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Sometimes greatness arises from humble sources. Bone broth, a simple staple that has been used by resource-conscious consumers for years, is one example of the power of humble ingredients.
My grandmother used to store vegetable scraps and chicken bones in the freezer. When she had a sufficient amount, she would throw the lot into a pot and cook it all day.
Many people would have condemned these nutrient-rich ingredients to the garbage, but my grandmother created delicious and inexpensive meals from these items. The keys to making bone broth are high-quality ingredients and time. The Nourished Kitchen states that bone broth is cooked for eight to twenty-four hours, while stock is cooked for no more than two hours .
Well and Good recently made a video highlighting some of the reasons that you should make bone broth part of your nutrition plan. They offer insights into the types and quality of ingredients that you need in order to make your own bone broth, and they offer suggestions for folks that would prefer to purchase theirs pre-made rather than make it from scratch. Charlotte Hilton Andersen of Shape also touts the health benefits of bone broth.
Bone broth is more than just a dietary fad. While claims that the broth is a panacea may be hyperbolic, science is on bone broth’s side these days.
Once you understand the benefits of bone broth, you will be able to reduce food waste and improve your health and well-being through this simple food.
While there are a plethora of benefits to consuming bone broth, I offer you my top 20 reasons below.
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Heal and seal a broken digestive system
Consuming bone broth improves your digestive functions in a number of ways. Bone broth is probiotic rich, which improves the quality of your gut flora. According to health and wellness guru, Dr. Axe, bone broth contains collagen, which not only heals the lining of your digestive tract but also remedies leaky gut syndrome.
As you know, when your digestive system isn’t happy, the rest of you is usually miserable. Bone broth can soothe the discomfort and decrease the inflammation that leaky gut syndrome and other digestive upsets present.
Movin’on up in the immunity community
Your gut is the seat of immunity, which means that anything good for your gut is going to have a ripple effect into your entire immune system. The amino acids found in bone broth, such as cysteine, arginine, and glutamine, improve your immune function.
This explains why people have been prescribing chicken soup for all that ails you for generations.
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Soothe yourself with soup
When you think of comfort food, a warm bowl of soup may come to mind. Glycine, an amino acid found in bone broth, has a calming effect on the body. A glycine boost correlates to a better night of sleep for you.
Quell the fires of inflammation
We already know that bone broth is good for the immune system, and since inflammation is an immune response, a by-product of a healthy immune system is a decrease in inflammation.
Dr. Mercola states that amino acids such as arginine, glycine, and proline become available to you through the consumption of bone broth. These amino acids reduce inflammatory responses throughout your entire body.
Restore achy joints
Glucosamine-chondroitin is a popular supplement for maintaining bone and joint health and repairing damaged or weakened bones. According to Shape, bone broth contains both glucosamine and chondroitin.
Consuming bone broth on a regular basis could significantly decrease or alleviate joint pain, and it can prevent osteoarthritis.
A wallet-friendly dining option
Unlike some health boosters, which can cost an arm and a leg – I’m looking at you, spirulina – bone broth is inexpensive. You can use bones and vegetable scraps left over from your other meals.
The carcass from that rotisserie chicken, the end slice of an onion, and that last bit of celery that you stuffed in your freezer for a rainy day have a purpose. You can also find quality bones from your local butcher.
Bone broth is cost-effective, and it allows you to use foods that might otherwise go to waste.
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A foolproof recipe
Some recipes require several pages to list their obscure ingredients and detail the complex alchemy that you must perform to achieve the gustatory bliss that they promise.
Luckily, bone broth is not that sort of food. Anyone can make it, and it is nearly impossible to mess up. Wellness Mama offers an excellent recipe for you to try.
Shiny hair, radiant skin, and healthy nails are within your grasp
We are inundated with products that are supposed to improve our hair, skin, and nails, but those expensive creams and pills are not always necessary.
Since bone broth consists of gelatin and collagen, it supplies several key ingredients for radiant skin, hair, and nails. The amino acids in bone broth lead to a faster rate of repair on damaged skin cells according to Wellness Mama.
Cheap and easy to digest supplements
Take a walk through any vitamin shop, and you will see bottles of supplements to improve your body’s functions. While taking our vitamins is important, sometimes these vitamin pills and their price tags can be hard to digest.
If you consume too much of a vitamin, then the excess has to be filtered out by your hard-working kidneys. Bone broth can provide many of the vitamins and minerals that you could take in pill form, but it can do so in a way that is less likely to overload your system.
Mend your damaged bones
Bone broth is chock-full of calcium and magnesium, which are essential to bone health. If your bones have suffered damage due to injury or age, having a cup of bone broth can replenish nutrients necessary to heal your bones. Eat bone broth regularly to keep your bones in top shape.
Have a cup for upper respiratory relief
When I feel an upper respiratory malady creeping up, the first thing that I do is reach for a bone broth enriched with garlic. Garlic has antiviral properties, and bone broth offers an infusion of easy-to-digest nutrients to help your body stave off illness.
A warm cup of broth can be comforting to you if your respiratory passages are inflamed. The same collagen that helps to repair your digestive tract can also soothe the lining of your respiratory system. The flood of nutrients from this soothing meal could shorten the duration of your respiratory ailment.
Stay svelte
The weight loss journey can be long and arduous. With fad diets and temptations at every turn, it is difficult to find balance. Bone broth can aid in weight loss through a variety of its qualities.
First of all, it helps to restore balance to your microbiome. Sometimes the gut can be overrun with hungry bacteria, which in turn compel you to eat more and pack on the pounds.
Beyond restoring balance to your digestive system, broth is loaded with the nutrition that some fad diets lack.
Louise Hay describes a study which attributes soup consumption before a meal with an overall lower caloric intake. Drinking a cup of broth can fill you up so that you are less likely to consume other foods in excess.
Hydrate your way to health
If you have done any reading about health, you know that adequate water intake is essential. Since bone broth is like a hyper-enriched version of water, it makes sense that it would help you stay hydrated.
This hydration benefit can only be realized if you are consuming real bone broth. Store bought bouillon cubes and powders are sodium laden shadows of the real thing.
Increase workout stamina and recovery
When your body is in balance, it is much easier to have a successful and fulfilling workout. Proper nutrition is crucial if you are engaging in a regular workout routine.
Bone broth can provide the proteins necessary for building and strengthening muscle, and it aids in bone repair. Bone broth can offer you the energy boost you need to take on challenges regardless of your exercise routine.
Don’t worry, be happy
We are always told to go with our gut when trying to make difficult decisions. The gut and brain are inextricably linked.
You already know that bone broth can be beneficial to your body’s microbiome, but did you know that this can influence how your brain works? A healthy gut translates into better moods and a clearer mind according to Louise Hay.
Stop riding the insulin roller coaster
According to Megan Ramos from Intensive Dietary Management, the gelatin in bone broth can help to alleviate the symptoms of diabetes and aid in blood sugar regulation.
The low carbohydrate content of most bone broths decreases the chance of sugar spikes that arise from eating sugary and carbohydrate rich foods.
Hit the recharge button on your blood cells
Since bone broth’s primary ingredient consists of bones and bone marrow, it can have an impact on your blood cells when you consume it. Jacqueline Gabardy of Sweet Beet and Green Bean notes that bone broth is particularly good for replenishing red blood cells and may help in the treatment of anemia.
Supercharge your metabolism
You often hear about metabolism as it relates to weight loss, but metabolic processes are essential to life itself. Bone broth boosts your metabolism by providing an influx of amino acids including glutamine and arginine that aid in metabolic processes.
Bulk up with bone broth
The glycine in bone broth helps your body build and repair muscles. Whether you are hitting the gym, dealing with muscle loss due to aging, or combatting a serious illness, bone broth can help your body stay strong and supported.
Clean up your act
You are exposed to environmental toxins at an alarming rate. Air pollutants, heavy metals, and chemicals that we encounter daily can wreak havoc on our bodies.
Your body is a clever system with many safeguards put in place to keep you from being overwhelmed by these toxins. Our need to aid our body in the detoxification process leads us to all sorts of solutions.
According to Dr. Axe, the potassium and glycine found in bone broth support your body’s natural toxin-flushing activities. Some minerals in bone broth also bond with toxins to facilitate their removal through elimination.
Time For You to Make You Some Bone Broth
In an age where the solution to most problems seems to be buying the latest overpriced cure-all, bone broth stands as a testament to the power of simplicity. Many of bone broth’s health benefits come down to its rich nutrition profile which is delivered in an easy-to-digest package.
Since it is jam-packed with amino acids, vitamins, and minerals, it has the potential to have a positive impact on a number of your body’s systems.
Bone broth easy to make and can add richness and flavor to your dining experience. Bone broth not only tastes good, but it is good for you. With such low risks and high rewards, it may be worth your while to add bone broth to your list of pantry staples.