The healing power of bone broth

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The

healing power of

bone broth From anti-aging and detoxing to healing joints and gut lining, bone broth is a centuries-old tradition that is fast coming back in fashion as its incredible health benefits are realised, writes Therapeutic Chef Neha Jamani.

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n ancient tradition that has become a health craze - bone broth has turned into an uber trendy beverage that’s currently taking the US by storm.

You might think a bone doesn’t have much to offer in terms of nutrition. But locked away inside its shell is a wealth of essential nutrients and minerals, anti-inflammatory and gut-healing properties, and good fats. Homemade broth is full of nutrients underrepresented in today’s modern diet and comes in a form the body can easily absorb.

Folk wisdom throughout the world values broth for its healing properties. Until the modern era most households kept a stockpot simmering over the fire or on the back burner. They regularly ate from it and continually added whatever ingredients became available, making long cooked soups and stews the original ‘fast food’.

Here are some of the health benefits of bone broth:

1. Collagen: Anti-aging and joint-healing

Collagen is a structural protein that builds strong skin; it is also the glue that holds the body together. Collagen supports the skin and internal organs, it helps our skin retain its youthful firmness, suppleness, elasticity and protects it against ageing and wrinkling.

In nature, collagen is found in the skin, bones and joints of the animal.

Cooking the bones breaks down the collagen so it becomes more easily digestible. This form of cooked collagen is better known as gelatin.

Collagen production in the body slows down with age and ill health, causing skin, joints and other body parts to become drier, less pliable, thinner and weaker. Drinking bone broth is a good way to supplement the body and consume a natural form of collagen.

2. Rich source of minerals and Amino Acids

Bone broth is extremely high minerals and amino acids. Bones from land

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A centuries-old tradition, bone broth is rich in the minerals and amino acids that keep us youthful. It heals the gut lining, supports joints, and detoxes the body of toxins.

animals are rich in calcium, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus. Fish and seafood broth are rich stores of iodine, which helps protect a sluggish thyroid – a major cause of weight gain, thinning hair and loss of energy.

The mineral content from the bones is drawn out into the water and one

can know this for certain, because the bones are often crumbly when the broth is done cooking. Smaller bones like chicken and fish can sometimes entirely dissolve in the broth. Additionally some of the star amino acids in bone broth include glutamine, glycine, proline and alanine.

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3. Supports the Digestive system

Bone broth is very healing for the digestive track and it helps to prevent inflammation that leads to aging. It is a rich source of glycine, which stimulates the production of stomach acid to aid digestion. Glycine is also an important component of bile acid which is necessary for the digestion of fat in the small intestine and also helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels.

Glutamine is another amino acid abundantly found in both broths. It is well recognized for its health giving potential and is a natural remedy for ‘leaky gut’, which is an unpleasant and sometimes dangerous condition where the barrier between the gut and the rest of the body isn’t working properly.

Allowing the molecules that should stay inside the gut to cross over into the bloodstream and potentially set off a cascade of auto-immune reactions.

Glutamine helps maintain the function of the intestinal wall preventing this damage from occurring. It also helps the villi of the small intestine to heal and grow which is very important for people suffering from malabsorption.

5. Supports Detox

An often unknown fact of consuming bone broth is that it supports the body’s natural detox pathways. Glycine an amino acid present in broth is a key player in detoxification. Glycine supports the liver to remove and get rid of anything dangerous from the body, helping it to re-energize and de-age the cells. Glycine is also a precursor amino acid for glutathione, a powerful cancer-

4. Joint Health

Broth made from bones and joints contain several nutrients that help strengthen our own skeletal system. The collagen in broth supports the bones, tendons and ligaments and other flexible tissues. Another benefit of bone broth comes from glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) a family of carbohydrates in bones and connective tissues, which show positive effects on reducing joint pain.

The best known GAGs are Glucosamine, consumed by thousands in supplement form to support joint health, and Hyaluronic which has been used as an effective treatment for osteoarthritis. According to the principle “like feeds like” broth gives our bone strength and flexibility, and our joints cushion and resilience.

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curbing, age-slowing antioxidant that also supports liver detoxification.

Bone broth is a valuable supplement food for all of us. It can be used as a foundational ingredient in soups, stews and sauces and also therapeutically for colds, digestive disorders, joint problems and skin health.

With a myriad of bio available minerals and anti- ageing nutrients one can say it is time to put bone broth back on the table and nourish out bodies from inside out.

BONE BROTH FAQS Confused about bone broth? Let’s sort that out, right here, right now! Here’s your beginner’s guide…

• Broth vs soup: What’s the difference?

A stock is a flavourful liquid extract produced by simmering bone and/or vegetables and aromatics. Stocks are usually used to flavour other dishes like soups, stews and sauces and also as a cooking medium for grains, pasta and vegetables.

Broths are similar to stocks but not quite the same, while there is some debate in the culinary world about the technical difference between and broth and a stock – a broth is generally considered salted or seasoned that can be consumed on its own.

• How does long vs short cooking time affect the broth?

A lab analysis by Biodynamic Wellness, CA in 2013 showed that longer cooking times affected the mineral content of the bone broth. The four top amino acids found in bone broth glutamine, glycine, proline and alanine were three times higher in long cooked broths compared to short cooked. Typically poultry bones can be cooked for anywhere between six to 24 hours, and harder bones like lamb or beef bones can cook for eight to 48 hours.

• What’s the difference between homemade and store-bought broth?

Broth often labeled as stock in stores often relies on high temperature and fast cooking techniques that result in a watered down version that does not gel.

One misses out on some of the health benefits that can only be achieved by low temperature slow cooking which results in a gelatin rich broth. Additives like MSG and flavours are often added to store-bought versions of broth, so if you are interested in the healing properties of bone broth it is better to make your own.

Neha Jamani A therapeutic and holistic chef, Neha is founder of Dubaibased The Sacred Kitchen. A graduate of Bauman College of Holistic Nutrition and Culinary Arts in California, Neha aims to raise awareness about the importance of food choices and reconnect people with their bodies and the food they eat. www.thesacredkitchen.org

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