The Healing Benefits of Delicious Bone Broth (for gut health and joint health)

By: Mike Geary
Co-author of the best-sellers:  The Fat Burning KitchenThe Top 101 Foods that Fight Aging & The Diabetes Fix

You may have heard the news recently… I’m actually shocked that the mainstream media finally picked up a story on REAL nutrition, instead of the typical propaganda… but the word is out, and us Paleo followers have known about it for years — Bone Broth is officially all the rage!

So why is bone broth so healthy, and how can it help improve your health?

Well, bone broth is one of the richest sources of these nutrients:

  • Vitally important variety of minerals in an easily absorbed form (Most people have mineral imbalances and deficiencies due to today’s processed food supply and degraded soils, so bone broth can help dramatically in this department)
  • Collagen and other anti-aging, joint-healing nutrients, including glucosamine and chondroitin (yes, actually a MORE powerful source of glucosamine and chondroitin than most supplements)

Collagen was much higher in ancestral diets than it is today.  This is because humans used to eat the whole animal, including cartilage, skin, bone marrow, and other collagenous proteins.  Unfortunately, modern-day humans have foolishly ignored the bones, organs, and cartilage in our normal meals and mostly just eat the slightly less nutritious muscle meat.  That’s a shame because collagen is very important for maintaining the health of your joints, skin, hair, and lots more as you age.

There’s even some research showing that collagen protein offsets any carcinogenic effects of muscle meat… yet another example of how our ancestors had it right, and us modern humans have strayed away from the healthiest method of eating meat.

Heck, even famed NBA star Kobe Bryant was recently ordered by his doctors and the team Nutritionist to increase his intake of bone broth to help protect his joints as he ages.  It’s really that powerful.

Bone broth is also known to help HEAL your gut lining.  And let’s face it, with the modern inflammatory diet that most people eat these days, there’s a lot of guts out there that need healing.  After all, you probably have heard that excessive gluten intake can cause damage to the gut lining, and not just in people that are Celiac.  So if you want to heal years of gluten-damaged gut lining, bone broth will be your healing friend.

Can bone broth have any benefits to autoimmune problems?

The science hasn’t caught up on this one yet, but many health experts believe bone broth can be helpful for some autoimmune problems.  Here’s why… You may know that many autoimmune problems start with problems in the gut, and Leaky Gut is one of the common causes of an autoimmune attack in the body due to foreign substances leaking out of the gut and into the blood stream.

Since bone broth has gut healing properties due to the natural collagen content and other nutrients, bone broth is known to “seal and heal” the gut lining, which over time, can possibly reduce or heal certain autoimmune problems.

Bone broth is also generally great for your immune system.  And I forgot to mention the nutrient dense bone marrow that you get in bone broth too!

Enjoy this recipe below!  I’ve made several batches of bone broth in recent months, and I LOVE sipping this nutritious and delicious liquid gold in the mornings right after I wake up.  I’ve personally found the best taste by mixing beef bones and chicken bones.

Ingredients:

  • 3-4 pounds of beef marrow bones and knuckle bones (you can also use leftover chicken bones or turkey bones from a whole bird.  Other useful additions are collagen-rich oxtail, and chicken feet are one of the richest sources of beneficial collagen, but hard to find)
  • 1/2 c of organic apple cider vinegar (the vinegar helps extract minerals from the bones)
  • 4 to 5 quarts of water
  • 4 stalks of celery – rough chop
  • 4 carrots – do not have to peel – rough chop
  • 3 onions  – do not have to peel – rough chop
  • Parsley
  • Garlic
  • Sea Salt to taste (at the end)
  • Whole black peppercorns

Instructions:

  • Add all the bones to a large stock pot
  • Add water and vinegar to pot till bones are completely submerged.  Let sit for 1 hour to allow vinegar to start working on the bones.
  • Add in carrot, onion and celery to pot.
  • Bring pot to a boil and then turn down to a simmer.
  • Once you are at a simmer you will want to skim any scum off the top of the pot (scum does not always form).
  • You will want the mixture to simmer for at least 24 hours (long simmer time is essential for a good bone broth!), adding water as needed to cover the bones.
  • During the last 30 minutes to an hour add in the parsley, garlic, handful of salt and whole black peppercorns.
  • Once the broth is finished, let it cool then drain it, making sure that any vegetables or bone have been removed.
  • Add sea salt to taste and drink both as is, or store in fridge for a week or in a freezer up to 6 months.

Enjoy the healing benefits of nutrient-dense bone broth!  Use your bone broth as a base for any soups or recipes that call for stock or broth.  Or just sip on it out of a mug!

One of the problems with bone broth is that it doesn’t always taste wonderful, and can take some getting used to, unless you know of a few great recipes to help ease you into it, and provide some great variety.

The great news is my friends at Paleohacks just released a must-have BRAND NEW Bone Broth cookbook — written by Casey Thaler – with OVER 80 tantalizing bone broth recipes, absolutely loaded with nutrients.

Inside, you’ll find recipes like:

* The Ultimate Wellness Bone Broth (by Katie The Wellness Mama)

* Fire Chili Bone Broth

* Ham & Chili Broth Stir Fry

* Ocean Stew

* Ultimate Veggie Soup

* Anti-Inflammatory Broth

And a ton more.

Click here to learn more and grab your copy

About The Watchdog

Mike Geary has been a Certified Nutrition Specialist and Certified Personal Trainer for over 15 years now. He has been studying nutrition and exercise for almost 25 years, ever since being a young teenager. Mike is originally from Pennsylvania, but has fallen in love with mountain life and now resides in the picturesque mountains of Utah. Mike is an avid adventurist and when he’s not spending his time skiing, mountain biking, hiking, or paddleboarding on the lake, he has enjoyed skydiving, whitewater rafting, piloting an Italian fighter plane (seriously), scuba diving, heli-skiing, and traveling all around the world, enjoying learning about different cultures. At the age of 40, Mike now feels healthier, stronger, and more energetic than when he was 20... All because of a healthy lifestyle and great nutrition!

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19 comments

  1. To improve the taste, I like to add whole black peppercorns, bay leaves, star anise, whole cloves a splash or 2 of worschestershire sauce and a dash or 2 of angostura bitters at the beginning. Put whole bulbs of garlic cut vertically with skins as well as quartered onions with the skins. Roasting the bones first will also enhance flavour and darken the colour. Don’t know how this affects the nutritional value although.

  2. I have been making bone broth with chicken bones as I have gastroparesis. I find that has helped my stomach. however I make mine with added ginger & turmeric as well as garlic. I have been chopping them up small but find there is still a sediment in my broth after all the vegetables have been strained. I have waited for the sediment to settle before putting the broth into jars. Should I be drinking this sediment as well as I suppose it is all the goodness anyway. What do others do?

    • Terri, I also love bone broth and it is so healthy and gut healing. I put whole garlic bulbs cut horizontally, I usually add ginger when making a chicken soup with the broth, but I see no reason why you couldn’t cut those in big chucks also. Usually, mine simmers for over 24 hours for chicken and much longer for beef. Never really had a problem with sediment, however it still should be ok.

      • Thank you Valerie, I couldn’t see it would be a problem but next time I won’t chop my things up so small.

      • Do you put it in a crock pot for 24 hours or do you stay up with it?

        • Brenda, I don’t use a crock, but I don’t stay up with it . I have it on a low flame on the stove. It can be done in a cock pot or in the oven. I hope this helps.

    • Yeh I drink the sediment too. I am sure it’s good for you. It’s just denser than the thinner liquid.

  3. Do you leave it on the stove all night? And I wonder if it works well using a crockpot.

    • Yes, you can use a crock pot or the oven. Yes, I leave it on all night. Apparently, tests show a decrease in nutrients if made in a pressure cooker. Just make sure it never boils.

      Finished product freezes well, I make a lot in the cooler spring so have some during most of the summer.

  4. What is the vitamin & mineral values for a 1 cup serving? I can’t seem to find that info anywhere!

  5. I was not sure about this bone broth at first. I was just thinking it’s same as stock. But when I tried Au Bon Broth, I changed my mind. I’ve been drinking it like a tea and it definitely had done great with my body. I feel healthier, more energetic.

  6. I do not even know һow I ended ᥙp here, but I thoսght this post was good.

    I do not know who you are ƅut definitely you are going
    to a famous bⅼogger if you аren’t already 😉 Cheers!

  7. U can also cook them on the bones on their own add beef stock, fry some onion on the side and agg cabbage to it. When the meat on the bones is soft(that’s if it’s beef) mix with the cabbage and cook a little few more minutes.. Nice with pap(hope you know it). The taste is amaizing.
    Sorry I don’t have measurements as I don’t measure either.

  8. Hi All
    Once the bone broth as settled and cooled, it leaves a layer of fat on top, do I skim if off or eat the fat as well? Thanks

    • Yes, you should skim off the fat all of the nutrients are in the broth… Growing up before & during WWII everything but the hair & squeal was used… If you are Costco shoppers, the bones in their rotisserie chickens make great bone broth, remove all of the meat while the chicken is still hot, put the meat in a baggy in the fridge & the bones in a baggy in the freezer unless you are ready to make your broth… I put 1 or 2 carasses in a large pot with onion, garlic, fresh ginger, celery & carrot, just rough chop no need to peal, the skins have nutrients too, (don’t use cabbage, throws of the flavor)… After I strain the bones, I put them in a baggy & take them down to the creek bed for the Coyotes & Raccoons.

  9. Why bone broth is good what if you are vegetarian. I guess that would be a problem but are there other ways of improving your gut and particularly autoimmune issue. I am getting tested but it is leanly towards autoimmune from years and extreme personal stress.

  10. I truly love drinking bone broth! It’s reduced my osteoarthritis and
    overall pain a large amount. Additionally, I used to be sensitive to certain types of food.
    I feel that the bone broth has enhanced my digestion. What do you think about mixing it with a ginger supplement for enhanced benefits?

  11. We eat chicken and beef broth all the time as a meal with vegetables in my family, especially in the cold weather, but I include the meat when is beef and the liver and gizzards when is chicken, do any one know if this affects the nutrient part?
    Thank you

  12. Do we really have to simmer the broth for a whole of 24 hours??!! That sounds too much of time! There’s no other way?

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