Methods and Forms of Adding Gelatin

Talking about gelatin, what is the first thing that comes to mind? For food lovers, it should be jelly, a refreshing dessert that is loved by many. Although jelly is not as common nowadays, the health benefits of gelatin are becoming well-known.

Gelatin is mainly derived from the collagen portion of animal's skin, bones, and connective tissues. It appears as white or pale yellow translucent sheets or granules with a glossy texture. Gelatin is a large molecule hydrophilic colloid and a high-nutrient, low-calorie health food. It can not only be used as a candy additive (such as in jelly), but also widely applied in the medical and chemical industries. Pure gelatin powder is mainly composed of protein with a unique amino acid spectrum, which brings many benefits to human health. The most abundant amino acids in gelatin are glycine, proline, valine, hydroxyproline, and glutamic acid.

Although the human body can produce some amino acids on its own, it is not comprehensive, so it needs to supplement other amino acids through diet. However, in daily life, people rarely consume foods rich in collagen from joints, tendons, and connective tissues every day, so it is important to supplement gelatin appropriately.

Benefits of pure gelatin powder for health

• Improves sleep: Gelatin is rich in glycine, and studies have shown that taking gelatin before bed can improve sleep quality.

• Improves skin: Gelatin can increase moisture and collagen content in the skin.

• Increases hair volume and improves hair quality: Several studies have shown that gelatin supplements can increase hair volume and hair shaft diameter.

• Improves bone and joint health: Although there is still insufficient evidence for using gelatin to treat osteoarthritis, recent studies have shown that gelatin treatment significantly reduces joint pain compared to a placebo.

• Promotes intestinal health: The glutamic acid in pure gelatin powder helps repair and protect the intestinal wall, preventing "leaky gut" where potentially harmful substances can enter the bloodstream through the intestines.

Methods of adding pure gelatin powder

A direct method of consuming gelatin is by making bone broth. However, this method has limitations in terms of gelatin absorption and can lead to weight gain. Another way is to consume pure gelatin powder as a thickening agent in recipes or incorporate it directly into water to drink before bedtime to help improve sleep quality. Gelatin can also be chosen in the form of supplements because our daily diet lacks sufficient gelatin.

Forms of pure gelatin powder

Gelatin is a water-soluble mixed protein substance that can form a gel. It can be classified based on the source material, such as skin gelatin and bone gelatin. Skin gelatin includes gelatin from cow skin, pig skin, chicken skin, fish skin, etc. Bone gelatin includes gelatin from cow bones, pig bones, chicken bones, fish bones, etc. Fish scale gelatin has been developed in recent years, extracting gelatin from fish scales. Fish scales are usually considered waste and discarded, but they contain abundant collagen, about 20%-40%, with low fat content. Traditional gelatin is mainly derived from pig and cow skin and bones, which may pose certain problems for people with religious concerns. However, with the development and utilization of marine fishery resources, fish gelatin is increasingly valued and becoming an important direction in the gelatin industry.