Health Benefits of Beef Bone Broth
By now, you've definitely heard some of the hype around bone broth — the trendy, savory drink widely known to have myriad health benefits. But this fad elixir isn't all that new, and its popularity is here to stay.
"Bone broth has been around for centuries," says Sara Haas, R.D.N., a dietitian, chef, and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Doctors of Chinese medicine have turned to it to strengthen kidneys and support the digestive system, and the English have sipped beef tea (read: a steeped mixture of cubed beef and water) since the Victorian era.
But what is bone broth, exactly? And are the health benefits of bone broth truly as impressive as they're hyped up to be? Read on for a crash course on the popular food.
Bone Broth, Explained
It's pretty simple: Bone broth is an aromatic broth simmered with beef or poultry bones and vegetables. And, nope, it isn't exactly the same thing as stock. The difference between a broth and a stock lies mainly the amount of time it's simmered. The longer the liquid cooks, the more nutrients and minerals leach from the bones.
Need a time breakdown? Broths are made by simmering the bones and some meat (typically that's already been roasted) of an animal or fish for a longgg time, often more than 24 hours. Meanwhile, a stock can finish cooking in about three hours. All that extra time is the secret to bone broth's benefits. (Related: 5 Recipe Hacks That Will Change the Way You Make Soup)
How to Make Bone Broth
Making homemade bone broth is easy enough — once you have the bones and bone broth recipe. But you might head off to the supermarket only to find they don't exactly have any bones just lying around. Try your local butcher or Asian food market, and look for the "boniest bones" you can find, such as beef knuckles, chicken necks, oxtails, soup bones, and even tiny feet. You can also repurpose bones from other dishes you've cooked, such as roast chicken or turkey.
Then, try this bone broth recipe: Cram all of your newly purchased bones into a pot with whatever vegetables and herbs you have lying around. (Try one chopped carrot, two chopped stalks of celery, and aromatic herbs such as thyme, rosemary, parsley, or oregano — or any of these healthy herbs and spices.) Then add water to the top of the pot and simmer on low for at least 20 hours. It will smell wonderful and you'll end up with a nutritious drink or a delicious soup base.
Where to Buy Bone Broth
Don't feel like putting in all that effort to make your own bone broth? Don't blame you. The good news is that there are more and more places offering up ready-made cups of bone broth — for example, there's an entire shop devoted to bone broth in New York City, called Brodo, where you can get to-go cups of broth.
But you don't need to be in a big city to grab a cup and reap bone broth's benefits. You can buy pre-made bone broth at your local grocery store or order it from easy online retailers — in liquid or powder form — such as Amazon and Thrive Market.
Keep an eye out for these bone broth brands:
- Bonafide Provisions Chicken Bone Broth (Buy It, $10, amazon.com)
- Bare Bones Liquid or Instant Bone Broth (Buy It, from $21, amazon.com)
- Kettle & Fire Bone Broth (Buy It, from $20, amazon.com)
- Thrive Market Organic Bone Broth (Buy It, $12, thrivemarket.com)
- Swanson's Bone Broth (Find a retailer, price varies, campbells.com)
8 Impressive Benefits of Bone Broth
There's a laundry list of health benefits of bone broth. For one, it's a great source of protein — it has about 6 grams per cup — as well as minerals such as calcium, phosphorous (good for bones and teeth), and potassium, which helps move nutrients into cells and waste out of cells. But that's not all — below, even more of the benefits of bone broth.
Heals and Seals Your Gut
One of the main benefits of bone broth is for your gut. A cup of bone broth a day can help with leaky gut syndrome, but it's also good for protecting non-leaky guts, according to Jill Grunewald, a holistic nutrition coach and founder of Healthful Elements. The gelatin in the bones typically used for making broth (such as knuckles, feet, and other joints) is said to help seal up holes in the intestines. People who have leaky gut syndrome have a porous intestinal lining, so this is especially beneficial for them. This "patching" can also help ease chronic diarrhea, constipation, and even some food intolerances.
Protects Your Joints
Taking glucosamine supplements has long been used as a line of treatment for people with joint pain, but it turns out that bone broth has glucosamine, too. Bone broth also offers other nutritional and health benefits that can help reduce pain. Chondroitin sulfate, which is found in the cartilage that protects joints, for example, has been shown to help prevent osteoarthritis.
Good Source of Collagen
The real benefit of bone broth is the low-and-slow cooking process, which breaks down the bones and connective tissues of the meat, according to Daniel Auer, a holistic medicine doctor based in the San Francisco Bay Area. As you sip the broth, you take in collagen (a building block of cells found everywhere from your skin and bones to your brain) and gelatin (a form of collagen that aids digestion) — both of which are incredibly healing, he says.
Experts are torn on whether you can gain the skin-firming, joint-strengthening benefits of collagen by ingesting it, but studies have shown an improvement in skin's elasticity and fine lines from collagen supplements. (Learn more about whether you should be adding collagen to your diet.)
Helps You Sleep Better
Another (somewhat unexpected) bone broth benefit: Research has shown that glycine, found in bone broth, may help improve sleep and ward off fatigue. (Here are more tips on what to eat for better sleep.)
Supports a Healthy Immune System
Because of bone broth's high concentration of minerals, Mark Sisson, author of The Primal Blueprint, goes as far as to call bone broth a "superfood" that can strengthen your immune system.
Increases Bone Strength
The phosphorus, magnesium, and calcium in the bones seep out into the broth, leaving you to sip all those essential nutrients for your own healthy bones.
Supplies Important Amino Acids
Don't go adopting an entirely bone broth diet — it cannot (and should not) be your only means for getting essential nutrients such as amino acids. However, if you don't regularly eat meat, one of the benefits of bone broth is that it can help supply amino acids from animal protein via bones. Amino acids are important for muscle recovery and energy, which are two key factors in your fitness performance.
High In Nutrients
While no one food is a magic ticket to good health (instead, look to these five indisputable guidelines for healthy eating), bone broth is high in nutrients (and low in calories), making it a great choice if you're looking to consume a more nutritious diet. The exact nutrition facts and benefits of all bone broths will be slightly different, though.
How to Use Bone Broth
If the idea of drinking bone broth out of your favorite coffee mug feels a little odd, don't worry: There are plenty of other ways to eat, drink, and use bone broth.
- Drink it straight up. Pour it into a thermos and sip it on its own or as part of your lunch.
- Use it to make grains. When cooking your favorite ancient grain, such as quinoa or farro, use bone broth instead of water for added flavor and all the health benefits.
- Freeze for later use. Pour bone broth into ice cube trays and freeze. You'll have individually portioned broth at the ready.
- Make soup. This is a tried-and-true way to use bone broth. Start from scratch (when possible) or use store-bought bone broth as the base for any soup or stew. (Try these bone broth soup recipes.)
- Make a bone broth smoothie bowl.Yes, you read that right. Bone broth smoothie bowls are a thing, and there are plenty of recipes out there to help you make one for yourself.
Source: https://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/cooking-ideas/8-reasons-try-bone-broth
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