Over 35? Lose 40 lbs with the anti-aging supplement you need more of!

Everyone is talking about collagen—and it’s really no wonder. Experts say the protein-rich supplement smooths skin as it shrinks waists, leaving dieters slim, glowing and completely transformed! W

IT WORKS!

hy are dieters suddenly buzzing about an antiaging supplement? Because collagen—best known for fighting wrinkles—“not only helps us lose weight, it also keeps us from getting saggy as we get slimmer,” says natural health expert Kellyann Petrucci, N.D. “It even gets rid of cellulite!” The Thyroid Connection author Amy Myers, M.D., is also a fan. She says the latest research suggests collagen—a rugged protein that knits together cells in our tissues, organs, muscles and bones—firms skin and bolsters key weight-control mechanisms in our bodies, “essentially helping turn us into fat-burning machines.” (More on that, below.) And while we produce our own collagen, Dr. Myers recommends a daily supplement, “especially after age 35, when natural collagen production in our bodies begins to slow.”

Phyllis Warder, 64, heard that same advice when she signed up for an Internet weight-loss challenge. “I’m at an age when it’s hard to lose weight and, even if you do, there’s no guarantee your skin will snap back. But collagen helped me lose faster than I have in years—20 pounds in 46 days with no hunger at all—and my energy and skin are fantastic,” says the North Carolina retiree, down 45 pounds total. “My cellulite is gone, and I feel better than I did as a teenager!” How great can collagen make you look and feel? Here’s how to find out . . . Dr. Myers encourages limiting processed junk and emphasizing nutrients that help our bodies make more of their own collagen—such as vitamin C from citrus; chlorophyll from greens; and amino acids from eggs, bone broth and any high-quality animal protein. Our nutrition team whipped up no-fuss “Younger-and-slimmer” menus to make it easy.

How collagen slims ● It builds metabolism-boosting muscle!

There’s an amino acid in collagen called glycine that seems to help us turn more of the food we eat into calorie-burning muscle instead of jiggly fat, say the experts. University of Arkansas testing found collagen significantly boosted lean muscle and metabolism— even working well in women over the age of 70. Meanwhile, during a separate study at a private lab, folks who weren’t even dieting managed to replace 10 pounds of fat with six pounds of lean muscle!

● It revs thyroid!

According to Dr. Myers, collagen takes aim at a surprise culprit behind sluggish thyroids: a “leaky gut.” Turns out, weakened areas in our digestive tracts can allow irritants to escape, triggering massive inflammation. This inflammation—among many ill effects—“is a root cause of most thyroid dysfunction,” she says. Collagen to the rescue. “Our intestinal walls are actually built of collagen, and amino acids in collagen quite literally seal any ‘leaks.’ ” As inflammation is alleviated, our thyroids and metabolisms quickly perk up! “It’s one of the main reasons I use collagen supplementation in my clinic,” she adds.

● It smooths cellulite!

Those pesky dimples are caused when fat bulges up through a web of connective tissue beneath the skin’s surface. Numerous studies show that collagen helps make that web of tissue “much stronger, firmer and more resilient,” says Dr. Kellyann. “So it stretches smoothly over any fat, and dimples disappear!”

That’s exactly what happened for Florida mom Mary Futch, 52, who started taking collagen after her thighs became “crepey and cellulite-prone.” As her skin began to improve, her waist started shrinking quite a bit, too. “My hunger went down, my energy went up, my cellulite started to be less noticeable. Now I get so many compliments about looking younger,” marvels Mary, who ended up dropping 40 pounds and 15 inches. “I’ve been on many diets in my life and never gotten results like these. Collagen is a game-changer!”