What is so good about Bone Broth?

In the last few years bone broth has become an extremely popular beverage. There are even cafes now that serve bone broth alongside their usual espresso coffees! The paleo following has really taken to this savoury brew as it is a nice addition to their grain-free, legume-free and dairy-free diet. So why is bone broth so popular and will it become a distant memory in the future?

In this article you will learn about:

• Is bone broth a new trend that will soon be forgotten?
• What healthy substances are found in bone broth
• The health benefits of bone broth
• A recipe for bone broth you can easily make at home

How long has bone broth been around?

Bone broths or stocks have been used by many cultures across the world for hundreds of years. It was probably enjoyed as soon as we were able to create pots and boil water over a fire. Most traditional cultures would think we were mad throwing away the bones, as they were highly prized parts of the animal! Sally Fallon in her book Nourishing traditions, mentions that a physician named Moses Maimonides used chicken broth for colds and asthma as far back as the 12th century.

What nutrients are found in bone broth?

Simply looking at it, you wouldn’t think bone broth has much in it but there is actually a bucket load of health boosting goodies in there!

For starters bone broth has nutrients great for our bones. The liquid has a good whack of calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium and several trace minerals, especially if you cook them with some sort of acid. The hot beverage is also rich in easily absorbable amino acids (protein), being a great source of gelatin, collagen, glutamine, proline and glycine. There are some fancy substances such as glycosaminoglycans, chondroitin and glucosamine in there too which are all great for your joints and connective tissue.

What are the dietary benefits of bone broth?

So you’re wondering why bone broth is good for you? There are a whole bunch of reasons!

As bone broth is high in calcium, you could use this as a dietary source of calcium, especially if you don’t eat many calcium rich foods or you are at risk of osteoporosis.

The glutamine, gelatin and glycosaminoglycans are amazing gut healers, so if you have been diagnosed with a ‘leaky gut’, or feel your gut is inflamed and sore, bone broth would be a key part to your healing.

Alongside healing the gut, the gelatin in bone broth can also stimulate digestion. People who find it hard to digest meat such as steak, will find that bone broth is easy to eat as it requires minimal digestion.

If you have joint pain or suffer from recurrent injuries, most of the nutrients found in bone broth can speed up the recovery of connective tissue in your joints.

Lastly you would also be amazed to know bone broth can also help with anxiety! This nutritious food is rich in glycine, an amino acid that’s been proven to help reduce anxiety.

So how do we make bone broth?

Basic bone broth recipe

1. Place enough bones (either chicken or beef, preferably organic) to fill up your slow cooker
2. If you would like extra flavour, add some chopped veggies such as onion, carrot, celery etc.
3. Fill the slow cooker up with boiling water and add ½ cup vinegar such as apple cider vinegar
4. Some people don’t like the smell of the broth while it’s cooking, so make sure you find a spot in the house that has good air flow
5. Check the meat after 6 hours and pull the meat off the bones to eat with your dinner that evening
6. Let the bones cook for an additional 18-26 hours (the longer the better)
7. Turn off the slow cooker and let the broth come to room temperature. Strain the broth and put into a jar into the fridge. Sometimes a thick layer of fat accumulates on the top once it cools. Just scoop that off.
8. Please drink one cup of broth, slightly warmed, once a day. In between meals will give the most benefit. First thing in the morning is best.
9. You can also add the broth to stews, soups, spaghetti bolognaise etc. in place of beef stock.
10. The broth lasts around 4 days in the fridge, so if you make a big batch, it’s worthwhile to freeze a portion for each day and defrost it overnight for the following morning.

The future of bone broth

Humans have enjoyed bone broth for centuries. Our ancestors intuitively knew how good it was for us, without any of the science we have today backing it up. As we continue to learn the nutrient properties and health benefits of bone broth it would be a shame to see it become a distant memory. Try making your own nutrition-packed bone broth with the above recipe, it’s very easy to make!