Is Bone Broth Good For You?
You may have heard of bone broth from some of your favorite social media influencers or health gurus. You know that it is “supposed” to be good for you, but what is it, really?
Believe it or not, bone broth is not a hot new trend that was coined by a celebrity, but a nutrient-rich stock that has been consumed since as early as prehistoric times. It is made by simmering animal bones and tissues/tendons over a long period of time. It’s a great way to prevent food waste and bump up your vitamin and mineral intake. According to Healthline, bone broth may benefit the digestive system, combat inflammation, improve joint health, promote weight loss, and may improve sleep quality and brain function. In recent years, studies have been conducted to further explore these claims and the legitimacy of the potential benefits.
A study was published in October of 2021, analyzing the anti-inflammatory effects of bone broth in models exhibiting Ulcerative Colitis. Ulcerative Colitis is a type of chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that can result in issues with stool and stomach cramps and pains. It has been found that one of the main triggers for such IBDs is nutrient deficiencies, which is why the researchers chose to highlight bone broth. In the end, it was found that the bone broth was particularly rich in amino acids, which result in anti-inflammatory properties. Therefore, consumption of the broth allowed for mitigation of the symptoms of Ulcerative Colitis in the model subjects.
Another study was also conducted by researchers in 2017 examining the risks and benefits of bone broth consumption. Specifically, they focused on consuming beneficial essential metals that can come from bone broth and the risk of consuming potentially harmful metals. Overall, the metal contents in bone broths vary depending on how they are prepared. This is contingent on the type of animal being used, the cooking time, and the acidity of the broth (some people add acids, such as apple cider vinegar to theirs!). Overall, based on this study, consuming bone broth holds significantly more benefits than risks. As long as you are preparing your broth in the recommended manner or purchasing it from a reliable source, it should be a worthwhile and inexpensive addition to your diet!
Adding Bone Broth to Your Diet
Overall, the research done on bone broth is relatively new and in development. The good news is that there are no major red flags in regards to adding bone broth to your diet. At the same time, there is not a ton of groundbreaking or concrete research that can assert that everyone needs to incorporate bone broth into their routines. You can take this information with a grain of salt, but rest assured that drinking it will be of more help than harm, and if you choose not to, there are plenty of other foods out there that can help with inflammation, weight management, digestion, etc.
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-Written by Kaila An
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5533136/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8618064/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/bone-broth
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