The important differences between collagen hydrolysate (peptides) and gelatin, and a comparison of both to identify which one is better for anti-aging, cooking and overall health.
Gelatin (also known as cooked collagen) is a wonder food with anti-inflammatory and anti-aging qualities, as it helps to fill in the missing amino acids (the building blocks of proteins) in the standard American diet.
According to Ray Peat, Ph.D., “The degenerative and inflammatory diseases can often be corrected by the use of gelatin-rich foods” (1).
One of the greatest benefits of using gelatin is to help balance our amino acid intake. Because collagen makes up approximately 50% of the whole animal, gelatin can be used to help create a more complete protein balance in our diet. The standard American diet tends to be very high in muscle meats (such as beef, chicken, lamb, and turkey), which when not balanced by other proteins (such as eggs, fish, dairy, shellfish, organ meats) can contribute to inflammation over time (2).
The benefits of gelatin are many as it has a unique and very non-inflammatory amino acid profile, primarily consisting of glycine, glutamic acid, proline, and alanine (tryptophan and several other amino acids are completely missing).
Although these are non-essential amino acids (meaning your body can make them), many malnourished and over-stressed livers are not able to manufacture all the non-essential amino acids in the amounts demanded by the body. The liver needs an abundance of these proteins to keep functioning optimally, particularly to fuel phase 2 detoxification. This helps your body detox or “take out the trash” in our toxic world, reducing inflammation!
Gelatin versus Collagen Hydrolysate
Although the most nutrient-dense source of gelatin is homemade bone broth (since it contains minerals as well), powdered versions offer a more convenient way to consistently get it into your diet.
Processing
I spoke personally with the president of a company that produces collagen and gelatin to get the low down on exactly how collagen hydrolysate (also called hydrolyzed collagen) and gelatin are processed.
According to this reputable source, the company uses grass-fed beef hides for the raw material for their bovine products. The split hides (under the hair where the collagen lies) are put into an alkaline solution and held for a number of days where the material is broken down into smaller pieces of skin.
Next, it’s acid back washed and pumped into cooking kettles which separate tallow, skin, and collagen. The collagen is then filtered and put through a vacuum evaporator at 212 degrees F (a very delicate process). After evaporation is complete there is a four-second sanitation process at 240F degrees that kills any unwanted bacteria. At this stage, it is classified as pure collagen.
Collagen hydrolysate (quality sources): The collagen is stored in a holding tank at a higher temperature to reduce the molecular weight cleaving the amino acid bonds. This process is called hydrolysis. At the appropriate time, it is then introduced to the spray dryer whereas the product is made into a dry powder.
Gelatin (quality sources): The collagen is sent to a votator, chilled and solidified, pumped onto a drying belt, and is now considered gelatin. It is dried to under 12% moisture, milled to a granular specification and packaged.
How to Best Use Each Type of Collagen
Collagen hydrolysate – The hydrolysis process described above renders the gelatin powder more easily digestible and appropriate for those with digestive weakness and sensitivity. I find this type of gelatin best used as a protein powder with careful dosing (see Important Note below).
Mix collagen hydrolysate in drinks, shakes, smoothies, ice cream, or add a tablespoon to your favorite recipe to give it an anti-inflammatory protein boost. It will dissolve in cold liquids easily.
Having collagen hydrolysate with a meal that contains muscle meat can help balance the amino acid profile that enters your bloodstream. “If a person eats a large serving of meat, it’s probably helpful to have 5 or 10 grams of gelatin at approximately the same time, so that the amino acids enter the bloodstream in balance.” Ray Peat, PhD. (3)
Gelatin – Regular gelatin is only hot water-soluble and best used to create foods that gel (fruit snacks, healthy jello, homemade marshmallows, desserts, etc).
How Much Do You Need?
Individual needs will vary, but most people can start off with about ½ -1 tablespoon per day of collagen hydrolysate (either as powder or capsules), and increase by 1 tablespoon every two weeks or so as tolerated.
According to Ray Peat Ph.D., gelatin can make up about 30% of total protein intake, which for the typical person is about 3-6 TBL of gelatin per day (1 tablespoon of gelatin is 6 grams of protein).
Contraindications
Remember not to get too carried away with either gelatin or peptides. Adding too much too quickly can cause digestive issues: bloating, loss of appetite, stomach ache is just a few side effects.
It’s important to remember that more is not always better, especially if you are adding it to your diet for the first time.
Gelatin should be used in addition to a nutrient-dense diet and not to replace real food like homemade bone broths and grass-fed meats.
Where to Find the Best Collagen and Gelatin
Perfect Supplements and Radiant Life are the only two companies that currently offer a quality source of both collagen and gelatin that is gently manufactured and third-party tested/certified for purity (no glyphosate residue risk!).
These quality protein supplements blend easily into the beverage, smoothie, or food of your choice. Choose between grass-fed collagen, and gelatin both available in large, economical canisters.
Marine collagen is also an option for those fish-eating vegetarians.
This supplement is also available in very convenient Type II collagen capsules. This is a great option for traveling.
References
Great Lakes FAQ
Gelatin, stress, longevity by Ray Peat
More Information
The Reason You Need More Gelatin in Your Diet
5 Reasons Your Stock Won’t Gel
Bulletproof Coffee (even with added peptides) Shoots You in the Foot
My son, now 16, has tested positive for gelatin allergy after an anaphylactic reaction to MMR vaccine at 15 mon. (Wish I knew then what I know now…) So are there risks to taking this form of gelatin or collagen hydrolysate in foods when you have been “diagnosed” with an allergy to gelatin?
I would work with your doctor or healthcare practitioner on this one.
i thnk you should ”bless” your child with more government ”care”… this is what you want? this is what you get! sheep.
Joel…Wow…really?? I said in my post I wish I knew then what I know now. Thst was 15 years ago. Have you learned anything in 15 years or were you always so smart? @ss. Thank you for such a helpful reply.
The kind of person who goes around labeling another person whom he knows absolutely nothing about is what I would refer to as a “sheep.” You’re using your health knowledge in order to feel superior and it has turned into the same kind of dogma that religious wars are based on. Some perspective and compassion would do you some good.
I agree with you Dawn in regards to what you said to Joel, but really, most “religious” wars are not what we are taught in our modern revisionist history. People need to look into the type of belief system those who adhere to Islam actually have and not what political spin is being put on them now and in the semi-recent past by Bill Clinton.
Christians have been demonized by those in our current culture for political benefit, of which there is not enough space here to make my case and point. When you actually look into what happened in the crusades, if that is what you mean by religious wars, then you can see it was in self defense that Christians acted.
I have read the modern accounts of those who have escaped Islam, I have looked into the belief system for a few years now, and it is anything but what it appears at face value. They are taught to lie to those of us that are without. They are extremely violent and intolerant of anyone that does not agree with them, they are good at playing the victim until they are the majority and then heaven help anyone that does not agree with them.
I think more people would do well to look more into this.
http://www.intercollegiatereview.com/index.php/2014/05/12/you-thought-the-crusades-were-evil-until-you-read-this/
http://christianthinktank.com/
http://www.anti-cair-net.org/
The Christian Think Tank has many articles explaining the “atrocities” in the Old Testament Bible. The first link gives a good refutation on what people think they know about the crusades.
sandy, your comment is really out of place to this thread. it seemed to be a response to feeling that people of faith were under attack.
secondly you are proving the poster’s point.
That’s mean. We live and learn.
As one of gelatin’s primary amino acids is glutamic acid, is there any concern for those who are especially sensitive to MSG? In some of my research I have come across suggestions to avoid gelatin if one is sensitive to MSG. Any thoughts on this? Is there a difference between the naturally-occurring glutamic acid in collagen and the glutamic acid (as MSG and other additives) in processed foods?
According to Great Lakes, their gelatin contains no MSG and “Glutamic acid as part of protein chains is not considered a problem for MSG sensitive individuals.”
You can read more about the MSG related findings when they sent samples of their products for testing here: http://www.greatlakesgelatin.com/consumer/noMSG.php
Hi. Yes gelatins do have some naturally occurring glutamic acid. There is a brand that safely removes it from the gelatin called Bernard Jensen, and it’s made from healthy cows. You can purchase it from the Radiant Life Company, one of the healthy home economist’s sponsors.
I very sensitive to msg,when i eat gelatina,i have alergy to it.
Glutamic acid is not MSG. MSG is monosodium glutamate. Your body makes glutamic acid, so it isn’t the intake of GA that’s the problem so much as perhaps an overdose of it as compared to your intake of other amino acids.
Best way to find out if it really bothers you is to try it.
Yes, our bodies produce glutamic acid, but the amount is precisely controlled. Consuming glutamate in our food has exactly the same effect as consuming MSG – it artificially increases the amount of glutamate in our cells, which causes excitotoxicity (basically exciting brain – and other – cells to death and causing inflammation, as well as inflammation related disease). This information has been painstakingly researched and reported by Dr. Russell Blaylock, renowned neurosurgeon, author, and lecturer, who serves on the editorial staff of the Journal of the American Nutraceutical Association. Incidentally, Dr. Blaylock was recently awarded the Integrity in Science award by the Westin A. Price Foundation.
Edger Cayce said, back in the 1930’s – 1940’s to use gelatin (meat derived) as a lunch every day, with raw, grated vegies. –locally grown, of course…….
Is Collagen Hydrolysate safe? It seems to be that what is being described is a very denatured product. Denatured protein is what makes protein powders so bad- so why is Collagen Hydrolysate being promoted as good?
How do you define “denatured?”
I just discovered the Bulletproof coffee and read that some people are adding Great Lakes gelatin in their coffee. I’ll try that tomorrow morning.
What perfect timing. I was just researching gelatin yesterday and wondering which one to get. Thanks!
Need a kosher source, do you know on one?
My can of Great Lakes beef gelatin says that it is kosher. There is also a pork gelatin, so read carefully!
Thanks Pat 🙂
Bernard Jensen’s gelatin is also 100% bovine.
Love gelatin, and so do bugs. My gelatin is full of cockroaches. I just spoon them out and eat it anyway. But now it stays in the fridge.
Are you kidding?..lol.. It’s not normal to have cockroaches.. you should move if your place is infested. Cockroaches carry salmonella on their undersides so you may want to think twice before eating something they have crawled on.
Yay! Thanks for this info! I was just looking to buy gelatin for the first time and wasn’t sure which to get. Perfect timing!