Not sure exactly. The hospital version had more stuff it than just jello and it sure wasn't a whole packet of jello made into tea, that would be gross ... too concentrated.

I think the tea idea was for older patients who maybe had a hard time eating or were resistant to jello as usual, which is understandable. Also, they wanted that collagen available at night while the body was at rest as part of the healing process. Jello tea can be flavored several ways or added to regular hot tea as a flavoring and be part of a nighttime ritual that also encourages sleep.

The lady I first heard about it from, I thought she was pulling my leg. But she was about 500 years old and limber as a dish rag. She had been in a terrible car accident around 30 years of age and had been given this tea while she was convalescing in the hospital. She was in traction for months and had a long road back to recovery. The tea helped her sleep at night and she liked it so much she kept on making it and had been having a cup every night before bed for over 60 years.

She was super sharp. All her faculties, excellent physical condition, and like I said...very lumber to be so aged. We should all be so lucky.

Of course, you can buy collagen in just about any format now. I bring it up because that may not always be the case, and as Michael said, not everyone can afford premium.