Bone Broth

Bone broth and stock are similar but have key differences in ingredients, cooking time, and nutritional benefits.

Cooking Time
Bone Broth: Simmered 12-24+ hours to extract collagen, amino acids, and minerals from bones.

Stock: Simmered for a shorter time, usually 2-6 hours, focusing on extracting flavor rather than deep nutrients.

Ingredients
Bone Broth: Made primarily with bones, often with some connective tissue, apple cider vinegar (to help extract minerals), and sometimes herbs. It contains little to no meat.

Stock: Made with bones and meat, along with vegetables (carrots, celery, onions) and seasonings.

Texture and Gelatin Content
Bone Broth: Rich in collagen and gelatin, making it thicker when cooled (it should become jelly-like if properly made).

Stock: Thinner consistency with less gelatin, as it’s cooked for a shorter time.

Nutritional Benefits
Bone Broth: High in collagen, glucosamine, chondroitin, and minerals, which support joint health, gut healing, and immune function.

Stock: Primarily provides flavor and some nutrients but lacks the deep healing properties of bone broth.

Primary Use
Bone Broth: Used as a nutritional tonic, sipped like tea, or added to meals for health benefits.

Stock: Used as a cooking base for soups, stews, sauces, and gravies.

Bone broth’s potential health benefits come from the nutrients released when animal bones and connective tissues are simmered for long periods. This slow cooking extracts collagen, gelatin, amino acids and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. Gelatin supports gut health by helping maintain the integrity of the intestinal lining, while collagen provides building blocks for skin, joints and connective tissue. The amino acids in bone broth also play roles in reducing inflammation and supporting immune function.

DETAILS OF HEALTH BENEFITS:

*Healthy Skin, Hair + Nails
Collagen is the structural support for your skin, hair and nails. As production of collagen drops off with age, skin gets weaker, thinner and drier (hello, wrinkles), and hair and nails are more prone to dryness and breakage. Regularly drinking gelatin-rich bone broth promotes smooth, supple skin, in addition to strong healthy hair and nails by delivering a bounty of collagen-building tools directly to your cells.

*Builds a Healthy Gut
The nourishing gelatin of bone broth is one of the best things you can consume to heal and strengthen the lining of the gut. The glutamine in gelatin plugs and prevents holes in the digestive tract lining, which reduces the intestinal inflammation that’s often at the root of symptoms ranging from heartburn and bloating to itchy skin and food allergies. The gelatin in bone broth also acts as a helping hand during digestion, making it easier to break down food and effectively absorb nutrients.

*Fights Colds + Infections
The medicinal qualities of a good chicken soup come down to the teamwork of a few key components in the broth’s gelatin. The amino acid cysteine has been shown to thin the mucus in the lungs and make it less sticky, so it can be expelled easier. Glutamine supports the growth of all kinds of cells, including those needed for immunity. And research shows that the compound carnosine may help the immune system fight off flu in its early stages.

*Encourages Relaxation
Need to wind down? Glycine, the most abundant amino acid in gelatin, curbs the buzzing activity of neurotransmitters in the brain. This calming effect not only improves the quality of your sleep, it reduces daytime sleepiness and improves your memory.

*Promotes Healthy Bones
Bone broths contain calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and other trace minerals needed for bone formation, growth and repair. They’re not present in substantial amounts, but the minerals in bone broth are more bioavailable, meaning they’re easier for your body to absorb and use. Also, bone broth’s collagen contributes to our bones’ resiliency.

*Reduces Joint Pain + Inflammation
Bone broth may help support joint health because it contains collagen and gelatin—proteins released from bones and connective tissues during long simmering. When you consume collagen and gelatin, your body breaks them down into amino acids such as glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline, which are the same building blocks your body uses to maintain cartilage, ligaments and other joint structures. Bone broth also provides small amounts of glucosamine and chondroitin, compounds naturally found in cartilage that may help reduce joint stiffness and support mobility. Its nutrient profile aligns with what joints need to stay cushioned, flexible and resilient.

*Encourages Speedy Recovery + Hydrates
The medicinal qualities of a good chicken soup come down to the teamwork of a few key components in the broth’s gelatin. The amino acid cysteine has been shown to thin the mucus in the lungs and make it less sticky, so it can be expelled easier. Glutamine supports the growth of all kinds of cells, including those needed for immunity. Research shows that the compound carnosine may help the immune system fight off flu in its early stages.

*Supports Natural Detoxing
The glycine in bone broth supports your liver’s ability to remove the daily assault of toxins you encounter, from pesticides and mercury to prescription drugs and alcohol. Glycine is also a key building block for glutathione, the superhero antioxidant good for anti-aging, fighting chronic disease and cleansing your liver.

*Stabilizes Moods
Sipping bone broth is warm and comforting, but the mood-stabilizing effects have more to do with the gut-brain connection. Serotonin is one of the neurotransmitters responsible for your mood. Roughly 90% of your serotonin supply is produced in the gut. Poor gut health = poor mood. By contributing to good gut health, drinking bone broth regularly may indirectly help you maintain a balanced mood.

Here’s a simple, classic bone broth recipe you can make at home

Ingredients:

2–3 lbs beef, chicken, or mixed animal bones (roasted optional) If you have a leftover chicken or turkey carcass, that’s great to use. Chicken feet purchased from your local supermarket or butcher are high in collagen as well. You can also use any bones leftover from steaks or roasts.

1 onion, quartered

2 carrots, roughly chopped

2 celery stalks, roughly chopped

2–3 garlic cloves (optional)

1–2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (helps extract minerals)

1–2 bay leaves

A few peppercorns

Salt to taste

Water (enough to cover everything)

Instructions:

Combine ingredients: Place bones and vegetables in a large pot or slow cooker. Add vinegar, bay leaves, peppercorns, and enough water to fully cover.

Simmer: Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Skim off any foam that rises during the first hour.

Cook long and slow:

Stovetop: Simmer 12–24 hours.

Slow cooker: Cook on low 12–24 hours.

Pressure cooker: Cook 2–3 hours.

Strain: Remove bones and vegetables, then strain the liquid through a fine sieve.

Season and store: Add salt to taste. Cool and store in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for several months. When storing in the fridge, it will most likely become gelatinous. This is desired!

Just scoop out a cupful and heat up for tasty, medicinal broth.

Sources

Nourishing Traditions, NewTrends Publishing Inc., Brandywine, MD 20613

https://riordanclinic.org/2017/02/benefits-bone-broth/

https://www.mdanderson.org/cancerwise/is-bone-broth-good-for-you.h00-159694389.html#:~:text=Bone%20broth%20is%20more%20nutrient,mouth%20and%20throat%2C%20Wohlford%20says.

https://www.aarp.org/health/healthy-living/bone-broth-health-benefits/#:~:text=1.,dietitian%20nutritionist%20from%20Austin%2C%20Texas.

https://www.windhamhospital.org/patients-visitors/news/newsroom-detail?articleId=59967&publicid=395#:~:text=Here’s%20why%20you%20should%20add,you’re%20recovering%20from%20illness.