Stop Throwing Nutrients in the Garbage—Make Bone Broth Instead

Posted on April 29, 2014 by Amanda Holliday | 1 Comment

Certified clinical nutritionist and herbalist Christa Lund is back to share the ins and outs of a Paleo staple - bone broth. Who knew there were so many benefits to what we often consider scraps and trash? 

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“Good broth resurrects the dead.” It’s a bold statement, a South American Proverb in fact, but it might be closer to the truth than you think.

Bone broth- the mineral rich gelatinous substance made from slow cooking the bones of an animal is loaded with life supporting goodness. Once a staple in traditional cooking, bones have become nothing more than a heap of stinky trash in many modern day kitchens. But it’s time that we reverse this madness and stop throwing such versatile, delicious and affordable nutrients in the garbage.

The highlights

Gelatin-rich

- Enhances digestion

- Contributes to strong bones, tendons and connective tissue in adults, children and developing fetuses.

- Protein sparing- when there is enough gelatin in the diet, our need for protein can be reduced up to 50%! That means more room for veggies and less money spent on pricier pastured raised meats!

- Helps maintain and repair cellular walls

-Used in the successful treatment of many intestinal disorders including hyperacidity, colitis, and Crohn’s disease, leaky gut, and food sensitivities

Contains Glycine

- Rich in glycine, an amino acid needed for protein synthesis. We need extra glycine during pregnancy to facilitate this process. Also needed for the synthesis of the placenta and protection of mom and baby from toxins.

- Needed to utilize the complete proteins that are taken in.

- Converted into the neurotransmitter serine, which promotes mental alertness, improves memory, boosts mood, and reduces stress.

- It is non-essential, meaning we can make it, but its unlikely that we get enough in our diet to meet our requirements for production (particularly if we are eating a vegetarian diet) and its much more efficient and well absorbed if we get it from a food source like broth.

- Reduces activation of inflammatory cells in the body -Needed for DNA and RNA synthesis, as well as nervous system function and wound healing

- Regulates the synthesis of bile salts and gastric acid

- Involved in detoxification. Too little glycine can be a limiting factor in the effectiveness of our liver detoxification system.

- Required for production of glutathione, the mother of all antioxidants!

- Helps regulate Human Growth Hormone from the Pituitary Gland- thus aiding in the growth and repair of muscle tissue- this is especially critical as we age.

- Inhibits excitatory neurotransmitters, thus producing a calming effect. 

- A glycine-rich diet helps prevent the over abundance of methionine in the body from a high muscle meat diet. Maintain your glycine to methionine balance!

Contains Proline

- Combined with Glycine, these two act as the “glue” that hold our connective tissue and our cellular matrix throughout our bodies in our organs, muscles and arteries together.

- Enables the blood vessel walls to release cholesterol buildups into your blood stream, decreasing the size of potential blockages in your heart and the surrounding blood vessels

Contains Collagen

- Useful for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and other ailments

- An important component of hair, skin and nails. If you don’t want to make broth for your health, make it to preserve your good looks.

Contains Components of Cartilage

- Helpful in rebuilding human cartilage after injury, surgery or overuse.

Miscellaneous Benefits

- Loaded with glycosaminoglycans (GAGs)- aka, glucosamine, chondroitin, hyaluronic acid and many other joint supportive GAGs yet to be discovered. They lay down collagen in the joints, tendons, ligaments and arteries. It’s the most superior joint supplement you could take!

- Recently used with profound results in the treatment of cancer and bone disorders

- Excellent source of Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorous, Chloride, Potassium, Sodium, Sulphur, Trace minerals such as Boron, Chromium, Cobalt, Copper, Germanium, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Selenium, Silicon, Vanadium, Zinc

- Stock made of fish, particularly the heads, is especially rich in minerals including all-important iodine as well as other nutrients to nourish the thyroid glands

- It is also known to increase virility

Simple recipes

Beef Broth

Roughly 4lbs beef marrow and knuckle bones
3 lbs meaty neck or rib bones if available
4 or more quarts of filtered water ½ c vinegar
3 onions, coarsely chopped 3 carrots, coarsely chopped
3 celery sticks, coarsely chopped
several springs of fresh thyme
1 bunch parsley

Place marrow bones, knuckles, water and vinegar in a pot and let stand for 1 hour to allow vinegar to pull nutrients from the bones. Meanwhile, roast the meaty bones in a roasting pan and brown at 350 degrees in the oven. When well browned, add to the pot along with the vegetables. Make sure the contents of the pot are completely submerged by at least 1 inch of water (careful not to overfill the pot). Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and skim the layer of scum that has formed on the top of the broth. Simmer the stock for a 12-72 hours. Just before finishing add the parsley and simmer another 10 minutes. Allow the stock to cool, and then strain and store in the refrigerator. Remove the congealed fat that rises to the top as it chills. Store the stock in useful size containers in the freezer until needed.

For variation use lamb bones, or venison meat and bones.

Chicken Broth

1 whole pastured chicken or 2-3 lbs of boney chicken parts, feet and gizzards
4 quarts filtered water
2 T vinegar
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 carrots peeled and coarsely chopped
3 celery sticks, coarsely chopped
1 bunch parsley

Combine all ingredients except parsley and let stand in a pan for 30 minutes. Bring to a boil. Remove scum from the stop , then reduce heat and cover and simmer for 6-24 hours. The longer you cook the stock, the richer and more flavorful it will be. About 10 minutes before finishing, add the parsley. If using the whole chicken, remove the meat from the carcass and reserve for later uses in recipes. Strain the stock into a bowl and chill in the refrigerator until the fat rises to the top and congeals. Skim off the fat and store the stock in useful sized containers in your refrigerator or freezer.

 

For variation use turkey or duck.

Keep your freezer loaded with containers of broth for a quick nutrient boost when cooking all kinds of things. You can use it to sauté veggies, replace water and add flavor when cooking grains or legumes, boil vegetables, poach eggs, etc. The uses are as many as the benefits! 

Christa Lund is a Certified Clinical Nutritionist and Certified Clinical Herbalist and the owner of Wee Wellness. An honors graduate of the North American Institute of Medical Herbalism, Christa’s training includes over 2000 hours in nutrition, natural herbal remedies, and medical sciences. Christa passionately shares her knowledge with those seeking to improve their health. She offers her services in Northern Colorado and beyond.

 

Posted in Guest Post, Paleo, Real Food

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