Bone Broth – Treat Leaky Gut Syndrome, Overcome Food Intolerances and Allergies, Improve Joint Health, Reduce Cellulite, Boosts Immune System
Chicken soup isn’t just good for the soul. There’s a reason why most doctors and even mothers recommend you to have a bowl of chicken soup when you’re feeling under the weather. The chicken bone broth present in this dish has been staples in the traditional diets of every culture out there and is one of the bases of all fine cuisine – this includes beef, fish, lamb and more bone broths.
In addition, bone broths are also known to be nutrient-dense, easy to digest, rich in flavor and they can even boost the body’s self-healing capabilities. Moreover, during the ancient times, bone broth was a way for people to use every part of an animal. The bones and marrow, skin and feet, tendons and ligaments that you can’t normally eat directly can be boiled and then simmered over a period of days.
This simmering can actually cause the bones and ligaments to release healing compounds such as collagen, proline, glycine and glutamine. When consumed, these compounds have the power to improve your overall health. Also, bone broth can help treat the following:
- Leaky Gut Syndrome
- Food Intolerances and Allergies
- Joint Problems
- Cellulite
- Immunity problems
Bone Broth – Asthma and Arthritis
Bone broth has also been proven to boost the immune system and heal a myriad of disorders that can affect the overall health of the person. These disorders include all types of allergies, asthma and arthritis.
Bone Broth – 3 Critical Factors to Get the Most Out Of Bone Broth
There are 3 critical factors that you need to remember if you want to get the most out of bone broth, here they are:
- The most important factor of the three: bone broth is not something that you can easily buy from supermarkets and expect to have all of its health benefits. Plus, any so called “broth” you see on store shelves would likely contain large amounts of preservatives like MSG – and none of the nutrients contained in the healthy form of the bone broth.
- If you’re going to make bone broth at the comfort of your own home, it can take many hours and preparation to make it properly. One little detail people tend to miss in the process is roasting the bones used. This step not only gives the bones its flavor, but it also helps in the release of essential nutrients like proline, glucosamine, glycine and chondroitin sulfate. All of these are needed by the body to maintain optimal health.
- When making your own bone broth, not adding vegetables and herbs will significantly lower the potency of your broth. One fatal flaw a lot of people make when starting to use bone broth is not adding a variety of herbs and veggies while cooking the broth. Adding beneficial herbs will help leverage all the great healing properties of the bone broth and enhances the potency of the broth (as well as the taste).
One must remember these 3 crucial factors if you want to make the most out of your bone broth. Bone broth is a potent healing solution that provides an incredibly concentrated amount of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and all the vital nutrients your body needs to survive. As a matter of fact, there may be nothing else on this planet that provides you with such a strong concentrated source of these nutrients.
When the nasty microbes and other toxins – from the many foods these days to environmental pollution – get too much control over the gut, it produces a chronic inflammation that damages the lining inside the stomach. This permits the toxic junk to leak into the bloodstream and body.
In addition, white blood cells then attack these foreign substances to prevent them from damaging the body even further. If this “leaking in the gut” goes on for a long time, the body then overproduces white blood cells to keep the toxins at bay. This is where bone broth comes in as it helps treat the leaking in your gut.
Also, archeologists have discovered proof of man using hot rocks to crush and cook the bones of the animals they’ve hunted. This is one of the earliest indications that the nutrients inside the bones themselves are crucial for the body’s overall health and well-being. Now, bone broth is considered to be one of the staples of every kitchen all over the world; every culture worldwide has their own variation on a bone broth (as a medical elixir to help heal sickness).
When it comes to dishes, chicken soup is one of the best dish for bone broth. It’s been confirmed by Dr. Stephen Renard from the University of Nebraska that chicken soup helps lower the movement of neutrophils (a kind of white blood cell inside the immune system). Stopping the movement can also help lower respiratory cold symptoms.
As with any other kind of bone broth, chicken broth should simmered for a couple of hours to pull out the amazing nutrients, proteins, and amino acids hiding deep down (plus, they need to be from healthy, naturally cultivated chickens).
Bone Broth – Inflammation
A hearty homemade chicken soup (with the use of whole healthy chicken, bones and all) is considered as a form of “medicine” by most people. In addition, it’s been proven that the ingredients found in chicken soup not only have healing properties, they also act as an anti-inflammatory, reducing and minimizing the harmful aftermath of chronic inflammation on the body.
Bone Broth – Joint Pain
One of the main ingredients of bone broth is collagen which helps in relieving joint pain. A study conducted on people suffering from a severe case of rheumatoid arthritis proves this. Of the group that received type 2 collagen (from chicken), all participants reported a significant decrease in their joint pain and 4 of which went into full remission after 3 months. On the other hand, the group who received the placebo had no changes in their symptoms.
Bone Broth – Protects Joints
Bone broth is considered to be one of the world’s best sources of natural collagen. Collagen is the protein found inside the vertebrae of animals – in their bones, skin cartilage, ligaments, tendons, and bone marrow. As bone broth simmers, the collagen from the animal parts leaches into the broth and becomes readily absorbable to help restore the cartilage.
Why would that even matter? As people start to get older, cartilage starts to diminish as it gets attacked by antibodies (age-related degradation of the joint cartilage). In addition, the joint also naturally experiences wearing and tearing in relation to age as well; in other words, it becomes less flexible.
Gelatin is another component found in bone broth considered to be one of the most valuable (it acts like a soft cushion between bones that helps them “glide” without causing friction). In addition, gelatin provides the necessary building blocks to form and maintain strong bones, helping take the pressure off of aging joints and supporting healthy bone mineral density.
If looking for supplements for protecting the joints, glucosamine has been the common turn-to medication for such. However, it was also discovered that bone broth has glucosamine.
Bone Broth – Osteoarthritis
The chondroitin sulfate in bone broth has been proven to help prevent osteoarthritis as well.
Bone Broth – Helps Keep Your Bones Healthy
The high quality of calcium and magnesium present in bone broth make it a home run for promoting healthy bones in your body. The slow cooking process releases each and every one of its essential minerals for bone health in a highly digestible and bio-available manner, making it ideal for strengthening your bones and protecting them from diseases.
Bone Broth – Allergies
These are just some of the benefits I’ve found in bone broth:
- Helps treat leaky gut syndrome
- Helps overcome food introlerances and allergies
- Improves your joint health
- Lowers cellulite
- Boosts the immune system
Furthermore, research has proven that it can also help boost the immune system and help heal disorders such as allergies, asthma and arthritis.
Bone broth is a true “natural wonder” for people with food sensitivities and allergies. Food allergies and sensitivities are tied to overall gut health. When the digestive system is leaking toxins to your bloodstream, it contains tiny particles of food as well. The body sees these foods as additional toxins for you to ward off, and over time will react with more widespread and dangerous allergies. The gelatin found in bone broth effectively blocks these particles from entering the bloodstream and lowers the occurrences of allergic reactions.
Bone Broth – Good for The Gut
The gelatin present in bone broth has been beneficial for the following:
- Restoring the strength of the gut lining and warding off food sensitivities (like to wheat or dairy).
- Helping with the growth of probiotics (the good kind of bacteria) in the gut.
- Supporting healthy inflammation levels in the digestive tract.
In addition, according to the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology, gelatin has been found to effectively support intestinal health and integrity. Plus, it helps seal up the holes in the intestines that can cause gut leaks. Bone broth is easily digested and it’s soothing to the digestive system. After all, food is really only useful when one has the means of absorbing all of its nutrients.
Adding up, a study conducted on individuals found that their digestive imbalances and serum concentrations of collagen were lowered. The amino acids present in collagen help build the tissue that lines the colon and the entire gastrointestinal tract, supplementing with collagen can help support a healthy digestive function.
Bone Broth – Maintains Healthy Skin
Collagen in bone broth helps form elastin and other compounds within the skin (responsible for keeping the youthful tone, texture and appearance of the skin). Collagen integrity is accredited with helping reduce the visible signs of wrinkles, decreasing the puffiness and warding of other signs of aging. There were some who reported a reduction in cellulite when consuming food products and supplements having collagen, since cellulite forms due to the lack of connective tissue, allowing the skin to lose its firm tone.
According to a study, the age-defending properties of collagen have found that 2.5-5 grams of collagen hydrolysate (CH) used among women aged 35-55 once daily for 8 weeks straight support skin elasticity, skin moisture, trans-epidermal water loss (dryness) and skin roughness. In addition, at the end of only four weeks, people using collagen showed a significant improvement in comparison to those who used placebo with regards to skin moisture and evaporation, plus noticeable decrease in the signs of accelerated aging, all with little to zero side effects.
Bone Broth – Immune System Support
The gut-supportive benefit of bone broth is said to have a holistic effect on the body and support a healthy functioning of the immune system. A leaky gut can happen when undigested food particles seep through the tiny openings in the weakened intestinal lining and enter into the bloodstream, where the immune system detects them and becomes hyperactive. In addition, this increases inflammation and leads to dysfunctions all over, as the immune system expels a high level of antibodies that cause an autoimmune-like response and attack the healthy tissues.
For restoring gut health back to normal, bone broth is the best option for most. It helps support the immune system function and provides a healthy inflammation response. In addition, the collagen/gelatin, amino acids, proline, glutamine and arginin also help seal openings in the gut lining and help support integrity.
Bone Broth – Healthy Sleep
Bone broth has the ability to promote healthy sleep, boost energy all throughout the day and support a healthy mood as well. The glycine content found in bone broth has been proven to help people sleep better and even improve their memory as well.
Bone Broth – Boosts Detoxification
Bone broth is considered to be a potent detoxification agen, it helps the digestive system do the following:
- Expel waste and promotes the liver’s ability to eliminate toxins
- Helps maintain tissue integrity
- Improves the body’s use of antioxidants
In addition, bone broth also contains potassium and glycine, which help support both cellular and liver detoxification. It also increases the intake of essential minerals which serve as chelators to help remove toxins by stopping heavy metals from attaching to mineral receptor sites.
Ways on how bone broth helps boost detoxification:
- By supplying sulfur, especially when you add veggies, garlic and herbs to your bone broth
- Through glutathione (considered to be a phase II detoxification agent that helps lower oxidative stress)
In addition, according to Stanford’s University’s Medicine Preventative Research Center, it’s been found that glutathione helps with the removal of fat-soluble compunds, especially heavy metals such as mercury and lead. It also helps in the absorption of different kinds of nutrients, the use of antioxidants and with liver-cleansing properties as well.
Bone Broth – Aids the Metabolism and Promotes Anabolism
A great way to obtain more glutathione is through bone broth. Glutathione plays a crucial role in antioxidant defense, nutrient metabolism and regulation of cellular events. According to a 2004 study published in the Journal of Nutrition, glutathione’s roles and benefit include the following:
- Regulating gene expressions
- DNA and protein synthesis
- Cell proliferation and apoptosis
- Signal transduction
- Cytokine production
- Immune responses
Next, the amino acids in bone broth have a myriad of metabolic roles, here are some of them:
- Establishing and fixing muscle tissues
- Supporting bone mineral density
- Boosting nutrient absorption and synthesis
- Maintaining muscle and connective tissue health
The glycerine content in bone broth is revealed to protect the skeletal muscle loss and stops the expression of genes associated with age-related muscle protein breakdown. In addition, the glycerine content is said to help the following:
- Form muscle tissues by converting glucose into useable energy
- Slows cartilage, tissue and muscle loss associated with aging
- Improves the body’s use of antioxidants
Furthermore, the glutamine content in bone broth is an essential amino acid that’s important for:
- Healthy metabolism
- Helps maintain energy by sending nutrients (this includes nitrogen to the cells)
Finally, the arginine content has the role of breaking down of nitric oxide. It helps improve the circulation and sends blood and nutrients to cells all over the body, improve muscle and tissue integrity and promotes normal healing of wounds.
Bone Broth – Stronger Bones
The phosphorus, magnesium and calcium content present in bone broth seeps out into the broth leaving you with the essential building blocks needed for healthy bones.
Bone Broth – More Energy
Although it’s not been scientifically proven that bone broth provides more energy, there have been reports that people who consumed them have reported to have an increase in their energy levels. In addition, according to Dr. Rennard, the combination of bone broth and vegetables seemed to have a synergistic effect, working together to be much more effective than standing alone.
It’s important to use the body parts that aren’t usually found in the meat department in grocery stores, things like the chicken’s feet and neck. People may also but animal products that are pasture-fed and antibiotic- and hormone-free in order to realize the full benefits of the bone broth.
A fresh broth can be made out of bones, fat, meat, vegetables and water. If broth is made from beef or lamb, the meat should be browned first before placing it inside a stock pot. The fish and poultry are fine to put in a pot withing browning it first. Add in a bit of apple cider vinegar in the pot to help draw the mineral out of the bones.
Here’s a cooking suggestion:
- Place the bones in a large stock pot and cover it with water
- Add in two tablespoons of apple cider vinergar to water prior to cooking. This would help pull out the essential nutrients from the bones.
- Fill the stock pot with filtered water. Leave enough room for water to boil. Heat slowly.
- Bring to a boil and then lower the heat for it to simmer for at least six hours. Remove scum as it rises. Cook it slow at a low heat.
- Vegetables can also be added like onions, garlic, carrots and celery to give an added nutritional value
After cooking, the broth will cool and a layer of fat would be visible on top. This fat layer helps protect the broth below. Remove this layer only when you are about to eat the broth.
Remember these things as well:
- Chicken bones can be cooked for 24 hours
- Beef bones can be cooked for 48 hours, twice more than chicken
- A low and slow cooking time is needed in order to fully extract the nutrients in and around the bones
Bone broth is rich in minerals that help support the immune system and contains healing properties and beneficial compounds. Here’s a quick rundown on some of the beneficial compounds found in bone broth:
- Collagen: It helps heal the gut lining and reduces intestinal inflammation. It also supports healthy skin and reduces the appearance of cellulite.
- Glycine: Glycine has the ability to detoxify your cells from chemicals. Not only that, it can also help improve brain functionality.
With everything stated, it’s clear that bone broth can indeed give a person more energy by strengthening the immune system.