Beneficial Bones

By Katie McPherson

Bone broth is an ancient health food that is making its way back onto the menu. Now Hollywood stars like Gwyneth Paltrow and Shailene Woodley are touting bone broth’s benefits during interviews, and the soup is even part of the diet prescribed to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Bone broth is produced by boiling animal bones, particularly joints, for six to 12 hours. The result is a nutrient-rich liquid loaded with calcium, phosphorous, magnesium and a host of other trace minerals. It’s known to help with IBS stomach conditions, autoimmune support, detox and rheumatoid arthritis. Some say it helps boost energy and focus. Its high protein and gelatin content protect the digestive tract and aid in nutrient absorption. Glycosaminoglycans are also found in bone broth, an essential component to our bodies’ ability to absorb shock while moving (and they’re notably hard to find in other foods).

Bone broth can be used in soups, stews, gravies and even cocktails or can be enjoyed the simple way, with a bowl and spoon. Although making broth may sound like a big undertaking, Sally Fallon Morell, author of Nourishing Broth: An Old-Fashioned Remedy for the Modern World, says home cooks need not feel overwhelmed. Published in 1996, her book was one of the first to cover the health benefits of preparing broth at home.

“If you really want to make it easy, get a slow cooker,” she explains. “Whenever we eat chicken, I save the bones in a plastic bag. It takes the bones of two chickens to fill up the Crockpot. I always add a split pig’s foot or some chicken feet because the feet have so much collagen in them.” Simply allow the bones to simmer for 12 hours, and voilà. Each set of bones can be used twice. But how can you tell if you’ve made a quality broth?

“That first pitcher you get from the first cooking, that should gel. It should be like jelly when it cools down. The second batch won’t gel as much but will still be good for you. If you’ve not done a lot of cooking and you do this for the first time, you can be really proud of yourself!”

And before you think a can of chicken soup from the store will have to do, think again.

“There’s no melted collagen in any canned or dehydrated soups. They get a broth-like taste with MSG or various powders, even if it’s not on the label. It has none of the benefits of broth,” says Sally.

That’s right—bone broth isn’t just an athletic aid but also the beauty buff’s best friend thanks to high collagen content.

“Broth feeds your collagen, and we have more collagen tissue than any other kind in our body, more than muscle and bone. It’s in all our organs, our eyes, everywhere. Specifically, there’s a layer of collagen under the gut lining and under your skin, so when your collagen is good, your skin is good and your gut works properly,” Sally says. “My mother always said chicken broth gave you beautiful skin. When she died in her 80s, she had no wrinkles!”

If you’d like to try making bone broth at home, check out Sally’s Nourishing Broth at nourishingbroth.com. We’ve got a few starter recipes to experiment with here.

Golden Chicken Rice Soup

quarts homemade chicken broth tsp ground turmeric cup brown rice cup finely chopped chicken carrots, peeled and grated ripe tomato, seeded and chopped cup baby spinach leaves, chopped

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Simple Slow Cooker Stock

6 cups chicken bones

2 chicken feet or 1 piece split pig’s foot 1 onion, coarsely chopped

2 tbsp vinegar cold filtered water

Place chicken bones in a large stockpot. Add feet and onion and then vinegar and enough cold filtered water to cover bones. Let stand for 30 to 60 minutes.

› Cover pot and cook on low heat for 6 to 12 hours, checking occasionally to ensure bones remain covered with water. Add more as needed. › Remove bones with tongs or slotted spoon. Strain stock into heat-proof bowl or measuring container. If not using right away, cool to room temperature and refrigerate uncovered for several hours until fat rises to top and congeals. Skim this o if desired to use in other recipes.

Pour broth into large saucepan. Add turmeric, and place over high heat and bring to boil. › Add rice, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour or until rice is cooked through. › Add chicken and carrots, tomato and spinach, and simmer until cooked through. › Season with salt and pepper as desired, and serve.