Is Bone Broth Really That Good For You?
By Sara Butler
Bone broth has become quite the food star in some circles. No doubt you've heard about its health benefits on a celebrity's Instagram account, but what is the truth? To figure out if bone broth is something you should add to your diet, here are a few things you need to know about it.
What is Bone Broth?
Bone broth is made with water and the bones of animals. Essentially, bones such as beef or chicken bones are simmered for long periods of time with water to release the gelatin, minerals, amino acids, and collagen in the bones into the broth. Often, it takes 24 hours or more to make bone broth, giving it a rich, thick texture.
Is It Really Good For You?
While minerals, amino acids, and collagen are good for your body, drinking bone broth to infuse your diet with them doesn't necessarily mean that you'll be healthier for it. That's because on its own, things such as collagen are good for your body, but there's no real evidence that drinking it is good for your body.
As of right now, there's no proof that bone broth lives up to the hype surrounding it. There's been no research on its benefits or some of the most popular claims surrounding it to verify their truth.
Some of the Biggest Bone Broth Myths
What are some of the biggest myths you'll hear about bone broth? Here are a few of the most popular:
- It protects your joints - Collagen has some benefits to your joints, as does a compound found in cartilage called glucosamine, but there's no evidence that bone broth can help to deliver these compounds to your body in a way that can improve joint health.
- Bone broth is high in calcium and protein - This one isn't totally false because you can find a fair amount of protein in bone broth, but not at a level significant enough to impact your health if you're not eating enough protein. As far as calcium is concerned, bone broth hasn't been found to be a good source of calcium for your diet -- it simply doesn't contribute much calcium.
Any Bone Broth Benefits?
The good news is that as long as it's not providing too much sodium, adding bone broth to your diet isn't worthless. In fact, drinking it is one way to get some amino acids and minerals into your body. Though, eating a balanced and healthy diet will accomplish that, too.
Make sure to check the nutrition labels of the bone broths to try to ensure it's not delivering anything you weren't counting on.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Mesa, Ariz.