Bone broth is having a moment, and for good reason. People are eager to reap its health benefits, which include better sleep, weight loss and stronger bones.
Bone broth is a stock made by cooking animal bones along with vegetables, herbs, vinegar and spices in water. This stock can be used in soups, stews, sauces, gravies and as a drink. Serve it over a meatloaf or pasta, use when cooking rice or grains, add a teaspoon to homemade salad dressing or sip a warm cup like tea or coffee. You can even add it to your smoothies.
Bones from the feet and neck of cows, chickens, fish and lamb are commonly used, as they contain type II collagen, which is vital to connective tissue, especially in the gut lining. “The gut absorbs the most nutrients,” says Heather Wright, a holistic wellness practitioner in Deerfield Beach and CEO and founder of Fitmind Wellness Solutions LLC. “By strengthening the intestinal lining and balancing the gastric acidity, we can absorb more nutrients.”
Add veggies like onions, celery, carrots, leeks or bok choy and herbs and spices like garlic, thyme, bay leaves, ginger, rosemary or parsley. “That will improve the taste while adding disease-fighting antioxidants,” says Wright.
You can also buy bone broth at supermarkets, health food stores and online. Look for chicken or beef bone broth — not chicken stock or beef stock. “They’re not the same,” says Wright. Watch the sodium content. If you’re getting 650 milligrams of sodium or more per serving of bone broth, adjust your daily sodium intake.
Health benefits include:
Vitamins and Minerals: Animal bones boast magnesium and calcium to strengthen bones. Marrow has zinc, iron, calcium and vitamins A and B.
Inflammation Fighter: Bone broth’s amino acids (the building blocks of protein) may help fight inflammation. Heart disease, arthritis and other diseases have been linked to chronic inflammation that starts in the gut.
Weight Management: Typically, bone broth is low in calories and can make you feel fuller, so you’ll eat less. Plus, it provides essential protein, helping stabilize your blood sugar.
Sleep Function: Bones contain glycine, which may help you relax. It may also help you sleep deeper, awaken less and fall asleep faster.
Immune Support and Detoxification: Bone broth contains potassium and glycine, which support the body on a cellular level and help the liver in detoxification processes.