Gelatin for arthritis: is there SCIENCE behind it?

October 31, 2016 10:02 AM

I'm as anti-woo as person can get, and my sister is the same. On a recent visit, she said she mixes a packet on unflavored gelatin powder (not Jello) into her smoothies, and it helps with arthritis pain in her knees, which I also suffer from. The theory is, it's made of collagen (protein) and will help with the ailing collagen in the joints.

I looked for solid proof on the internet for this, but got directed to sites with names like "Health Mama" etc. Can anyone verify the efficacy of powdered gelatin for achy knees and other joints?
SCIENCE! SCIENCE! SCIENCE!

posted by BostonTerrier to Health & Fitness (11 answers total)

Googling "gelatin for arthritis" finds several WebMD articles as top hits including one that describes a 2000 study on using gelatin for knee pain. I don't know how solid this study is considered or whether it has since been debunked, but it certainly seems worth a try, and gelatin is cheap enough.
posted by kindall at 10:11 AM on October 31, 2016

I'm not a doctor, and don't know how well regarded AAFP is, but this might be worth a read: http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/knee-pain/news/20000925/stiff-knees-take-some-gelatin-study-suggests
posted by jferg at 10:11 AM on October 31, 2016

Some fairly woo-free information from Arthritis Research UK.
posted by pipeski at 10:12 AM on October 31, 2016

Mixed results, five trials, Arthritis Research UK (but no cite that I can find to the trials themselves).

Abstract, "of interest"/"significant advantage over placebo", Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism.

The jury is still out, but some trials have had interesting enough results, and gelatin is harmless enough, that you're not hurting anything by doing it.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:15 AM on October 31, 2016

It's worth remembering that even if something doesn't affect the majority of the population, that doesn't mean it won't affect you (which is what my rheumatologist pointed out.) If it's got no side effects and a trivial expense, it can be worth trying. (I'm all for science, here, but our system is designed to find solutions for broad populations, not outliers. And hey, the placebo effect is an effect.)
posted by restless_nomad at 10:34 AM on October 31, 2016 [7 favorites]

I agree with the restless nomad, if it cause no harm at least you'll have strong nails.
posted by Duffington at 10:49 AM on October 31, 2016 [1 favorite]

tl;dr: Gelatin probably doesn't work, and if it does work it's not very effective (otherwise all these studies would show some results). On the other hand it's really safe, so try it if you feel like it.

"In a multicenter, randomized, doubleblind, placebo-controlled trial performed in clinics in the United States, United Kingdom, and Germany, results showed no statistically significant differences for the total study group (all sites) for differences of mean pain score for pain. There was, however, a significant treatment advantage of PCH [Pharmaceutical-grade collagen hydrolysate aka gelatin] over placebo in German sites. In addition, increased efficacy for PCH as compared to placebo was observed in the overall study population amongst patients with more severe symptomatology at study onset."

"Insufficient evidence to rate effectiveness for...

• A kind of arthritis called osteoarthritis. There is some clinical evidence that gelatin might relieve pain and improve joint function in patients with osteoarthritis.
• Brittle bones (osteoporosis).
• Strengthening bones and joints.
• Strengthening fingernails.
• Improving hair quality.
• Weight loss.
• Shortening recovery after exercise and sports-related injury.
• Other conditions.

"
posted by gregr at 12:22 PM on October 31, 2016 [1 favorite]

Yeah, gelatin probably can't hurt. On the other hand, there are supplements for arthritis that actually *are* supported by evidence (e.g. Cosamin) so if you want to do something about it, those might be a better starting point.
posted by phoenixy at 12:54 PM on October 31, 2016 [1 favorite]

Just remember that different remedies work differently for people with the same issue. AND that there is such a thing as a nocebo effect, in which an otherwise proven treatment fails to work simply because the patient is convinced that it won't work.

My point: gelatin helps some, not all, people with arthritis. But if you are convinced that there is not enough science to back it up, it just might not work for you.
posted by Neekee at 8:36 PM on October 31, 2016 [1 favorite]

Have you searched pub med? E.g.
posted by oceano at 9:35 PM on October 31, 2016

I can't answer wrt scientific journals about arthritis, but I can say that anecdotally, I have had shockingly good results when taking collagen for "achy knees and other joints." In fact, good enough and quickly enough that I wonder if it might be placebo effect. (Much improved aching joints in 2-3 weeks or less.) I used YouTherapy brand collagen from Costco.
posted by instamatic at 6:59 AM on November 1, 2016 [1 favorite]