Have you ever wondered if the ancient wisdom to eat chicken soup when you’re sick is just an old wives’ tale? Does it actually help us feel better? Or does it provide nothing more than a placebo effect?

Interestingly enough, research shows that when bones (like chicken, beef, or lamb) are simmered, many healing compounds, minerals, and amino acids are released. These nutrients do support our health in a variety of ways when we consume them.

So, the answer is yes…eating chicken soup to improve your health is much more than an old wives’ tale!

Let’s briefly look at 6 of the benefits of bone broth. Then, I’ll give you a quick recipe to whip up a batch of this nutrient-dense superfood for yourself!

6 Benefits of Bone Broth

Improves Gut Health

Optimal gut health is critical to your overall health and to your immune system, but processed foods, chemicals, toxins, gluten, and antibiotics are just a few of the things that can cause damage to your gut on a regular basis. (You can read more about gut health here.)

Gelatin, which is found in bone broth, can help to repair a leaky gut, and anything you can do to improve your gut health, like drinking bone broth, will be well worth the effort!

Improves Joint Health

Healthy joints depend upon the health of the collagen found in your joints, ligaments, and tendons, as well as on a group of molecules called glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). Lucky for us, bone broth is loaded with both collagen and GAGs.

In fact, many people report that joint pain diminishes after drinking bone broth regularly, and one study has confirmed these findings. 60 patients with severe, active rheumatoid arthritis reported a decrease in swollen and tender joints after taking chicken collagen for 3 months. Four of the patients actually had complete remission of this disease!

Promotes Healthy Hair, Skin, and Nails

Don’t we all want to have gorgeous hair, glowing skin, and long, strong nails? If that’s you, I’d recommend loading up on bone broth!

That’s because the collagen found in broth is critical to the health of our hair, skin, and nails. Have you ever noticed that many hair, skin, and nail products advertise that they contain collagen?

Unfortunately, collagen decreases as we age, which contributes to outward signs of aging, such as fine lines and wrinkles.

Thus, chicken broth may help you look healthier and even appear younger!

Improves Your Immune System

Another benefit of bone broth is that several of the nutrients found in it work to strengthen the effectiveness of your immune system.

For example, several of the amino acids found in broth, such as glycine, arginine, and proline, have been shown to reduce inflammation found in the body.

Studies have also proven that the properties in broth fight off cold and flu viruses. Additionally, the cysteine found in broth helps to thin the mucus that coats your lungs when you’re sick, making it easier to expel.

Promotes Bone Health

Another great benefit of bone broth comes from high amounts of certain nutrients, such as calcium and magnesium, which support bone health.

Promotes Detoxification

A final benefit worth mentioning is due to the amino acid glycine, which is also found in bone broth. Glycine works to help your liver get rid of toxins that you accumulate on a daily basis. Supporting detoxification is crucial to our health, energy, and weight management.

How to Obtain the Benefits of Bone Broth

I could continue sharing benefits of bone broth, but hopefully you get the idea by now. The nutrients found in bone broth can improve our health in a variety of ways!

However, these benefits are found in homemade bone broths and not typically in the store bought versions. Fortunately, making broth is surprisingly easy to make. It only takes about 5 minutes to throw the ingredients into a crock pot, and then you let it simmer for about 24 hours.

To use the broth, I, personally, enjoy drinking the broth by itself. It can stimulate digestion, so it is helpful to drink a cup of it before a meal.

Not everyone enjoys broth plain, though, so another option is to use it to make a soup or to use it in other recipe. You could also use broth instead of water when you make something like rice.

Cooking Tips

• Buy a whole chicken, roast it in the oven, take all the meat off the bones, and then use those bones for this recipe.
• You can also try beef or lamb bones instead of chicken.
• Using bones from organic, pasture-raised animals is important to get the most nutrients and to avoid toxins.
• Using extra chicken parts (such as gizzards or feet) is completely optional, but will provide extra nutrients.
• You may be able to find bones from local farmers at a very reasonable price. The lady who we buy eggs from will just give me chicken feet since she doesn’t want to use them!
• You can add any vegetables you would like to this recipe. Even using vegetable “scraps” such as the stalk from a broccoli floret will provide additional vitamins and minerals and a different flavor.
• Broth freezes well if you do not think you will use it all within a week.

Chicken Bone Broth

November 15, 2015

by Christina Johnson

Category Nutrition Recipes

Prep Time

5 minutes

Cook Time

24 hours

Ingredients

• Bones from a whole chicken
• Other chicken parts, such as gizzards or feet (optional)
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• Filtered water
• 1 yellow onion, chopped into 4 parts
• 2 stalks of celery, cut into 2 or 3 pieces each
• 5 cloves of garlic
• Sea Salt
• Pepper

Instructions

1. Place all bones and chicken parts in a crock pot.
2. Add the apple cider vinegar.
3. Fill the crock pot with water, leaving room for the vegetables.
4. Add the onion, celery, and garlic.
5. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Simmer on low for about 24 hours.
7. Pour the broth through a fine colander so that the bones and vegetables are separated from the broth.
8. Store the broth in glass containers for up to 7 days in the fridge.

https://www.christinajohnsonwellness.com/the-benefits-of-bone-broth/