Some of the best medicine - Chicken Broth

Sep 27

⁣Bone broth is simple, timeless, grounding & nourishing PLUS it has so many healing properties. It contains nutrients we need to maintain the health/integrity of our gastrointestinal tract, our bones, fights off systemic inflammation and even helps us get a good night’s sleep.

Animal bones are rich in calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, and other trace minerals — the same minerals needed to build and strengthen our own bones (1, 2).

Connective tissue gives you glucosamine and chondroitin, natural compounds found in cartilage that are known to support joint health (3).

Marrow provides vitamin A, vitamin K2, minerals like zinc, iron, boron, manganese, and selenium, as well as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

All of these animal parts also contain the protein collagen, which turns into gelatin when cooked and yields several important amino acids (4). As the ingredients simmer, their nutrients are released into the water in a form your body can easily absorb.

Many people don’t get enough of these nutrients in their diet, so drinking bone broth is a good way to get more.

However, it’s impossible to know the exact amount of each nutrient contained in the broth because every batch of bones is so different.

Healthy Gut

As we are constantly hearing these day, our overall health depends heavily on the health of our gastrointestinal tract. Not only is bone broth easy to digest, but it may also aid in the digestion of other foods. The gelatin found in bone broth naturally attracts and holds liquids. This is why properly prepared broth congeals in the fridge (5). Gelatin can also bind to water in your digestive tract, which helps foods move through your gut more easily. An amino acid in gelatin called glutamine helps maintain the function of the intestinal wall and has been known to prevent and heal a condition known as “leaky gut” (6). Leaky gut, which is associated with several chronic diseases, is when the barrier between your gut and the bloodstream is impaired. Substances that your body doesn’t normally allow through leak into your bloodstream, which leads to inflammation and other problems (7). For all of these reasons, drinking bone broth may be beneficial for individuals with leaky gut, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease.

Fighting inflammation

The amino acids found in bone broth, including glycine and arginine, have strong anti-inflammatory effects (8, 9). Arginine, in particular, may be especially beneficial for fighting chronic inflammation. While some inflammation is necessary, chronic inflammation may lead to a number of serious diseases (10). These include heart disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, and many types of cancer (10). Because of this, it’s important to eat plenty of anti-inflammatory foods.

Improving joint health

Collagen is the main protein found in bones, tendons, and ligaments. During the cooking process, collagen from bones and connective tissue is broken down into gelatin. Gelatin contains important amino acids that support joint health. It contains proline and glycine, which your body uses to build its own connective tissue. This includes tendons, which connect muscles to bones, and ligaments, which connect bones to each other (11).

Multiple studies have found that glucosamine and chondroitin whilst helping to decrease joint pain, can also lessen the symptoms of osteoarthritis (12, 13).

Improve sleep and brain function

The amino acid glycine, found in bone broth, may help you relax. Multiple studies have found that glycine helps promote sleep (14, 15).

This is a delicious & simple chicken broth recipe, so why not give it a go.

⁣⁣Ingredients:

1 or 2 organic chicken carcasses ⁣
2 x carrots cut into large pieces⁣
2 x sticks of celery cut into large pieces ⁣
2 x leeks cut into large pieces⁣
2 x whole skinned garlic cloves⁣
½ onion chopped⁣
chunk of skinned ginger⁣
1 x tsp of black peppercorns⁣
2 x tsps of turmeric or a pinch of saffron⁣
1 x tbsp of apple cider vinegar⁣
2-3 bay leaves⁣
Bunch of fresh herbs such as thyme, oregano, parsley⁣
Salt /pepper to taste⁣

⁣

Method:

In a big saucepan, place all the above ingredients.⁣
Cover with cold water as high as possible (not so high that when it boils it will spill over).
Bring to the boil and then cover, reduce heat and simmer on the lowest possible heat. The longer you can cook it for the better the taste / health benefits, preferably stick it on at breakfast and don't take it off until after dinner. ⁣
Once cooked, turn off heat, remove lid and let it cool a little. ⁣
Remove all the ingredients and then using a sieve, pour into a large bowl – you are aiming for a clean broth. ⁣
You can decant into smaller containers and keep in the freezer. It should last for 3-4 days in the fridge and try and drink at least a cup a day.⁣

Tips:⁣

Don’t throw leftover bones / carcasses away, save them to make broth. You can freeze them until ready to use.⁣

⁣However, if you’re not someone who buys / eats whole chickens, ask your local butcher if they have any and they may even give them to you for free.⁣

References:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5533136/

2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5804294/

3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6097075/

4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3417664/

5. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/gelatin

6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27749689/

7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31076401/

8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5350494/