints and stiffness. 

Collagen, one of the building blocks of our body, helps hold our bones together because of its firm and rubbery characteristic that covers the end of bones in joints. It then allows us to glide and move our body parts without pain and with ease. Hence, collagen is more than just a beauty supplement because it can also help you to reduce joint deterioration.

Organixx Collagen Powder boosts your overall well-being by providing you with all the benefits of collagen, such as fewer joint pains, reduced wrinkles, enhance metabolism, and keeping your heart clean. This can also protect your liver, boost your mood, and help you sleep better!

What Are the Side Effects of Taking a Collagen Supplement?

While a lot of collagen supplements out there promote numerous benefits, people also forget to mention that there may also be some side effects. 

Although they do not happen often, there is still a chance that you could be one of the people affected by these possible side effects.

Hypersensitivity Reactions

Firstly, collagen supplements may cause you to have hypersensitivity reactions. In other words, they may cause an allergic reaction when taken. 

A study by Mullins, Richards, and Walker from John James Medical Centre show that clinical reactions to collagen may be rare but patients with a history of allergic reactions to collagen-derived products should be more careful. 

It is your body’s immune system that is responding against allergens, so be sure that the collagen supplements you are taking do not have any ingredients that may cause you to get an allergic reaction.

Bad Mouth Taste

Who likes a trace of a bad taste in their mouth, right? Collagen supplements that are taken orally may leave a bad taste in the mouth. 

These exogenous supplements that are made from marine sources usually have an unpleasant taste and odor that most people are not used to.

Although you can drink some juices that can help you to mask the unpleasant taste, you have to make sure not to drink acidic juices because they can lower the collagen supplement’s strength.

How Does Collagen Support a Keto Diet?

Now that we have discussed some of the benefits and side effects of collagen, how can you implement this on a keto diet?

Collagen Keeps You Full Longer

Collagen can also help keep you full for longer. It is an added benefit if you are on a keto diet and you do not feel the need to eat since this will aid in your weight loss. 

Some studies have also shown that collagen can be even better than other proteins to help with satiety levels. Try incorporating it with keto-friendly foods that can help you produce more collagen and keep you feeling fuller for longer. 

These foods include berries and Camu Camu which are both rich in vitamin C, as well as kale, broccoli, and bell pepper which contain vitamin A. These two vitamins are collagen co-factors!

We also recommend supplements that contain both vitamin C and collagen, like the Spring Valley Collagen and Vitamin C Dietary Supplement. 

Perfect Keto’s Collagen Peptides Protein Powder provides a 100% grass-fed collagen peptide which is perfect for a low-carb diet. To make it better, this unflavored product includes 5 grams of MCT oil per serving. When this oil is paired with collagen, protein is absorbed more slowly for your body’s recovery instead of converting it to glucose. 

Improves Body Composition

The body can alter itself in a bad way if you do not follow a keto diet correctly. This means a loss of muscle mass alongside weight loss. 

Collagen has been shown to help in retaining your muscle mass when losing weight and is very helpful for people on a low-carb diet such as keto.

Collagen has also been known to decrease age-related bone mass losses, in addition to helping building bone mass for the athletes. 

Prioritizing collagen on a keto diet is essential since the diet can have drawbacks for muscle mass and joint health, and collagen can protect your healthy body!

You have to try out Great Lakes Gelatin powder which has hydrolyzed collagen and is specifically made to be keto-friendly because of the beneficial effects on tendons, ligaments, cartilage, joints, and bones. 

Are Collagen Peptides Keto-Friendly?

Absolutely. Provided they meet the usual keto rules and come from a good quality source.

Collagen offers us a large number of benefits, covering not only our beauty but also our health and wellness. We need these protein amino acids as our bodies collagen production declines as we age.

Since collagen also serves as a great companion to your keto diet, you can boost its production in your body not only by consuming foods rich in collagen but also by taking these supplements.

It’s up to you whether you use collagen powders or pills, what matters is that you stay satiated and you improve your body composition while you’re on the keto diet plan!