Last night as I sat and watched television I opened up a bag of Swedish Fish. As I sat enjoying the delicious flavor of the gummy snack I did not give much thought to the fact that the gumminess of snack food was a potentially rebuilding my skin and adding to the elasticity of my cells. Growing up I was always taught that all snack food is essentially junk food and has no real nutritional value. However,
I recently learned that there are snack foods that are high in protein and contain hydrolyzed collagen which is essential for health bones, cartilage, and skin. Giving the Swedish Fish I was enjoying their gummy consistency the viscosity of the hydrolyzed collagen is what gives not only Swedish Fish, but all sorts of products their gummy texture.
As a parent I often indulge my children with a gummy based fruit snack. The sometimes juice flavored fruit snacks provide about 10% juices from the various flavored fruits that they represent and now that I know my children are receiving the health benefits of having the proteins of hydrolyzed collagen added to the fruit flavoring of their favorite snack treat I can feel good about giving them a treat that has some health benefits to them.
I have also learned that hydrolyzed collagen aids in the regeneration of damaged tissue. As a parent I know how easy it is for my children to suffer injuries and minor cuts and bruises that require a band aid and kiss to help them heal, but I have also discovered that their injuries are healed better with a dose of collagen proteins that are an essential building block for the bodys ability to regenerate cells and tissue that children are prone to.
Found in 30% of all animal proteins hydrolyzed collagen keeps skin looking and feeling younger as is responsible for proper joint function and movement. Because the cartilage within a joint acts as a cushion between the bones, having soft pliable amount of cartilage is essential to the healthy movement of joints throughout the body. As I thought about all of the benefits I and my children were gaining from enjoying a snack of Swedish Fish I could not help but think I was actually doing something good for my body and not filling it with sugar or artificial colors.
By eating a small portion of the gummy snack treat I was actually helping to replace the hydrolyzed collagen that my body needs to be healthy and strong. Who know gummy snacks could actually be good for you?