There's always room for Jell-O, and perhaps for plain old gelatin as well. Unless you are allergic to it, gelatin is safe, nontoxic and without serious side effects. That makes it an intriguing dietary supplement for those who suffer from knee or arthritis pain. Research studies have yielded mixed results for gelatin as a treatment for cartilage loss. However, you might want to talk with you doctor about trying it for knee or arthritis pain, since it is highly unlikely to harm you.
Gelatin
Gelatin is boiled residue from the skin, tendons and ligaments of animals such as cows and horses. It contains collagen, a primary component of joints, cartilage and nails, as well as a number of amino acids. It is comparable, in many ways, to glucosamine and chondroitin, which many people use for knee and arthritis pain, although research into the supplement also has yielded mixed results. Taken from the Latin word "gelatus," which mean stiff or frozen, gelatin is used in desserts, frozen drinks, Gummi bears and other soft candies. It is also used as a hard and soft-gel container for supplements and prescription medications.
Potential Benefits
Gelatin has been touted for joint health and for nail and hair health. Claims by Nabisco, the parent company of Knox Gelatin, that gelatin promotes nail health or hair growth is not backed up by any solid research. The Whole Health MD website notes, "On the positive side, there's no evidence that gelatin can harm you." The potential benefits of gelatin for joint health are more intriguing.
Research
Two amino acids in gelatin are used by the body to make collagen, a main component of connective tissue such as skin and cartilage. So researchers are exploring whether gelatin can rebuild cartilage to alleviate joint pain, and Nabisco sells a product for that purpose. While studies to date have been inconclusive, there is a lot of anecdotal evidence attesting to the beneficial effects of gelatin.
Considerations
Regular gelatin may be just as effective for joint pain as more expensive brand-name gelatin products, which typically include a few ingredients other than just gelatin. Although a small number of people have reported an upset stomach from taking gelatin, those instances appear to be rare. However, you could suffer a reaction to gelatin that is made from a animal that causes you allergies. Although there are few side effects and no reported drug or supplement interactions with gelatin, you should talk with your health care provider before trying gelatin or any other product for knee or arthritis pain.
