When was the last time you ate gelatin? It's probably been a minute, unless you've been influenced by TikTok's latest #FoodTok obsession. One IYDK user went viral for incorporating the ingredient into her daily routine, and she's been bragging about improvements to her damaged hair and rapid nail growth ever since. But are the benefits of the TikTok gelatin trend actually a misconception? According to registered dietitians, you may want to get your collagen elsewhere.
The trend took off during FYP after TikTok user Katie Du (@_ktdu_) started eating a cup of gelatin a day for 30 days to test the benefits for herself. "I tried various hair masks, conditioners, cold rinses, fermented rice water, collagen powder, etc. to repair my hair..." the creator wrote in a TikTok on April 6. "But I realized my hair and nails had never been as strong as they were when I was 6 to 11 years old." This realization encouraged users to "go back to basics," aka jelly, and thus, the 30-day challenge was born.
In an update released at the end of the month-long experiment, the creators compared two hairs, one at the beginning of 30 days and one that had recently grown out. Du shared that the new nails are "smoother and more even" than the old ones, revealing that her nails are growing faster. Since then, the TikToker has been sticking to her "daily dose of gelatin," this time dissolving a packet of unflavored powdered gelatin in a hot drink, or dissolving it in hot water and pouring it into a cold drink .
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Although Du's 30-day study results suggest that taking gelatin daily may not be as beneficial as its inventors claim. While the inspiration for using gelatin to improve hair, nails, and even bone growth may be based on science, Jessica Jones, RD and Premier Protein Cereal Nutrition consultant, explains that the evidence supporting the effectiveness of this trend is "limited."
If you need a refresher, gelatin is made from collagen found in animal tissues. Collagen is known to improve skin elasticity, increase hair thickness, promote healthy nail growth, and more, so it makes sense why this trend would be associated with these results. However, experts tell Bustle that "simply consuming gelatin may not guarantee a significant increase in collagen production in the body," which could mean this trend won't produce the same results for everyone. Sorry to be the one to debunk this myth.
Now we know gelatin isn't completely filled with collagen, but that still doesn't explain why the creators may have seen an improvement. Nutritionists believe the results may be "affected by factors such as the placebo effect, dietary changes accompanying gelatin consumption, or other lifestyle changes that may contribute to perceived improvements."
If you're looking to gelatin to solve all your hair and nail problems, nutritional advisors recommend considering taking biotin, vitamin E, and/or iron to address these issues. "If your nails are brittle, you may want to use biotin, which is a vitamin that works better at strengthening nails than gelatin water," Jones shares.
That being said, it's important to remember that everyone responds to nutrients differently, so there's always a chance your results will vary. To effectively address your own hair and nail needs, Jones recommends seeking "individualized guidance" from a health care professional or registered dietitian.
expert:
Jessica Jones, R&D and Senior Protein Grain Nutrition Consultant
