Health benefits of eating gelatin daily (a 3 month challenge)

I have always had a good amount of gelatin in my diet. I like it in your typical Jello form but also in my favorite candies, other desserts and even soups. It wasn't till I looked at my diet closer that I found exactly how much gelatin I usually consume, and how often.

I had seen a mention on an Instagram photo about the benefits of eating gelatin. The photo claimed it was a diet food and was good for hair, skin, nails and joints. I decided to research it.

I found so many amazing benefits that I decided to give myself a challenge. I decided that I would eat gelatin in some form every single day for 3 months and then assess my results. 

I was pretty impressed after 3 months, but my 5th month just finished and I am absolutely in love with the results!

What is gelatin? 

Gelatin or gelatine (from Latin: gelatus meaning "stiff", "frozen") is a translucent, colorless, brittle (when dry), flavorless foodstuff, derived from collagen obtained from various animal by-products. It is commonly used as a gelling agent in food, pharmaceuticals, photography, and cosmetic manufacturing.

Gelatin is an irreversibly hydrolyzed form of collagen. (source: Wikipedia) According to WebMD:

Gelatin is used for weight loss and for treating osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and brittle bones (osteoporosis). Some people also use it for strengthening bones, joints, and fingernails. Gelatin is also used for improving hair quality and to shorten recovery after exercise and sports-related injury.

Health Benefits of Gelatin

"My" main reasons for consuming gelatin daily for this challenge are as follows:

Digestion: 

Gelatin absorbs water so it keeps things moving through the gut and helps with digestion and constipation. It also reduces inflammation and helps repair the intestinal lining. Gelatin can also help with leaky gut.

Healthy joints: 

You read that part about gelatin being derived from collagen, right? We know joints need collagen to be healthy and this is a great source of it! Athletes have used gelatin for joint pain relief and as an anti-inflammatory.

Skin & Hair: 

Speaking of collagen....those anti aging creams they sell aren't as effective as a daily serving of gelatin, and it's cheaper. Gelatin also contains keratin which is essential for healthy nails, hair, teeth and skin.

Sleep: 

Gelatin contains glycine and consuming it before bed helps induce sleep. That's not to say that eating it during the day will make you tired, but the glycine in gelatin can help you to sleep better at night.

Nutrition: 

Gelatin contains 6 grams of protein per tablespoon, 1/2 of your essential amino acids and Glycine, which helps your liver release toxins.

Now this is by no means a complete list on benefits. I'd be writing for the next 2 days if I compiled one of those! That is the list of why I decided to challenge myself to eat more gelatin. Now for my results:

* My nails are longer and stronger. Finally!
* My joints quit hurting all the time and when they do bother me, it seems to be a much shorter episode.
* My hair is growing in much healthier, even with dying it last week. 
* My skin looks a bit less dry and aged & I've been sleeping much better. 
* My digestion issues have cleared up a lot and it continues to improve.
* I lost a few pounds. I didn't really expect it and wasn't trying, but there it went!

I'm very happy with these results!

How to Add Gelatin to your Diet

How did I do it? I bought plain gelatin and mixed it with Jello every 4 days. I have an extreme sweet tooth so this worked great for me. Especially for those after dinner cravings! You could eat gelatin plain without the flavored stuff mixed in, but it's not that great tasting.

I used 1 large 'table' spoon full of unflavored gelatin. (not a Tbsp. measuring spoon, a silver dinner spoon) I added 1 1/2 - 2 cups boiling water and stirred gently till absorbed. Then I add 1 packet sugar free Jello style dessert mix. Mix thoroughly then chill and cut into squares.

I ate 1/4 of this mixture each day consuming most of it after dinner. That's 1/2 cup a day, less if you only used 1.5 cups of water. Yes, I used commercial flavored, chemical crap. Yes...it was good! 😂 I did find that Walmart brand 'Jello' is the cheapest and it tastes the same. 

Different ways to eat gelatin

I also experimented with adding my own juices and flavorings but have yet to settle on a fail-proof recipe, so I'll work on that! I did find a strawberry jello cup recipe from Attainable Sustainable that is A-Mazing though...so check that out in the meantime.

I also made homemade marshmallows a few times. They were so good and even the kids loved them. I'll post that recipe soon.

Also, a few days a month I make a bone broth which is rich in gelatin. Bone broth is awesome because you can eat it alone or use it to flavor rice, vegetable dishes or as a soup/stew base. It's easy to set & forget in the crock pot, so very little work. It can also be canned so a big batch can last a long time!

Here is an excellent post on using a turkey to make Bone Broth by Back To Our Roots.

I started by buying bulk gelatin from the Amish store by me, however I have found a grass fed beef gelatin that I really like. This one by Further Foods is very similar to Knox or the stuff I bought. (the first gelatin I bought tended to smell a little like wet dog when I mixed it up, the Great Lakes was much better in that department!)

Speaking of which you could buy Knox at your local store, but it's much more expensive than a bulk version.

Gelatin VS Collagen

You may have heard about collagen peptides being used for their health benefits. Gelatin is actually a degraded form of collagen, so they are slightly different but have almost all of the same benefits. 

I originally wrote this article in 2015, and the collagen craze was not what it is now, so information and products weren't as widely available as now. I have since started using gelatin and collagen interchangeably and have continued getting many of the same results.

The lone sticking point for me has been weight loss, as the sugar free Jell-O style dessert actually helped me with cravings for sweets. Any time you reduce your daily calories it can have an effect on your weight. Collagen peptides are tasteless, therefore they do not help with sugar cravings.

Collagen can be mixed into cold liquids which makes it more versatile than gelatin for drinks. The main difference is their thickening properties, which collagen does not have at all. Collagen also comes in capsule or pill form if you prefer that.

Great Lakes brand also has collagen that's water soluble. That one is great for smoothies and adding to other drinks and recipes. As mentioned it doesn't gel or thicken the same so it's practically unnoticeable once mixed in, which makes it very easy to drink every day. I find collagen more portable, but gelatin more practical for daily use, since it can also be a dessert. 

I have a lot more experimenting that I want to do with recipes and different ways to add gelatin to my diet. These last few months have convinced me that adding gelatin to my diet daily has made a huge improvement and now I'm just searching for ways to simplify it for the long run!

Since writing this post I have found so many great resources for information on why and how to add gelatin to your daily diet including Martha Stewart's recipe for homemade marshmallows.

Many other common foods have health benefits too! Check out these articles: The many health benefits of ginger, 
there are 13 reasons why parsley might be the healthiest thing in your kitchen, and did you know that there are 12 Reasons why you should brew up some catnip tea? Try it!

~L

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I am not a doctor or other health care professional nor do I claim to be. I am not trained in any medical field. I am simply passing on information that has worked for me. This information is for entertainment purposes only and is not meant to treat or diagnose any medical condition. see a Dr if you are ill. Click for my full disclaimer.

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