Throw yourself a bone and discover the many benefits of this nutrient-rich food
Make no bones about it; adding more bones into your diet delivers a wealth of health benefits. But while you may toss a bone or two to your furry friend to chew on, eating bones in their whole form isn’t something we tend to do as humans.
But you can still unlock the many nutritional benefits of bones through consuming bone broth. And even if you don’t have hours on hand to simmer bones to enjoy homemade broth, there are several bone broth products on the market, as well as supplements, to help you take advantage of this superfood.
Keep reading to learn the many benefits of bone broth and how you can easily enjoy this nutritional staple.
What are the Benefits of Bone Broth?
1. Improve digestion and gut health: Bones contain gelatin, and when boiled to create a broth, gelatin is released for easy consumption. Gelatin plays a critical role in increasing healthy inflammatory responses while also supporting intestinal barriers.[1] Some research also shows that gelatin can help improve outcomes for patients suffering from inflammatory bowel disease.[2]
2. Increased joint mobility and decreased joint pain: Collagen found in bone broth plays a crucial role in bone and joint health. By increasing your intake of bone broth, you can boost your collagen levels, which can support healthy functioning joints and less joint pain.[3]
3. Reduce inflammation: Bone broth contains amino acids that play an essential role in fighting against inflammation. Consuming bone broth increases amino acids in your system, which helps fight against free radicals that cause pain and inflammation.[4]
4. More restful sleep and less fatigue: The amino acid glycine promotes healthier sleep habits and fights fatigue. Research has shown that people taking glycine supplements enjoyed more restful sleep and less drowsy days. Bone broth is one way to up your glycine intake.[5],[6]
5. Enhance the look of hair, skin, and nails: Collagen plays a vital role in promoting the beauty of hair, skin, and nails. By incorporating collagen derived from bone broth, you can improve your collagen intake and enjoy a healthier, more youthful look. Some research also shows that collagen improves skin elasticity and can decrease cellulite.[7]
Sourcing Bone Broth
There are a few ways you can reap the benefits of bone broth. One is to make it yourself. You can purchase bones from the grocery store, boil them, and then simmer for 20+ hours to make a drinkable broth or one you can use in other meals, like soups. You can also purchase pre-made bone broth and cut out the time and cooking effort.
You can also get many of the nutrients that bone broth provides and even more through a high-quality collagen supplement such as BELDT Labs Bedrock Series Collagen Peptides. Unlike most collagen on the market, BELDT Labs Bedrock Series Collagen Peptides is fully hydrolyzed with both types I and III, which means it’s broken down into smaller, easier to process particles that your body can absorb faster and more efficiently.
Whether you choose to drink a warm cup of bone broth or decide to reap the same nutritional benefits that bones provide through supplementation, we won't make any bones about it.
[1] Rapin, J.R. and Wiernsberger, N. (2010). Possible links between intestinal permeability and food processing: a potential therapeutic niche for glutamine. Clinics, 65(6), 635-43. Link
[2] Coëffier, M., Marion-Letellier, R., & Déchelotte, P. (2010). Potential for amino acids supplementation during inflammatory bowel diseases. Inflammatory bowel diseases, 16(3), 518–524. Link
[3] Crowley, D. C., Lau, F. C., Sharma, P., Evans, M., Guthrie, N., Bagchi, M., Bagchi, D., Dey, D. K., & Raychaudhuri, S. P. (2009). Safety and efficacy of undenatured type II collagen in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee: a clinical trial. International journal of medical sciences, 6(6), 312–321.
[4] Zhong, Z., Wheeler, M. D., Li, X., Froh, M., Schemmer, P., Yin, M., Bunzendaul, H., Bradford, B., & Lemasters, J. J. (2003). L-Glycine: a novel antiinflammatory, immunomodulatory, and cytoprotective agent. Current opinion in clinical nutrition and metabolic care, 6(2), 229–240. Link
[5] Wataru Yamadera, W., Inagawa, K., Schiba, S., Bannai, M., Takahashi, M., and Nakayama, T. (2007). Glycine ingestion improves subjective sleep quality in human volunteers, correlating with polysomnographic changes. Sleep and biological rhythms, 5(2), 126-131. Link
[6] Inagwa, K., Hiraoka, T., Kohda, T., Yamadera, W. and Takahashi, M. (2006). Subjective effects of glycine ingestion before bedtime on sleep quality. Sleep and Biological Rhythms, 4, 75-77. Link
[7] Schunck, M. et al. (2015). Dietary Supplementation with Specific Collagen Peptides Has a Body Mass Index-Dependent Beneficial Effect on Cellulite Morphology. Journal of Medicinal Food 18(12), 1340 – 1348. Link
