March 01, 2023 5 min read

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    If you stumbled upon this blog, you may be searching for a way to look better, gain more energy or practice a more balanced diet. Or you may simply just be curious about what these latest trends in health & wellness supplements are all about.

    Whichever it is, you’ve come to the right place. Here it is crisp and clear: Gelatin and Collagen are the modern world’s most commonly overlooked gemstones.

    Collagen & Gelatin 101

    Let’s break it down: although gelatin and collagen peptides are not the same, they do both originate from collagen. Both are proteins made up of amino acids that provide roughly equivalent health benefits. Some people find peptides easier to digest while others use gelatin for different culinary purposes (but we'll get to that later).

    Collagen & Gelatin: Up close

    Collagen is considered a special protein made up of amino acids due to its particularly high concentration of hydroxyproline content, which plays a key role in collagen stability.

    Collagen is the key component in every single connective tissue in our body. It is actually the most abundant protein in the human body. Collagen supports the blueprint design in our musculoskeletal system, which is technically responsible for every single movement we make. Collagen is also accountable for the consistency, flexibility, and regeneration of bones, cartilage, skin, hair, and other joints.

    Pretty necessary, don't you think? Amongst the many other benefits Premium Grass Fed Collagen Peptides provide is the contribution to a well-adjusted nutrition for athletic performance and healthy skin renewal. So, in everyday day language: a must have.

    Collagen is usually found in raw skin and tendons. In beef, for example, collagen is present in the parts of the meat (connective tissue) that people usually leave behind on their plates or feed to their dog. You shouldn’t be digging up the collagen straight from its source. Although theoretically, you could, it probably would feel weird to spend all day munching on raw animal bones and tendons. There are some ways to obtain hydrolyzed collagen from home cooking, but you'd probably have to make your kitchen resemble a chemistry lab due to its highly-refined process.

    Bone broth as a natural collagen source

    Grass-fed Beef Gelatin, on the other hand, is slightly different. As mentioned earlier, it's important to understand that even though gelatin and collagen share many technicalities and common properties, they are not exactly the same. Gelatin is simply the cooked form of collagen. In its hydrolyzed (the breaking down of a compound by chemical reaction with water) form, collagen is processed more intensively than gelatin, and the proteins are broken down into smaller pieces than those present in gelatin. In other words, the proteins in collagen are broken down into smaller pieces than those present in gelatin. However, both gelatin and collagen have the same amino acids, only that with different chemical properties, partly due to the cooking process.

    Thanks to processes that cook collagen-rich foods to extract collagen peptides (also referred to as Hydrolyzed Collagen Peptides Powder) and gelatin, now you can easily add those components to your everyday diet - easily and tastily. Besides, if you were wondering if this procedure would be easier to digest than eating raw collagen, then you are exactly right.

    Bone broths are a perfect example of this. They are extraordinarily rich in protein, specifically gelatin, and they also contain considerable amounts of minerals like calcium and phosphorus. Besides, bone broths are soothing and will definitely save you time and money: they are easy to prepare at home and bones usually cost under $2/lb!

    If you wish to consume gelatin and/or collagen peptides in powder-form almost every specialized retail store will sell them in many different formats and sizes. The trick is finding which product best suits you. Check the fine print and ingredient details to make sure you are consuming a product derived from an all-natural, sustainable source. Go for quality!

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    Everyday Use: How to incorporate Collagen Peptides and Gelatin into your diet

    Best Collagen Peptides supplement is good for cold and hot liquids and they provide an excellent protein-boost in smoothies and baked goods. They are easier to digest than gelatin and its proteins are more efficiently absorbed into the body. Given the fact that most collagen peptides are unflavored and dissolve in water, they work best in fruit juice, coffee, tea, or any other liquid you enjoy drinking daily. Other great mix-in options are oatmeal, yogurt, soup, and even scrambled eggs! We suggest taking your collagen alongside a good source of Vitamin C, as it supports collagen production in the body.

    On the other hand, Unflavored Beef Gelatin supplement is usually used in hot liquids, as it works as a thickener for soups, pudding, gummies, and ice cream. When cooking with beef gelatin, it should be bloomed on top of a small amount of cold (or room temperature) liquid first, so it can easily be stirred into your food. After doing so, you'll need to add hot liquid in order to fully dissolve the gelatin.

    While it takes more time for the body to digest gelatin than collagen peptides, gelatin the small intestine which is beneficial in promoting a healthy gut. According to Ray Peat, Ph.D., "The degenerative and inflammatory diseases can often be corrected by the use of gelatin-rich foods". He also suggests that " gelatin can make up about 30% of total protein intake, which for the typical person is about 3-6 Tbsp of gelatin per day (1 tablespoon of gelatin is 6 grams of protein)". Additionally, it’s been noted that patients with jaundice or other liver problems could be administered "5-10 grams of gelatin per day as food or via a powdered gelatin supplement to supply additional glycine to the diet in order to encourage normalized hepatic function." (Dr. Reuben Ottenberg)

    While this may seem like a superfood you want to jump into using, it’s important to ease into your gelatin intake., Adding too much too soon to your diet can actually cause digestive issues such as loss of appetite, bloating, and stomach aches. But, if used properly, gelatin will eventually help ease digestion, strengthen joints and bones, and improve the state of hair, skin, and nails.

    As was stated above, collagen and gelatin are definitely some of the overlooked gemstones of the modern diet and should be incorporated into everyday use!

    Looking for inspiration? Try out this quick gelatin recipe

    Quick gelatin recipe

    Homemade Orange Gummy Bears Recipe

    Ingredients:

    • 1/3 cup of juiced oranges, or other fruit juice
    • 3 Tbsp Unflavored Gelatin
    • 2-3 Tbsp Raw Honey (Depends on your sweetness preference)

    Directions:

    1. Heat up the mixture enough to dissolve it, stirring constantly (but don’t boil it because you’ll kill the probiotic qualities in the raw honey!)
    2. Pour heated mixture into silicone molds
    3. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes.  
    4. Enjoy!



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