If you're like many people, you probably think of gelatin as a jiggly dessert popular with children. But gelatin is also packaged as a supplement and marketed for its ability to treat joint pain and stiffness and improve nail strength. Although there isn't much scientific evidence to back such claims, gelatin supplements have few side effects and may be able to provide some moderate health benefits.
Identification
Gelatin is an odorless, light tan substance made from boiling the skin, tendons and ligaments of animals, usually cows and pigs. It's been used since ancient Greece for its gelling ability. It's touted as a good protein source, although it doesn't contain the essential amino acid tryptophan or any sulfur-containing amino acids. It does contain high levels of the non-essential amino acids glycine and proline, amino acids your body produces on its own.
Uses
Gelatin supplements are used to aid weight loss and to make hair stronger and shinier. People also take gelatin in hopes of treating arthritis, brittle bones, stiff joints and for strengthening fingernails. Gelatin may be able to shorten recovery time after athletic injuries caused by exercise. Manufacturers use gelatin for preparation of foods, cosmetics and medicines, and it's also used in film coatings and in paintball projectiles.
Expert Insight
There have been few studies on the health benefits of gelatin, and many are older and not replicated in follow-up studies. In a 2006 report from Russia, a research team at the Russian Academy of Sciences studied gelatin for the potential gastrointestinal benefits of itss amino acids glycine and proline. The researchers found that gelatin protected the mucous membranes lining the stomach and inhibited ulcer formation. There have also been claims that gelatin promotes joint health. A 1998 study at Ball State University's Human Performance Laboratory in Muncie, Indiana, sponsored by a food manufacturer, reported that a gelatin supplement seemed to relieve knee joint pain and stiffness in athletes.
Considerations
Gelatin is considered safe, with evidence that it is well tolerated in doses up to 10 g daily for six months. In some people it may cause stomach discomfort, bloating, heartburn and belching, and allergic reactions in rare cases. Because some gelatin comes from bovine sources, there has been concern it may harbor the prions that cause "mad cow disease," or bovine spongiform encephalopathy. However, most gelatin is extracted from pig skin, and the Food and Drug Administration has banned specific risk materials such as the brains, spines and spinal cords of cows from being used in gelatin.
References
- WholeHealthMD.com; Gelatin; June 2005
- Gelatin; Consumer Information; Dr. Bernard Cole
- Medical News Today; Gelatin Treats Ulcer; August 2006
- Ball State University; Gelatin Found to Reduce Joint Pain in Athletes; Tony Barker; October 1998
- Food and Drug Administration; Questions about BSE; January 2004
- Gelatin Manufacturers Institute of America: Q&A
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