Despite the fact that our grandmothers didn’t know about the nutritional value of meals they cooked, they were confident in their health benefits. Any part of an animal, which cannot be just eaten, such as bones, skin, tendons, ligaments, etc., can be used to cook bone broth.
What is contained in the bone broth and what is its use:
- Glycine, proline, and arginine help to reduce inflammation and pain in joints.
- The proline amino acid releases cholesterol attached to the walls of blood vessels.
- The arginine amino acid enhances the immune system functions and helps to restore damaged liver cells.
- Arginine promotes sperm production and growth hormone.
Who should eat bone broth:
- Pregnant women and nursing mothers should eat bone broth every day.
- People with arthritis should regularly consume bone broth.
To cook broth with maximum health benefits you need bones, herbs and 3-4 hours of slow cooking.
Continuing the topic started above, I can say with 100% certainty that this is the main reason why we eat but don’t drink the broth. When we eat it, we use a spoon as while eating other solid dishes. We don’t drink it from a bowl or cup, like water.
So, according to experts in the field of etiquette, we EAT this super dish. As it was mentioned above, the bone broth should be made of bones, including fish, fish heads, lamb parts, pork, turkey, chicken, poultry, or of any other animal. In order to increase the nutritional value, it is possible to add herbs and vegetables. Bones roasting can improve the taste of the broth.
Bones and other ingredients are placed in water and cooked over very low heat for a very long time or even a few days. The longer the cooking time, the more nutritious the bone broth is. Long cooking time ensures the release of all nutrients from the bones, as well as contributes to the formation of taste.
Benefits for health
Nutrients content
Bone broth is rich in protein and various minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, etc. It also contains vitamins of group B. Thus, bone broth — is a good source of valuable nutrients which are beneficial for the metabolic processes occurring in the body. Many semi-finished products don’t possess these beneficial properties.
Keeping the body in good shape
Most doctors advise their patients to eat bone broth, since it helps to improve the functions of the body systems, including the metabolism. During any illness, broth can be a soothing, nutritional and energy-rich dish. Since it boosts the immune system, it may help to recover much faster.
The chicken bone broth is particularly useful for the treatment of joints diseases…
Bone broth is rich in glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) such as glucosamine and chondroitin, which help strengthen the bones, ligaments, tendons and cartilage, as well as maintain healthy joints.
Bone broth has a high content of amino acids – proline and glycine, which are necessary for the health of connective tissue. Those who suffer from osteoarthritis often take supplements of chondroitin sulfate, as they help to slow down the destruction of the cartilage in joints.
But natural products are always more useful than nutritional supplements. Glycine, proline, and arginine help to reduce inflammation and pain in the joints.
Saturation of the female body with nourishing substances
Pregnant women and nursing mothers should eat bone broth every day, as their body has special needs of important minerals. Bone broth also positively influences the blood circulation. Glycine facilitates the synthesis of hemoglobin, bile salts, and various chemicals in the body.
Maintaining healthy digestive system
Gelatin derived from bone collagen promotes rapid digestion of broth. It helps to restore the health of the small intestine. The broth improves the function of the digestive juices, and protein metabolism. Thus, the body can easily digest and absorb protein.
Improving brain function
Vitamins and minerals contained in bone broth improve blood indicators, and its functioning and circulation in general. This eventually leads to an improvement of brain function. Wonderful glycine amino acid plays an important role in the central nervous system.
Retardation of aging processes
Aging leads to the reduction of collagen – the main component of the hair, skin and nails. Nutrients from bone broth help significantly improve the condition of your hair. Proline reduces cellulite and makes the skin soft and smooth. If you want to have your skin wrinkle-free and have strong hair, eat bone broth.
Strengthening of the immune system
Bone broth helps to cope with food intolerances and allergies. It helps in case of flow bowel syndrome as gelatin contained in the broth fills cracks and holes in the intestinal lining. Finally, it helps to prevent autoimmune disease. The arginine amino acid enhances immune function and promotes wound healing.
Improvement of kidneys and adrenal functions
According to Chinese medicine, the nutrients contained in the bone broth, help to improve kidneys and adrenal functions. The hormones produced by these glands help to maintain our health (physical and mental). As you know, the kidneys help to get rid of toxins that accumulate in our bodies. The glycine amino acid stimulates the detoxification process that occurs in your body.
Saturation of teeth with minerals
The bone broth that is rich in calcium, which is why it strengthens teeth and prevents tooth crumbling. It even contributes to the saturation of teeth with minerals.
Bones strengthening
Minerals such as calcium and magnesium promote the formation of healthy bones. They play an important role in the healing of broken bones and can make your bones stronger.
Stimulating the production of the most important elements
Arginine promotes sperm and growth hormone production.
Muscles strengthening
Glutamine improves the metabolism and helps to put ons. Bone broth can be stored in the refrigerator for a week.
You can use it to add flavor to soups and risotto, or to cook dishes with gains. You can use it for making gravies and sauces. Bone broth — is a superfood, the taste and useful properties of which are unique.
How to choose bones for broth
- Look in the meat department for the so-called end of cuts, which include not expensive parts of the carcass, rib, vertebral or rib. It is meat on the bone. That kind of bone broth gives a rich taste and aroma.
- The bone has to be light, it should not contain any harmful additives or preservatives.
- Inspect the cut site: bones should not be loose and crumbly.
- Evaluate the ratio of bone and muscle tissue. The best option is 50 / 50.
- In the beef products, the meat should have a red color and the pig – pink.
- Pay attention to the fat. It should be white in beef, a little pink in pork, creamy in lamb.
- If your choice has fallen on the chicken, make sure the skin on the wings and legs is without ruptures and visible hemorrhages. Carefully inspect the skin for the presence of fragments of untreated feathers.
- Period of validity. Refrigerated products of this type are stored for 5 days and frozen for 30 days.
Bone broth basic recipe
Bones should be rinsed in cold water, changing the water two – three times. In order to remove fat, gelatin, and other nutrients it is necessary to grind the bone; cut across the bones of vertebrates; cut a joint head of long bones into several pieces, and leave the whole tube; cut flat bone into pieces 5-6 cm in size. Veal and pork bones should be slightly fried.
Put the cooked bones in a saucepan, pour cold water over it (1.25 liters of water per 1 kg of bones, considering evaporation), cover the pan with a lid and, as quickly as possible, bring the contents to the boil.
Once the broth boils, open the lid, remove the foam and fat (braise). Then gradually reduce the heat, preventing further rapid boil. The fat on the surface of broth can be partly withdrawn; a presence of a small layer of fat contributes to the preservation of flavor in the bone broth.
Beef and lamb bones should be boiled for 4.5-5 hours while veal and pork – 2-3 hours. With longer cooking broth taste deteriorates.
1-1.5 hours before the end of cooking put the carrots, parsley, celery, onion and salt.
Bone broth may be clear or unclear due to the presence of proteins and fat; on the surface of bone broth should be spots of fat; soup flavor should match the flavor of the vegetables added during cooking.
FOR REFERENCE:
Braise (French) – the fat is taken from the broth with foam; this is a very valuable product with a high content of protein, necessary for braising, in particular, for the cooking of Boeuf-braise; sometimes incorrectly called Breza browned tomato and onions for thistles.
Boeuf-braise (French) – a complex process of boiling meat and obtained dish as a result.
Do you have any bone broth recipes of your own? Share them in the comments below and tell me what is it that you like about bone broth? Is it the taste or its health benefits?
