Traditional bone broth in modern health and disease

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

Since there are no standards for the preparation of, or ingredients in, commercial broth, it is possible that manufacturers are skipping the vinegar step, or perhaps not even using bones, both of which would leave the broth devoid of minerals. This may be why canned soup does not contain the same amount of minerals as home cooked. The milligrams of minerals in vegetable soup increase 2-8 fold when cooked at home. (55)

Bone contains calcium and phosphorus, and to a lesser degree, magnesium, sodium, potassium, sulfate and fluoride. Bone is an excellent source of minerals. All of the minerals present in bone, except fluoride, are macrominerals, which are essential for proper nutrition and are required in greater amounts than 100mg/day. (56) The only macromineral not present in bone is chlorine. Minerals have numerous functions in the body beyond the composition of bone, which is why the body will rob the bones and tissues to maintain steady levels of minerals in the blood and other fluids.

Deficiencies of minerals can be acquired, similar to vitamin deficiencies. Generally there are two ways this can happen, lack of intake in the diet, or lack of absorption in the intestines. Broth can be an excellent remedy for both of these causes of mineral deficiency because it provides easily absorbed extracted minerals, plus promotes healing of the intestinal tract. Unlike vitamins, minerals do not have defining deficiency diseases, but rather a collection of associated deficiency signs, symptoms and diseases. Interestingly, many of the deficiency symptoms of minerals are mood and behavior disturbances. This offers a scientific explanation for broth's ability to soothe and stabilize. It is reasonable to assume that previous to the development of pharmaceutical mineral supplements, bone broth was an important supply of minerals, especially in the winter when fresh fruit and vegetables are less available, and warm food is preferred. Even just one generation ago broth was a part of most household and restaurant repertoires. Yet today, neither nutrition nor science textbooks list bone as a dietary source of minerals.

Calcium

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in bone, present both as hydroxyapatite (bonded to phosphorus) and calcium carbonate. It is also the most abundant mineral in the body. Calcium is necessary for the normal functioning of nerve conduction and muscle contraction (including the regulation of the heartbeat). It facilitates neurotransmitter release, and hormone action via its relay role as a second messenger, thus playing an important role in mood and endocrine balance. Proper blood clotting and tissue repair is also dependent on calcium. It is necessary for the passage of fluids between cell walls. It is a cofactor for the activity of hundreds of enzymes. It is involved in the production of the body's primary energy source, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), due to its role as a citric acid cycle intermediate. Calcium is involved in immune function by helping to stabilize mast cells. It regulates cell reproduction and it also regulates the manufacture of proteins. As we can see, calcium is a vitally important mineral, so important, that it is maintained at a constant amount in the bloodstream at all times, to be readily available for the body's needs.