BA50 TalkersOnce considered as trendy super foods, kale and quinoa have risen in the ranks as healthy diet staples. Well, there’s a new kid on the block when it comes to hearty fares that pack a powerful nutritional punch—except this trending super food has been an old school staple for cold days or cozying up to the fireplace: bone broth. Yep, you heard that right. For centuries bone broth has been considered an essential base for many types of soups and now it’s touted as the latest super food promising better health.
The Difference Between Bone Stock and Bone Broth
Let’s understand what the difference is between bone stock and bone broth. They both start out with the same process: boiling animal bones in water. The bones for the broth and the stock typically comes from chicken, turkey, beef, or duck. People sometimes put vegetables like celery, onions, and carrots to add more flavors.
The difference between bone stock and bone broth is the cooking time. Stock takes about three to four hours to make. For broth, the ingredients should simmer in boiling water from 12 to 24 hours. The long cooking process has a purpose: to further break down the bones to release minerals and nutrients contained within the bones. The benefits of bone broth come from the nutrients in the bones like collagen, gelatin, and glucosamine.
Bone broth has long been a staple of a paleo diet. Also known as the caveman diet, the paleo diet focuses on eating unprocessed foods. Essentially, it’s about eating foods that a caveman (or cavewoman) would eat. It makes sense why bone broth fits the paleo standard—obviously the broth has no added sugars or processed ingredients. Bone broth’s mainstream fame has surged in recent years due to the popularity with professional chefs. A restaurant in New York City is completely dedicated to bone broth.
Easily Make Bone Broth Without Boiling Bones
If a cup of bone broth sounds good right about now, you don’t need to boil bones for more than 24 hours or go to your local butcher to buy leftover bones. Cans of organic bone broth are available for sale through various retailers and some retailer even offer home delivery.
The Health Benefits of Bone Broth Diet as You Age
It’s no secret that people have to be more aware of their health as they age. Unhealthy diet choices have a more lasting effect older adults than on their their younger counterparts. Aliments that become more common with age include arthritis and osteoporosis. Both these issues deal with bone health and bone joints.
If it’s possible to drink a magic elixir to relieve health ailments, then bone broth would probably be it—at least that’s what many health advocates say. Bone broth is known to relieve various painful symptoms of poor health:
Relieve Leaky gut syndrome: bone broth has long been associated with relieving bloating, cramps, and aching symptoms.
Care for bone joints: arthritis is the inflammation of joints, and glucosamine supplements have been used to help with joint pain. This same nutrient is found in bone broth. When you drink bone broth, you’re also digesting other nutrients that also help with relieving joint pain as opposed to just focusing on one element found in a supplement.
Strengthen bones: osteoporosis is the deterioration of bones due to the lack of calcium and bone protein. Bone broth can help counteract the symptoms of this condition because it contains bone-building nutrients like phosphorus, magnesium, and calcium.
Support the immune system: ever wonder why you feel better after drinking a bowl of chicken soup when you’re sick? Bone broth, the base in chicken soup, has a concentration of minerals found in bone marrow. These minerals are known to provide relief of systems and strengthen your immune system.
Various Ways to Savor Bone Broth
Again, bone broth is the staple considered for many soups, but you can enjoy this super food in a variety of ways other than the main dish:
- Sip bone broth in a mug as a complement to your meal.
- Use it as a base to boil pasta or rice.
- Freeze bone broth in ice cube trays and use it later as an ingredient for a smoothie.
- Dehydrate it to make bullion cubes.
Whatever way you choose to eat or prepare it, bone broth is a super food trend that has withstood the test of time.