The Difference Between Collagen & Gelatin

In many Asian families, other than rice, broth is the staple food and root of daily life. It’s the foundation of flavour essence for many recipes and it is associated with labours of love as mothers or grandmothers spend a long time preparing and brewing the delicious broth. It is also often known as comfort food when someone in the family is sick or unwell, but what is it in the bone broth that makes it so comforting and becoming increasingly popular among the health enthusiasts?

Homemade bone broth is actually a nutrient-dense source of gelatin. The story of gelatin starts with a protein called collagen – which is an essential protein in the body for connective tissues, skin and bones. The degradation of collagen in our body often leads to issues like skin wrinkles, cartilage weakening or osteoporosis. However, what is the difference between collagen and gelatin if they sound like they are essentially the same?

Gelatin is made by cooking the bones, connective tissues, skin and tendons of animals, but with more intensive processing, a different product known as hydrolysed collagen is created. Both gelatin and hydrolysed collagen contain the same proteins and both are going to do wonders for your health, but the slight difference in between them is actually how it is formed and how it is used.

Unlike gelatin that dissolves in hot water and causes liquids to gel, hydrolysed collagen will not gel and can dissolve in both cold and warm liquids. Hydrolysed collagen has been heated to higher temperatures and then treated with enzymes. As it is processed more intensively, the proteins are actually broken into smaller pieces. Thus, making it easier to digest and be absorbed into the body faster. It is also suitable for people with digestion problems.

Instead of using stock or broth that we can readily source in cans from supermarkets, we should spend a little bit of time to cook our own broth as traditional, homemade broth contains more gelatin that brings us ample health benefits.

healthylivingThe Difference Between Collagen & Gelatin

Benefits of Blueberries

Many of us like to add blueberries into breakfast cereal or yogurt; these little berries not only add extra flavour to our breakfast cereal, but they are also little powerhouses that offer many health benefits that far exceed their tiny size.

Blueberries are rich in proanthocyanidin, vitamin C, vitamin K, manganese and other antioxidants that contributes to its numerous health benefits. It is one of the highest antioxidant foods in the world and consuming just one cup of blueberries provides nutrients like pterostilbene, gallic acid, lutein, zeaxanthin, vitamin K, vitamin C, manganese and fibre.

Out of all the nutritional components of blueberries, pterostilbene, although unheard of by many, stands out for a few reasons. Pterostilbene is classified as a compound called phytoalexins that protect plants from attack by bacteria or fungi. Pterostilbene is the cousin of resveratrol – found in grapes, but pterostilbene has superior bioavailability – of 80% whereas resveratrol is 20% – and a seven times longer half-life. In a way, it is more effective as it gets to where the body needs.

Pterostilbene, extracted from blueberries, acts as a powerful antioxidant. It promotes longevity as antioxidants are our best friend to keep Father Time at arms’ length by reversing damage done by toxins or free radicals.

Pterostilbene also aids in the rejuvenation of brain cells with its antioxidant and soothing properties. It can protect our brain cells from degeneration, neurotoxicity and oxidative stress, and also supports motor function and cognitive abilities in adults suffering from any memory changes.

Various studies have also found that consuming blueberries or more spefically, ingesting pterostilbene, supports healthy blood sugar levels by encouraging the body’s natural production of insulin. Blueberries are also good for heart health as they are known to regulate cholesterol levels and lower blood pressure naturally.

Blueberries are indeed great addition to any meal and great news is that pterostilbene is now readily available as an ingredient in dietary supplements – which provides the health benefits of cartons of blueberries in just a single capsule.

healthylivingBenefits of Blueberries