Eight Healthy Reasons to Try Best of the Bone

The trendy new “dish” that’s sweeping the globe in hipster restaurants dedicated to its magical health benefits and in homes where granny is cooking (and what grandmother’s have cooked dating back to B.C.)   This magical elixir is bone broth. Or more specifically it is bone extract – a process of boiling down beef, pork or chicken bones (along with vinegar or other active ingredient that helps extract all that is the best of the bone, including the bone marrow)

Marco Canora, owner of the new New York bone broth shop Brodo (think Starbucks but savory), says broth has been considered a great healer in many cultures and in South America, where's he's from, it's even said that a good broth can revive the dead. Broth is also considered one of top foods for weight loss.

“I first learned about the broth interviewing a nutritionist about leaky gut syndrome. She told me that all of her patients drink bone broth and not only did they see vast improvements in gut issues, but she called it "magic." Then I read that bone broth is one of the three pillars of the LA Laker’s official team diet,” wrote Shape magazine’s Charlotte Andersen.

Its been endorsed by NBA legends, movie stars and now several Olympic teams are adopting it as they prepare for this summer’s Rio Olympics.

To make bone broth may seem simple but it isn’t quick or simple – first find some grass-fed bones but you also want the cartilage you get from the knuckles or joints.   Then commence the process of extracting the best of the bones by simmering in water (and a bit of vinegar to truly get the best nutrition) for 14 - 24 hours.   Add some vegetables, herbs or noodles and spices and you have a meal with critical nutritional elements.

 And with that soup or broth (with the thicker “Best of the Bone you can use it to make gravies, sauces and stews as well) here are eight reasons why you should try it.

1. Heal and seal your gut.According to Jill Grunewald, a holistic nutrition coach and founder of Healthful Elements, a cup a day works miracles for leaky gut syndrome but it's also good for protecting non-leaky guts. The gelatin in the bone broth (found in the knuckles, feet, and other joints) helps seal up holes in intestines. This helps cure chronic diarrhea, constipation, and even some food intolerances. 

2. Protect your joints. Bone broth is a soluble form of glucosamine and cartilage that has been shown to help with joint pain. But there is much more – Los Angeles Lakers Dr. Shanahan says these bones have compounds called glycosaminoglycans, which you won’t be able to find in anything else you eat. Apparently, this stuff is so essential to our bodies, it deserves its own group on the food pyramid. The glycosaminoglycan in these bones, according to Dr. Shanahan, “literally has an effect like a growth hormone that people inject themselves with.” Also, the chondroitin sulfatein bone broth has been shown to help prevent osteoarthritis.                                                                                                  .
3. Look younger.Bone broth is a rich source of collagen. You can find collagen in all kinds of “plumping” products these days, but why stick it on the outside when you can drink it? Not only is drinking it cheaper, but it can make your skin, hair, and nails look just as radiant.

4. Sleep better, and feel better. The glycine in bone broth has been shown in several studies to help people sleep better and improve memory.

5. Immune support. Mark Sisson, author of The Primal Blueprint, actually calls bone broth a “superfood” thanks to the high concentration of minerals. He says that the bone marrow can help strengthen your immune system. (Something that won't surprise your grandma who always made you her famous soup when you got sick!) A Harvard study even showed that some people with auto-immune disorders experienced a relief of symptoms when drinking bone broth, with some achieving a complete remission.

6. Stronger bones. The phosphorus, magnesium, and calcium in the bones seeps out into the broth leaving you with the essential building blocks for healthy bones.  In fact, a recent university study took two groups - one was put on condensed bone broth, much like Best of the Bone, the other a vegetarian diet.  After just five weeks the group consuming the condensed bone broth had significantly increased their bone density.  And it was noted a mild increase in muscle mass as well.  This gives bone broth another feather in their cap as an enemy of osteoporosis and osteo-arthritis.

7. More energy. I’m not sure what the mechanism is for this, but if you read accounts of bone broth, you’ll notice everyone swears by the energy boost. The science on bone broth is still emerging but the biochemistry of this makes sense – the good fats found in grass-fed meat, bones, butter have been shown to be one of the most efficient sources of energy for the body (and again, these good fats are the foundation for the nutritional program of numerous NBA teams).

8. It’s very economical!