Overview

An old South American proverb says “good broth can resurrect the dead”.

Bone broth is now one of the trending non-vegetarian foods for helping with digestion, easing joint pain especially arthritis and even reducing cellulite. We discuss some of its properties and benefits here. 

Creating bone broths has been a cooking practice for millennia. Indeed, a broth is for all intents and purposes, a stock but there are differences which I will explain later on. Enter the kitchens of any top restaurant and you will no doubt see a large pot of stock simmering on the hob. Stocks have been the base for sauces, soups and all kinds of foods. They are also extremely flavoursome which explains their popularity.

Home cooking also reflects how bone broths have become a popular source of flavour and health food. Now, there is truly renewed interest in them for their health properties mainly from proponents of the paleo diet. Bone broth shops can now be found in very trendy food centres. This product is certainly not vegetarian friendly let alone be vegan friendly. However, its nutritional benefits are very difficult to argue against and in many cases is a popular product consumed in the keto diet.

What’s In Bone Broth ?

Bone broth contains a wide range of minerals which are easily absorbed by the body. They include calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulphur and a number of others in trace amounts, but equally no less important. We also find some key compounds which have specific benefits for joints such as chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine and a number of vitamins. Naturally all these minerals, vitamins and compounds are sold individually or in combination in various supplements and pills. A bone broth offers all these compounds in one easily consumed and delicious ‘product’. 

What’s the Difference between A Broth And Stock ?

Time is the critical aspect here. A broth is usually prepared by simmering the bones of animals normally eaten for food in water. These bones include beef, lamb, pork, chicken, turkey, ostrich and indeed any other animal. Fish is also another source of nutrients. It’s worth noting that this is not a vegetarian food ! Most of the meat will have been roasted first and given that removal of morsels of flesh is not perfect, these are also included in the broth make-up.

 A good part of the flavour comes from the addition of herbs, some salts, spices but there very little else is added.

The longer we simmer the bones, the more there is leaching out from the matrix, all the minerals and nutrients which give the broth its health properties. The stock is the long-term simmered broth.

What’s So Good About Chicken Soup ?

A very old wives tale was to drink chicken soup to ease the symptoms of colds and upper respiratory flu. In 2000, researchers from the University Of Nebraska wrote in CHEST about the benefits of supping chicken soup. It was presented even further back in 1993 when the one of the lead researchers, Dr. Rennard had his wife prepare some batches of her chicken soup. The recipe was a typical hit list including chicken, onions, sweet potatoes, parsnips, turnips, carrots, celery stems, parsley, salt and pepper.

How To Use A Good Chicken Bone Broth.

Bone broths can be used in everything soups to Asian inspired dishes, and enchiladas, to a savory bone broth lattes that boasts anti-inflammatory and gut-friendly benefits. Drink it alone or use it to add dimension and flavor to your favorite recipes.

Warmed in a mug as a coffee or tea alternative, or a protein filled snack between meals, bone broth brings variety to the table. You can use it as a base for soup, stews, and sauces, or as a nutrient-rich substitution for water in rice and pasta dishes.  

Joint Protection

Bone broth is an excellent source of natural collagen. The protein is found in all structural components of the body especially vertebrae animals. This includes skin, cartilage, bones (of course), tendons and marrow. Aging means our joints and bones simply wear out with continuous use, through daily wear and tear.

One of the parts of our structural system which wears readily is cartilage. This acts as a buffer and provides flexibility to the skeleton and the joints. Loss of flexibility is a sure sign of aging. Collagen is a nutrient which helps in the rebuilding of cartilage. Collagen which is present in bones is effectively extracted out and becomes a ready source for this rebuilding.

Key Compounds In Bone Broth

Chondroitin sulphate comes from cartilage around the joints.

Collagen, especially the collagen peptides which are the broken down components of collagen and probably the most useful nutrients in broth

Glucosamine is a popular joint health ingredient and a component of cartilage. 

Glycosaminoglycans

Hyaluronic acid

Who Is Producing Good Bone Broths ?

Producers of bone broths are into big business. There are a number of reputable suppliers of good quality broths for a wide variety of purposes. The latest trend and certainly one which has wide appeal with consumers is that the broth comes from organic livestock.

In The USA, Bonafide Provisions have been producing frozen, organic bone broths for a number of years usually from chicken but also turkey and meat blends of beef and bison. Now on the roster is a line called Keto Broth. This is offered to us in a convenient, 8-ounce, heat-and-go cup. The new line provides all the key nutrients in a typical bone broth as well as supporting ketosis in those of us adopting a keto diet. The product claims to reduce visceral fat whilst MCT oil is there to encourage the production of ketones. Each keto Broth contains 15g of healthy fats, 9-10g of protein and no sugar in three flavors:

• Keto Broth with Lemon, Turmeric, Grass-fed Butter and MCT Oil
• Keto Broth with Lemon, Turmeric, Coconut Oil and MCT Oil (Paleo and dairy-free)
• Keto Broth with Grass-fed Butter and MCT Oil

For many, the keto diet has become incredibly popular as a means for rapid weight loss.

Look out for their standard Organic Chicken Bone Broth.

Pacific Foods recently extended their line of popular Organic Bone Broths. They now include duck and poultry flavours. These broths are produced by a slow simmer of organic poultry bones and then mixing in herbs, vegetables, vinegar and water. The business make a great claims for using locally and ethically sourced poultry. The broths are currently contained in cartons.  The poultry version of the broth is the first shelf-stable product to combine chicken, turkey, and duck into a single broth that is suitable for cooking or sipping..

Pacific.

 

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