Have you heard about the amazing health benefits of Bone Broth? Have you tried bone broth or experimented with making your own homemade bone broth but are too afraid to try it or not sure where to start? While I am well aware of the amazing health benefits of bone broth, I will admit that I was afraid to even taste it let alone try to make it myself! I finally mustered up the courage to taste test a pre-made chicken bone broth and experimented in my kitchen to create a delicious, nutritious, and hearty Chicken and Veggie Soup! Today I will share with you the Top 10 Health Benefits of Bone Broth along with my easy recipe for Chicken Bone Broth and Vegetable Soup!
This week's Nutrition Tip: Top 10 Health Benefits of Bone Broth
What is Bone Broth and What are the Health Benefits of Bone Broth?
Since our ancestors started cooking food over fire, bone broth - the simmering stock of bones from animals otherwise discarded - has been consumed for nutrition, sustenance, and longevity. Bones are often considered the structure of the universe and contain an abundant amount of essential vitamins, minerals, and amino acids (proteins) that are not often consumed in the modern American diet. Research shows that bone broth is a source of specific minerals, like calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium, and other key nutrients such as collagen, glucosamine, and gelatin in forms that your body can easily absorb and use to heal and repair body tissues. So it may make sense that broth made from bones can be used for medicinal purposes and cure a variety of ailments ranging from the common cold to chronic diseases. I know that when I was feeling under-the-whether and battling a cold as a child, my mother would make me Chicken Noodle Soup and I was back on my feet and energized in no time! I may not have understood the reasons behind why a bowl of homemade chicken soup made me feel instantly better when I was younger, but now I completely understand how a nourishing bowl of soup made with chicken broth healed me from the inside out! Now it's time for me to share the top 10 reasons with you!
Top 10 Health Benefits of Bone Broth:
1. Improves Gut Health: Studies show that gelatin is beneficial for restoring the strength of the gut lining and fighting food sensitivities, helping with the growth of probiotics (good bacteria) in the gut, and supporting healthy inflammation levels in the digestive tract. Bone broth is easily digested and soothing to the digestive system and easily absorbed, unlike many other foods, which can be difficult to fully break down
2. Boosts Immunity: Amino acids in bone broth, like arginine, glutamine, and cysteine, have been shown to boost immunity and alleviate symptoms of the common cold. As I mentioned above, bone broth is one of the most beneficial foods to consume to restore gut health and therefore support immune system function and healthy inflammation response. Collagen/gelatin and the amino acids proline, glutamine and arginine help seal these openings in the gut lining and support gut integrity.
3. Reduces Inflammation: Studies show that many of the amino acids in bone broth (such as cystine, histidine, and glycine) reduce inflammation, and L-glutamine specifically reduces gut inflammation.
4. Enhances Detoxification: Bone broth is considered a powerful detoxification agent since it helps the digestive system expel waste and promotes the liver’s ability to remove toxins, helps maintain tissue integrity, and improves the body’s use of antioxidants. Bone broth contains potassium and glycine, which support both cellular and liver detoxification.
5. Strengthens Bones and Protect Joints: Bone broth contains essential vitamins and minerals that help protect our bones, such as calcium, protein, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin D, potassium, zinc, manganese, copper, boron, iron, vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin C, and the B vitamins. Bone broth also contains key nutrients, such as collagen and gelatin, that restore and protect our joints from degeneration over time.
6. Improves Mood: Your diet influences your gut bacteria, and your gut bacteria influence your brain. The makeup of gut bacteria, called your microbiome, influences how the brain is wired from infancy to adulthood, along with moods, memory, the ability to learn, and how to deal with stress. When the gut microbiome is healthy, it sends happy signals to the brain; when it’s unhealthy, it can send signals of anxiety.
7. Alleviates Symptoms of Chronic Gastrointestinal Conditions: The gelatin in bone broth helps normalize stomach acid, which is useful for colitis, celiac disease, ulcers, and other inflammatory gut conditions
8. Supports Insulin Regulation: Bone broth can alleviate diabetes and lower blood sugar due to the gelatin content, which supports insulin regulation.
9. Anti-aging Properties: Collagen helps form elastin and other compounds within skin that are responsible for maintaining skin’s youthful tone, texture and appearance.
10. Builds Muscle: The amino acids in bone broth can help stimulate muscle protein synthesis, which is essential for the ongoing growth, repair, and maintenance of skeletal muscle groups.
Easy Chicken and Vegetable Bone Broth Recipe:
Now that you know the top 10 health benefits of bone broth, let's talk about how to make a hearty and delicious Chicken and Vegetable Soup with bone broth! Now you can always make your own bone broth from scratch, but if you are like me and have a difficult time with handling animal bones you can easily buy pre-made bone broth from high-quality reputable sources (I like The Osso Good Co.)! For this recipe, I bought a quart of organic chicken bone broth from Tasty Roots, but you can research local bone broth producers and even order in bulk online! Let's get to the easy recipe!
Ingredients: (Makes 4 servings)
1 quart Organic / Free-range Chicken Bone Broth
1 package frozen Organic Mixed Vegetables (I used frozen carrots, peas, corn, and green beans)
1 cup shredded Organic Chicken Breast
Black pepper to taste
Instructions:
Thaw frozen bone broth in the refrigerator and / or pour 4 cups of chicken bone broth into a medium-sized pot.
Add in frozen veggies and chicken breast.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 5-10 minutes.
Enjoy immediately or store in fridge for 5-7 days (reheat on the stove top, not in the microwave if possible).
I added fresh Organic Spinach and even more chicken breast to the leftovers for a hearty and delicious lunch that nourished me from the inside out!
And that's all there is to it! Whether you make the bone broth yourself or buy some pre-made, it makes for the most nutrient-dense and hearty soup that is sure to make you feel good from the inside out! Like I said before, bone broth is without a doubt one of the most nourishing medicinal foods and I encourage you to try it for yourself if you haven't already and to start including bone broth into your daily diet to obtain all of the health benefits for better health today and for the rest of your (LONG) life!