Bone Broth – what’s the big deal

About a year ago national news carried the story of a Bone Broth drive through opening in New York City (move over espresso).  Yes bone broth, you have probably heard it is good for you?  Here at DS Family Farm, the most requests for additional product information is for BONES!

So here are some basics on bone broth with an emphasis toward beef bones.

There are three kinds of bones:

1. Meaty, for flavor = oxtail, short ribs and shank/soup bones
2. Collagen, for body, think gelatin = knuckle bones
3. Marrow bones, for “essence” a delicacy

Flavor, actually all bones will impart some flavor and all broth recipes will call on other ingredients for more flavor (vegetables, spices, herbs).

So lets talk about collagen or the gelatin, think Jell-O, like consistency of broth.  Note here that broth from your local store will most likely be in liquid form, lacking the gelatin results of home-made bone broth.

Collagen, it is needed every where in our body and actually makes up about 30% of our body’s protein.  These proteins contain thousands of amino acids.  Collagen production in our body slows with age.  Think of sagging skin, stiff joints and increasingly prone to injuries as we age.

Marrow, think fat and brain food from this bone source.  Actually there isn’t a lot of data on marrow.  This soft white tissue (marrow) is actually one of the largest organs in our bodies and we don’t know much about it!

What about minerals in the broth?

Actually broth does not contain high levels of minerals.  When you drink bone broth, the minerals you consume will be in the correct ratio, making it easy for our body to absorb.  Broth is “real food” unlike a pill you take from a jar labeled “multi-mineral”.  Bone strength comes from the collagen and not from the minerals we consume.  Our friend Danna recently shared this interesting blog post from a person who did their own research on bone broth mineral content.

Protein

Compared to minerals, broth has higher levels of protein but is an “incomplete protein” (we cannot live on broth alone).  So always plan to compliment bone broth with other high-quality animal proteins such as eggs, milk, fish, poultry or meat.  Bone broth will lower the amount of protein needed from these other sources.  In turn, this will relieve stress from your digestive system.

The big 3 Amino Acids found in broth:

The following amino acids are not actually considered “essential”, but supplementing your diet with the amino acids found in bone broth will aid in your search for better health:

• Proline
  • Looking for healthy pain-free joints, healthy cartilage, this amino acid does the work.
• Glycine
  • For healthy blood, digestion and detoxification!
  • Prevents acid reflux, supports wound healing and used by our bodies to remove toxins.
  • A building block for glutathione = cancer curbing, age slowing, an antioxidant.
• Glutamine
  • For cell regeneration such as the lining of cells in the small intestine (Gut-Healing).
  • Enhance injury recovery from wounds, stress or surgery.
  • Cuts cravings for sugar/carbs.
  • Prevents muscle wasting, stimulates muscle-building and repair.
  • Helps with depression, anxiety and mood swings.

So how much broth should you drink?  One cup per day should be fine for health maintenance and disease prevention.  If dealing with a medical condition try a cup in the AM, at Noon and again in the PM.

Looking for more information?

1. Broth Is Beautiful – WAPF
2. Why Broth Is Beautiful – WAPF
3. Book – “Nourishing Broth” (information used in this post)

Want to try making your own broth?  All you need:

1. WE HAVE BONES at DS Family Farm, drop us an email!
2. Dr. Axe Beef Bone Broth Recipe (try it in your crock pot)

AHHHHH, pour me some bone broth please…