TL;DR

GLP-1 medications reduce appetite, which can shrink dietary diversity and protein intake — both important for gut health. Youth & Earth's Collagen GLP-1 Formula combines collagen peptides with the prebiotic Solnul® and the flavonoid Eriomin® to help support gut lining strength, feed beneficial bacteria, and support the body's own natural GLP-1 production alongside your medication.

Introduction

GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Wegovy have transformed weight management, but the journey doesn't end with the prescription. Rapid weight loss can bring its own challenges — including changes to skin elasticity and, less obviously, to gut health.

These medications work by mimicking the GLP-1 hormone your gut already produces, to help regulate appetite and blood sugar. But as appetite falls, so can diet diversity and protein intake — two things your gut relies on. This article is part of our wider GLP-1 Medications & Supplement Support: The Complete Guide, and focuses specifically on how targeted nutritional support can help your gut during this transition.

At Youth & Earth, we built the Collagen GLP-1 Formula to work with your body's systems rather than around them — supporting gut barrier strength, feeding the right bacteria, and supporting the body's own natural GLP-1 production. Collagen peptides also have a role to play in skin and connective tissue during rapid weight loss; if that's your main concern, our Supplements for Skin Ageing & Appearance guide covers that ground in more depth.

Why collagen during GLP-1 weight loss?

For people on GLP-1 medications, a specialised collagen supplement can help provide the amino acid building blocks your gut lining needs, particularly as reduced appetite lowers overall protein intake. An advanced formula — like Youth & Earth's Collagen GLP-1 Formula — goes further, combining collagen peptides with clinically studied ingredients shown to support gut health and the body's own natural GLP-1 production, for more complete support during your weight-management journey.

Rapid weight loss and gut health

Losing weight quickly can be motivating, but it places unique stress on the digestive system. When appetite is suppressed by a GLP-1 medication, overall food intake naturally decreases — and that can create two problems for your gut: less dietary diversity, and a shortage of essential amino acids.

Your gut is home to trillions of microorganisms — the gut microbiome — and this ecosystem thrives on variety, especially different types of plant fibre. When you eat less, dietary diversity often drops too, potentially leaving less to feed the beneficial bacteria that support digestion and immune function.

Protein isn't just for muscle, either. The gut lining is one of the most rapidly regenerating tissues in the body, and needs a steady supply of amino acids to maintain its integrity as a barrier — selectively letting nutrients through while keeping toxins and undigested particles out.

When amino acid intake falls short, this barrier can weaken — an effect often called intestinal permeability, or "leaky gut" — which has been linked to inflammation and wider metabolic effects. Collagen is rich in amino acids like glycine, proline and hydroxyproline, which support the rebuilding and maintenance of the gut lining. Supporting the gut barrier isn't just about comfort; it's foundational to metabolic health.

What to look for in a collagen for GLP-1 users

Not all collagen supplements are built for this. For people on GLP-1 medications, the requirements are specific — a generic formula won't cover the interconnected needs of skin, gut and metabolic health.

• High-quality collagen peptides: the foundation should be a clean, highly bioavailable source — raw material for skin, joints and, importantly, the gut lining.
• Support for the body's own GLP-1 production: the most advanced formulas include ingredients studied for their ability to support natural GLP-1 pathways — either by acting on intestinal L-cells directly, or by improving the gut microbiome.
• Targeted gut microbiome and barrier support: look for clinically effective prebiotics that feed the specific bacteria known to support gut barrier function and beneficial compound production.
• Clinically studied, branded ingredients: vague claims are a red flag — look for patented, clinically studied ingredients at researched doses, such as Nextida®, Solnul® and Eriomin®.
• Evidence-based, transparent formulation: choose brands that are open about dosing and formulate from evidence rather than trends.

The Youth & Earth Collagen GLP-1 Formula was built from the ground up against these criteria.

Inside the Youth & Earth Collagen GLP-1 Formula

The formula is a precision-engineered blend of three clinically studied ingredients, each chosen for a specific role: tissue support, gut microbiome enhancement, and natural GLP-1 support.

How each ingredient works

Nextida®

Beyond delivering the amino acids that support skin firmness and connective tissue, Nextida® is distinguished by which peptide fractions it uses — research has focused on specific collagen peptide sequences that interact with L-cells in the intestinal lining, which is why it plays a dual role in this formula rather than acting as a standard collagen source alone.[1]

Solnul®

As a resistant starch, Solnul® travels undigested to the colon, where it becomes food for Bifidobacterium and Akkermansia muciniphila.[2] As these bacteria ferment it, they produce short-chain fatty acids — mainly butyrate, acetate and propionate. Butyrate is the primary fuel source for the cells lining the gut, helping keep the barrier intact, and these SCFAs also signal L-cells to release more of the body's own GLP-1. It's a chain reaction that starts with the microbiome and ends with hormone support.

Eriomin®

Eriomin®'s research base sits mostly in metabolic health — studies have looked at its effect on markers like post-meal glucose response alongside its role in supporting natural GLP-1 secretion, which is why it's included as a third, complementary pathway rather than a stand-in for the other two ingredients.[3]

How to use it alongside protein and training

The Collagen GLP-1 Formula is designed to sit alongside a balanced diet, not replace one.

• Prioritise protein: our formula provides useful amino acids, but a high overall protein intake from lean meats, fish, dairy or legumes remains essential for preserving lean muscle during weight loss.
• Keep up resistance training: aim for at least two sessions a week targeting major muscle groups — non-negotiable for preserving muscle alongside a GLP-1.
• Keep it simple: mix one scoop into water, a smoothie, or your drink of choice each day.

For the full priority order on preserving muscle on a GLP-1 — protein, training, creatine and collagen — see our guide, How to Prevent Muscle Loss on GLP-1s.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I take collagen on Ozempic?

Always check with your GP or prescriber first, but a specialised collagen supplement can be a useful addition on a GLP-1 medication like Ozempic — helping provide amino acids that support connective tissue and gut lining during rapid weight loss. A targeted formula, such as Youth & Earth's Collagen GLP-1 Formula, is designed to also support gut health and the body's natural GLP-1 production.

Does collagen help gut health?

Yes — collagen's amino acids, particularly glycine, support the repair and maintenance of the intestinal lining, which can help with increased intestinal permeability ("leaky gut"). Pairing collagen with a prebiotic like Solnul® adds further support by feeding beneficial gut bacteria directly.

What is Nextida®?

Nextida® is an advanced, clinically studied collagen peptide system, selected for this formula partly for its research base on supporting the body's own GLP-1 secretion — alongside its usual role in skin and connective tissue support.

What is Solnul®?

Solnul® is a prebiotic derived from resistant potato starch. It's included to selectively nourish beneficial gut bacteria such as Bifidobacterium and Akkermansia muciniphila, supporting gut lining health and natural GLP-1 release as a result.

What is Eriomin®?

Eriomin® is a citrus-derived flavonoid blend studied for metabolic health benefits, included in the Collagen GLP-1 Formula for its role in supporting the body's natural GLP-1 secretion.[4]

What makes the Collagen GLP-1 Formula different?

It's built as a 3-in-1 system rather than a standard collagen: Nextida® for tissue support and GLP-1 pathway research, Solnul® for microbiome and gut-barrier support, and Eriomin® for additional metabolic and GLP-1 support — designed to work on gut, tissue and metabolic health together.

Coming soon: the Youth & Earth Collagen GLP-1 Formula

The Collagen GLP-1 Formula is launching soon. Join the waitlist below and we'll be first to let you know the moment it's available — by email, and by text too if you'd like.

A note before you start

This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. If you're taking a GLP-1 medication, speak to your GP or prescriber before adding any new supplement — particularly if you have ongoing digestive symptoms or other health conditions.

References

[1] Bush JR, Baisley J, Harding SV, Alfa MJ. Consumption of Solnul™ Resistant Potato Starch Produces a Prebiotic Effect in a Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial. Nutrients. 2023;15(7):1582. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15071582

[2] Grasset E, Briand F, Virgilio N, Schön C, Wilhelm M, Cudennec B, et al. A Specific Collagen Hydrolysate Improves Postprandial Glucose Tolerance in Normoglycemic and Prediabetic Mice and in a First Proof of Concept Study in Healthy, Normoglycemic and Prediabetic Humans. Food Sci Nutr. 2024;12(11):9607-9620. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.4538

[3] Cesar TB, Ramos FMM, Ribeiro CB. Nutraceutical Eriocitrin (Eriomin) Reduces Hyperglycemia by Increasing Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 and Downregulates Systemic Inflammation: A Crossover-Randomized Clinical Trial. J Med Food. 2022;25(11):1050-1058. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1089/jmf.2021.0181

[4] Ribeiro CB, Ramos FM, Manthey JA, Cesar TB. Effectiveness of Eriomin® in managing hyperglycemia and reversal of prediabetes condition: A double-blind, randomized, controlled study. Phytother Res. 2019;33(7):1921-1933. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.6386