Top 5 Health Benefits of Gelatin

Why You Want to Eat More Of It

Even though my parents were farmers and raised cattle, chicken and large gardens, the only “salad” I knew growing up was Jell-O with canned fruit. In the Midwest they have a lovely tradition of calling Jell-O desserts salads. My favorite was orange flavored Jell-O with canned mandarin oranges! Yum!

Sure, an occasional lettuce salad harvested from the garden appeared on our dinner table during the summer. But usually we set the table with our meat and potatoes, bread and “salad” – from a Jell-O mold.

Rounded nutrition it was not, but it turns out that gelatin – the base composition of Jell-O – can compensate for what you might be missing nutritionally. Yes, jello can be health food!

Anyone who has roasted a chicken (beef or pork) for dinner has seen beautiful glistening juices coagulating on the edge. This is gelatin, a cooked form of collagen. It is made by cooking down the bones, connective tissues and hides of animals, which are all rich in collagen.

Collagen is a protein from the connective tissues of animals that gives our skin its elasticity. Two amino acids compose collagen: glycine and proline. Your body cannot make enough of these amino acids on its own, especially as you get older. These amino acids are needed not only for proper skin, hair and nail growth but for optimal immune function and weight regulation.

Glycine has anti-inflammatory properties, speeds wound healing and even improves ease of falling asleep and sleep quality.

The brand Jell-O contains gelatin, but it also consists of colorings, sweeteners and/or sugar, as well as other flavorings. My not so favorite Jell-O “salad” growing up was lime flavored with carrot shreds, creating a cascading orange waterfall over and under a green mountain glob. Was my Mom trying to trick me into believing this green salad monster was nutritious?

But good old fashion gelatin is one of the healthiest foods you can eat and has many benefits, including:

• Reducing wrinkles
• Healing joints
• Building stronger bones
• Losing weight
• Restoring the gut

Before you run off to re-create memories of eating strawberry Jell-O with bananas, let me quickly describe some of these specific ways pure gelatin can benefit your body.

Benefits of Gelatin

Gelatin for Wrinkles 

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