What’s the fuss around bone broths?

Bone broths are an ancient and historic remedy; our ancestors would create broths from the carcasses of animals so as not to waste any part of the food they were eating.

In more recent time, particularly in French and Asian cuisine, broths are an integral part of the cooking methods used, adding depth of flavour to soups, gravies and sauces.

Bringing bone broth right up to present day, they are causing quite a stir within the health community.

There have been beliefs that bone broths could potentially help ease aching joints, help get rid of cellulite, improve the shine of your hair and ease some gut-related issues. This is thought to be due to the broths being rich in collagen, amino acids and electrolyte minerals.

What’s in bone broths?

Bone broths use the bones of any animal as a base along with other herbs and vegetables.

The bones themselves are rich in a protein, collagen, that when heated turns to gelatine through ingestion gets broken down into amino acids (the building blocks of proteins) that we then use for many functions within the body including liver detoxification, gut lining repair and to build connective tissue of the joints.

Proline and glycine are amino acids that are specifically linked to building connective tissue in joints, tendons and ligaments.

Glutamine is best known for its affect on the gut lining, encouraging the regrowth and replenishment of healthy, fully-functioning cells.

Also by simmering the bones at a low heat over a long period of time allows for beneficial minerals to be released into the broth.

Who might benefit most from drinking bone broths daily?

There are more specific cases or conditions when bone broth could potentially work on a therapeutic level:

Gut health – due to the high proportion of amino acids, especially glutamine which works on cell repair and turnover to ensure the gut lining can absorb nutrients by functioning effectively.
Immunity – due to the high levels of minerals and amino acids that are present in the broth, both of which play a key role in the regulation and initiation of the immune system.
Joint health– for individuals suffering with sore, aching joints or perhaps even osteoarthritis can benefit from the high gelatine contact which the body can use as a building block for collagen in ligament, tendon and bone repair and growth.

How to make a bone broth

1 kg of beef bones (venison bones, chicken or turkey carcasses, organic / grass-fed)
2 carrots
2 stalks of celery
2 onions, skin on, quartered
6 garlic cloves, skin on
1 bouquet garni
8 peppercorns
pinch of salt

Add all the ingredients to a large casserole pot of deep pan with a lid.
Cover the ingredients with water
Bring to the boil and then simmer on the lowest heat with the lid on for up to 24 hours. (the longer the better to release all the minerals and collagen)

What if I am vegetarian / vegan?

It is possible to still make a highly nutritious, mineral dense, vegetarian broth but it will be exclusive of the collagen and gelatine content.

Cabbage contains a high level of glutamine so works well as a substitute for the bones in this instance.

Use any vegetable peelings or whole vegetables as well as spices and herbs of choice and boil for 2-4 hours to release all the vitamins and minerals into the liquid.

Drink a cup a day and see how it can impact your overall state of wellbeing

So why not give bone broths a try (or veggie ones!) and see how you feel…..