Understanding Calorie Content in Collagen Powder Supplements
Collagen powder has become a popular dietary supplement due to its many touted health and beauty benefits. With so many different types and brands to choose from, examining the calorie content per serving can guide proper usage for weight loss goals versus bulking purposes.
What is Collagen Protein?
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body, making up 30% of total protein. It acts as the main structural component in connective tissues like skin, bones, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels.
After the age of 20, collagen production starts decreasing, leading to signs of aging like wrinkles and joint discomfort. Consuming supplemental collagen aims to counteract this effect through several biological mechanisms.
Benefits of Taking Collagen
Research shows that consuming extra collagen protein may provide body composition, skin health, and mental health benefits like:
- Increased muscle mass
- Faster recovery from exercise
- Reduced joint pain
- Improved skin hydration and elasticity
- Faster wound healing
- Lower anxiety and depressive symptoms
Sources of Supplemental Collagen
While dietary sources like bone broth, eggs, and chicken contain collagen, powder and pills provide higher concentrations. Collagen supplements primarily come from bovine, porcine, marine, or poultry sources.
Bovine collagen comes from cows, porcine from pigs, marine from fish scales and skin. Hydrolyzed collagen describes types broken into smaller peptides for better absorption.
Calories in Bovine Collagen Supplements
Bovine collagen is one of the most popular types, sourced from cows. It provides an affordable protein supplement made from hides, bones, and other bovine byproducts.
Grass-Fed vs Grain-Fed Caloric Differences
Collagen from grass-fed cows contains slightly fewer calories gram-for-gram compared to grain-fed. However exact calorie counts vary widely between brands.
Many producers don't list precise caloric values. When available, grass-fed bovine collagen calories approximately range from:
- 45 calories per single serving scoop (usually around 10 grams)
- 100120 calories per ounce (28 gram) serving
Grain-fed bovine collagen may provide roughly 515% more calories relative to grass-fed when controlling for source and digestibility factors.
Accounting for Crosslinking and Digestibility
The degree of protein crosslinking and individual digestive health also affect how efficiently the body breaks down and absorbs ingested collagen.
More extensive collagen cross-linking results in sturdier, longer-lasting protein structures. But they require more intensive breakdown, reducing digestibility calories absorbed by the body.
So old or heavily processed collagen supplements tend to have fewer usable calories versus newly manufactured batches using gentle handling methods.
Calories in Marine Collagen Supplements
Marine collagen sourced from fish skin, scales, and bones has grown increasingly popular due to perceived benefits over bovine and porcine varieties.
Typical calorie counts for single-scoop marine collagen supplements average approximately:
- 510 calories per serving (10 grams)
- 70100 calories per 20 gram serving
However, marine collagen's fishy odor and higher cost often deters daily use for some consumers. It also has lower caloric density than bovine and porcine collagen at equal weights.
Additional Marine Ingredients
Some marine collagen supplements also integrate additional ingredients like glucosamine (shellfish), chondroitin (shark cartilage), or hyaluronic acid.
These compounds provide potential joint, skin, and hair benefits but tack on more calories to the totals. Checking the Nutrition Facts panel helps identify precisely what's inside for accurate tracking.
Collagen Content Considerations
Total Protein and Collagen Protein Content
Paying attention to the grams of protein from collagen versus total protein helps assess quality.
For example, a product may contain 10 grams of protein but only 5 grams sourced from actual collagen. Higher purity collagen delivers more of the desired nutritional components.
Hydrolyzed vs Non-Hydrolyzed
Hydrolysis breaks collagen peptide bonds down into smaller fragments that dissolve better and enhance absorption. However, this extra processing can diminish other nutritional qualities.
Most hydrolyzed collagens induce mild calories loss versus non-hydrolyzed types. But easier digestibility recoups some net calories, especially for those with gut conditions interfering with intact protein breakdown.
Collagen Supplement Grams Per Day
Research on positive effects of supplemental collagen used dosages of 2.515 grams daily. Most scientists observed benefits at intakes of 5+ grams per day taken consistently.
Tracking total calories daily allows flexibly adjusting portion sizes to align with health objectives for muscle gain, weight loss, or maintenance.
Collagen Powder Recipes
Collagen supplements often contain minimal ingredients like cocoa or vanilla flavors. But blending the unflavored versions into food and drink recipes can make taking them more enjoyable while also boosting nutritional quality.
Collagen Protein Smoothies
Smoothies provide an easy way to consume soluble collagen powder. Blend with fruits like berries and bananas plus milk or juice to mask any leftover flavor.
Examples:
- Chocolate collagen smoothie - Cocoa powder, peanut butter, bananas
- Green tea matcha smoothie - Spinach, avocado, lemon juice
- Pia colada smoothie - Pineapple, coconut milk
Collagen Coffee, Tea, Broths
Hot beverages allow dissolving powdered collagen completely while adding nutritional value.
Examples:
- Collagen coffee/tea - Stir into any type of freshly brewed coffee or tea
- Bone broths - Simmer broth with vegetables and collagen for an extra protein boost
Baked Goods with Collagen
Replacing some regular flour with collagen protein powder bumps up protein content in muffins, breads, protein bars, pancakes and more.
Typically substituting 25% of the flour for collagen works well in most baking recipes.
The possibilities are endless for integrating supplemental collagen into daily diet routines, whether the goal is improving health, supporting weight control, or just making nutrition more enjoyable.
FAQs
Does collagen powder have a lot of calories?
No, collagen is actually very low-calorie, with only 4-10 calories per gram. Much lower than carbohydrates or fats. This makes collagen peptides popular for controlling calories when trying to lose or maintain weight.
Is marine collagen higher or lower in calories?
Marine collagen has 20-50% less calories gram-for-gram than bovine and porcine collagen supplements. However, it is less cost-effective and doesn't mix as well into foods and drinks.
Can I bake or cook with collagen powder?
Yes, collagen powder substitutes well for about 25% of regular flour in recipes for baked goods, protein bars, breads, smoothies, coffee, oatmeal and more. It blends right in to boost nutrition.
Does hydrolyzed collagen have more or less calories?
Hydrolyzed collagen calories are typically 10-15% lower compared to non-hydrolyzed types. But easier digestibility means the usable calorie difference is smaller. Check purity and source when comparing products.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.
Add Comment