Posted on 05/28/2025 8:57:00 AM PDT by Red Badger
Participants who ate the collagen bar lost double the weight of those who didn't. (Prostock-studio/Shutterstock)
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In a nutshell
* A specially engineered collagen supplement that swells in the stomach helped participants lose twice as much weight as those who didn’t take it, without following a calorie-restricted diet.
* Participants who consumed the collagen reported feeling significantly less hungry and more satisfied before meals, suggesting the supplement worked by promoting satiety.
* In addition to weight loss, the collagen group saw reductions in waist size, blood pressure, and fatty liver index, while also preserving muscle mass, indicating broader health benefits beyond the scale.
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PAMPLONA, Spain — Is the secret to weight loss tricking your stomach into thinking it’s already full? Scientists in Spain have engineered a type of collagen that swells to nearly 19 times its size in your stomach, helping people lose twice as much weight as those who didn’t take it without following any special diet.
The study, published in Nutrients, reveals that people who ate collagen bars designed to expand in the stomach lost an average of 6.6 pounds, compared to just 3.3 pounds in the control group, essentially doubling their weight loss without calorie restriction. Participants also reported feeling less hungry and more satisfied after eating, suggesting this wasn’t about willpower but actual changes in appetite.
To create it, scientists modified regular cow collagen to act more like a sponge than a protein. When exposed to stomach acid and water, this specially treated collagen swells dramatically, potentially creating a feeling of fullness that helps people naturally eat less.
This isn’t your typical collagen supplement found at health food stores. It’s specifically engineered to have two crucial properties: it’s deliberately hard to digest (with less than half breaking down in the stomach) and it dramatically expands when mixed with water in an acidic environment, exactly what happens in your stomach after you eat.
Collagen supplements and powder. These results could not be replicated from taking regular collagen supplements. (© TATIANA – stock.adobe.com)
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The research team recruited 64 adults between ages 20 and 65 who were overweight or obese, with BMIs between 25 and 35. About half received collagen-enriched protein bars containing 10 grams of the special collagen, eaten twice daily, 45 minutes before lunch and dinner with a glass of water. The other half served as controls, drinking only water before meals.
Neither group followed a calorie-restricted diet. Both received the same healthy eating guidelines based on Spanish nutritional recommendations, but they weren’t told to eat less food overall. This design allowed researchers to isolate whether the collagen itself, rather than dietary restrictions, drove the weight loss.
Over 12 weeks, participants attended regular check-ins where researchers measured body weight, body composition using DEXA scans, blood pressure, and various blood markers. They also completed detailed questionnaires about hunger, fullness, and satisfaction at multiple points throughout the day.
People in the collagen group saw significant reductions not only in weight, but in their body mass index, waist circumference, and systolic blood pressure compared to controls. Their fat-free mass actually increased, suggesting the weight loss came from fat, not muscle tissue.
The collagen group also showed improvements in their fatty liver index, a measure of liver health that’s often elevated in overweight individuals. This treatment could potentially have benefits beyond just weight management.
Blood tests revealed that people eating the collagen bars had lower levels of leptin, a hormone associated with hunger regulation. When the researchers tested the collagen in rats, they found it also reduced levels of ghrelin, the primary hormone that triggers feelings of hunger.
What Makes This Collagen Different
Most collagen supplements on the market are hydrolyzed, meaning they’re broken down into smaller, easily absorbed pieces. This study used native collagen that was specifically engineered to resist digestion and expand dramatically in acidic conditions.
When tested in laboratory conditions simulating stomach acid, the collagen increased by over 1,900%, meaning it could absorb nearly 19 times its weight in water. This expansion, combined with its resistance to breakdown, appears to create a physical sensation of fullness that helps reduce later food intake.
Human and rat trials revealed the collagen bars reduced levels of hunger hormones. (© T. L. Furrer – stock.adobe.com)
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The researchers found significant amounts of hydroxyproline (a component of collagen) in participants’ feces, confirming that much of the collagen passed through their digestive system undigested. This suggests the satiation effect comes from the physical presence of expanded collagen in the stomach, rather than any nutritional absorption.
Appetite Changes
Beyond the numbers on the scale, participants reported meaningful changes in how they felt around food. Using visual scales to rate hunger and satisfaction, people in the collagen group consistently reported feeling less hungry and more satisfied, particularly 45 minutes after consuming the bars, right when they were supposed to eat their next meal.
These weren’t subtle differences. The changes in appetite ratings became statistically significant after just one month and continued improving throughout the study. Participants felt more full, more satisfied, and notably less hungry compared to the control group, suggesting the mechanism behind the weight loss was genuine appetite suppression rather than conscious eating restriction.
Since most diets fail because they leave people hungry and miserable, a solution that makes people feel full might actually stick. If collagen can genuinely reduce hunger, it might finally give people the upper hand in a battle that willpower alone doesn’t always win.
Paper Summary
Methodology
Researchers conducted a 12-week randomized controlled trial with 64 overweight or obese adults (BMI 25-35). Participants were randomly assigned to either eat two collagen-enriched protein bars daily (20g total collagen) or serve as controls drinking only water before meals. Both groups received identical healthy eating guidance but no calorie restrictions. The study measured body weight, composition, blood pressure, blood markers, and subjective appetite ratings at multiple time points.
Results The collagen group lost significantly more weight (6.6 lbs vs 3.3 lbs) and showed greater reductions in BMI, waist circumference, and systolic blood pressure. They also increased fat-free mass while reducing fat mass, improved fatty liver index scores, and reported less hunger with greater satisfaction after meals. Blood tests showed reduced leptin levels, and rat studies confirmed decreased ghrelin levels after collagen consumption.
Limitations
Researchers couldn’t precisely measure how much food participants ate throughout the day, relying instead on food frequency questionnaires. While both groups reported similar caloric intake, the study would have been stronger with more precise food tracking. Research lasted only 12 weeks, so we don’t know whether these effects would persist long-term or whether people would adapt to the collagen over time. The control group also didn’t receive a placebo bar, which could have influenced participants’ perceptions of hunger and satisfaction. The collagen group also consumed an extra 180 calories daily from the bars, making their weight loss even more notable but potentially complicating interpretations. All participants received nutritional counseling, making it unclear how collagen alone would perform without this guidance. Long-term effects and mechanisms beyond physical stomach expansion remain unexplored.
Funding and Disclosures
This research was funded by the Center for Industrial Technological Development (CDTI) through a strategic project grant. Three study authors are employed by Viscofan S.A., the company that developed the collagen technology. The Center for Nutrition Research receives research funding from Viscofan.
Publication Information
The paper, “Anti-Obesity Effects of a Collagen with Low Digestibility and High Swelling Capacity: A Human Randomized Control Trial,” was authored by López-Yoldi, M., et al. It was published in Nutrients (16, 3550) on October 19, 2024.
I wonder if it widens Uranus on the way out. Maybe it just adds a ring.
Funny:
1 day of fasting accomplishes the same thing without having to purchase that which they are instructing.
But hey: Pensions need more diversity anyway, right?
/s
This sounds like a good idea but wow i don’t know about the constipation effects.
Where can I get some?? ;)
Actually this is the first weight loss study that I’ve read about that actually makes sense to me.
.
Until that exploration is compete I shall trick my stomach into thinking
it is full by eating pizza! But since I am on a diet only put pepperoni on half, please….
Sounds promising - but I’m not sure I like the idea of something remaining in my stomach indefinitely..
Hmmm... What are the side effects?
For example, I took Rybelus and Ozempic, but had to quit because both made me sick as a dog with extreme nausea and dizziness. It was like taking poison.
Some drugs are not for everyone.
Imma invest in Ex-Lax futures...
The same as konjac root, which is sold as Leptoprin capsules.
It’s not that hard. Eat smaller meals, nobody needs to eat 1800/2000 plus calories a day outside athletes and intense manual laborers (even 1800 is pushing it if you are sedentary). No/less sugar, white bread, and heavy fats. Main thing is put down the phone/remote and get-off your butt and move around. Stop eating when you are bored.
As annoying as that is, that is the only thing that works.
Just one simple medical condition like what I came down with will cause you to lose any and all excess weight you have, temporal arteritis made me lose 40 pounds in a couple months
That’s how I lost a lot of weight- intermittent fasting plus diet modification.
IOW, don’t eat so damn much.
CC
I have always thought that a person could market giardia culture in capsules, guaranteeing 20 pounds lost in 14 days or less.
Chia seeds swell 15-20 times their size and create a gel that satisfies appetite for quite awhile. And they are naturally good for you.
https://www.shiki-longisland.com/the-science-behind-chia-seeds-and-appetite-control/
It passes through your system, just slowly.
You eat a bar a day.
Are they available?
So I can drink a whole bar dry and still lose weight?
Cool. I don’t know about it expanding in my stomach, though.
What’s the risk of explosion?
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