1. Improves Hair and Nails

Gelatin contains keratin which our hair, nails and skin are made of. If you’re deficient in keratin, it can cause your hair or nails to be weak and grow slowly. One of the common beauty benefits of consuming gelatin is that it can make your hair and nails thicker, stronger and much healthier. You can also use gelatin as part of a hair treatment for some intense conditioning. Mix 1 tablespoon of gelatin powder with ½ cup of cool water. Next, add a ½ cup of hot water with 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and a teaspoon of honey to create a thick gel. Apply it to your hair for about 5 minutes, rinse well and shampoo as normal.

2. Improve Skin

Gelatin is also an excellent source of collagen as it’s essentially a cooked and powdered form of collagen that supports elasticity and helps improve the appearance of skin. Some swear by gelatin’s ability to improve stretch marks and its anti-aging abilities. You can get great results from consuming gelatin or you can also use it to make your very own pore strips to clean out pores. For step-by-step instructions on how to make pore strips, read here: petitelefant.com.

3. Improves Digestion

If you have a digestive disorder or would just like to help support and soothe your digestive tract, gelatin makes a fab digestive aid. Gelatin is said to bind to water to help support movement through the digestive tract as well as help heal the lining of your gut. This is especially important for those who have leaky gut syndrome and are looking for ways to heal your gut and food allergies.

4. Improve Sleep

Do you have trouble falling or staying asleep? Believe me, I can relate and eating gelatin is a good way to get the amino acid glycine into your system to improve sleep quality, cognitive function and decrease daytime sleepiness. According to a study published in Sleep and Biological Rhythms, consuming glycine, which gelatin is largely composed of, appeared to improve sleep quality in different ways to hypnotics and benzodiazepines.

5. Improve Joint and Bone Health

Another health benefit of eating gelatin is that it can help strengthen bones and reduce joint pain related to arthritis and injuries. Gelatin also has anti-inflammatory properties so it’s ideal for people who experience joint pain, and its rich content of amino acids helps prevent weakness and deterioration of joints and bones.

6. Helps Keep You Full

Since gelatin is a protein, it’s a good way to help you feel fuller, longer. Many people use gelatin as an alternative to traditional protein powders since it’s not full of sugar or artificial ingredients and it’s not highly processed. Gelatin is also thought to help boost the production of human growth hormone which can boost your metabolism.

7. Balance Hormones

Lastly and perhaps most importantly, an impressive health benefit of eating gelatin is that it can help balance out hormones. Gelatin is said to have anti-estrogenic effects, promote thyroid health and combat stress hormones. Too much estrogen can cause accelerated aging and infertility and out-of-whack stress hormones can cause premature wrinkles and weight gain.

Gelatin is relatively easy to find, but it’s important to find a good quality gelatin before you start adding it to your diet. Great Lakes is a great brand that gets its gelatin from humanly raised and grass-fed cattle, but there are many other great brands out there. What do you think of gelatin? Is it something you’d consider adding to your diet?

Sources: webmd.com, savorylotus.com, onlinelibrary.wiley.com, diynatural.com, wellnessmama.com, thehealthyhomeeconomist.com, naturalhealth365.com, livinthecrunchylife.blogspot.com, livestrong.com, innovateus.net, petitelefant.com, mixwellness.com