Diabetes Mellitus (or just diabetes) is a metabolic disease that causes high blood sugar and increases your risk of developing other health issues.
For example, diabetes can increase your risk of bone fractures, kidney damage, and nerve damage if left unchecked and untreated.
Similarly, diabetes is often associated with deficiencies in certain nutrients, so you may benefit from taking dietary supplements for general health.
Although the main concern of diabetes is blood sugar levels, the disease can cause the depletion of other nutrients, especially vitamins and proteins such as collagen. Maintaining healthy levels of collagen can help manage diabetes complications and support your overall health, which is why we’re exploring the best collagen powder for diabetes in this article.
Supplementing with collagen has been shown to support joint health, regulate appetite, improve digestion, and help build muscle mass, all of which can improve your quality of life. Furthermore, supplementing with collagen can help you lose weight, reducing your chances of developing complications like insulin resistance, making it a great supplement for people with diabetes.
RELATED: Read our blog on The Best Collagen for Weight Loss to learn more about the health benefits and uses of collagen supplements.
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Is Collagen Powder Good for Diabetes?
Collagen is essential for general health, as it provides structure to your joints, gives your skin elasticity, and supports wound healing, though our natural levels decline as we age. Subsequently, many believe that the best collagen powders can help slow or reverse the aging process by supporting skin and joint health.
Because of higher blood sugar and glycation (when sugar molecules inhibit collagen function), people with diabetes lose collagen faster than average and often suffer from accelerated aging. Furthermore, collagen supplements may help stabilize your blood sugar levels, as studies show that blood sugar and insulin levels remain more stable in diabetics who eat protein, and collagen supplements are a good source of proteins and amino acids.
RELATED: Most collagen supplements come in the form of collagen peptides – read our blog on Collagen Peptides Vs. Collagen Protein to learn more about the different types of collagen and their benefits.
Can You Take Collagen If You Are Diabetic?
People with diabetes must monitor their diet (and avoid foods high in sugar or refined carbohydrates) to maintain safe blood sugar levels, meaning that many supplements aren’t suited for diabetics. Gummy vitamins, for example, often contain added sugar that can cause a blood sugar spike. In contrast, the best collagen powders contain very few additional ingredients, making them ideal for people who need to keep their blood sugar stable.
Because collagen is a protein, it won’t affect your blood glucose levels like sugar or refined carbs (think white bread and potato chips), and it is widely regarded as safe for people with diabetes. Furthermore, because collagen supplements can help you recover the collagen you’re losing from glycation, it’s not only safe but recommended for people with diabetes, especially if you’re concerned about your joint health or visible signs of aging.
Does Collagen Reduce Blood Sugar?
The best collagen powder supplements contain high-quality collagen protein and little else, which helps to stabilize blood sugar, especially when taken as part of a balanced diet with plenty of protein. Studies show that blood sugar and blood insulin levels are more stable in diabetics who eat healthy amounts of protein and carbohydrates, so adding collagen supplements to your diet may help lower your blood sugar levels to a healthy range.
In your body, proteins like collagen are broken down into amino acids, which support muscle growth and have a minimal impact on blood glucose levels, meaning a protein-rich diet is one of the best ways to manage your blood sugar. While collagen supplements won’t directly decrease your blood sugar (and should NOT be used instead of diabetes medication), they may help to stabilize blood sugar levels.
Does Collagen Powder Affect Diabetes?
Two of the main problems caused by diabetes are high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) and declining levels of collagen. Fortunately, these issues can be mitigated with special diets and collagen supplements, as the best collagen powders can help stabilize your blood sugar and reverse declining collagen levels.
Collagen supplements are widely considered safe, have few known side effects, and are highly unlikely to affect your diabetes or raise your blood sugar, thanks to their low glycemic index. Furthermore, collagen is rich in glycine, an amino acid with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits that may help to reduce or reverse the inflammatory damage associated with diabetes.
RELATED: Read our blog on Magnesium Glycinate Vs Citrate to learn more about the health benefits of Glycine.
