Why Collagen is a Supplement all Diabetics Should Be Taking

For the 115 million Americans living with diabetes or prediabetes, collagen supplementation can provide several health benefits that diet and exercise alone cannot. Supplementing with collagen may help reverse the body’s natural decline of collagen production. This is especially important for diabetics whose collagen supply declines more rapidly than it does for the average individual. Additionally, collagen may help to stabilize blood sugar in diabetics, helping to prevent energy crashes. And collagen contains high levels of glycine which has been proven to positively impact insulin secretion and blood sugar levels. Read on to learn more about collagen and diabetes, and how collagen supplementation can be especially helpful for diabetics.

If you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes or prediabetes, you’ve likely been told to reduce sugar intake and increase physical activity to regulate blood sugar levels. While diet and exercise are important, there’s another crucial piece to the puzzle that is backed by science but not as commonly known – supplementing with collagen.

Supplementing with collagen is especially important for diabetics as they lose collagen faster than the average person

All adults naturally have declining collagen production as they get older. Starting at around age 21, our bodies naturally start producing less and less collagen every year. Over time, this erosion leads to wrinkles, saggy skin and thinner hair on the outside and arthritis symptoms such as weaker joints and bones on the inside. Diabetics lose collagen even faster than non-diabetics as a result of high blood sugar and glycation, in which sugar molecules attach to collagen throughout the body and inhibit its functions. The results of glycation, Advanced Glycosylated End Products (AGEs), can cause problems throughout the whole body, including faster aging, stiffening of tissues (which can lead to connective tissue diseases), and slower healing of wounds and soft tissue injuries.^1,4

Supplementing with collagen may help to reduce the effects of accelerated aging in diabetics and help to maintain a healthy body. Collagen may help alleviate joint pain, stiffness and inflammation, and may even promote weight loss. Supplementing with collagen may help restore the body’s own collagen supply to help repair soft tissue, rebuild bones and improve skin and gut health. 

Supplementing with collagen may help stabilize blood sugar levels

It is crucial that diabetics maintain stable blood sugar to avoid unhealthy energy spikes and to prevent long term damage to blood vessels and other organs such as the heart, liver, and kidneys. Studies have shown that blood sugar and blood insulin levels remain more stable in diabetics who consume protein with carbohydrates, compared to just carbs. Additionally, gelatin and collagen have been shown to help stabilize blood sugar levels more effectively than some proteins.² Therefore, combining collagen with carbohydrates can be an effective way of increasing glucose tolerance and helping to stabilize blood sugar in diabetics. No more energy crashes!

Collagen contains dietary glycine which is necessary for collagen repair and glucose homeostasis

Although glycine is a nonessential amino acid, meaning it is not required in the diet because the body makes its own supply, studies have shown that our bodies cannot produce enough glycine to support adequate collagen synthesis.³ Insufficient glycine levels may be one of the factors that lead to slowed collagen production in all adults. Additionally, scientists have found a connection between low blood glycine levels and impaired glucose tolerance, which suggests low glycine may lead to insulin resistance and ultimately diabetes. Recent research by the Alberta Diabetes Institute found consistently low levels of circulating glycine among people with type 2 diabetes.⁵

Glycine supplementation has been shown to positively impact insulin secretion and blood sugar levels in diabetics.² Collagen peptides such as Further Food Collagen contain an abundant supply of glycine which is key for diabetics to help control their disease. Additionally, the glycine in collagen is essential in reducing the effects of aging, which is especially important to diabetics who lose collagen at a faster rate than those without the disease.

Collagen provides a superior source of glycine in comparison to some other protein sources

While many proteins, especially meat, have low amounts of glycine, collagen contains a significant amount of glycine. In fact, glycine is the most abundant amino acid in collagen, constituting about 30 percent of collagen. Supplementing with collagen such as Further Food Collagen provides necessary glycine and can help to stimulate higher glucose tolerance than other types of proteins. In addition, Further Food Collagen is 100 percent collagen that has no added sugars or preservatives and provides eight of the nine essential amino acids. It’s a clean, low-calorie superfood helpful in keeping our skin healthy, which may help rebuild bones and improve gut health.

Collagen and Its Effects on Diabetes

As we get older our collagen supply diminishes. The collagen supply of diabetics declines even more rapidly than the average individual. Supplementing with collagen may help those with diabetes reduce this accelerated aging. Additionally, supplementing with collagen may help maintain stable blood sugar. The glycine in collagen can be especially helpful in impacting insulin secretion and maintaining blood sugar levels.

Final Thoughts

• Diminished collagen and diabetes are related. Diabetics lose collagen faster than non-diabetics, which leads to faster aging. Collagen supplementation may help reverse the effects of aging and improve overall physical health.
• Having collagen along with carbs can help diabetics stabilize blood sugar levels better than eating just carbs alone.
• Our bodies do not produce enough amounts of glycine, and diabetics in particular have been found to have low levels of glycine, which can correlate to obesity and insulin resistance.
• Collagen peptides such as Further Food Collagen contain an abundant supply of glycine which is key to helping them regulate their disease. Additionally, the glycine in collagen helps reduce the effects of aging, which is especially important for diabetics as they lose collagen at a faster rate than those without the disease.
• Glycine is the most abundant amino acid in collagen, constituting about 30 percent of collagen protein.

Did you know that Further Food Collagen Peptides may help repair your intestinal lining and heal leaky gut? Learn more here!

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References:

1. Bedi, A., Fox, A. J., Harris, P. E., Deng, X. H., Ying, L., Warren, R. F., & Rodeo, S. A. (2010). Diabetes mellitus impairs tendon-bone healing after rotator cuff repair. Journal of shoulder and elbow surgery, 19(7), 978-988.
2. Gannon, Mary C., Jennifer A. Nuttall, and Frank Q. Nuttall. “The metabolic response to ingested glycine.” The American journal of clinical nutrition 76.6 (2002): 1302-1307.
3. Meléndez-Hevia, Enrique, et al. “A weak link in metabolism: the metabolic capacity for glycine biosynthesis does not satisfy the need for collagen synthesis.” Journal of biosciences 34.6 (2009): 853-872.
4. Paul, R. G., & Bailey, A. J. (1996). Glycation of collagen: the basis of its central role in the late complications of ageing and diabetes. The international journal of biochemistry & cell biology, 28(12), 1297-1310.
5. Richard Yan-Do, Patrick E. MacDonald; Impaired “glycine”-mia in type 2 diabetes and potential mechanisms contributing to glucose homeostasis. Endocrinology 2017 en.2017-00148. doi: 10.1210/en.2017-00148

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.