Collagen supplement to improve quality of life, appetite and blood sugar in adults with overweight or obesity

Effects of a Collagen Supplement on Quality of Life, Appetite and Glycaemic Control: a Randomised, Double-blinded, Placebo-controlled, Crossover Trial in Overweight and Obese Adults.

This trial will try an 8-day collagen peptide supplement to see if it improves quality of life, appetite and short-term blood sugar control in adults aged 18–65 who are overweight or have obesity and feel their quality of life is low.

Quick facts

• Phase: Not applicable
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 100 (estimated)
• Ages: 18 Years to 65 Years
• Sex: All
• Sponsor: King's College London (Academic / other)
• Locations: 1 site (London, London)
• Trial ID: NCT07229014 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

Adults aged 18–65 with BMI 25–40 and self-reported low quality of life will be assigned to take either a collagen peptide supplement or a matched placebo for 8 days. Participants will complete questionnaires on quality of life, appetite, mood and energy and will wear continuous glucose monitors to capture blood sugar responses during the intervention. The protocol compares patient-reported outcomes and continuous glucose data between the collagen and placebo arms. The short duration targets immediate effects on appetite, mood and glycaemic control rather than long-term weight change.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Adults aged 18–65 with BMI 25–40 who report reduced quality of life and are otherwise healthy are the intended participants.

Not a fit: People who are not overweight, are outside the 18–65 age range, already report good quality of life, or require long-term metabolic management (for example established diabetes) are unlikely to gain meaningful benefit from an eight-day supplement.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the supplement could offer a short-term, low-risk way to improve perceived quality of life, appetite control and blood sugar regulation in people with overweight or obesity.

How similar studies have performed: Small prior trials and nutritional studies have reported mixed or modest effects of collagen peptides on appetite and metabolic markers, so this approach has limited but suggestive prior evidence rather than established success.

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Subject is a healthy (as assessed by medical history) male or female adult, aged 18-65 years and overweight or obese (BMI 25 - 40 kg/m2).
2. Subject has an impaired quality of life, as determined by scoring at least a total of 9 on the following questions:

   1. In the past 4 weeks, did you feel you had a lot of energy? All of the time (1), most of the time (2), a good bit of the time (3), some of the time (4), a little of the time (5), and none of the time (6) (number 27 from SF-36 questionnaire) Version 3.0 \[01/10/2025\] Page 11 of 20
   2. In the past 4 weeks, have you felt calm and peaceful? All of the time (1), most of the time (2), a good bit of the time (3), some of the time (4), a little of the time (5), and none of the time (6) (number 26 from SF-36 questionnaire)
   3. In the past 2 weeks, did you have any difficulties with sleeping? Not at all (1), small amounts (2), moderate amounts (3), a great deal (4), an extreme amount (5), all the time (6) (number 3 from WHOQoL-100)
3. Participant has an email address, internet access, a compatible smartphone and is willing and able to maintain internet access throughout the trial to complete virtual visits via video conference and to engage with mobile apps to answer electronic questionnaires.
4. Subject is willing and able to comply with all study procedures, including consumption of the supplement daily, CGM use for 22 days total (2 x 11 days), complete standardised meal tests, and fill out health questionnaires.
5. Subject is willing to take a supplement of bovine animal origin.
6. Openness to participate in an online interview at the end of the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Participant has a history or presence of uncontrolled and/or clinically important pulmonary, cardiac, hepatic, renal, endocrine (including type 1 and 2 diabetes), hematologic, immunologic, neurologic (e.g., Alzheimer's or Parkinson's diseases), psychiatric (including unstable depression and/or anxiety disorders) or biliary disorders.
2. Participant has a clinically important gastrointestinal (GI) condition that would potentially interfere with the evaluation of the study product \[e.g., inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic constipation, severe constipation (in the opinion of the investigator), history of frequent diarrhoea, history of surgery for weight loss, gastroparesis, systemic disease that might affect gut motility according to the investigator, medication managed reflux and/or clinically important lactose intolerance.
3. Participant has a history of chronic insomnia (defined as insomnia at least 3 d/week over the past month), a diagnosed sleep disorder (e.g., OSA), or a chronic medical condition that may impact energy/fatigue levels, in the judgment of the investigator.
4. Participant is a female who is pregnant, planning to be pregnant during the study period, lactating, or is of childbearing potential and is unwilling to commit to the use of a medically approved form of contraception throughout the study period. The method of contraception must be recorded.
5. Participant has a known allergy, intolerance, or sensitivity to any of the ingredients in the study product, including bovine animal products.
6. Participant has a history or presence of cancer in the prior two years, except for non-melanoma skin cancer.
7. Participant has experienced any major trauma or any other surgical event within three months of Virtual Visit 1.
8. Participant has unstable use of a medication or supplement that the investigator considers may affect the outcomes of the trial.
9. Participant is currently in another biomedical research study or has been in the 30 days before screening.
10. Participant is an employee of, or has a financial interest in Darling Ingredients Inc.
11. The individual has a condition the investigator believes would interfere with his ability to provide informed consent and to comply with the study protocol, which might confound the interpretation of the study results, or put the participant at undue risk.
12. Participant is a vegan or vegetarian or excludes bovine products for cultural or religious reasons.

Where this trial is running

London, London

• Metabolic Research Unit (KCL, Waterloo Campus) — London, London, United Kingdom (Recruiting)

Study contacts

• Study coordinator: Alex Cheok, PhD

Conditions Quality of Life; Appetite; Sleep; Mood; Energy; Blood Glucose Profile; collagen; glucose