Vivawoman writes…[Donkey skin] is reported to have great anti-aging effects, namely increasing elasticity of the skin, improving skin tone, preventing wrinkles and even eradicating pigmented spots.
The Left Brain responds:
Sarah Bellum found this story about eating donkey skin on Vivawoman’s blog. Can this possibly be true?
Donkey dermatology
The product that Vivawoman is referring to is “Donkey Skin Gelatin” and is described as consisting of donkey skin, black sesame, walnut, dried longans and rice wine. For the sake of argument, let’s assume that the product really does contain gelatin (which is made of collagen that comes from the animal hides and hooves). Does eating gelatin provide any benefits for your skin?
According to a fairly recent study (Tanaka M, Koyama Y, Nomura Y. Effects of collagen peptide ingestion on UV-B-induced skin damage. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2009 Apr 23;73(4):930-2), eating gelatin may actually help prevent some of the signs of aging. In this study, researchers at the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology fed gelatin to mice and measured the effect of ultraviolet light on their skin. One group of mice were fed what would be the human equivalent of one large tablespoon of gelatin everyday. They found that after 6 weeks the gelatin-ingesting mice showed a 17% increase in collagen content of their skin compared to the control group (who did not receive gelatin) who had a 53% decrease in collagen content.
The Beauty Brains bottom line
This is a single study on mice but if corroborated by further research and the appropriate clinical trials, it could indicate that eating gelatin can help your skin. Whether or not you choose to get your gelatin from slabs of Donkey Skin or a nice bowl of Strawberry Jell-O is up to you.
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
This article is quite interesting as there’s a “Eastern” school of thought that a tea made from mixing the Donkey gelatin and hot water will help prevent and correct white hair while also thickening strands. I’ve been trying to find some research substantiating this but it has been mostly word of mouth endorsement from people who drink this daily. I’m more concerned about possible harmful effects of this gelatin building up a reservoir in the skin. How do we know it’s safe for long term use?
Never ever draw a conclusion from a single study. I doubt eating gelatin will have any measurable effect at all!
Here are so many scientific studies claiming that certain substances will improve skin conditions, but these studies are not even followed by further research…
I would recommend to read P. A. Ioannidis paper “Why Most Published Research Findings Are False”.
Pukute, that is a very intriguing title
is that paper for download anywhere?
Ive been eating donkey skin for the last 12 months, the bald patch at the back of my head has nearly disapeared,my grey hair is starting to darken, i am 79 and everybody says i look much younger, i think it is very good for you, since taking it i have been going to the toilet regular each day.