Sometimes I get crazy ideas in the shower. I had been using some Knox gelatin to make my yogurt firmer, and I’d read in the past about gelatin being used to strengthen hair and nails. I got to wondering if there could possibly be any medicinal uses for gelatin, so after getting out of the shower and getting dressed, I turned to Google.
And I got so many hits that took me several days to wade through. Much of it is due to the fact that there are so many people, self-proclaimed gurus out there who claim xyz product will save your life, make you lose 30 lbs in a week, protect you from getting covid, etc. It would be unbecoming to crowd in on Dr. Fauci’s field of expertise. I had to separate hope from hype. It's almost unbelievable some of the effects this powder can have on the body. Not only can it help lower blood sugar levels in type-2 diabetics, but it also shows promise in reducing the mortality rate due to sepsis. That could be huge.
Unlike
many of the other herbs and substances profiled here on the blog, gelatin has
no antimicrobial effects. It doesn’t
calm coughs, relieve pain, or reduce anxiety.
It’s not a good source of vitamins or minerals. So what does gelatin have going for it,
medicinally speaking? The fact that gelatin
is 98–99% protein.
Unfortunately, because gelatin doesn’t contain all the essential amino acids, it’s not a complete protein. Specifically it lacks tryptophan. Yet this shouldn’t be an issue, because you’re unlikely to rely on gelatin as the sole source of protein and will be consuming many other foods that make up for this shortcoming. (Good dietary sources of tryptophan include milk, tuna, turkey, chicken, oats, cheese, peanuts, bread, chocolate, and fruit.)
The most abundant amino acids in gelatin, in their approximate percentages, are as follows:
- Glycine, 27%
- Proline, 16%
- Valine, 14%
- Hydroxyproline, 14%
- Glutamic acid, 11%
While sources indicate that the precise amino acid composition depends on the type of animal tissue used and the preparation method, the glycine component is what we’re particularly interested in. Although our bodies do produce some glycine, most of us do not make anywhere near enough to support good health. So we need to eat it. And for our purposes here today, gelatin just happens to be the richest dietary source of glycine.
So if you have ever wondered why hospital patients are served so much Jell-O (I always thought it was because it was cheap), this is it—gelatin is almost pure protein in a liquid, easily digested form that even the pickiest of patients will usually eat. Many hospital patients are recovering from something—surgery, fractures, etc.—where tissue needs to be rebuilt. Sometimes they also need a liquid diet or easily digested food. And the body’s building blocks are protein. They build and maintain the infrastructure of connective tissues throughout the body. Hence the Jell-O.
As with herbs, Big Pharma isn’t going to do any research into the medicinal uses of gelatin. There’s no profit motive, and if we’ve learned anything since the start of covid, it’s that the pharmaceutical industry is far more interested in profit than in health. The majority of studies are conducted in other countries, and even then, there aren’t a lot.
PREPARATIONS
Capsules. These are sold on Amazon and in some grocery stores in the vitamin/supplement aisle. (When ordering online, make sure you aren’t getting the empty gelatin capsules to be filled with whatever at home.) The capsules usually contain about 1000 mg of gelatin. Doctors generally recommend taking 5-10 grams per day, so that would be 5-10 capsules daily.
Powder. 1-2 teaspoons, about 5000-10000 mg, or 5-10 1000-mg capsules, can be stirred into water, fruit juice, tea, or smoothies. Gelatin powder dissolves more readily in room temperature liquids. It takes twice as long to dissolve in dairy products.
MODERN USAGE
· Endocrine
o Diabetes[1]
§ Lowered blood sugars in type-2 diabetics, 1 ½ packets of gelatin or 5 g glycine, 3x per day[2]
· Gastrointestinal
o Ulcers[6]
· Hepatic
o Alcohol-induced liver injury[7]
o Hepatic cancer[8]
· Musculoskeletal
§ Take with tart cherry juice for greater relief[13]
§ Take with vitamin C to slow progression of the disease[14]
· Neurological
o Learning
o Memory
o Obsessive-compulsive disorder[17]
o Sleep, 1-2 tablespoons of powder before bed[20] [21] [22] [23]
· Urogenital
o Benign prostatic hyperplasia[24]
· Other
o Anti-cancer (suppressed melanoma growth in mice)[25]
o Dietary glycine administration was shown to decrease the mortality rate of rats that experienced liver injury due to blood loss.[26]
o Intravenous glycine administration reduced the sepsis mortality rate in rats. The same appears to be true for endotoxin release and hemorrhagic shock.[27] Would consuming gelatin reduce the sepsis mortality rate in people? This has not yet been studied.
[1] MA Razak, et al., Multifarious Beneficial Effect of Nonessential Amino Acid, Glycine: A Review, Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, 2017, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5350494/ (accessed 28 February 2022).
[2] M Cruz, et al., Glycine treatment decreases proinflammatory cytokines and increases interferon-gamma in patients with type 2 diabetes, Journal of Endocrinological Investigation, August 2008, Vol 31 No 8, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18852529/ (accessed 28 February 2022).
[3] MA Razak, et al., Multifarious Beneficial Effect of Nonessential Amino Acid, Glycine: A Review, Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, 2017, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5350494/ (accessed 28 February 2022).
[4] IG Rubio, et al., Oral ingestion of a hydrolyzed gelatin meal in subjects with normal weight and in obese patients: Postprandial effect on circulating gut peptides, glucose and insulin, Eating and Weight Disorders, March 2008, Vol 13 No 1, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18319637/ (accessed 28 February 2022).
[5] A Hochstenbach-Waelen, et al., Single-protein casein and gelatin diets affect energy expenditure similarly but substrate balance and appetite differently in adults, Journal of Nutrition, December 2009, Vol 139 No 12, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19864402/ (accessed 28 February 2022).
[6] M Tariq, et al., Studies on the antisecretory, gastric anti-ulcer and cytoprotective properties of glycine, Research Communications in Molecular Pathology and Pharmacology, August 1997, Vol 97 No 2, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9344231/ (accessed 28 February 2022).
[7] MA Razak, et al., Multifarious Beneficial Effect of Nonessential Amino Acid, Glycine: A Review, Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, 2017, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5350494/ (accessed 28 February 2022).
[8] MA Razak, et al., Multifarious Beneficial Effect of Nonessential Amino Acid, Glycine: A Review, Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, 2017, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5350494/ (accessed 28 February 2022).
[9] S Isaka, et al., Evaluation of the effect of oral administration of collagen peptides on an experimental rat osteoarthritis model, Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine, June 2017, Vol 13 No 6, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28587333/ (accessed 28 February 2022).
[10] AG Schauss, et al., Effect of the novel low molecular weight hydrolyzed chicken sternal cartilage extract, BioCell Collagen, on improving osteoarthritis-related symptoms: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 25 April 2012, Vol 60 No 16, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22486722/ (accessed 28 February 2022).
[11] MA Razak, et al., Multifarious Beneficial Effect of Nonessential Amino Acid, Glycine: A Review, Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, 2017, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5350494/ (accessed 28 February 2022).
[12] M Tariq, et al., Studies on the antisecretory, gastric anti-ulcer and cytoprotective properties of glycine, Research Communications in Molecular Pathology and Pharmacology, August 1997, Vol 97 No 2, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9344231/ (accessed 28 February 2022).
[13] https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/articles/gelatin-dissolved-in-cherry-juice-combines-two-remedies-for-knee-pain
[14] https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/knee-pain/news/20000925/stiff-knees-take-some-gelatin-study-suggests
[15] KL Clark, et al., 24-Week study on the use of collagen hydrolysate as a dietary supplement in athletes with activity-related joint pain, Current Medical Research and Opinion, May 2008, Vol 24 No 5, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18416885/ (accessed 28 February 2022).
[16] JP Van Vijven, et al., Symptomatic and chondroprotective treatment with collagen derivatives in osteoarthritis: a systematic review, Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, August 2012, Vol 20 No 8, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22521757/ (accessed 28 February 2022).
[17] WL Cleveland, et al., High-dose glycine treatment of refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder and body dysmorphic disorder in a 5-year period, Neural Plasticity, 2009, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2825652/ (accessed 28 February 2022).
[18] MA Razak, et al., Multifarious Beneficial Effect of Nonessential Amino Acid, Glycine: A Review, Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, 2017, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5350494/ (accessed 28 February 2022).
[19] SE Lakhan, et al., Nutritional therapies for mental disorders, Nutrition Journal, Vol 7 No 2, 2008, https://nutritionj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1475-2891-7-2 (accessed 28 February 2022).
[20] MA Razak, et al., Multifarious Beneficial Effect of Nonessential Amino Acid, Glycine: A Review, Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, 2017, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5350494/ (accessed 28 February 2022).
[21] M Bannai, et al., New therapeutic strategy for amino acid medicine: glycine improves the quality of sleep, Journal of Pharmacological Sciences, 2012, Vol 118 No 20, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22293292/ (accessed 28 February 2022).
[22] K Inagawa, et al., Subjective effects of glycine ingestion before bedtime on sleep quality, Sleep and Biological Rhythms, February 2006, Vol 4 No 1, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1479-8425.2006.00193.x (accessed 28 February 2022).
[23] W Yamadera, et al., Glycine Ingestion Improves Subjective sleep quality in human volunteers, correlating with polysomnographic changes, Sleep and Biological Rhythms, April 2007, Vol 5 No 2, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1479-8425.2007.00262.x (accessed 28 February 2022).
[24] MA Razak, et al., Multifarious Beneficial Effect of Nonessential Amino Acid, Glycine: A Review, Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, 2017, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5350494/ (accessed 28 February 2022).
[25] MA Razak, et al., Multifarious Beneficial Effect of Nonessential Amino Acid, Glycine: A Review, Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, 2017, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5350494/ (accessed 28 February 2022).
[26] JL Mauriz, et al., Dietary glycine inhibits activation of nuclear factor kappa B and prevents liver injury in hemorrhagic shock in the rat, Free Radical Biology and Medicine, 15 November 2001, Vol 31 No 10, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11705702/ (accessed 28 February 2022).
[27] S Yang, et al., Glycine attenuates hepatocellular depression during early sepsis and reduces sepsis-induced mortality, Critical Care Medicine, June 2001, Vol 29 No 6, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11395604/ (accessed 28 February 2022).
19 may 2024
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