Bone Broth: The Genius Hack From Our Ancestors

We’ve often gone into detail about the importance of gut health and how it basically dictates everything in your body, beginning with your immune system, your hormones, how well you sleep, your mood and your digestion. The idea is treat your microbiome well, and it will treat you well.

 

However we have yet to delve into what constitutes a healthy gut, and how to know if your gut needs healing or not. When the bacteria, yeast and viruses in your gut go awry and an imbalance occurs it can affect the rest of your body in very unfortunate ways.

 

If you’re experiencing frequent discomfort in your stomach including gas, bloating and heartburn, if you’re feeling tired more often than not, if you’re developing insomnia, are becoming intolerant to some foods and/or constantly craving sugar, if you’re unintentionally gaining or losing weight, and if your stress response has shifted and you’ve been feeling particularly moody, these are all clear warning signs that you may have an unhealthy gut that is in dire need of healing.

 

Fortunately, there are several things you can do to heal your gut that will actually make a difference. The first step is finding out what your particular body loves and hates, but some examples of gut-healing foods are probiotic foods, soft-cooked vegetables, high-fiber fruits (not fruit juice) and predominantly: bone broth.

 

Broths and stocks have been the base for endless culinary traditions and flavorful dishes around the world. But in the last 5 years or so, nutritionists and health nuts alike have started encouraging its consumption, particularly the kind that is simmered for days on end in order to extract as many nutrients from the bones and carcasses as possible. And yes, it’s actually delicious.

 

You might be thinking: what’s with this recent hysteria and fuss about bone broth? My grandmother has been making that stuff since long before trends were even a thing.

 

Well, maybe that’s just it right there. We as a race are becoming more aware of the pure genius in these old-fashioned foods. All this time, our ancestors’ approaches to being economical and getting every last bit of juice from everything in the kitchen checked out.

 

In a nutshell, by boiling bones and breaking down the connective tissue that stays behind in animal carcasses, you extract more nutrients than you could possibly imagine like collagen, minerals, glucosamine, chondroitin, and other vitamins, amino acids and essential fatty acids. These nutrients will help soothe your gut wall, repair its damage, aid in your digestion, and strengthen your joints.

 

Another huge benefit to bone broth is that it’s basically an anti-aging elixir for glowing skin thanks to all the protein, collagen and keratin found in it. When you let it sit on the counter or in the fridge, it will solidify into gelatin as it cools; that is the number one sign that you’ve extracted ample collagen from the bones, and that will play a major role in strengthening your hair and nails and giving you smooth, clear skin.

 

Ultimately, bone broth is a relatively cheap, simple to make and low-calorie method to increase easily digestible nutrients into your daily diet, especially that it contains a protein called glycine, which is known to be incredibly useful for detoxification. While your body is getting detoxified, it is at the same time going through a process that is adjusting it to a healthier calorie intake, meaning the bone broth itself will make you feel full and satisfied the calorie load, especially when consumed on an empty stomach or in between meals to last you throughout the day.