Bone Broth: Healthy or Just Hype?

Bone broth was one of the “it” foods in 2015. Instead of coffee, cups of piping hot bone broth found their way on to the menus of every paleo-friendly restaurant. Bone broth was seemingly sold at every health food store and wellness storefront that I walked into- and for quite a steep price I might add!

But what is all the hype? What is the real benefit of drinking broth? Is it worth all that money? Here’s everything you need to know about the healing benefits of bone broth and how to make it at home for way less! 

**Update 4/21/16: Some of you have reached out asking for a reliable source to purchase pre-made bone broth. I have ordered from both Wise Choice Market and The Brothery and loved them both. It is also more common than you might realize for restaurants to sell broth by the pint. Try asking around at some of your healthier restaurants and compare their prices with online. They will likely be much cheaper since they aren’t shipping it. **

What is Bone Broth?

Bone broth is a mineral-rich stock made by boiling vegetables and spices with the bones of healthy animals. It can be made from poultry, beef, fish or wild game. It is likely something your grandmother made regularly in her kitchen back in the day.

A true superfood, bone broth has been used world-wide for hundreds of years, as it is a cheap, easy-to-use, nutrient dense food with a slue of health benefits longer than I can even list. You can use it for cooking, making soups or simply heat it up and sip out of a cup to reap the benefits.

The Healing Power of Broth

Grandma’s Chicken Soup

Remember when Grandma would always make you a big bowl of chicken soup when you were sick? Well, she might have been on to something! It is often suggested that you sip on bone broth- whether it be chicken or beef or fish- when you are sick because it helps boost the immune system and also delivers a great deal of nutrients that are easily digestible, allowing your body to use it’s energy for healing instead of digesting a heavy meal.

Health Benefits of Bone Broth

• strengthens the immune system 
• improves digestion
• improves allergies
• reduces joint pain and inflammation
• improves hair growth
• promotes strong, healthy bones
• supports proper detoxification

How To Make Bone Broth (For Way Less!)

To truly get the many health benefits of bone broth, the quality of the ingredients is very important. If purchasing pre-made broth, you’ll want to ensure it was made with organic vegetables and high quality bones (grass fed cattle, pastured poultry or wild caught fish).

If making yourself, the same rules apply. You can use your leftover bones from cooking or purchase bones from a local butcher or farmer. You can also purchase bones online from quality sources, such as US Wellness Meats.

Marrow bones and chicken feet are particularly rich in gelatin, which is incredibly beneficial to healing the gut if you suffer from any form of digestive issues.

The cost of purchasing pre-made bone broth can be quite steep. Once you’ve figured out where you are going to get your bones from, making it yourself is super easy. Here is a simple bone broth recipe you can try at home.