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Gut Check: Clinical Trial Demonstrates Collagen Peptides Improve Digestion & Bloating In Women*

Author:

Hannah Frye

June 22, 2022

Assistant Beauty & Health Editor

By Hannah Frye

Assistant Beauty & Health Editor

Hannah Frye is the Assistant Beauty Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.S. in journalism and a minor in women’s, gender, and queer studies from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Hannah has written across lifestyle sections including health, wellness, sustainability, personal development, and more.

Image by Clique Images / Stocksy

June 22, 2022

Collagen supplements are widely known for their beauty-focused benefits. While promoting skin elasticity and hydration, supporting strong hair, and encouraging nail growth are certainly noteworthy perks, there's one huge upside to taking collagen supplements that isn't as widely known—but it's an area of research that we certainly have our eyes on.*

Novel research from a recent new study enlightens collagen's impact on digestion 1, including bloating. Here, we break down the exciting results.

Can collagen improve digestion? Here's what researchers found.

There were two phases to this study. Phase one set out to explore current attitudes and practices among consumers and health care practitioners regarding collagen supplementation for digestive health.

The results of phase one revealed that consumer awareness about collagen's use for digestive health was low: Just over 30% of consumers knew that collagen has gut health relevance and could potentially aid in digestion.*

Phase two is where things got interesting: This phase began with two weeks of baseline testing, measuring digestion status, stool health (yes, bowel movements tell us a ton about our health), and participants' lifestyles before taking collagen. After the baseline was solidified, participants (consisting of 40 healthy women) consumed 20 grams of bovine collagen peptides each day, split across two servings. The results? After eight weeks of collagen supplementation, 93% (13 out of 14 women) of those who completed the study experienced noteworthy improvements in digestion, including bloating and abdominal comfort.*

beauty & gut collagen+ powder

These results are particularly exciting and important to increase awareness surrounding this collagen-gut health benefit.* More research is certainly welcome in this niche GI tract area of collagen peptide research, but we can consider it yet another reason to kick-start a regular collagen routine. Our beauty & gut collagen+ formula includes 17.7 grams of bovine collagen peptides (so not 20, like in the study), but that amount certainly falls within the ballpark of magnitude (also of mention: mbg's premium collagen comes from grass-fed, pasture-raised cows); plus, mbg's formula leverages seven other unique bioactives to bolster collagen's actions—including L-glutamine, which is a critical nutrient for the cells in the gut, supporting a healthy intestinal lining.*

The takeaway.

While collagen's benefits for the skin are more widely studied (and talked about), its ability to support digestion flies under the radar.* We're spreading the news. This study shows that people can experience digestion benefits when routinely supplementing with collagen over a period of eight weeks, which is an exciting finding for collagen's role in gut health.* If you want to learn more about collagen's overall health advantages, check out this guide.

If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking medications, consult with your doctor before starting a supplement routine. It is always optimal to consult with a health care provider when considering what supplements are right for you.