Gelatin Made From Bones

Is gelatin really healthy for your joints?

© jirkaejc | elements.envato.com You’ve probably heard this saying before: “Gelatin is good for your joints!” Accordingly, many patients believe that eating gelatin will help them with their joint pain and even osteoarthritis. But is this really true?

Our guide with the best foods for osteoarthritis.

Download our free PDF guide to the best foods for osteoarthritis now and get started on a healthy diet that can help you with osteoarthritis and also rheumatism. Enter your email address in the form to download the guide:

Exactly what is gelatin?

We all know the wobbly mass from gummy bears, marshmallows or Jell-O, but it is also contained in sausages such as aspic and aspic, many light products, some wines and fruit juices, peppermint candies and Christmas confectionery. But what exactly is gelatine? Gelatine is a mixture of animal proteins whose main component is animal collagen from pigs and cattle. In Europe, about 80 percent of edible gelatine is produced from pork rinds, while 15 percent is obtained from cattle split (layer between the upper and lower skin) and 5 percent from animal bones and fish.¹⁾

Why do many believe gelatin helps with joint pain?

Gelatin consists mainly of animal collagen, a protein that is also responsible for the structure of joint cartilage. Therefore, it sounds logical to many at first that taking gelatin could help build cartilage. In the past, gelatine powder or aspic was therefore often recommended for joint complaints, and even the well-known naturopath Hildegard von Bingen advised the consumption of boiled calf’s cartilage for joint pain in the distant Middle Ages. But what is the truth of these folk recommendations? How does modern medicine assess the effectiveness of gelatine today?

Does gelatin really help against osteoarthritis?

Some patients believe that they could relieve their joint pain by simply eating foods containing gelatin – such as gummy bears – on a regular basis. However, of course, this doesn’t help with the symptoms: Apart from the fact that gummy bears contain a lot of sugar, which is harmful to the body, they – like other gelatin-containing foods – are made of edible gelatin. However, the gelatin tablets or pills that are supposed to help against joint pain do not contain tough food gelatin, but water-soluble collagen hydrolysate.

So can the hydrolysate in gelatin tablets actually regenerate cartilage cells and thus help against osteoarthritis?

Many experts doubt whether any of the active ingredient reaches the joints at all, at least when taken orally, since the tablets are already decomposed in the stomach. However, studies show very different results here. Two examples: Pro efficacy of gelatine A study by the University of Kiel was able to show that a long-lasting accumulation of the active substance in the articular cartilage can very well be achieved by the oral intake of gelatine hydrolysate.²⁾ Contra effectiveness of gelatine In contrast, a study conducted in German, American and British clinics found no significant difference between a placebo and a gelatin preparation in the treatment of osteoarthritis.³⁾ Conclusion Effectiveness of Gelatine Due to the different study results, a systematic review of existing studies on the treatment of osteoarthritis with gelatin or collagen was conducted at the University of Rotterdam. The result: The scientific evidence for the effectiveness of gelatine preparations is currently so insufficient that general use in the treatment of osteoarthritis is not advisable.⁴⁾ We can also state as a final conclusion:

Taking gelatine alone cannot cure osteoarthritis.

If the actual cause of osteoarthritis is not eliminated, any cartilage build-up will immediately wear off. This is even confirmed by the studies that show an effect of gelatine preparations: After discontinuation of the active ingredient, the arthrosis symptoms immediately reappeared. In addition, since gelatin is an animal product, we do not recommend it anyway, as it contributes to hyperacidity of the body.

Our guide with the best foods for osteoarthritis

Download now our free PDF guide with the best foods for osteoarthritis and start with a healthy diet that can help you with osteoarthritis and also rheumatism. Enter your email address in the form to download the guide:

How can osteoarthritis be treated?

So gelatin can not cure osteoarthritis and relieve pain. But what can you do against joint wear and tear? The best way to do this is to look for the causes and at the same time learn what effective treatment can look like:

The right nutrients for your joints

For painful joints and for prevention, we recommend dietary supplements containing

selected, high-quality nutrients as well as those
that do not contain any additives and
without animal substances.

To keep your joints healthy, a sufficient supply of the most important micronutrients is important! Our premium nutritional supplement Arthro Forte+ is optimally adapted to these needs. >> Discover Arthrose Forte+ now in our store

The best foods for osteoarthritis

Enter your email address to download the guide:

You’ll probably also be interested in this:

Pain in the joint

Cause, treatment and exercises – here you get all the information you need to help yourself with joint pain. To the article

Tips for osteoarthritis

Heed these four tips and you can easily counteract joint wear and tear! Read the tips

Coffee and osteoarthritis

What is the truth behind the claim that coffee promotes joint disease? Here’s what’s behind it Gelatin Made From Bones.

Anna Hein

Gelatin Made From Bones