Beef or chicken bone broth, home-made especially – is packed with powerful nutrients for skin health. Most of us know how vegetables and fruits can help in general health and skin but not many people are aware of the benefits of bone broth.
Bone broth or stock was a way our ancestors found use for different animal parts that cannot be easily cooked like lean meat. Bones and marrow, feet, tendons and ligaments that you can’t eat directly can be boiled for hours. This simmering causes the bones and ligaments to release healing compounds like collagen, proline, glycine and glutamine. Nutrition researcher Kaayla Daniel of the Weston A. Price Foundation explains that bone broths contain minerals and essential amino acids in forms that your body can easily absorb.
Benefits of Home-made Bone Broth
Chicken soup for the soul – since ancient times, traditional treatment of a warm bowl of soup is served to treat cold and flu at home. What most people are not aware is that this power bowl of home made soup boosts many more benefits :
Mantains healthy skin : Collagen is essential in mantaining skin elasticity and retaining skin moisture. Study has shown that collagen has beneficial effects on the skin physiology and can slow down the aging of our skin. Bone broth also provides skin-repairing amino acid called glycine.
Supports immune system function : Skin inflammation is typically caused by over-reactive immune system response. Traditionally made bone broths are believed to support healthy inflammatory response and immune system function. Study has shown that chicken soup has mild anti-inflammatory effect which mitigation of symptomatic upper respiratory tract infections.
Heals the gut : A healthy gut and intestinal track is very important for our body to absorb the essential nutrition from food to ensure our body is functioning at it’s optimal. Gelatin is beneficial for restoring strength of the gut lining and fighting food sensitivities (such as to wheat or dairy), helping with the growth of probiotics (good bacteria) in the gut, and supporting healthy inflammation levels in the digestive tract. A report published in the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology found that gelatin effectively supports intestinal health and integrity.
Simple bone broth recipe
Avoid ready-made packed or commercial broth because they are typically laden with MSG, preservatives or artificial flavouring. Home-made broth are economical because the ingredients are typically chicken or beef bones which are sold for quite cheap at the local butcher. Vegetable ingredients are also not pricey and readily available. Only part about cooking is that the time taken to cook the broth is quite long but with slow cooker, thermal pot and pressure cooker it makes the process much faster.
Here is a simple recipe adapted from Wellnessmama.com :
- ~ 500g of beef bone/tendon or chicken bones (kampong chicken preferred)
- 1 big onion
- 1 carrot
- 1 stalks of celery
- 1 stalk of leek
- 1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar (only if you do not have skin flareup)
- Optional: 1 bunch of parsley, a pinch of salt to taste, 2 bay leaf
- You’ll also need a large stock pot to cook the broth in and a strainer to remove the pieces when it is done.
- If you are using raw bones, especially beef bones, it improves flavor to roast them in the oven first (30 minutes at 180degrees C).
- Then, place the bones in a large stock pot (5 litre pot). Pour (filtered) water over the bones and add the vinegar. Let sit for 20-30 minutes in the cool water. The acid helps make the nutrients in the bones more available.
- Rough chop and add the vegetables (except the parsley, if using) to the pot.
- Now, bring the broth to a boil. Once it has reached a vigorous boil, reduce to a simmer and simmer until done.
- During the first few hours of simmering, you’ll need to remove the impurities that float to the surface. A frothy/foamy layer will form and it can be easily scooped off with a big spoon. Throw this part away.
- You will need to simmer for at least 3 hours in slow flame. Alternatively, transfer to a slow cooker after boiling on stove for 1 hour. During the last 30 minutes, add the salt and parsley, if using.
- Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Strain using a fine metal strainer to remove all the bits of bone and vegetable. When cool enough, store in a gallon size glass jar in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze for later use.
- When it cools the next day, the saturated fat will float and form a later on top, remove this layer before using the broth. This is important especially if you have sensitive skin or eczema.
Bone broth can be used as a soup base or in a stew dish as a stock base. It can also be used for cooking porridge, adding some water to mellow it if it’s too thick. It is so versatile that it can be used for your little one’s porridge.
Enjoy the soup for the soul while it works it’s magic and wonder for your skin and overall well-being.
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