Bone Broth: Beneficial or Just Delicious?

Yeah yeah, I know I’m late to this party. I’m naturally immune to trends, so when bone broth got super trendy in 2015 I just rolled my eyes and proclaimed hipsters just love eating overpriced soup. I still believe that actually, but I figured I’d finally address the issue.

The Difference Between Broth, Stock, and Bone Broth

Standard broth is made with meat and very little bones and cooked for a brief period of time: less than an hour. Its flavor is light. Stock is made with mostly bones with some meat. The bones are usually roasted beforehand and then simmered for 2-3 hours. The roasted and length of simmering gives it a rich flavor and allows the gelatin to dissolve into the broth, giving it a superior mouth feel. Bone broth is technically just stock, simmered much, much longer, until all of the collagen and fat dissolve into a rich, cloudy liquid and the bones crumble when you pinch them between your fingers.

Bone broth should also gel solid when it’s cold.

Health Benefits or Placebo Effect?

People will claim that bone broth will:

• Heal leaky gut syndrome (which I am personally skeptical even exists)
• Boost immune system (maybe if it’s chicken)
• Protect your joints (maybe)
• Reduce wrinkles (possible as consuming collagen can help your body produce more collagen)
• Help you sleep better (possible as the amino acid glycine can help you get better rest)

Do you actually get health benefits from bone broth? Some studies show that people who consume a diet rich in collagen have fewer wrinkles, but there’s nothing definitive. Consume bone broth if you like, it’s delicious, but be careful of how much sodium you’re consuming in the process. At the very least, consuming dietary collagen can help your body increase its own collagen production. But a cure all for everything? Doubtful.

If you like it, enjoy it! I made some in my pressure cooker, although technically mine wasn’t quite a true bone broth, as there was some meat and marrow to suck tantalizingly from the bones at the end!

Want a really detailed blog about bone broth? Check out this post from Kristensraw.com!