Traditional bone broth in modern health and disease

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, Feb-March, 2005 by Allison Siebecker

Conclusion

Broth can be thought of as a protein supplement, and a calcium supplement. The chemical ingredients extracted from broth are glycine and proline (collagen/gelatin), calcium and phosphorus (minerals), hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate (GAGs), and other minerals, amino acids and GAGs in smaller amounts.

It's time we reclaim broth making from the past.

The All New Joy of Cooking describes broth as inherently calming, consoling, and restorative to our spirit and vigor. (61) Brewing broth fills a home with an aroma of indefinable goodness. That, in itself, is medicine. Because it's easy to absorb, tastes good, and contains a rich concentration of nutrients, broth makes a distinctively good medicine.

In conclusion, rather than revisiting the disorders broth may be applied to, (see Appendix B for a complete listing) a review of definitions associated with broth may illustrate its benefits more accurately:

To 'support and strengthen' the function of connective tissue. To 'support and protect' the function of bone. To 'store energy,' the function of yellow bone marrow. To act as a 'shock absorber and reduce friction,' the function of cartilage. To be 'flexible and strong,' the function of collagen. To 'hold it together' and 'keep it together,' also the function of collagen. To 'soup up,' to increase the power or speed of. To 'put stock in,' to trust. (62)

Appendix A

Basic Broth Making and Usage

Ingredients

1. Bones -- from poultry, fish, shellfish, beef, lamb*

*** cooked remnants of a previous meal, with or without skin and meat

*** raw bones, with or without skin and meat**

*** use a whole carcass or just parts (good choices include feet, ribs, necks and knuckles)

*** don't forget shellfish shells, whole fish carcasses (with heads) or small dried shrimp

2. Water -- start with cold water

*** enough to just cover the bones

*** or 2 cups water per 1 pound bones

3. Vinegar -- apple cider, red or white wine, rice, balsamic

*** a splash

*** 2 tablespoons per 1 quart water or 2 pounds bones

*** lemon juice may be substituted for vinegar (citric acid instead of acetic acid)

4. Vegatables (optional) -- peelings and scraps like ends, tops and skins or entire vegetable

*** celery, carrots, onions, garlic and parsley are the most traditionally used, but any will do

*** if added towards the end of cooking, mineral content will be higher

Recipe

Combine bones, water and vinegar in a pot, let stand for 30 minutes to 1 hour, bring to a simmer, remove any scum that has risen to the top, reduce heat and simmer (6-48 hrs for chicken, 12-72 hrs for beef). To reduce cooking time, you may smash or cut bones into small pieces first. If desired, add vegetables in last 1/2 hour of cooking (or at any point as convenience dictates). Strain through a colander or sieve, lined with cheesecloth for a clearer broth. Discard the bones. If uncooked meat was used to start with, reserve the meat for soup or salads.

An easy way to cook broth is to use a crockpot on low setting. After putting the ingredients into the pot and turning it on, you can just walk away. If you forget to skim the impurities off, it's ok, it just tastes better if you do. If you wish to remove the fat for use in gravy, use a gravy separator while the broth is warm, or skim the fat off the top once refrigerated. Cold broth will gel when sufficient gelatin is present. Broth may be frozen for months or kept in the refrigerator for about 5 days.