The National Institutes of Health recommends taking up to 10 grams of gelatin each day for up to six months as a supplement. Other meals that include gelatin include soups, broths, candies, and desserts. Gelatin is used as a thickener and stabilizer in food and pharmaceuticals. It can also be an ingredient in its own right, such as in gelatin salads and dishes with jellied sauces. Gelatin is derived from collagen, the main component of skin, muscles, bones, teeth, arteries, veins, lungs, stomach, intestines, and reproductive organs. Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body. People often use gelatin as a way to increase their intake of healthy minerals like calcium and magnesium. These minerals are bound to proteins inside our bones, making it difficult for us to digest them with our digestive systems. By taking gelatin supplements, we are able to absorb these minerals more easily. Additionally, because gelatin has excellent water-binding properties, it can help reduce constipation and diarrhea by keeping your stool soft and moist. Gelatin is used in medicine as a natural alternative to estrogen in menopausal women and in those who have lost the ability to produce their own estrogen. This form of hormone replacement is known as bioidentical hormone therapy (BHT).