Mama and Big Mama might not have known that adding this to food was increasing nutritional value of our meals. These inedible additions were likely included for the infusion of flavor they offered or even just in an effort to more easily obtain the meat around the bones (especially with ox tails, neck bones, and ham hocks). Most of us probably just wished we could skip the surprises in our chicken soup, or forego huge, hard chunks in our greens.
We didn’t care much about the natural infusion of flavor after the influx of MSG-laden seasonings like Lawry’s (yes, this household favorite was full of the unhealthy flavor enhancer), and additional nutrients weren’t a well-known perk to begin with. Since we really didn’t appreciate the inconvenience, we eliminated one of the best things on Earth for us.
It’s time for us to reclaim our traditions. It’s so fantastic! What could it be?
It’s bones!
Next to fruits and vegetables, broth from bones is power-packed with nutrients, many of which you can get in much higher amounts than from veggies and their sweet n’ juicy counterparts. Accessing the nutrient powerhouse isn’t as easy as taking a bite, but it is simple. You just have to cook them and cook with them.
Using bones in our regular cooking is a tradition that has been largely discarded and many of us turn our noses up at meat that isn’t skinless and boneless. It’s really a shame, and there’s even a certain benefit to be had from eating, or at least cooking, meat with the skin on, despite the major push for low-fat diets.
Each cup of bone broth typically delivers beneficial balanced protein and other nutrients, including glucosamine, glycine, collagen, gelatin, iron, calcium, zinc, and more, along with tons of rich flavor. Adding the broth to soups and stews, using it for gravy, and in place of water in other recipes, or just warming up a cup to sip on are some easy ways to work bone broth back into your diet.
Glucosamine is excellent for relieving arthritis pain, improving mobility in the joints, and for protecting joints and cartilage. It also protects from inflammation caused by toxins released from certain bacteria typically found in individuals who have gut bacteria imbalance and leaky gut.
Glycine is very important to the regulation of many things in the body including digestion, brain function, blood sugar, and inflammation. Lacking sufficient glycine can lead to and/or exacerbate inflammation in the joints and elsewhere in the body.
Collagen is more than just skin deep. In addition to the many benefits we frequently hear collagen has for skin, it’s an important factor in other aspects of wellness, including bone formation, fertility, and even for holding your teeth in place. Collagen can even help reduce cellulite.
Bone broth can be very helpful for:
-recovery from surgery
-relieving joint pain over time
-support immune system function
-helps with detoxing
-support gut health
-providing electrolytes for athletes and during illness, or just for daily maintenance
-extra nutrients during pregnancy & breastfeeding
-achieving and retaining healthy bones, skin, hair, nails, and teeth
-providing additional nutrients to children and the elderly
-supports overall general health for everyone
Making bone broth can be a lengthy process, but it’s worth it. Save and freeze bones and make large batches at a time to maximize use of time. You can cook the bones on a regular stove or use a crock pot. Over medium heat, simply cook ox tail, neck bones, turkey bones, whole chickens (legs are great), even fish heads & spines, etc. Add salt and any other seasonings you desire. One hour can yield great broth, especially from chicken and turkey legs, but you can cook them for about 4 hours or longer.
If you’re cooking chicken/turkey legs, thighs, breasts etc., go ahead and bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat for at least an hour. Remove the contents with tongs. At this point, the broth is already nutrient rich, but why not get more? You can place the bones back into the pot/crock and cook an additional 4-8 hours.