Bone Broth
Have you heard about the numerous benefits of bone broth? For centuries, many cultures have revered the healing and restorative qualities of bone broth.
Fairly recently, the bone broth craze has found its way to the Western shores, many people converting to it’s savory program to improve their health and to boost their immune system.
It should not be any surprise, as chicken soup is by and large one of the old reliable standbys when it comes to treating colds and other illnesses.
Just having a nice hardy bowl of homemade chicken soup makes you feel better and bone broth delivers similar if not even better results.
Benefits of Bone Broth
Lots of research has demonstrated the abilities of bone broth from treating everything from allergies to poor digestion. Listed here are the known abilities of bone broth and how it can improve the state of your health.
1) Improves Digestion
One of the most celebrated abilities of bone broth is the way it increases the strength of your gut lining and helps prevent food sensitivities due to the gelatin content in the broth.
Meanwhile, amino acids in the broth help to reduce inflammation in the gut, which can be the source of much discomfort and unpleasant side effects.
In times of gastrointestinal distress, bone broth is an ideal way to get nutrients because it’s easily broken down by the digestive gut and is soothing to a troubled tummy.
2) Joint Health
People commonly take glucosamine to alleviate joint pain, but did you know that bone broth is a natural source of the stuff. Bone broth also contains gelatin, which improves the strength of bones while adding an extra layer of protection, improving bone density.
Consistently drinking bone broth is a great way to protect and support joints, especially in athletes who put a lot of pressure on these areas of their body.
3) Strong Bones
As previously noted, bone broth improves the strength of bones and density. This is due largely impart to the rich mineral content of the broth. Bone broth is loaded with calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus.
4) Boosts the Immune System
One of the main benefits of bone broth improving the digestive system is that it in turn improves the functioning of the immune system. The immune system lives in the gut and therefore, it’s important to keep a healthy digestive system.
Another reason bone broth is so great for the immune system is because it’s rich in minerals. Some studies have found that those that suffer from auto-immune disorders were able to find some relief for their symptoms by consuming bone broth.
5) Healthy Skin
The skin relies on collagen to maintain and youthful appearance of skin. Bone broth contains collagen, which encourages the production of elastin in the skin.
Collagen improves the overall tone and appearance of the skin, preventing the development of wrinkles and other signs of premature aging.
Some people have noticed that collagen also helps to reduce the appearance of cellulite and improve the firmness of skin, since collagen increases the production of connective tissue.
6) Amino Acids
One of the major benefits of bone broth is that it’s an easy way to get a good portion of amino acids that are otherwise difficult to obtain through diet. By consuming bone broth, you are able to absorb some of the following amino acids:
- Glutamine: Glutamine is a tremendous antioxidant because it not only helps with gut health; it also helps to improve joint health.
- Glycine: Glycine is a valuable amino acid for a number of reasons; for instance, it helps with the digestion process and helps to regulate blood sugar. Glycine also encourages the growth of muscles and helps to repair them after vigorous exercise and physical activity.
- Proline: Proline is an amino acid that is great for the appearance and tone of the skin. It improves elasticity while creating a smoother, more youthful complexion. This amino acid also improves the elasticity and health of the arteries.
- Arginine: Arginine is great for the health of the kidneys. This amino acid also helps to maintain the elasticity of arteries, which in turn, improves cardiovascular health.
7) Weight Loss
One of the major reasons people want to try bone broth is its purported weight loss abilities. While consuming bone broth alone is not enough to deliver dramatic weight loss results, it is a great supplement to a healthy diet and exercise regimen.
So how does bone broth help to support weight loss? First of all, bone broth supports to functioning hormones, particularly a hormone called glucagon. Glucagon helps to absorb fat from cells and mimics insulin.
Secondly, it encourages hormones that help burn fat and better utilize nutrients to help build lean muscle mass. Lastly, bone broth helps to detoxify your body, flushing out toxins and excess fluids, particularly water.
How To Consume Bone Broth
There are several different ways you can consume bone broth and incorporate it into a healthy and balanced diet.
Many people use bone broth as a base for sauces, gravies, and soups, however, bone broth can also be consumed on its down. Here is a list of different ways you can consume bone broth:
- Bone broth can be consumed on its own in a mug
- A delicious soup base
- Cook up vegetables in bone broth for an extra dose of minerals
Bone Broth Recipe
Do not be intimidated for the lengthy cooking time of this savory broth. Despite the length of time it needs to simmer, bone broth is fairly easy to make.
Basically, bone broth is made by simmering the bones of an animal (beef, chicken, etc) in a slow cooker for 24-48 hours. This simmering process extracts the marrow, collagen, minerals, amino acids, gelatin, glycine, from the bone and into the broth.
To make bone broth, you need the following basic ingredients. If you want to make a soup of it, feel free to add any veggies or whatever else you like to make the broth a more delightful and nourishing treat.
- Beef bones or chicken bones
- 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
- Purified water
What to Do
- Place the animal bones of your choice in a slow cooker. You don’t need a lot of bones to make bone broth, but the more the better.
- Fill up the slow cooker with purified water, ensuring to cover up all of the bones.
- Add one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to the broth.
- Set your slow cooker to a low setting and allow the bones and water to simmer for 24-48 hours.
- After the bones and water have simmered for the desired length of time, allow the slow cooker to cool.
- Once the slow cooker has cooled enough to handle, strain the broth from the bones and place the liquid into a large storage container.
- You can season the broth however you like, using salt or pepper.
- Bone broth can be refrigerated for 5-7 days. If you’d like to save your bone broth for later, it can be stored in the freezer until you are ready to use it.
Note: It is normal for bone broth to form a layer of fat on the top once the broth has cooled in the refrigerator.
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