Bone broth is a dish that has been consumed for many decades and recently gained more attention through social media when Chef Marco Canora opened Brodo, a kiosk specializing in broths, in New York1,2.
Bone broth is simple to create. It is a Paleo-friendly dish that is loaded with numerous nutritional benefits.2 The Paleo diet excludes the consumption of dairy, grains, processed food and sugar, legumes, starches, and alcohol to improve health3. Those who adopt a Paleo diet can consume bone broth as their staple food4.
Bone broth includes essential nutrients such as calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium, which are the main components in the skeleton. These nutrients play an important role in many metabolic functions and biochemical reactions5,6. Bone broth is also rich in glycine and proline, which are two important amino acids that are not found in most meat. They are vital to maintain a healthy gut, boost digestion, aid in muscle repair and growth, and achieve a strong immune system. The gelatin in collagen benefits those with inflammatory or autoimmune disorders, reduces joint pain, prevents bone loss and promotes healthy skin, hair, and nails development6.
Bone broth can be prepared by slow boiling animal bones such as beef, veal, venison, pork, chicken, duck, turkey or fish6. Bone broth is produced by boiling the bones of poultry, meat, and fish for long hours. Ingredients such as onions, garlic, carrots and celery are added into the broth to enhance its flavor profile. Marrow bones provide immune-boosting fats that support fertility, growth and development in children. Poultry carcasses are often used as the base for broths. In fish bone broth, fish heads are the most nutritious, with plenty of bioavailable iodine and other nutrients essential to improve thyroid health7.
The quality of the animal that the bones are obtained from impacts the nutritional value of the broth. The bones should come from healthy and non-genetically modified animals for greater health benefits. Animals from whose bones are collected to create bone broth should be fed a natural diet of pure grass. Majority of grass-fed cattle are fattened with grain before slaughter. This removes omega-3 and other essential nutrients and lowers the quality of the bone broth. Free-range and pastured poultry are ideal. Additionally, the bones from younger animals have more gelatins while older animals accumulate more minerals within their lifespans. Choosing the bones from healthy animals would result to achieving a bone broth dish that is full of quality nutrition for consumption7.
References:
1 The New York Times (2015). Bones, Broth, Bliss [Online] Available at:https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/07/dining/bone-broth-evolves-from-prehistoric-food-to-paleo-drink.html?_r=3
2 Grub Street (2015). How the Bone Broth Debate Boiled Over So Suddenly [Online] Available at:http://www.grubstreet.com/2015/05/bone-broth-debate-boils-over.html
3 Robb Wolf (2016). What Is The Paleo Diet? [Online] Available at: http://robbwolf.com/what-is-the-paleo-diet/
4 The Paleo Diet (2014). BONE BROTH: THE NUTRIENT-RICH SUPERFOOD [Online] Available at: http://thepaleodiet.com/bone-broth-nutrient-rich-superfood/
5 HealthyChildren.org (2015). Minerals: Calcium, Phosphorus, and Magnesium [Online] Available at: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/nutrition/Pages/Minerals-Calcium-Phosphorus-and-Magnesium.aspx
6 Whole9 (2017). The Whole9 Bone Broth FAQ [Online] Available at: http://whole9life.com/2013/12/whole9-bone-broth-faq/
7 Stirring Change (2016). Bone Broth: Your guide to the best bones [Online] Available at: http://stirringchange.com/2016/08/29/bone-broth-guide-best-bones/