The Benefits of Bone Broth

One of our loving customers from Lee’s Summit, Missouri, wrote this article. Christi is a mom, home chef, and believer in the power of bone broth.

A long time ago, the chicken stock didn’t come out of a can just a couple of times of year for holiday stuffings. Families used to make it themselves using the bones of the whole chicken. Homemade bone broth isn’t just economic; it’s incredibly nourishing. It’s well worth your time (minimal) and effort (barely any) to bring homemade bone broth back into your family’s daily diet. What is bone broth? Bone broth is just water simmered slowly with bones, herbs, and/or vegetables for an extra layer of flavor. There is some confusion over the differences between a broth and a stock. Broth typically refers to the home cook (such as in this article) and sometimes indicates that more meat has been simmered than actual bones. Stock typically refers to a professional kitchen and sometimes can indicate the use of bones only without meat. However, these days the words “broth” and “stock” are often used interchangeably. Why is bone broth so beneficial? Slowly simmered bones release beneficial nutrients, gelatin, collagen, and various minerals. When you simmer animal bones with a little bit of acid, like vinegar or wine, you draw out all of the minerals and collagen found in the bones and connective tissue. Gelatin is collagen that has been broken down. Gelatin attracts and holds liquids which help to support good digestion. Gelatin intake in our bodies helps to give us healthy nails and hair. Gelatin is made up mostly of the amino acids arginine and glycine. Arginine fights inflammation in our bodies, so consuming bone broth is a wonderful way to get the benefits of gelatin’s anti-inflammatory power as it soothes the lining of our intestines. If you’re suffering from food sensitivities, IBS, Crohns, colitis, and reflux, it can be an incredible healing addition to your daily routine. Many other nonessential amino acids are found in bone broths. Even though our bodies can produce these amino acids without obtaining them from food, when we are feeling stressed or fighting a virus or bacteria, our bodies fall behind. Ever wondered if there was any truth to the statement that chicken soup heals you of your colds? Well, it certainly doesn’t hurt anything! The amino acid arginine also boosts your immune system and helps to heal wounds. Glycine helps to prevent the breakdown of muscle, supports your body’s ability to detox, and supports healthy sleep. Glutamine helps to fuel your cells. Finally, the amino acid cysteine thins mucus which helps your body to expel it more efficiently. Bone broths are incredibly nutrient-dense and super easy to digest. In addition to the health benefits and economic benefits to making your own bone broth, it will add a wonderful dimension to your home cooking! Using your own bone broth, you can reduce it down to a wonderful and flavorful sauce to accompany your meals, cook rice or grains in it, or use it as a base for a soup or stew. Broth is also so easy to store! It can be made a week ahead and stored in the fridge or frozen in small servings for several months. You will know that you have drawn out all of the rich collagen if when you chill your broth, it “jellies” together. 

*This recipe was shared by one of our loving customers, Christi H of Lee’s Summit, MO. She also shared her go-to method for making homemade chicken bone broth on our Recipes page!