There are many obvious ways to increase your nutritional value with the foods you eat, like choosing only whole foods and staying away from the processed junk. But when it comes to preparing whole foods for yourself, the value of a good bone broth soup should be one of your main staples. You may have heard that homemade bone broth is excellent for healing and recuperation from illness. You’ve probably also heard the old axiom that chicken soup will help cure a common cold, and there’s some scientific support for that. Chicken contains a natural amino acid called cysteine that thins mucus in your lungs and make it easier to expel. The homemade version made from slow-cooked bone broth is better than anything you can get out of a can.
When you get a cold, the best thing you could do is make a hot and spicy soup with plenty of pepper. The spices will release fluids into your mouth, throat, and lungs, clearing out the mucus that’s clogging you up. Using stock introduces calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulfur and trace minerals into the mix, with the broken down material from cartilage and tendons (chondroitin sulphates and glucosamine,) the same contents in medicines for arthritis and joint pain.
Medical studies have shown that your over-all health can be dependent on the health of your intestinal tract. Modern diseases can develop due to an unbalanced mix of microorganisms in your digestive system. Bone broth is excellent for getting the balance right. It’s easily digestible, helps heal the lining of your gut and contains valuable nutrients.
Here are some of the main benefits of bone broth:
- Immunity boost- the amino acids in bone broth have been shown to boost immunity
- Provides anti-inflammatory benefits
- Strengthens bones and teeth
- Natural source for calcium, protein, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin D, potassium, zinc, manganese, copper, boron, iron, vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin C, and the B vitamins.
- Improved hydration-it can rehydrate better than water because of the electrolytes.
- Muscle growth-helps stimulate muscle protein synthesis.
- Mood enhancer- decreases anxiety due to gut imbalance
- Stronger, healthier nails and hair follicles
- Arthritis and joint-pain relief
- Lowers blood sugar-supports insulin regulation
- Improve sleep patterns
- Helps stabilize stomach acid
Making your own bone broth is cost effective, and is actually quite easy. It can also save you money by reducing your need for dietary supplements. Here’s how you do it: Simmer stock bones over low heat for an entire day. Use the broth for soups, stews, or drink it straight. It can also be frozen for future use. Don’t forget that the “skin” that forms on the top is the best part, containing valuable nutrients.
Bone broth was once a dietary staple and replacing these foods with processed junk in our modern diet can be partially blamed for the need for dietary supplements. So, when you are feeling a little down in the gut, invigorate yourself with a good old-fashioned bone broth. It’s just what the doctor (and your mother) probably once ordered for your health.
