Bone Broth Benefits. Remember, bone broth is rich in minerals that support the immune system and contains healing compounds like collagen, glutamine, glycine and proline. The collagen in bone broth heals your gut lining and reduces intestinal inflammation.
bone broth to be the No. 1 thing you can consume to:
•Treat leaky gut syndrome
•Overcome food intolerances and allergies
•Improve joint health
•Reduce cellulite
•Boost immune system
bones and ligaments to release healing compounds like collagen, proline, glycine and glutamine that have the power to transform your health.
bone broths contain minerals in forms that your body can easily absorb: calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulphur and others. They contain chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine, the compounds sold as pricey supplements to reduce inflammation, arthritis and joint pain.
Bone Broth Nutrition
Bone broth could be called “nature’s multivitamin.” How so exactly? It’s packed with:
•over 19 easy-to-absorb, essential and non-essential amino acids (the building blocks of proteins)
•collagen/gelatin, which help form connective tissue
•nutrients that support digestive functions, immunity and brain health
Did you get that? Bone broth benefits literally every part of your body, from your gut to your brain, from your muscles to your ligaments.
It’s also relatively low in calories yet very high in minerals and other chemical compounds that many people are lacking. There’s no doubt that bone broth makes a great everyday addition to your diet.
Here are six of the key nutritional compounds found in bone broth that help provide all these wonderful bone broth benefits.
1. Glycosaminoglycans (GAG)
Glycosaminoglycans have the primary role of maintaining and supporting collagen and elastin that take up the spaces between bones and various fibers. GAGs are supportive for digestive health since they help restore the intestinal lining, which is why a deficiency in these nutrients has been linked to digestive challenges. (12)
Several important GAGs are found in bone broth, including glucosamine, hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate.
2. Glucosamine
There are two main types of naturally occurring glucosamine: hydrochloride and sulfate. Both help keep up the integrity of cartilage, which is the rubbery substance within joints that acts like a natural cushion. Studies show that glucosamine can become depleted as we get older, so supplements are often used to support joint health.
An easy and relatively inexpensive way to obtain glucosamine naturally is from drinking more bone broth, which helps support the loss of cartilage health, acting as an alternative to pricey glucosamine supplements. (13) Consuming more glucosamine can help support joint health, flexibility and comfort
3. Hyaluronic Acid
Found throughout connective, epithelial (skin) and neural tissues, hyaluronic acid contributes to cell proliferation, differentiation and mitigation, allowing our cells to perform various functions throughout the body as needed. It offers support for multiple skin types and promotes healthy aging, cell rejuvenation and skin firmness. (14)
4. Chondroitin Sulfate
Chondroitin sulfate is a beneficial glycosaminoglycan found in the cartilage within the joints of all animals. It’s often used to support joint health and comfort, especially in combination with glucosamines.
Studies have found that supplementing with chondroitin supports healthy inflammation response as well as cardiovascular health, bone health, skin health and healthy cholesterol levels. (15)
5. Minerals and Electrolytes
Bone broth provides essential minerals, including electrolytes, all provided in an easy-to-absorb form. Electrolytes found within bone broth include calcium, magnesium and potassium (not to mention many other minerals, such as phosphorus), which are important for supporting healthy circulation, bone density, nerve signaling functions, heart health and digestive health. When added sodium levels are kept low, bone broth contains an ideal balance of sodium and potassium to support cellular health and efficiency.
6. Collagen
Collagen is the main structural protein found within the human body that helps form connective tissue and “seals” the protective lining of the gastrointestinal tract. It’s also the gel-like, smooth structure that covers and holds our bones together, allowing us to glide and move freely.
Irritation within the gut that impairs normal digestive functions and causes permeability, allowing particles to pass into the bloodstream, known as leaky gut.
As a rich source of gelatin, bone broth protects and seals the mucosal lining of the GI tract, which means it improves nutrient absorption and also helps keep particles from leaching out where they shouldn’t be.
Bone Broth Benefits: The Magic of Collagen and Gelatin
Real collagen is the source of stock’s immune-boosting properties. You’ve probably seen this jiggling layer atop the broth in your cooling roasting pan and discarded it, but think again next time — this is the good stuff that provides many of the bone broth benefits available.
Collagen is the protein found in connective tissue of vertebrate animals. It’s abundant in bone, marrow, cartilage, tendons and ligaments. The breakdown of collagen in bone broths is what produces gelatin.
Gelatin (the breakdown of collagen) was one of the first functional foods used as a medical treatment in ancient China. Dr. Francis Pottenger and other world-class researches have found gelatin and collagen to have the listed benefits:
•Gelatin helps people with food allergies and sensitivities tolerate those foods, including cow’s milk and gluten.
•Collagen protects and soothes the lining of the digestive tract and can aid in healing IBS, Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis and acid reflux symptoms.
•Gelatin promotes probiotic balance and growth.
•Bone broth increases collagen, reducing the appearance of wrinkles and banishing cellulite.
•Because gelatin helps break down proteins and soothes the gut lining, it may prove useful for leaky gut syndrome and the autoimmune disorders that accompany it.
•Gelatin provides bone-building minerals in easily absorbable ways, preventing bone loss and reducing join pain. (16)
Here is another incredible benefit from the collagen found in bone broth: It can make your skin look amazing! According to Donna Gates, author of “Body Ecology,” bone broth benefits you skin because it makes it supple and can decrease cellulite!
She says cellulite comes from a lack of connective tissue, and if someone has very smooth skin, it’s because the skin is high in connective tissue. Gates explains that consuming collagen-rich bone broth can reduce cellulite and tighten your skin, making you look younger — adding it to the long list of bone broth benefits.
Bone Broth Benefits: Healing Amino Acids
Gelatin in bone broths contains “conditional” amino acids arginine, glycine, glutamine and proline. These amino acids also contribute to stock’s healing properties.
Conditional amino acids are those classified as nonessential amino acids that are essential under some conditions. You don’t produce them very well if you are ill or stressed. Kaayla Daniel points out that unhealthy Western diets, heavy on processed carbohydrates, low in quality grass-fed animal products, and devoid of homemade soups and broths, make it likely that these amino acids are chronically essential.
What do these conditional amino acids do? (17)
Arginine
•Necessary for immune system function and wound healing
•Needed for the production and release of growth hormone
•Helps regenerate damaged liver cells
•Needed for the production of sperm
Glycine
•Prevents breakdown of protein tissue like muscle
•Used to make bile salts and glutathione
•Helps detoxify the body of chemicals and acts as antioxidant (18)
•Is a neurotransmitter that improves sleep and improves memory and performance
Proline
•Helps regenerate cartilage and heal joints
•Reduces cellulite and makes skin more supple
•Helps repair leaky gut
Glutamine
•Protects gut lining
•Metabolic fuel for cells in small intestine
•Improves metabolism and muscle building
Talk about some incredible bone broth benefits!
