About a year ago, I was engagement in one of those idle-gossip-conversations at work that involved a teacher spewing rhetoric about factories in Thailand. At the time I was eating candy that contained Gelatin, an ingredient that’s literally put into candy here and in Germany for some odd reason and the British teacher ERUPTED….
“Omg, you know those are made in factories here in Thailand. Cow skin and bones is what Gelatin is and it’s put into that mess.”
It wasn’t only him, but other staff members were predisposed to consuming candy that had the infamous “Gelatin” in it.
So, I finally did some research and my oh my, this is why you NEVER listen to the opinions of others and you just have to check it out yourself.
Gelatin is a protein made from the skins and bones of pigs and cows. It’s a common ingredient in a number of products, including: medicine, makeup, vaccines, and food.
Why do people take Gelatin?
Many people with arthritis take Gelatin supplements Gelatin contains collagen. That’s a material in the cartilage that cushions the bones in your joints.
The idea behind this usage is that eating gelatin (with collagen) will add collagen to your joints. However, that’s probably not true. The collagen in gelatin gets broken down when you eat it. It wouldn’t travel directly to your joints.
Nonetheless, there is some evidence that gelatin could help ease joint pain in people with osteoarthritis.
Then came Amanda Boone. Amanda Boone, who is the first person to win first at the World’s Toughest Mudder, actually takes hydrolysed Gelatin. She said in Tim Ferris’ book ‘tools of titans’ why she actually takes it….
“I’ve consumed Gelatin for connective tissue repair in the past. I’ve never stuck with it long term because Gelatin takes on a seagull poo-like texture when mixed into cold.” – Amelia Boone
“Amelia saved my palate and joints by introducing me to the Great Lakes hydrolyzed version (green label), which blends easily and smoothly.” – Tim Ferris
Amazing results from one of the greatest, ultra athletes in the world and a highly sought after writer/entrepreneur.
Interesting when we just go by the opinions of others and let that dictate what we believe at that specific moment. However, when you actually check things out and do the research yourself, you have your satori moment.
Podcast – https://www.spreaker.com/episode/10544369
Arsenio's ESL Podcast 
Good discussion, and gummy candies are tasty! 😉 I run ultramarathons and I add the exact same thing (green label Great Lakes Collagen) to my tea every morning. Even my extended family members have started using it and rave about improving the quality of their hair, nails, and joints. It’s no different than the collagen that comes from homemade bone broth. My vote, it’s pretty good stuff.
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Wow! Improves hair? Maybe I should definitely start using exactly that, just to see if I can fill in the missing spaces. Also, this year I’m going to have 5 competitions in four different countries so I definitely need joint support (supplement I use from Herbalife) and definitely get some green label on my trip to America. Ultra marathoners are incredible beings because the amount of pounding the joints take. Worked with a teacher a couple months ago that ran 8 hours in one day. Hats off to you!
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Thanks… I don’t go fast, but I go far. The main reason hair and nails are affected is because of the amino acids in the collagen/gelatin. Similar to how a lot of athletic supplements advertise aminos for recovery and performance. Good luck in competition and safe travels! (I’m jealous you get to go so many places)
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Wow. Thanks for telling me that! I love Tim Ferris’ book “tool of titans” and I will definitely have a lot more blogs up soon on things we deem to be bad but they’re actually not.
I’m fortunate enough to live in Thailand where I have Malaysia, Singapore, and gorgeous Bali (among dozens of other islands in Indonesia) nearby that have spartan races. Was thinking of doing a “beast” in Honolulu in August, but I’d rather just switch to Bali in October. Let me know how your ultras go and stay tuned for more! I’ll try connecting some podcasts with all of the blogs, too.
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