Nourishing Bone Broth

Nourishing Bone Broth Recipe!

These broths are extremely healing, immune supportive and make excellent bases for soups, stews, and grains.

Nourishing and Healing Bone Broths
by Daniela Freda, LAc
www.danielafreda.com

In Chinese Medicine, warm soups and broths are especially recommended during the Fall and Winter. One of the most nourishing foods is broth made from cooked bones. In Chinese Medicine, "like heals like" and we use bone broths to heal and strengthen bones. We recommend bone broths to prevent loss of bone mass, to heal arthritis, soft tissues, cartilage and bones. Because the Kidney organ rules the bones, we also use bone broths to strengthen the Kidneys. And because bones contain marrow, we use bone broths to strengthen blood.

Bone broths are prepared in cultures around the world not only as a base for soups, but also as a healing and easily digested medicine. Bone broths have been used for colds and flu and for supporting the sick and weak. Bone broths are a way to sustainably eat meat- using the whole animal. For example, I suggest roasting a whole chicken, eating the meat, and saving the bones in the freezer. You can use the bones to cook into a bone broth. The broth can then be used to make soups, cook grains or beans. Stocks contain essential minerals and with a pinch of sea salt can be used in times of needed hydration.

Bone broths are highly nutritious, and we can see in the nutrient profile why they are so helpful for bone issues. Broths made with cartilage-rich bones contain chondroitin sulfate (often a supplement used for joint pain associated with osteoarthritis), and hyaluronic acid (also a supplement used for arthritis because it lubricates joints). Bone broths contain gelatin (which is a cooked extracted form of collagen) which is healing to the digestive system. Bone broths also contain the amino acids glycine and proline. Bone broths contain easily absorbable minerals and is an excellent source of calcium and phosphorous. (I recommend bone broths as a calcium source for those who don't tolerate dairy). Broths also contain magnesium, sodium, potassium, sulfate and fluoride.