Side Effects of Knox Gelatin

Knox gelatin is a powder that can be mixed with water or other liquids to created a jelly or gelatinous dessert, side dish, and other foods. It is odorless and flavorless and has no sugar added. Gelatin is most often extracted from collagen from animal bones and tissues and refined into a powder form. While the most popular use of this flavorless powder is to make food, there are a number of Knox gelatin side effects and benefits that have nothing to do with food at all. These range from the most commonly known side effect—helping arthritis patients—to helping plants grow.

Knox gelatin contains amino acids that bodies need to create collagen. Collagen is essential for joint health and some studies, including one by Ball State University in 1998, have concluded that gelatin can help with joint pain, arthritis, or keeping the joints of athletes healthy. Knox markets gelatin for this purpose under the name of NutraJoint, which contains other nutrients for joint health along with gelatin.

There are those who believe one of the Knox gelatin benefits include better nail and hair health, but there are no studies as of early 2010 that support this. Knox gelatin does contain amino acids used in hair and nail growth, but most people’s bodies make enough of these nutrients without supplements.

Some of the most successful Knox gelatin side effects are quite positive, but don’t affect humans. These include using gelatin to grow big, healthy plants. Plain Knox gelatin contains nitrogen, which is an essential nutrient for plants, and this finding is backed up by a two-year-long study at the University of Houston. Gelatin is especially good for fertilizing indoor plants as it is clean and nontoxic. To use as a fertilizer, add a packet of gelatin to ¼ cup of cold water in a pitcher. Dissolve the gelatin in the water and then fill the entire pitcher slowly with water. Use this to water your plants once a month.

Knox gelatin can be mixed with a variety of other natural substances found in the home, usually in the kitchen, to benefit skin. Mix ½ teaspoon each of corn meal and gelatin and use on a dampened face for an all natural exfoliate. Or try ¼ cup lemon juice with ½ cup gelatin as a face mask (avoid the eyes). Due to the natural collagen in Knox gelatin, Knox claims it is good for skin treatments. There are no studies to support this fact solidly, but gelatin also has nothing in it to damage skin or the body.