Gelatin has been widely used in sports injuries to help rebuild cartilage and joints. By all reports (and popularity) this seems to do well in that area. (Collagen, Glucosamine, Chondrotin). Gelatin’s more traditional uses are in balancing beer and wine, in food and baking - and in Kombucha Tea. And used for centuries in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Used for clarifying wine, beer and kombucha tea. Gelatin is effective in reducing harsh flavors and aromas. Helps to keep the sediment on the bottom rather than floating around. Add just a touch of plain gelatin powder to the first stage of bottling. By the time you enter 2nd stage bottling the liquid will be perfectly clear. However, even if you don't add gelatin, usually bottled KT will clarify with age so after a few weeks the yeast will just form sediment on the bottom of the bottles. 2 stage bottling with gelatin gives you a chance to remove most of the sediment prior to long term storage.
While Bentonite Clay, is a negatively charged agent, Gelatin is a positive charged one.
The most common positively charged (+) particulate is protein, although many metallic compounds also carry positive charges. Protein is easily removed using negatively charged (-) fining agents such as Bentonite clay. There are, however, numerous negatively charged particulates, including tannin, phenolics, anthocyanins, yeast, and bacteria. These are removed using positively charged agents such as gelatin. Red wines, with their natural tannin, usually does not suffer from haze caused by proteins, but white wines easily do. This is why commercial white wines are routinely protein stabilized with Bentonite clay and red wines with gelatin. Gelatin is sometimes used after bentonite fining to compact the fluffy lees Bentonite Clay is prone to leave.
Gelatin (e jiao) is a valuable Traditional Chinese Medicine medicinal. Gelatin is a protein substance derived from collagen and found in the skin and bones of animals. Traditionally, gelatin (e jaio) was obtained from the hide of a donkey; extracted by boiling the hides, skins, bones and cartilage. The hides and skins undergo a series of processes before being boiled, which makes it easier to extract the gelatin. It is used in the creation of a variety of foods, including jellied meats, candies and desserts, and helps stabilize food products such as ice cream and marshmallows. Other industries use gelatin to manufacture items ranging from pharmaceutical capsules to cosmetics, ointments and lozenges. In Traditional Chinese Medicine Gelatin (E Jiao) is still made and used as it has been for centuries. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, gelatin has sweet and neutral properties, and is associated with the Liver, Lung and Kidney meridians. Its main functions are to tonify and enrich the blood, stop bleeding, and nourish yin. It is often used with tonic herbs such as rehmannia, codonopsis and peony
Although gelatin is a protein food, it is an incomplete protein. Unflavored protein is almost tasteless and odorless, and ranges in color from light yellow to a dark amber color. Many companies now sell gelatin as part of a finely ground mix, with sugar, flavorings and colorings added to make it more palatable. (KNOX GELATIN and JELL-O) When immersed in liquid (usually boiling water), the gelatin takes up moisture, then melts, forming a gel-like substance that solidifies as it cools. The gel can revert to its previous state if it is heated.
The standard Traditional Chinese Medicine recommended dosage of gelatin (E Jaio, which is as uper hard concentration) is between 3-15 grams, melted in water and taken orally. Of course there’s always room for Jell-O (one typical box is 6 ounces and makes four cups of Jell-O. Typical of these types of desserts are more sugar than gelatin with a good supply of artificial colors, additives and preservatives.
Possible Side Affects: Because of gelatin's absorptive properties, some researchers believe it can hinder digestion. As such, it should not be given to patients with dyspepsia or indigestion. As of this writing, there are no known interactions with gelatin. As always, make sure to consult with a licensed health care provider before taking gelatin or any other herbal remedy or dietary supplement. There are concerns of Mad Cow Disease. Although some food experts state that the process of liquidifyling the cartilage would surly kill everything - they still can not explain how MCD works or what causes it and may people remain skeptical of using it. Where gelatin is used in capsules there is a increased demand for organic vegetable gelatin capsules. E Jiao (Chinese Gelatin) is made from donkey skins and is presumed to be unaffected.