Against several opinions that gelatine has no nutritional value, it is known today and proved by several scientific and clinical studies that collagenous protein is an important nutrient especially for the health of bones and joints. Annelore Schott reports.
There is no doubt that collagenous protein is important for human nutrition. If there is not enough collagenous protein in the daily diet, this lack causes deficiency syndromes. Because nutrition in highly civilised countries is often unbalanced, some nutrients are no longer part of the diet. Gelatine and Gelatine Hydrolysates obtained from native collagen are among these missing nutrients.
Gelatine hydrolysates are extracted by an enzymatic process from native collagen found in bones and hides of mammalians. It is high in glycine, proline, hydroxyproline and lysine, which are also the amino acids found in higher concentrations in connective tissue of the human body. Gelatine and Gelatine Hydrolysates are both important nutrients for the collagen synthesis of the body.
The most often used argument against a collagen rich diet for improved joint health is that large molecules like peptides do not reach the area where Osteoarthritis occurs, the joints. It is still expert opinion that only mono amino acids can pass through the intestinal wall and that the gelatine molecule has to be split into mono amino acids, which have no impact on the joint or bone health.
Scientific experiments of S Oesser et al in 1999 have proven that larger molecules from gelatine hydrolysate can penetrate through the intestinal wall. Molecules even up to 10000 Dalton could be absorbed.
The same publication showed the migration of radioactive labelled gelatine in mice. The concentration was proved to be in the area of the joints within a period of three weeks after the original intake.
Summarised, it can be said that Gelatine and Gelatine Hydrolysates are, after oral intake, absorbed as well as deposited and stored in collagenous tissue of the body.
Several clinical studies with patients from athletes to elderly women suffering from Osteoarthritis or post-menopausal Osteoporosis showed that collagenous protein in the form of gelatine and gelatine hydrolysate can help people who suffer from different diseases of the joints and bones. Beuker and Rosenfeld examined 40 patients with sports injuries and chronic joint diseases. More than 60 per cent showed after therapy with a daily dosage of 10g gelatine hydrolysate a significant functional improvement and a higher pain threshold. In 1991, Adam published the results of a randomised placebo controlled double blind study with 81 mainly elderly people suffering from degenerative Osteoarthritis. After a six month treatment with 10g gelatine hydrolysate daily, this group felt significantly better than the placebo group and could even reduce their intake of analgesic and antiphlogistic medication.
There are some more studies, which all show that collagenous protein should be a nutrient for all groups in the population to strengthen the joints and bones. The intake can have different reasons and purposes. People who already suffer from joint or bone diseases should be given products that have the daily dosage in concentrated form such as capsules, powder drinks or liquid products. But for all other people from children to athletes and healthy adults, Gelatine or Gelatine Hydrolysate should again become part of the daily diet. To do that, a good possibility is to fortify different suitable food products with collagenous protein.
Good opportunities are found in confectionery products, which already use some collagenous protein as stabilisers in the form of gelatine. Those are for example all gummy products. The possibility to have portions of 5 or 10g of Gelatine and Gelatine Hydrolysate in a 50 or 100g bag of fruit gums is a good chance to supply the body with these special joint and bone nutrients. And that always happens when one consumes these fortified gums. Other good products for fortification are confectionery and cereal bars. By replacing part of the sugar with Gelatine Hydrolysate, a specific portion of collagenous protein is consumed with each bar.
These suggestions do not mean people must eat gummies and bars every day. For healthy people it is an opportunity to consume bone and joint strengthening nutrients when they consume these products.
Collagenous protein, which is no longer part of the average diet, is an important nutrient for joints and bones. For this reason it makes sense to fortify different food products and even confectionery products with Gelatine and/or Gelatine Hydrolysate. It is a fact that the consumption of confectionery products is part of today's nutrition. All warnings of nutritionists do not help to decrease this high intake. So, why should one not use certain confectionery products as a source for special important nutrients for joints and bones?
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Annelore Schott is Manager Food Applications Customer Service with Gelita Europe, Eberbach, Germany. www.gelita.com
