Science Matters September 12, 2023
Gelatin makes nails stronger?
History
In 1890, Charles Knox and his wife Rose developed granulated gelatin derived from the hooves and hides of cows and pigs. The Knox couple insinuated that eating ground up hooves and hair would make you have strong nails and thick hair. They attached gelatin to beauty.
This “like cures like” mentality is a recurrent theme in medical history, especially among fads—and continues to this day in the form of “eat muscle to make more muscle” and “eat protein to make protein” and “eat collagen to make collagen”, etc.
John Knox, grandson of Charles & Rose Knox, developed a “Knox gelatin drink” specifically for healthy nails.
Fingernail Facts
• Thumbnails grow faster than other nails (left usually grows faster)
• Fingernails grow faster during pregnancy
• Fingernails grow faster during summer
• Fingernails are a multi-Billion-dollar beauty industry
Fingernail & Hair Science
• While hair & nails are made of protein, there is no evidence that eating hooves & hide makes your nails stronger or your hair thicker.
• There are foods much higher in protein than gelatin/Jello; and there is no scientific evi-dence that any foods strengthen nails and hair.
• Thick hair appears to be a single genetic variant (EDAR)
• Peeling nails are usually the result of repeated wetting and letting dry; so advice to pre-vent peeling nails would include limiting the number of times you change nail polish and using acetone-free nail polish removal.
Gelatin Facts
• Brand name Jell-O invented in 1895 by May & Pearl Wait. It was a flop and sold in 1899 for $450 to Mr. Woodard who was equally unsuccessful.
• Refrigeration in combination with a prepared powdered granule package—and an ag-gressive advertising campaign including the Jell-O girl (1904) and cultural endorsements by Norman Rockwell & Jack Benny—made Jell-O a popular national dessert.
• In 1936, Jell-O included pudding. In 1950, was the “Jell-O shot”
• Utah made it the official state snack where it is popular among Mormons.
• The horses in the Wizard of Oz that changed colors were sponged down with Jell-O.
• Jell-O is used by synchronized swimmers to hold their hair in place—a process called “knoxing”.
• Jell-O is the largest selling prepared dessert in the world.
• Gelatin is an animal product avoided by vegans and is used in multiple foods including broth, marshmallows and gummy bears.