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All About Bone Broth
Health | April 29, 2017
Bone broth is quickly becoming a very popular trend in the health and fitness world. People are drinking it to lose weight, improve their skin and even help nourish their joints.
But what exactly is bone broth?
In short, bone broth is a nutritious stock made from simmering animal bones and its connective tissues. Using an acid, like vinegar or even lemon juice, the acid helps to break down the collagen and tissue, leaving you with a quite tasty and nutritious liquid commonly used in sauces and soups.
Bone broth can be made from any animal bones, but the most popular sources are chicken, turkey, lamb, pig, beef, wild game like deer, and even fish. Any marrow or connective tissue can be used to make the broth; this includes beaks, feet, gizzards, spines, hooves and legs, hocks, whole carcasses or fins.
Reasons to Start Drinking Bone Broth: Aside from promoting weight loss, bone broth has several other amazing benefits. As explained by Health and Wellness writer, Sally Fallon: “Stock contains minerals in a form the body can absorb easily—not just calcium but also magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulfur and trace minerals. It contains the broken down material from cartilage and tendons–stuff like chondroitin sulphates and glucosamine, now sold as expensive supplements for arthritis and joint pain.”
Heal/Seal That Gut: According to holistic nutrition coach/founder of Healthful Elements, Jill Grunewald; just a cup of bone broth a day works miracles for leaky gut syndrome. The gelatin in the bone broth helps to seal up any holes that may be in your intestines. This can help cure chronic diarrhea, constipation, and even some of those annoying food intolerances.
Protect Your Joints: It turns out that bone broth contains glucosamine. Unlike your typical glucosamine pills that you may pick up from your local pharmacy, this broth also includes a lot of other nutrients that will help to keep your joints pain free and healthy. The chondroitin sulfate in bone broth has been shown to even help prevent osteoarthritis.
Immune Support: Thanks to its high concentration of minerals, bone broth is considered to be a superfood. The amino acids in bone broth such as arginine, glutamine, and cysteine, have been shown to boost immunity in humans and even animals! A study conducted at Harvard University showed that individuals who dealt with auto-immune disorders experienced a relief of their symptoms when drinking bone broth, some even achieving a complete remission.
Stronger Bones: The phosphorus, magnesium, and calcium seeps out from the bones and into the broth leaving you with the essentials perfect for healthy bones.
Bottom Line: In addition to these benefits, Bone broth contains a number of healthy and beneficial nutrients, and the gelatin the broth contains has additional side-effects, such as stronger and healthier nails, joint-pain relief, lowers blood sugar levels, improves your sleep, and can even normalize stomach acid.
Private Member |
does anyone have a great “recipe” for the best way to make bone broth…?
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nj
I’ve taken leftover bones (say from a whole chicken) and threw in a crock-pot covered in water for 24 hrs on low. Its really easy this way.
Private Member |
Like Lia said, it’s pretty much as easy as putting your leftover chicken bones (I just use the whole carcass) in a crockpot or on the stove in a stockpot for up to 24 hours. If you’re doing it on the stove you just have to keep the heat REALLY low. Two important things that will help make it as nutritious as possible are to add about 2 Tbsp of apple cider vinegar (this helps extract all the good stuff from the bones), and to use lots of bones. I usually don’t bother making a batch until I have about 3 chicken carcasses to put in there. I also usually throw in some onions and other tasty things, but that’s totally optional. It’s SO yummy no just for sipping, but of course as the base for any soup, or as cooking liquid for quinoa or other grains. Enjoy!
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I second Lia and Krista…that’s the easiest way.
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ellijay, ga, united states
Yes! The crockpot! What they all said! 😀
I love doing this when I cook meat so that I have the meat cooked up nicely for whatever recipe I’m using it for…then AMAZZZINNNNNGGG tasting broth (complete with all the good gel) for soups! I tend to freeze what I don’t use so I can use it in a pinch, later.
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santa cruz, ca
I use leftover chicken bones, too, but marrow bones are what you ultimately want to create a very nutritious broth. I just make sure to add enough water to the pot to cover the bones. I add apple cider vinegar and pressure cook for 2 hours. Then I slow cook for another day or two, and add herbs and spices toward the end. Lately I’ve been adding pho spices (star anise, cardamom, Saigon cinnamon, black pepper, etc.). Before I had a pressure cooker, I’d just boil the water and slow cook on high for several hours, then on low for a day or two. I let it cool a bit before putting it into the refrigerator. After it’s in the fridge for a few hours, the fat collects at the top, and is easily spooned off. I find the fat pretty nasty and cloying, so I don’t consume it.
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switzerland/, france
I want to do a complete elimination diet as only doing the FODMAP may not cover it all (did it last yet, from IBS, free at Last). I looked up the BioIndividual Nutrition website and they state that bone broth is not necesseraly a good thing for all. I wish this training was more affordable , but is meant for healthcare professional and is therefore pricey.
Though bone broth looks really so beneficial, I wonder in which cases it may not be suitable ?!
Private Member |
santa cruz, ca
That’s great that you’re so conscious of your health. Honestly, I don’t think that any healthcare professional or medical practitioner can ever say that any one thing is beneficial for all people. There will always be contraindications for anything. One reason I can think of is for people with certain histamine sensitivity (there are various reasons for this). Foods that are cooked slowly or fermented, cultured, can be higher in histamine, which affects people who are sensitive to it. But it still surprises me because I think small doses of bone broth can help build a person over time to heal the issues that cause histamine sensitivity in the first place.
Maybe you can find someone with a BioIndividual Nutrition certification to consult with.
Private Member |
Happy Birthday, Zuzka!!
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Happy birthday zuzka. Enjoy hawaii
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Enjoy your Birthday Zuzka! Mine was on the 21st 🙂
Bone broth is amazing, it’s been in my diet for a while now and has been an amazing addition.
Private Member |
dfw, tx
I was thinking about getting bone broth for my parents to help with their joints. Do you do homemade bone broth or use a specific brand that you recommend?
Private Member |
Phuong,
I do homemade bone broth once a month (more often in winter) and I take Great Lakes Gelatin Hydrolyzed Collagen daily. I do yoga and run in addition to Zgym and the broth and collagen help with my joints and skin. Another brand that you could try is Vital Protein, I have never used it however I have read positive reviews about it.
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dfw, tx
Thank you so much!! 🙂
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You’re welcome 😊
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Hey HAZELEYEDTAURUS, I’m curious how did it help you with skin?
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Fox&Deer,
I have acne prone, oily skin when I first started taking the collagen/bone broth my skin cleared up and looked healthier. Still today I rarely get acne (unless hormonal) and my skin is still supple.
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Oh wow, that’s great! Thank you for your answer, it’s very helpful 🙂
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vaasa, finland
Happy birthday Zuzka, enjoy your holiday! <3
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Happy birthday Zuzka!. Thank you for all you do for us. I’ve seen bone broth powders that can be added to smoothies. How does this compare to the benefits of the stock described here? Does anyone have thoughts or experience with it? Thanks z gymers.
Private Member |
caseyville, illinois
I use beef bones, pork bones, ears, noses, etc. left over in our freezer from the butcher, throw in crock pot and apple cidar vingar. i freeze in 1 cup baggies. Grocery stores also sell the bones. I also use Dr. Axes Bone Broth collagen protein for my smoothies and Great Lakes Gelatin in my bedtime tea as i don’t always have homemade broth unfrozen.
Private Member |
orange beach, al - alabama, united states
Happy Birthday Z!!!!
I have been using bone broth for almost a year now. I started making it myself, to finding a company that made it and delivered it, to finally you can find it in the grocery store- organic bone broth. I drink a cup every night, it helps me fill full so I can sleep. The changes I have noticed is my skin, nails, and hair are smoother and stronger, I am almost 50 and I know my bones are more dense. One of the biggest health benefits for me is that I have acid re-flux and had to take OTC medication (that cause major health issues as I aged), since I started the bone broth it has calmed that down and so I no longer need any medication.
I also have used it with my animals with some pretty amazing results, a cat that was suffering from kidney issues loved bone broth and it helped him with his issues. Also I have German Shepherd and she gets bone broth on her food every night to help with her hips.
Sorry to carry on but bone broth is the bomb to me.
Private Member |
santa cruz, ca
Yes Yes Yes!! I heart Bone Broth. Very much a part of ancient human traditional cuisine, and so very important. I also make my own. I save bones from the whole chickens I cook and also combine with beef or pork marrow bones (organically fed), and if I can get them, chicken feet. It has done wonders for my gut, mood, mental and emotional well-being, and my nails are so much nicer. My skin is less dry, too. I pressure cook my bones for 2 hours, then slow cook in a crock pot for a day or two. Turns into pure gel. 🙂 Makes the best soups ever.
Thank you for writing this, Z. People need to know how they can improve their health (no matter where they are at) by adding bone broth to their diet each week.
I HIGHLY suggest Kitchen Witch bone broth, a company owned by my friend Rhiannon. It has become one of the most popular brands in California. You may find it in stores in Cali. Her kitchen is in Watsonville, but she went to school with me here in Santa Cruz. 😉 Her broth is delicious, gelatinous, and well made with quality ingredients.
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switzerland/, france
I don’t have a crockpot, but a Cookeo (French brand I believe) that can heat, simmer, pressure cook. I did mine usually an hour of pressure cooking. Since I never tried a “real” broth I am not sure how it should look or taste. Does the slow and long cooking have any added value?
Does anyone get the fat away? I noticed it seems harder to digest with fat, for me.
Private Member |
santa cruz, ca
Yes, I think pressure cooking is the best way to go. Ultimately, what we want is to pull the minerals and nutrients from out of the bones, and into the water. I find that after 2 days of slow cooking (after pressure cooking first), the bones get soft and almost start to crumble. That’s good, but you don’t want them to crumble and leave sediment in your broth.
I’m not sure how to describe the taste of the broth itself. But I personally find marrow fat really gross. People will save it for cooking, but I can’t stand the flavor at all. I let my broth cool, so that all the fat floats and solidifies at the top in the refrigerator, and then I spoon it out. I feed some to my cat, haha. What is left is the broth, which is full of all that nutrition that Zuzka listed in the article.
Yes, the longer it cooks, the more minerals and nutrients are pulled out of the bones.
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maui, hi