When I was little, each time I caught cold, my mom used to feed me chicken soup. I surely remember feeling better with the hot stuff going down my throat. But then, I wonder is there something more to that? Apparently, while going through chicken soup recipes, I stumbled upon one of  the most healthiest food recipes that I have been missing in my diet.

I’m talking about bone broth. The first time I heard about it, I was like, since when do we eat bones? Some make it for their pet dogs, sure. But what possibly could animal bones give us in terms of health, or may be just taste?

Well, I tried to find out all that I could, and I came up with a bucketful of surprises. But, before that, lets learn the basics of this recipe and then talk about its nutritional benefits.

Bone Broth- The Traditional Healthy Recipe

For those who didn’t know, this may sound new and odd to your ears, bone broth is a famous recipe among the traditional food circle and is touted by the followers of the Paleo diet as well. Bone broth has its history in almost every food society, as it provides the base for soups, stews and gravies. But people today seem to be unaware(like me until recently) or have forgotten about it,  and as a result are losing out on its benefits.

The typical bone broth is made from meat bones, cartilage and little meat. You can use left over bones of the chicken you just roasted or maybe ask from farmers who raise grass fed animals. Once you get hold of these, simmer the bones in water for 24-48 hours (more than a day). You’ll know it is ready when you see the bones breaking down and falling apart. This makes the broth absorb all the nutrients that are leached out of the bones.

Sometimes the bones are roasted first to improve their flavor. Once the broth is ready, you can add vegetables like carrots, onions, and garnish it with parsley leaves and add salt, herbs and pepper to give extra flavor.

Reasons Why You Should Be Making This

Bones contain a number of amino acids like arginine, glycine, proline and glutamine. These set of amino acids help maintain strong bones,  ligaments and tendons. Studies reveal drinking bone broth can prevent arthritis. Animal bones contain collagen, a protein found in the connective tissue of animals. When you drink bone broth, it feeds the body with collagen— which maintains the structure of cells, bones, ligaments, and cartilage. Collagen also binds the skin together in order to maintain elasticity and prevent skin wrinkling and sagging.^[1][2]

Collagen produces gelatin when boiled. Apart from supporting skin, hair and nail growth, gelatin helps in muscle and joint recovery as well as improves digestion because it naturally binds with water so that food moves easily through the digestive track.

Amino acids like proline heals joints and helps in cartilage regeneration. Gylcine helps in muscle repair and growth as well.^[3] So, you see , you tuck in these incredible nutrients that can reduce your complaints of aching joint pains and weaker bones as you grow older.

Bone broth is also the storehouse of important minerals such as calcium, phosphorus and magnesium, and together they support the immune system by promoting cell growth, relaxes your muscles, and maintain strong and healthy bones.

Yes, the benefits are huge and you are willing to try it out, aren’t you? Moreover, its easy to make and can actually be one of the most inexpensive yet nutritious treat you may have gifted yourself ever.

If you are willing to experiment, you can check out for 50 different ways to make bone broth here. The list is endless. If case you are already a fan, you are most welcome to share your own recipe ideas in the comments below.

Reference:
[1]Liu SH, Yang RS, al-Shaikh R, & Lane JM (1995). Collagen in tendon, ligament, and bone healing. A current review. Clinical orthopaedics and related research (318), 265-78 PMID: 7671527. ^Back to Top^

[2]Gómez-Guillén, M., Giménez, B., López-Caballero, M., & Montero, M. (2011). Functional and bioactive properties of collagen and gelatin from alternative sources: A review Food Hydrocolloids, 25 (8), 1813-1827 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodhyd.2011.02.007. ^Back to Top^

[3]Vieira CP, Oliveira LP, Guerra FD, Almeida MD, Marcondes MC, & Pimentel ER (2014). Glycine Improves Biochemical and Biomechanical Properties Following Inflammation of the Achilles Tendon. Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007) PMID: 25156668. ^Back to Top^