Why I’m Super Into Drinking Bone Broth And You Should Be Too

Our modern diets are lacking. We're clearly able to get by, but society as a whole is losing touch with ancestral knowledge. This is especially the case with our nutrition. We accept allergies, ailments, and other issues as par for the course of being a human, latching on to modern medicine to solve it all.

Let me be abundantly clear: this is not me knocking all advancements in modern medicine. We’ve come a long way, not only in preventing and eradicating diseases that killed off our ancestors in droves, but also in the myriad of ways we’re treating sickness over the counter. That being said, Mother Nature knew what she was doing when it came to animal-based nutrition.

Once upon a time, our ancestors made no waste of their kill. Every part of the animals they hunted was respected and treasured for one purpose or another, from nose to tail! They reaped endless benefits from them, and you can too.

Your new beauty BFF, bone broth, is boiled animal bones that result in a nutrient-packed broth, giving you minerals, amino acids, quality protein, and collagen that you might otherwise be missing out on. 

What Makes Bone Broth So Good for You?

As a society, we’ve gotten much pickier about our meats. Dark meat has been given a bad rap, and organ meats have been discarded in favor of lean, light muscle meat. After all, light meat is lower in fat than dark meat, and the texture and taste of organ meats are understandably harder to market.

Among the other parts of an animal that we largely neglect and discard are the bones, marrow, skin, feet, tendons, and ligaments. Bone broth takes many of the wasted parts of animals and harnesses their nutritional benefits by boiling and then simmering them for long periods of time.

Bone broth takes many of the wasted parts of animals and harnesses their nutritional benefits.

Start sipping bone broth, and you’ll supplement so many nutrients back into your diet that you may otherwise be unexpectedly low on, like magnesium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, silicon, glycine, and much more. It’s no wonder that health guru celebs like Gwyneth Paltrow gloat about how much they love their bone broth!

Say Hello to Better Skin, Hair, and Nails

As I’ve lamented before, women have less collagen in our bodies than men. Isn’t it kind of annoying how men seem to effortlessly have more hair (aside from typical spots of male pattern balding), better skin, and stronger nails?

Since collagen is a vital part of keeping our ligaments, bones, tendons, and tissues strong and structurally sound, it's no wonder that lower levels of collagen would leave a lady wishing she could boost her natural suppleness and beauty. To make matters worse, once we fully mature as adults our natural collagen production declines and we start to visibly age.

Lucky for you, bone broth is one of the most bioavailable collagen sources! The best beauty routines begin with a nutritious diet and the high-quality collagen in a can of bone broth, if consumed routinely, can help you maintain your youthful glow.

Additionally, collagen helps immensely with your body’s overall structure, repairing your sinews, joints, and muscles as you put daily physical stress on your body. That daily wear and tear are combated not only by collagen, but the gelatin, amino acids, and minerals like magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus found in bone broth as well. Some of these nutrients that aid in muscle repair and maintenance for strong bones can’t be found in muscle meat much at all!

Bone Broth Works Wonders for Your Gut Health

Thanks to the high glutamine content in bone broth, if you drink it consistently, you might be able to strengthen your gut barrier. Say goodbye to bad bacteria and toxins leaking through a weak gut and say hello to new gut cell growth!

That animal-based gelatin and magnesium I mentioned before? They also help reduce gut inflammation. The glycine you’ll be ingesting each time you sip? It regulates the synthesis of bile salts and gastric acid secretion to better break down the solid foods you eat. Extra vitamin D and zinc? You’ll get a great immune boost.

The high glutamine content in bone broth might be able to strengthen your gut barrier. 

And in case you haven’t heard it before, your gut health is intimately tied to your hormonal health! Drinking bone broth more often could help balance out your delicate hormonal system.

It Actually Nourishes Your Blood

Since women lose a lot of blood every month, we need improved blood flow to our reproductive organs. Blood gets produced by the marrow in our bones. By supplementing our own bone marrow with sources from animal bones, we can replenish the very building blocks of our own blood.

Women are also notorious for iron deficiencies. We get told to take either supplements or medications that could cause a lot of adverse effects. Meanwhile, you could boost the quality of blood production by consuming a more nutrient-balanced diet, which includes bone broth. For this reason, bone broth is considered to be able to support a healthier menstrual cycle and your quality of ovulation. 

How Can I Make Bone Broth?

If you’re ready to fall down the bone broth rabbit hole, you’ll need a slow cooker or device like an InstantPot. Functional Medicine Naturopathic Physician and expert on hormone disorders Dr. Jolene Brighten does a great job of explaining the best process and overall recipe to follow if you’d like to make your own bone broth at home.

She recommends starting with fowl (chicken or turkey) bones after you have eaten the meat. Once you’ve cooked the whole bird, boil its carcass with some of the feet and neck for an additional collagen and nutrient boost. If you’re okay with a stronger flavor, use beef, lamb, bison, buffalo, pork, and even fish…plus its head! Dr. Brighten recommends a variety of bone types including marrow bones, oxtail, and “soup bones.”

You might not have access to an InstantPot or slow cooker. You might not have time to prep animal carcasses or source quality bones. You also might not have the room or resources to store your own homemade bone broth. Good news is, there are plenty of options from a swiftly diversifying market for bone broth!

You can sip bone broth in the morning in lieu of your coffee or as a snack throughout the day.

Many grocery stores already carry brands like Kettle and Fire or Lonolife. Dr. Brighten also recommends the brands Bare Bones Broth, Pete’s Paleo, The Brothery, Real Bone Broth, and Grassland Beef. Personally, I’m a fan of how convenient and delicious Built Brand’s bone broth tubes are.

You can sip bone broth in the morning in lieu of your coffee or tea, or you can enjoy it as a snack throughout the day if you’re not yet willing to give up your daily caffeine boost. I’m a big fan of a cup of bone broth in the evening as a post-dinner treat to distract my sweet tooth.

Don’t be afraid to dress up your bone broth with extra spices or herbs! I love steeping herbal teas that already have natural umami flavors (like Turmeric Ginger tea bags) in hot bone broth, but many people also swear by adding in their favorite hot sauces for a little kick. 

And if it’s not abundantly obvious, bone broth makes a great replacement for liquid in anything you’re cooking. You can sneak it into smoothies or sauces, use it as the base for stews, chowders, and soups, or cook rice in it instead of water.

Closing Thoughts

If you start consuming bone broth on a regular basis, you’re probably not going to suddenly heal major health problems that you may have. However, you’ll be doing your physical beauty and your internal body a favor by increasing your intake of collagen, gelatin, and nutrients that you may otherwise be missing out on. Consistency is key with natural remedies, but it’s entirely worth it to continue to set yourself up for success instead of waiting until you need modern medical intervention to worry about your health.

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