Bone broth is one of the latest diet trends that really took off in recent years, along with the likes of kombucha and meatless meat.
Those who advocate for bone broth claim that this concoction can improve digestion, strengthen bone structure, reduce inflammation, and stimulate collagen production.
Although only a few studies on bone broth have been conducted as of date, several related studies suggest that there may be truth behind some of these claims.
In this article, we will explore everything that we know about bone broth (as supported by research), and how you can make your own at the comfort of your own home (spoiler: it’s actually quite easy to do).
What Is Bone Broth?
As the name implies, bone broth is made by boiling pork, beef, chicken, or even fish bones over an extended period of time, which typically falls between 45 minutes to 24 hours.
Bone broths have been around prehistoric times, back when hunter-gatherers tried to make animal bones easier for consumption as an important protein source. In present time, bone broth is typically used by chefs as a component of sauces or as a base for soup (such as the Vietnamese dish, pho).
Although it has been around since forever, the surge of bone broth’s popularity all started with the Paleo diet – a popular diet which aims to imitate the dietary patterns of hunter-gatherers back in the prehistoric days. It became a staple in the Paleo diet as it was easy to consume, delicious, highly nutritious, and easy to make.[1]
Eventually, its popularity spilled over to other dieting communities until it became the mainstream health food phenomenon that it is today.
This boiling process breaks down most of the connective tissue and bones, which are exceptionally dense in vitamins and minerals that are considered essential to our body’s development and function. Some of the vitamins and minerals that you could get from one cup of bone broth include[2]:
- 7mg Calcium
- 0.5mg Iron
- 10mg Magnesium
- 252mg Potassium
- 0.34mg Zinc
- 6g Protein
- 2.9g Total Fat
- 86 kcal
Additionally, bone broth contains gelatin, which is a broken down from the collagen found in connective tissues and bones. Gelatin provides several essential amino acids that are considered the building blocks of life, as they are crucial for building proteins and synthesizing hormones. Since it would be hard to manually chew and digest bones for their nutritional value, boiling them down to make broth is a great way to make use of all the nutrients hidden inside.
The Benefits of Bone Broth
Bone broth is an easy and delicious way to obtain several amino acids and minerals that are crucial to a wide range of bodily processes. Because of its density in nutrients, drinking bone broth was found by researchers to be capable of providing several health benefits when regularly consumed.[3,4,5]
- Bone broth is beneficial for joint health.
One of bone broth’s best qualities is that it contains all the amino acids that support joint health = after all, the proteins that you can get from bone broth come from animal connective tissues, which aren’t too different from our own in terms of molecular structure.
Bone broth specifically contains the amino acids proline glycine, which the body needs to build connective tissues. This includes the tendons, which are the tissues that connect the muscles to our bones.
Some studies have also confirmed that consuming gelatin, such as in supplement form, is capable of improving collagen synthesis which was observed to have helped repair ligaments and tendons.[6]
- Bone broth can help support immune function.
If you feel like a bad case of flu is about to hit you, sipping a hot bowl of bone broth is a great way to boost your immune system.
Bone broth contains the amino acid glutamine, which was found to be capable of supporting intestinal barrier function. This helps strengthen the small intestines, which is considered the first line of defense in our immune system. Once this gut barrier leaks ( a condition called “leaky gut” or “intestinal permeability”), our immune function is compromised and our bodies become highly susceptible to infections.[7]
- Bone broth is great for digestion.
Consuming bone broth is another way you can stimulate your digestive system whenever you’re experiencing constipation. The gelatin in bone broth attracts and holds liquids, which helps food move through your gut with more ease. This is especially beneficial for those who are suffering from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
As mentioned earlier, the glutamine in bone broth helps strengthen and maintain the proper function of the intestinal walls. This helps maintain the efficiency of your intestines to absorb the nutrients in food.
- Bone broth may help slow down skin aging.
Bone broth is rich in amino acids that help synthesize collagen, a protein that makes up the majority of our bones, muscles, and skin. Although our bodies naturally produce collagen, it slows down by the time we reach 40 years of age. And as collagen production deteriorates, our skin starts becoming less elastic and can no longer hold as much moisture. This leads to the wrinkled and dull appearance that is characteristic of aging skin. Thus, consuming more of these collagen-synthesizing amino acids will help maintain the integrity of your skin as you age.[8]
- Bone broth can help aid weight loss.
Bone broth is high in protein while being low in calories, which makes it the perfect food for controlling appetite and weight. Compared to other foods, protein can help you feel full easier without the need to eat a lot of calories, which can help you fight off unnecessary cravings.
Several studies have also found that eating soup regularly, regardless of whether it is bone broth, is associated with decreased body weight and belly fat, as it was found to help increase feelings of fullness.[9]
- Bone broth can help improve sleep quality.
Glycine, an amino acid found in bone broth, was found to be capable of promoting sleep throughout multiple studies. For instance, once study found that taking 3 grams of lysine before bed helped subjects fall asleep faster, maintain deeper sleep, and experiences less sleep disturbances throughout the night.[10]
- Bone broth can help fight inflammation.
The amino acids in bone broth were also found to have strong anti-inflammatory effects.
Although inflammation is your body’s normal response against infection, it can linger for much longer in your body even without infections. This state is called chronic inflammation – it can be hardly felt, but over time it damages your tissues and cells, which increases your risk of developing chronic diseases. Your risk of developing chronic inflammation increases with smoking, alcohol, chronic stress, obesity, and a poor diet consisting of pro-inflammatory foods (such as fried food).[11]
Anti-inflammatory foods, such as bone broth, will help your body stabilize your inflammatory responses, preventing chronic inflammation.
How To Make Your Own Bone Broth
Although some stores sell bone broth, it is often recommended to make your own to assure that you’re not consuming any unnecessary additives that commercial establishments may add to your soup. After all, bone broth is very easy to make. Even if you’re not experienced in the kitchen, you’ll be able to make your own pot of bone broth with ease.
You can either seek out bones from the butcher’s shop or collect the raw bones that you have taken out of meat for dishes that you have made, making sure that they haven’t gone bad yet.
One simple recipe you can follow is to simmer 3-4 pounds of bones in 1 gallon of water, adding vinegar, salt, and pepper to taste. After simmering for 10-24 hours, you can consume the broth immediately. Leftovers can be stored in the freezer for future use.
Apart from drinking them directly as soup, bone broth can also be used as a base for sauces, stir fry, stews, and gravies.
Conclusion
In recent years, bone broth has become a popular food item among health enthusiasts, as its nutritional content was found to provide several health benefits.
Some of the proven health benefits of bone broth include stimulating digestion, strengthening the joint health, fighting inflammation, and aiding weight loss.
Bone broth is also quite handy to have in the pantry, as it can also serve as a base for sauces, stews, gravies, and stir fry.
If you’re looking for an easy, useful, delicious, and nutritious staple for your diet, then bone broth is definitely something that you should try making yourself!
References
[1] Brickell, S. (2020, February 7) Why Everyone Is Drinking Bone Broth—Plus the 4 Best Ones on Amazon. Retrieved on January 10, 2021 from https://www.health.com/food/bone-broth-benefits
[2] Amidor, T. (2016, May) Ask the Expert: What’s the Deal With Bone Broth? Retrieved on January 10, 2021 from https://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/0516p10.shtml
[3] Johnson, J. (2020, January 12) What are the benefits of bone broth? Retrieved on January 10, 2021 from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323903
[4] Philpotts, R. (2020, September 30) The health benefits of bone broth. Retrieved on January 10, 2021 from https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/the-health-benefits-of-bone-broth
[5] McDonell, K. (2020, November 30) Bone Broth: How to Make It and 6 Reasons Why You Should. Retrieved on January 11, 2021 from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/bone-broth
[6] Shaw, G., Lee-Barthel, A., Ross, M. L., Wang, B., & Baar, K. (2017). Vitamin C-enriched gelatin supplementation before intermittent activity augments collagen synthesis. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 105(1), 136–143. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.116.138594t
[7] Bischoff, S. C., Barbara, G., Buurman, W., Ockhuizen, T., Schulzke, J. D., Serino, M., Tilg, H., Watson, A., & Wells, J. M. (2014). Intestinal permeability–a new target for disease prevention and therapy. BMC gastroenterology, 14, 189. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12876-014-0189-7
[8] Lawler, M. (2019, May 14) Can Sipping Bone Broth Make You Look Younger? Retrieved on January 10, 2021 from https://www.everydayhealth.com/skin-beauty/can-sipping-bone-broth-make-you-look-younger/
[9] Clegg, M. E., Ranawana, V., Shafat, A., & Henry, C. J. (2013). Soups increase satiety through delayed gastric emptying yet increased glycaemic response. European journal of clinical nutrition, 67(1), 8–11. https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2012.152
[10] Yamadera, W., Inagawa, K., Chiba, S., Bannai, M., Takahashi, M., & Nakayama, K. (2007). Glycine ingestion improves subjective sleep quality in human volunteers, correlating with polysomnographic changes. Sleep and Biological Rhythms, 5(2), 126-131. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1479-8425.2007.00262.x
[11] Longhurst, A. (2018, July 27) Understanding and Managing Chronic Inflammation. Retrieved on January 10, 2021 from https://www.healthline.com/health/chronic-inflammation
