Bone Broth: Liquid Gold or Pure Hype? Experts Finally Settle the Debate

Although healers have been prescribing bone broth for years, the contemporary world may have forgotten just how important the dish is. These days, there are those who consider the broth to be a fad, insisting that the health benefits associated with it are all hyped up.

Are these guys right, or are they simply ignorant of the facts? Sally St. John, a health coach and counselor says that the general public is uninformed on just how much research has been done on the use of bone broth in the treatment of chronic ailments.

Around for Centuries

She explains that as far back as the twelfth century, physicians were prescribing chicken broth as an asthma remedy. In China, broth therapy was used to treat disorders of the digestive tract as well as of the reproductive system.

Chicken broth was used as an asthma remedy in the 12th century

According to St. John, bone broth popularity decline began in the 1950s, especially with the rise of the era of instant food. All the same, the health coach says that there are those who carried on with the tradition, citing international chefs.

Nutrition experts are also doing their best to return the liquid gold back to its glory days, and the conversation surrounding bone broth is gaining momentum with each passing day. Notable figures in this conversation are Sally Fallon and Natasha Campbell-McBride who have both published quite the educative books on this subject.

If you’re wondering what health benefits you could get from bone broth, stick around for an interesting read.

For starters, the dish serves as an excellent collagen source. Collagen is abundant in bone ligaments and cartilage, being a protein structure rich in amino acids (AAs). These AAs effectively make collagen a protein assist, which is a component that aids the body in the absorption of complete proteins.

Broth is an excellent collagen source

Collagen also works to heal the gut lining and, as such, addresses disorders of the intestines such as Crohn’s disease, leaky gut syndrome, and colitis.

The protein structure also fights against memory loss, depression, and hyperactivity, and the fact that it is abundant in proteins makes bone broth a vital dish for pregnant women as protein requirements double up in pregnancy.

Mineral Source

The broth is also an excellent source of important minerals in the body, with phosphorous and calcium being the most abundant in this dish. Others include fluoride, sulfate, potassium, sodium, and magnesium, all of which have vital roles.

St. John advises that to reap maximum mineral benefits from bone broth, you should add a little vinegar while preparing the meal since it triggers the maximum release of said minerals. Some of the health benefits associated with mineral intake include bone health, decreased allergies, and reduced period pains.

Ensure that you add vinegar to your broth to trigger mineral release

And just so you know, bone broth does not only aid in the absorption of proteins alone. It goes full-circle where nutrients are concerned, assisting in both their digestion and absorption. If you’re a big fan of veggies or even fruits, having some bone broth every once in a while will do you some good.

Now that you’re all caught up, you must be thinking of buying some broth on your way home, right? Unfortunately, St. John is against commercially prepared broth and instead champions for making it at home.