15 Benefits of Bone Broth

History of Bone Broth

Can you remember as a child when you were sick and was given chicken soup to make you feel better? That’s because it contained bone broth benefits!

Bone Broth has been used for over 2500 years as Chinese medicine to improve kidney and digestive health.

Only a few generations ago, bone broth would be combined in a stew to minimise food wastage.

Bone broth has many names. The French call it “bouillon”. The Spanish and Portuguese know it as “caldo”. In Italy, it goes by the name “brodo”. I know it as broth.

With the rise in popularity of the paleo, GAPS, and keto diet, as well as general healthy living, this amazing healing elixir is fast becoming well known for its anti-aging qualities.

What is Bone Broth?

Bone Broth is a ‘liquid gold‘ made by simmering the bones and connective tissues of various animals. This includes the feet, hooves, beaks, fins, gizzards, connective tissues, etc.

The most popular broths are made from beef and chicken but it’s also made from fish, pork, venison, oxen, bison, lamb, turkey, etc.

How to make Bone Broth?

There are numerous recipes for bone broth available, but the basic ingredients are bones, water, and vinegar.

The quality of bone broth is purely determined by its contents and the cooking time.

It’s commonly made by simmering bones, vegetables, herbs, and spices in water and apple cider vinegar for approx 24-48 hours.

Do not confuse bone broth with stock. Although they are very similar in terms of ingredients, stock is generally produced by simmering for 2-12 hours making it less nutritious.

Bone Broth Contents

Bone Broth contains an abundance of minerals and amino acids including, collagen, gelatin, glycosaminoglycans, glycine, proline, glutamine, and bone marrow.

The mineral content depends on the broth but generally includes calcium, magnesium, copper, iron, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and zinc.

The collagen content of beef bone broth is different from chicken bone broth. Beef broth contains mainly collagen type 1 and 3 and chicken broth contains collagen type 2.

Type 1 and 3 collagens make up your skin, hair, nails, bones, discs, and gut lining, whereas Type 2 collagen makes up your ligaments, tendons, connective tissue, fascia, etc.

Each type has a different function of importance, but according to Dr. Axe, collagen type 2 is the most needed collagen on a daily basis.

Uses of Bone Broth

Due to the liquid and dehydrated form this anti-ageing elixir is available in these days, you can basically add it to any type of meal or enjoy it on its own. I steer clear of supermarket broths as I’ve found them to be relatively bland in flavour and less nutritious.

Examples of its many uses include soups, stews, stir-fries, sauces, casseroles, smoothies, gravy, stuffing, mashed potato, marinades etc.

Its commonly consumed as a tea or blended it into a bulletproof coffee.

I drink it as a tea and add it to my cauliflower rice for a huge flavour punch.

With a tiny bit of imagination, you can include bone broth into so many different recipes to boost not only the flavour but the nutrient content to each of your meals.

Instead of adding water to any of your recipes, add bone broth instead, and enjoy!

The Benefits of Bone Broth

“Good broth resurrects the dead.” – South American Proverb

This healthy beverage contains over 19 amino acids and is loaded with essential fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals which are easily absorbed in the body for maximum benefits.

It’s advised to have 2-4 servings of ‘liquid gold’ daily. I use it once daily, as a meal replacement for my lunches, and the arthritis in my ankle is nowhere near as painful or debilitating as it used to be. Wahoo! All I do is add a teaspoon of broth to a mug of hot water and voila, lunch is done!

Although there isn’t much research to prove the many benefits of bone broth or “Jewish penicillin” as it has been labelled, evidence of its contents suggests the powerful effects it can have on your overall health. These health benefits include:

1. Healthy Skin, Hair, and Nails

The amino acids in bone broth produce collagen which is the most abundant protein in our bodies. They are the natural building blocks of skin, hair, and nails. This improves the firmness of your skin making it more youthful, encourages hair growth and shine as well as strengthen nails. Collagen also reduces the ugly appearance of cellulite!

Proline found in bone broth plays an important role in wound healing.

2. Healthy Joints

This superfood is also packed full of glucosamine and chondroitin which form cartilage, protecting your joints from arthritis.

Bone broth also contains proline and glycine which the body uses to build tendons and ligaments. This has been proven to relieve the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

3. Healthy Gut

Bone broth strengthens the lining of the gut. The amino acids build the walls of the colon and the intestines. It’s rich in gelatin which has been shown to effectively relieve digestive issues akin to leaky gut, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and Crohn’s disease.

4. Healthy Immune System

Bone broth promotes the growth of probiotics enabling greater absorption of nutrients to strengthen your immunity to diseases and infections.

The amino acids arginine, glutamine, and cysteine in bone broth are well known for soothing the symptoms of the common cold and bronchitis.

5. Reduces Inflammation

Inflammation is the major cause of many ailments in our body including arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, etc etc.

The amino acids glycine, histidine, and cysteine have known anti-inflammatory properties. Arginine has been shown to reduce inflammation related to obesity and glutamine reduces gut inflammation.

6. Detoxification

Bone broth helps the liver rid the body of harmful toxins thereby providing support for overall health.

7. Weight Loss

Due to its high nutrient content, bone broth is an excellent way to break a fast or use it as a meal replacement when fasting. It’s low in kilojoules but high in satiety due to the gelatin content.

The glutamine found in ‘liquid gold’ boosts metabolism and helps burn fat.

8. Improves Hydration

As bone broth contains electrolytes, it’s better able to rehydrate the body than water alone. Instead of diving for the Gatorade when doing prolonged activities, aim for a more natural and healthy alternative.

9. Improves Sleep

Glycine, the amino acid found in bone broth, has been found to positively influence your sleep in a number of ways. For example, it helps you fall asleep faster, reduces symptoms of insomnia, increases sleep efficiency, and improves sleep quality. Glycine also increases serotonin levels which, in turn, produces melatonin – the sleep hormone.

10. Improves Mood

Approximately 90% of serotonin – the feel-good hormone, is produced in the stomach and bone broth boosts its production, thereby improving and balancing your mood.

11. Boosts Fertility

Bone broth is packed with good fats, proteins, and other cell-building compounds that fuel the necessary body systems for a healthy functioning reproductive system. It has the power to heal infertility problems as well as increase overall fertility.

12. Controls Candida

Candida albicans is the most common yeast in your digestive system and in small amounts can be highly beneficial to your gut microbiome. Sometimes, due to various reasons (e.g. antibiotics and poor diet), the fungus can grow out of control, causing stress and chronic illness. The collagen in bone broth helps to build a healthy gut lining and starve off any candida overgrowth.

13. Normalises Blood Pressure

The walls of your arteries are made up of collagen which deteriorates with age and an unhealthy lifestyle. Bone broth helps to reduce inflammation allowing greater blood flow, which stabilises your blood pressure.

14. Promotes Muscle Growth

The muscle-building ability of bone broth is mainly due to its glycine content. Glycine prevents muscle degeneration and is a necessary ingredient in the production of creatine, which helps promote strength and muscle development. Glycine also stimulates the production of human growth hormone which is responsible for lean muscle mass. It is commonly used by bodybuilders and athletes.

15. Cancer Treatment

The aggressive nature of chemotherapy and the overload of medications, puts an enormous strain on your gut microbiome, making it difficult for your body to absorb nutrients. Due to the dense nutrient content and its bioavailability, bone broth is highly recommended to patients receiving chemotherapy and cancer treatment.

“1/3 of cancer deaths are caused by tissue wasting… and bone broth may help to shut down this wasting in cancer patients!” (hcb2.org)

Bone Broth Fast

Many people question whether or not they can consume bone broth when they are fasting. The simple answer is yes. Although you are technically consuming calories, moderate amounts of low carbs with high fat and medium protein won’t throw you out of ketosis.

The bone broth fast is a modified intermittent fasting diet with bone broth replacing your meals throughout each day of your fast. This enables your body to receive valuable electrolytes it would not normally receive on a water-only fast.

Generally, a 3-day fast is preferred whereby you consume 5 cups of bone broth throughout each of these days in an 8-10-hour time window. Only water, tea, and coffee can be consumed throughout the other time period. The intention is to allow time to repair the gut lining by not allowing any inflammatory foods to enter the digestive system. The bone broth fasts also cause autophagy whereby damaged cells are removed to prevent inflammation and promote the growth of healthy cells.

People usually commit to a bone broth fast when their body is fighting an autoimmune response to their diet/lifestyle. It’s also valuable for getting over colds/flus, food poisoning, and any digestive issues. Some people opt for the bone broth fast to lose weight, detox, on an elimination diet, or to kick start their ketogenic diet.

Bone Broth Diet

The bone broth diet is a combination of a low-carb paleo diet and intermittent fasting throughout a 7, 14, 21, or 30-day period. It involves eating low carb paleo foods for 5 days of the week with a bone broth fast for 2 consecutive days.

It’s important that throughout the dieting period, you must eliminate grains, dairy, legumes, sugar, and alcohol.

The intention of this diet is to burn fat, reduce inflammation, and support gut health. It’s also supposed to improve blood sugar, wrinkles, and joint pain but more scientific research is required to validate these claims.

Bone Broth and Pets

When it comes to bone broth, what works for humans also works for your cats and dogs too. The bonus is, your pets absolutely love the taste of bone broth. This makes it easy to combine the broth with less favourable foods to help it get eaten. It’s important to note that it should not be used as a meal replacement, rather a healthy addition to their existing diet.

Store-bought bone broth may contain garlic and onions which are toxic to pets, and therefore I would purchase a specialty pet bone broth to ensure maximum benefits with minimal side effects.

Bone Broth and Pregnancy

Due to its high nutrition content, bone broth has numerous benefits for the mother and baby. It provides the necessary nutrients to build healthy organs in the foetus.

“Babies who receive good nutrition in the womb are at a lower risk for many serious diseases in their child and adulthoods, including high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, breast cancer, autism, and ADHD.”

This is why expecting mothers are recommended to consume bone broth on a daily basis.

Bone Broth Side Effects

This liquid gold is a high-histamine-containing food due to the extended hours of preparation. The longer the cooking period the higher the histamine content. Some people for multiple health reasons suffer from histamine intolerance whereby their microbiome produces too much histamine. This overload of histamine in the gut then enters the bloodstream which can cause complications like bloating, constipation, gas, nausea, headaches, brain fog, and fatigue.

There is some evidence to suggest that bone broth could be contaminated with high lead levels as lead is leached out of the bone throughout the boiling process. This lead level, however, is still under the safety threshold proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Conclusion

Bone Broth is a powerhouse of minerals and amino acids that’s been consumed for thousands of years for both culinary and medicinal purposes. Today, unfortunately, many people are deficient in these nutrients which have been the cause of many chronic illnesses. This is where bone broth comes into play.

Bone broth is a great meal replacement strategy as well as to be used throughout fasting due to its low carbohydrate and high-fat content.

By taking bone broth daily you should notice immediate differences in your hair, skin, and nails. After a while, you should notice improvements in joint pain and digestion including less bloating and greater energy. If you can’t make your own bone broth you can purchase it in liquid or powder form from your local supermarket or online.

I’ve recently started consuming chicken and beef bone broth daily and have already noticed huge improvements in my joint health. More importantly, my arthritic ankle, but also in my knees when walking and negotiating stairs. One thing is for sure folks, and that is I’ll be consuming bone broth daily for the rest of my life. What about you?

Easy Chicken Bone Broth Recipe

This recipe can be used after you’ve roasted your chicken and removed the meat. You use this carcass and all of the remaining bones as your base. If you don’t want to make your broth straight away, you can store the chicken carcass/bones in the freezer until required.

Ingredients:

• Chicken carcass and bones
• 1 x Onion (quartered)
• 1 x Tbsp Grated Ginger
• 1 x Tbsp Crushed Garlic
• 2 x Celery Stalks
• 2 x Carrots
• 2 x Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• Choice of herbs – I use Rosemary and Thyme – Fresh is Best!
• 2 x Bay Leaves
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a heavy-duty pot.
2. Fill the pot with filtered water until all ingredients are covered.
3. Bring water to boil, cover and simmer for 12-48 hours.                                                                        The longer, the tastier, and more nutritious!
4. Strain into a glass container and use.

IT’S THAT EASY!!

You can store your broth in the refrigerator once it has cooled if you don’t want to consume it straight away. The mixture will turn gelatinous in the refrigerator but it will liquefy once re-heated. You can also store bone broth in the freezer for up to a couple of months.

Organically Rich Bone Broth

Product description

Organic Chicken Bone Broth Powder

Treat Yourself to Health today at All Things Organically Rich