There’s been a lot of talk online these days about the powerful healing prosperities of bone broth. Today we’re going over 10 key benefits of bone broth.
The History of Bone Broth And Today’s Store-Bought Stock Substitutes
Bone broth has been used by our ancestors for thousands of years as a way of obtaining nutrients from parts of the animal we can’t (or would prefer not) to eat. Bones, marrow, skin, and ligaments were stewed in hot water, releasing the collagen, proline, glycine and glutamine – all compounds that are great for human health.
Our ancestors probably wouldn’t be surprised to hear how great bone broth if for you – after all, there’s a reason why chicken soup is the go-to home remedy for a bad cold of the flu.
One study conducted by the University of Nebraska Medical Center found that chicken stock’s amino acids helped reduce respiratory inflammation (to help with that stuffy nose) and improve digestion.
Unfortunately, modern eaters continue to be increasingly more disconnected from the food they consume.
The vast majority of store-bought stocks and broths aren’t the real thing – instead, they rely on meat flavors in bouillon cubes and sauces. This may get the job done when it comes to flavoring, but these manufactured stocks lost all the amazing nutritional benefits that can be found in real, authentic, bones-boiled-on-the-stove broths.
With modern eaters beginning to rediscover the amazing benefits of bone broth, it’s starting to make a come back!
Today we’re listing some of the many benefits of bone broth – prepare to be amazed!
10 Benefits of Bone Broth
1
improves joint health
Bone broth is well-known for improving joint health, due to the collagen found in an animal’s bones, skin, and ligaments.
During the simmering process, collagen leaches from these ingredients, turning bone broth into a heaping helping of joint-healing collagen that restores and repairs worn cartilage.
Not only that, bone broth also contains glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, which are supplements commonly taken in pill form for those suffering from arthritis pain. Instead of a pill, why not get those good compounds the natural way with bone broth?
2
strengthens bones
The phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium found in bone broth is also said to fortify and strengthen your bones! The gelatin in bone broth is also big for joint health, as it provides added cushioning between bones while strengthening them.
3
packed with amino acids
Bone broth is packed with proline, glycine, arginine, and glutamine amino acids, which support the other benefits listed here, improve overall health, and are often hard to come by in other foods.
4
improves overall gut health
The gelatin present in bone broth is also helpful for repairing your gut lining, maintaining good intestinal health and promoting the growth of probiotics in your belly.
5
cures leaky gut
Bone broth is often celebrated for its power in combating leaky gut syndrome.
Leaky gut happens when undigested food particles wiggle their way into small openings in your intestinal lining and set off your immune system, putting your body into red alert mode. This increases inflammation as your body ends up attacking healthy tissue and causing damage.
The collagen, gelatin, as well as the proline, glutamine, and arginine amino acids in bone broth help seal openings in your intestinal lining, strengthening your gut and keeping you healthy.
6
fights food intolerances
Bone broth can also help you combat food intolerances, with gelatin working to help fight food sensitivities like wheat or dairy.
7
clearer skin
Collagen found in bone broth can also help in maintaining healthy skin through its elastin. You’ll note that collagen is a familiar ingredient in skin creams and remedies, this is because it’s known to reduce wrinkles, puffiness, and other signs of aging.
One study seems to confirm the powers of collagen, with women showing better skin moisture and decreased signs of aging after taking 2.5-5 grams of collagen daily for 4 weeks.
8
reduces cellulite
For the same reasons that collagen can result in more youthful-looking skin, it can also reduce cellulite.
9
boosts immune system
Bone broth is hugely beneficial for your body’s immune system and is also is believed to support appropriate inflammatory response. Some studies have even shown bone broth to relieve auto-immune disorder symptoms.
10
helps your body detox
Bone broth can work as a detoxification agent, with potassium and glycine supporting your liver’s ability to remove toxins and maintain your body’s antioxidants.
These detoxifying properties are more important now than ever, as we live in an environment filled with toxins, pesticides and artificial ingredients.
More Bone Broth Health Benefits
That’s not all though! Other supposed benefits of bone broth include:
- Improve sleep
- Boost energy
- Improve mood
- Improve memory and brain health
- Restore metabolism
- Alleviate asthma
Is Bone Broth Good For You?
Without a doubt, yes, bone broth is good for your body! It’s packed with nutritional benefits you’ll be hard pressed to find elsewhere.
At the very least, it’s not bad for you. Truthfully, there aren’t many scientifically-reliable studies that evaluate the benefits of bone broth – most are based on loose research and anecdotal evidence. Unfortunately, this holds true for most home remedies and natural cures. Despite lack of evidence, you won’t have a hard time finding individuals who swear by bone broth or other natural medicinal ingredients.
Despite incomplete evidence backing its claims, bone broth is relatively cheap and easy to obtain, so why not try it yourself? Your own experience is the best test of bone broth’s benefits.
Bone Broth vs Stock
Broth, stock, what’s the difference? It can be hard to get your head around. Using some info from Epicurious, we can dig into the core historical differences between stock and broth.
The main components of a broth are:
- Simmered mixture that includes, meat, veggies, and aromatics
- Contains some bones, but not many
- Is cooked for a relatively short period of time (around 1 hour or so)
- Usually stays fluid when it’s cooled
Stock, on the other hand:
- Has meat (sometimes, usually off of bones), veggies, and aromatics (like broth)
- Contains a much larger quantity of bones, with the primary goal being to remove the collagen and nutritious ingredients from the animal bones.
- Simmered for longer than broth, usually 4-6 hours
- When chilled, stocks have a gelatinous quality (due to the collagen extracted from the bones)
Wait a minute, you may ask. Doesn’t this mean bone broth should be called “bone stock”? It certainly seems to have more qualities of a stock rather than a broth.
Well yes, in the traditional sense, bone broth should more appropriately be called bone stock. However, modern verbiage has mixed up this terminology, and for the most part, the words “stock” and “broth” are used interchangeably.
This is especially true of store-bought stocks and broths – they’re basically the same thing.
Store Bought Broth vs Bone Broth
Of course it’s worth noting that store bought broth is totally different from bone broth.
Store bought broth is used for adding flavor to a dish or as a base for soup or stew. However, it doesn’t have much to offer nutritionally (in fact, most store-bought broths have some no-so-great preservatives).
Bone broth on the other hand, whether made DIY style or bought from a reliable, organic supplier, features tons of nutritional health benefits due to the long simmer time and collage extraction.
Gelatin vs Bone Broth
To understand what we mean we when we throw around terms like collage, gelatin, and bone broth, let’s start with some general vocab definitions:
- Collagen: Important protein found in connective tissue, skin and bones.
- Gelatin: The cooked version of collagen, which is often easier to consume than nawing on raw bones all day.
Where does bone broth come in? Bone broth is a popular method for cooking, and therefore extracting collagen, resulting in a gelatinous mixture.
In fact, when cooled, bone broth tends to turn into gelatin, jello-like form. Most of us can’t quite stomach eating a thick old slab of wiggly gelatin, which is why heating it up back into a liquid, broth form is much more appealing.
Now there are other ways to use gelatin outside of enjoying in the form of a bone broth. Other gelatin uses include:
- Gummy Candies (check out this mango lime gelatin gummy recipe from Paleo Leap)
- Puddings
- Desserts (try this fruit gelatin recipe from Paleo Leap)
Where To Get Bone Broth (Online and Offline)?
Bone broth is relatively simple to make – it just takes some time, as it needs to simmer over the stove for a while.
If you’re looking for a shortcut, try Kettle & Fire bone broth.
Have you ever used bone broth? Did you experience firsthand any of the nutritional benefits celebrated here? Share your bone broth story in the comments!
