Gelatin Can Diminish Osteoarthritis Pain

Osteoarthritis is a common joint disease that normally implies a myriad of symptoms including distressing pain, swelling, irregular bone growth, and decreased motion. Those suffering from this condition most often feel pain in the knee, hips, fingers, back and neck. However, according to a recent study, it seems that gelatin consumption can help in diminishing osteoarthritic pain.

More on gelatin

Gelatin is an ingredient found in a wide range of products. It is colorless and flavorless. Normally, it is obtained from collagen, being extracted from the bones, skins or tissues of domesticated animals.

Plus, given its gelling properties, it is present in gummy candy, marshmallows and various jellied desserts. It is found in some cosmetic products and capsule pills as well.

Food gelatin is available to purchase as well, you simply dissolve it in water and as it cools off, the liquid receives a gelatin consistency.

Gelatin and Knee Osteoarthritis

A research developed concerning osteoarthritis clearly points that gelatin intake has a positive influence on the health of the patient suffering from this condition. The research was conducted on 175 study participants suffering from knee osteoarthritis. A part of the patients were given daily gelatin supplements while others were given a placebo.

Those who were given gelatin supplement accompanied by calcium and vitamin C benefited from significant health improvements. The symptoms associated with the condition were genuinely diminished.

Even though the results of the study show promising data, the health improvement of the patients cannot be linked only to gelatin intake. Patients were administered vitamin C as well, which is a highly-effective and equally powerful antioxidant. Consequently, it is believed that the symptom relief is, first, attributed to vitamin C intake.

In this respect, studies concerning dietary habits indicate that people that consume significant levels of vitamin C on a regular basis are less prone to develop this condition.

In a nutshell, if you suffer from osteoarthritis, you should consider pairing up gelatin supplements with a suitable vitamin C intake. Positive sources of this powerful antioxidant are berries and, certainly, citrus fruits.

Gelatin in your diet

If you prefer not to take gelatin supplements, you can certainly take advantage of its health benefits by implementing it in your dietary habits. Any food that contains gelatin can present a positive influence on your health. Jell-O is a great choice, of course, as long as it’s sugar-free! If you are keen on eating plenty of meat, then make sure you add more hearty bone broths to your meals, for increasing your gelatin intake.

Vegetarian option to gelatin

We wouldn’t want vegetarians to feel left out of the picture, thus, you should be glad to know that vegetarian substitutes are readily available for cooks. Nonetheless, the downside is that their effectiveness is yet to be tested. Therefore, it is still unknown whether it provides the same health benefits as that extracted from animals. Also, there is the alternative of gelatin extracted from fish, if that sounds more appealing to you!