I Tried Super-Collagen Soup and Lost Two Sizes in a Month—at Age 66!
Move over cabbage soup—there's a new protein-rich recipe that works better and eases joint pain too
Looking for a quick-and-easy way to feel a little lighter, a lot more energized and maybe even completely pain-free? Then consider trying a new super-collagen soup plan from natural health expert Ann Louise Gittleman, Ph.D., which she created to help busy and tired women crush their health goals. It’s delicious, healthy and truly blows old-fashioned cabbage soup out of the water.
Idaho grandmother Teresa Pfaff, 66, can’t believe how well this next-generation soup approach has worked. “In two weeks, my knees stopped hurting and my afternoon slumps were gone,” she shares. “And I’m normally a slow loser, but I went down two sizes in a month!” Keep reading for all the details.
What collagen is—and why it matters after age 50
Collagen “is the body’s most abundant protein, vital for strength and elasticity in skin, hair, nails, joints and connective tissues,” explains Gittleman. While we make our own collagen from amino acids in protein we eat, “unfortunately, collagen production declines with age.” Gittleman has long recommended dietary collagen from supplements and animal sources like bone broth and gelatin to jump-start natural collagen production and fight wrinkles, joint discomfort and other signs of aging.
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Here’s what changed: More and more clinical trials now hint that extra collagen may also help reverse muscle loss and weight gain that’s common after age 50.
The science that led to super-collagen soup
One study that got Gittleman’s attention appeared in the journal Clinical Nutrition Research in 2023. It found that adults aged 50 to 78 and found when taking daily doses of collagen led to nearly double weight loss compared to a placebo. And a separate University of Freiburg study on women using a resistance-training program found that women given collagen doubled fat loss and got far stronger than those given a placebo.
So Gittleman rejigged her famous Fat Flush soup, dissolving hydrolyzed collagen peptides into the broth and bumping each serving from about 12 grams of collagen to more than 20 grams. Teresa, for one, is very glad she did.
3 ways super-collagen soup helps with weight loss
Gittleman’s soup plan (keep scrolling for details) has many slimming and healing things going for it—like high antioxidant levels, high volume, moderate calories and zero processed foods. But here are a few advantages collagen gets credit for:
It makes your stomach ‘shrink’
New evidence published in the journal Nutrients revealed that, once in the body, collagen mixes with water or water-based broth and swells 1,900%. This takes up room in the belly and stimulates the release of stop-eating hormones, says Gittleman. Teresa says this has been one of the most astonishing things for her. “I’m eating less, but I really never feel hungry.”
While anything you do to get protein intake up and processed food intake down will be more filling, “collagen takes it to a new level,” notes Gittleman.
It makes your muscles act younger
It’s just a fact that older bodies struggle to break down protein and extract the amino acids they need to maintain metabolism-reviving muscle. How can collagen help? Italian research shows amino acids are more easily absorbed, especially from “hydrolyzed peptide” supplements, making collagen very good at helping older folks protect and build strong, fat-fighting muscles.
Collagen’s amino acids can help heal joints, too. For Teresa, pain relief inspired her to get her bike tuned up so she could start riding again. “I’ve lost inches faster than pounds, and I think it’s because I have lots of new muscle!”
It helps fat burn freely
Beyond joints, collagen aids in healing throughout the body. It also inhibits the production of inflammatory compounds, bringing down chronic inflammation. “What many women don’t realize is that inflamed tissue releases compounds that inhibit fat metabolism,” Gittleman says. As inflammation is soothed, we’re able to more readily turn stored fat into fuel.
An even bigger bonus: “Women will often be drawn to this strategy because they want to lose weight, and it is great for that,” says Gittleman. “But people stick with it because it makes them feel so good. Getting stronger and less inflamed makes day-to-day life better!”
Collagen soup success story: Teresa, 66, lost two sizes in a month
Teresa and Gittleman, who worked together years ago, ran into each other at a party and ended up talking about the new soup regimen. “The original Fat Flush soup had helped me in my early 50s, and Ann Louise said she’d added new ingredients to make it better. That intrigued me,” says Teresa, a faith-based family counselor. “I volunteered to test it.”
Using samples of a supplement Gittleman helped develop (Uni Key’s Collagen 4+ brand), Teresa began having super-collagen soup twice a day, plus a protein-topped salad a her third meal. She’d carry boiled eggs and apples to snack on. She missed her nightly cracker-and-cheese plates for a few days. After that, the only issue was when she ran out of collagen. “I realized, oh my gosh, I’m feeling hungry again. And I hadn’t been feeling hungry at all.”
Also key: “The convenience of making soup on Sunday and not thinking about what to eat all week has helped me tremendously,” says Teresa.
Her favorite soup (recipe, below) is creamy with a hint of sesame. She also makes Gittleman’s Mediterranean-style and vegetarian collagen-spiked soups. “I never get bored.”
Teresa says her body has responded to super-collagen soup better than anything she’s ever tried. “By the end of the first week, I glanced in the mirror and did a double-take because my face was already thinner,” she says. “I lost 10 ½ inches in a month. It’s been about six weeks now, and I’ve lost even more.” In addition to her knees improving, “I am feeling so much more energetic and optimistic about life,” Teresa says. “Oh, and I had blood work done. My cholesterol is down, I’m no longer prediabetic, and my doctor is reducing my thyroid medication. My thyroid is healing! I don’t know if the soup diet is doing it, but I don’t know what else it could be.”
Teresa plans to transition to one soup meal a day, but she’ll keep eating wholesome meals and taking collagen (which she’s found she can also add to coffee). “I was starting to think, ‘I’m 66, this is how it is now.’ But it turns out my body can still get better. I feel like the soup gave me a new lease on life!”
The super-collagen soup recipe
Comforting collagen-boosted soup helps slim and heal
- 2 Tbs. sesame oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 tsp. minced garlic
- 3 cups mushrooms, sliced
- 3 Tbs. curry powder
- 32 oz. bone broth
- 1 lb. shredded cooked chicken breast
- 3 cups cubed zucchini
- 14 oz. coconut cream
- 1⁄3 cup chopped parsley
- 4 servings of collagen powder
Instructions: In a pot, sauté onion and garlic in oil until soft, 2-3 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and curry, 2-3 minutes. Add broth; boil. Add chicken, zucchini and coconut cream. Reduce heat; simmer for 15 minutes. Add parsley and sea salt to taste; simmer for 5 minutes. Stir a serving of collagen into each serving immediately before eating. Serves 4
How to use super-collagen soup to get lean
Gittleman suggests having two soup meals a day. Enjoy a third meal of lean protein, veggies prepared with olive oil and an optional serving of beans. If you’re hungry between meals, snack on hard-boiled eggs, veggies and low-sugar fruit. That’s all there is to it!
This approach can be used as long as you like, but make an effort to vary ingredients if using it for longer periods. For a free guide to the soup plan, click here.
This story originally appeared in the December 15, 2026, issue of Woman’s World
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