Bone Broth And Its Benefits

Bone broth is a liquid made by brewing bones and connective tissue. It is made with the cow, chicken, lamb, venison, bison, and even fishbone. It is highly nutritious and is used in soup, sauces, and gravies. It is also popularly known as a health drink.

The bone broth recipe is very simple.

A large pot, water, vinegar, and bones are needed when preparing for broth.

Take one gallon of water, 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, 2-4 pounds of animal bones, and salt and pepper to taste.

Place all the ingredients in the large pot. Bring the ingredients to a boil. Reduce it to simmer and cook for 12-24 hours. The longer a broth is cooked, the more nutritious it will be. As the broth cools, strain the liquid into a large container and discard any remains.

To make the broth more nutritious try adding a variety of bones i.e. marrow bones, oxtail, knuckles, and feet.

Vinegar is important as it helps pull the valuable nutrients out of the bones into the water which has to be consumed.

Vegetables, herbs, and spices can be added to the broth to enhance flavor. Other additions can be garlic, onion, celery, parsley, and thyme.

Bone is itself rich in vitamins and nutrients, brewing connective tissues in along, adds body with natural compounds such as glucosamine and chondroitin from the cartilage^{(1, 2)}

Tissue and bone are also rich in collagen that turns into gelatine on cooking. This provides the body with amino acids that are the building blocks of protein.

To get the highest amount of nutrients it is best to include different types of bones and tissue in the broth^{(3, 4)}

Marrow is rich in vitamin A, vitamin K2, and minerals like zinc, iron, boron, manganese, as well as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.^{(5, 6)}

Many people do not get the essential nutrients required from the diet. Drinking bone broth can solve the purpose.

The health of the intestinal tract majorly influences the overall health.

Bone broth is not only easy to digest but also helps aid digestion.

Gelatine present in bone broth attracts and holds liquid naturally.⁽⁷⁾ It also binds water in the digestive tract and helps food move easily through the gut.

Gelatine has been shown to protect the mucosal lining of the digestive tract in rats and can have a similar effect on humans as well. But, more research is required to show its effectiveness.^{(8, 9)}

Gelatine contains an amino acid that helps maintain the function of the intestine and heal the leaky gut.⁽¹⁰⁾

Drinking broth can therefore be beneficial for those with leaky gut, irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease.

Glycine and arginine are the amino acids present in bone broth, which are known to have strong anti-inflammatory effects.^{(11, 12)}

Chronic inflammation can lead to a number of serious diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and Alzheimer’s disease, and many types of cancer.⁽¹³⁾

The compounds present in bone broth help in maintaining joints and lessening the symptoms of osteoarthritis.

A nutrition journal looked upon the effects of type 2 collagen from chicken in people with osteoarthritis. There was an improvement in the knee joint symptoms such as pain, stiffness, and poor physical functions.⁽¹⁴⁾

Bone broth also contains glucosamine and chondroitin that can help decrease the symptoms of osteoarthritis.^{(15, 16)}

Bone broth is filling but low in calories. Also, it makes up for the nutrients required for the day.

Being high in protein, it helps improve appetite control, increases weight loss, and maintain lean muscle mass. ⁽¹⁷⁾

Glycine present in bone broth gives a feeling of relaxation and promotes sleep.⁽¹⁸⁾

Taking glycine before bed can help fall asleep faster, maintains deeper sleep, and fewer wake up throughout the night.

Drinking bone broth can serve similar benefits.

Bone broth contains important nutrients and benefits health. Research on additional benefits is going on. Add it to the diet to ensure your body gets proper nutrition and works at its best.