Bone Broth and the Importance of Collagen Protein
An important addition to include to your daily routine.
What’s not to love about bone broth? Warm and comforting, bone broth also boasts many benefits at all stages of life.
It can be the base of any delicious homemade soup, can be used in baked goods as a substitute for other liquids like milk or water, or can be had simply on its own with a bit of salt and pepper.
Bone broth is a natural remedy for illness, giving truth to the old wives’ tale that chicken soup can help with recovery from common cold and flu.
Benefits of Bone Broth
There are so many benefits to daily consumption of bone broth, I will just elaborate about a few here.
As I have mentioned in earlier posts, bone broth, specifically the gelatin in it, is comprised of collagen protein, and this collagen makes up a significant amount of the protein in the body from hair, skin, and nails, to tendons and ligaments.
It can easily be obtained by gelatin-rich broth and stock from pasture-raised animal bones and cartilage. Consuming bone broth is a tasty way to ensure your body a great source of collagen protein.
Adequate collagen in the body leads to numerous benefits including joint health and recovery, skin health, and hair and nail strength.
The collagen protein found in bone broth also supports the natural detox pathways in the body, while improving sleep quality and digestive health.
Consuming bone broth enhances digestion of beans, grains, and legumes, and it helps to spare overall dietary protein (from muscle meats and their sources). If you find that beans, grains, or legumes tend to make you feel bloated or uncomfortable, part of the solution may be simply using bone broth as the cooking liquid (rather than water). As an added bonus, the bone broth adds wonderful flavor in the cooking of beans, grains, and legumes!
Even if you notice no digestive distress, I still recommend using bone broth in the cooking of these foods, as the collagen protein helps the body to better access the nutrients during digestion.
Personal Bone Broth
Personally, my family aims to have bone broth daily, whether we drink it warm or use it in the preparation of our meals, and we definitely reap the benefits, feel better, and enjoy it.
Since we make our own from pastured/organic chicken bones, we also have peace of mind that the entire animal is being used, and not simply discarded after the meat has been consumed.
I would encourage you, the next time you cook a chicken, a turkey, or any other piece of meat or poultry, save the bones to make a delicious broth.
Making bone broth is a simple process that cultures have used for generations and generations, with good reason. The wise tradition of bone broth is seeming to be making a comeback in western culture, and quality products are now available in most any store, online, or even in powdered form.
Of course, as with anything, it is always best to make your own if you can, using pasture-raised/grass-fed bones when possible, but it is reassuring to know it is available for purchase in a pinch!
Hunter is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and owner of Reformed Nutrition, LLC. He is a Certified LEAP Therapist, a specialist in food sensitivities and gut healing. He also works with competitive athletes, those looking to gain strength, lose weight, and restore health, as well as families and student groups. In his own life, Hunter strength trains regularly, participates in CrossFit WODs, and enjoys an active lifestyle. He eats real, whole foods, and he believes that the basis for health begins with real, nutrient-dense foods.
