Chicken Bone Broth

Following on from my bone broth and vegetable soup recipe. I would like to go a little deeper into the benefits of this tasty liquid gold.

Chicken bone broth has been an old fashioned go to remedy for helping fight illnesses for many years. Its a soothing, easy to digest and delivers a heap of nutrients - exactly what we need when we are unwell. Chicken bone broth contains and amino acid called cysteine which helps thin mucus in the lungs.

Bone broth has gained a lot of popularity over the years, and you can find it for sale in many health food shops (liquid or powder form). You caneven get it as a takeaway from Pret!! The best bone broth though is the one you make at home yourself - that way you know exactly what is in and flavour it to your liking. See my bone broth recipe at the end of this blog.

I’ve mentioned in past posts about how important it is to keep our gut healthy -  it makes up around 80% of our immune system! Bone broth is an excellent remedy for helping to treat leaky gut syndrome which is caused by particles of food seeping through small openings in our gut which is usually are result of weakened intestinal lining. The particles can then enter our bloodstream and cause our immune system to go into overdrive and attack healthy cells!

Bone broth contains L-glutamine, collagen and gelatin which help seal the holes in our gut lining and strengthen it. It also acts as an excellent anti inflammatory thanks to its high levels of amino acids proline, glycine and L arginine. The glycine also acts as a calming agent for the nervous system.

The nutrients found in bone broth additionally support the growth of healthy bacteria found in our gut.

(for extra gelatin in your bone broth add 2 chicken feet to the stock pot when making your broth. It won’t look appealing, but the benefits will definitely be

worth it)

Studies have shown bone broth to have benefits when it comes to our joint health. As mentioned above, bone broth is an excellent source of collagen, gelatin and amino acids which are important in protecting our joints. Bone broth also contains chondroitin sulphate and glucosamine which are the key ingredients you find in many joint health supplements. As we age we experience more wear and tear in our joints and loss of bone mass which can lead to breaks etc. The older we get, the more important it is to exercise regularly and to eat a diet full of healthy nutrients that support our bone and connective tissue health. The nutrients found in bone broth help with the repair and building of muscle tissue and improve bone mineral density.

Drinking bone broth every day is one the best things you can do for your skin. It contains hyaluronic acid which is a primary ingredient used in dermal used in most derma fillers and anti ageing products. Its key to helping your skin retain moisture. It contains a high level of collagen which is excellent for increasing skins elasticity and helping your hair nails grow faster. 

Bone broth can also help you have a more restful night of sleep due thanks to the magnesium in it. The magnesium in bone broth is highly bioavailable due to slow cooking process. It also provides a good level of calcium to keep your bones and teeth strong.

It is in my opinion the healthiest homemade “supplement” that you can add to your diet and we would all benefit greatly from including it in our day to day life.        

Bone broth can be added to your diet in a variety of ways. It can be heated up and as enjoyed as a hot drink, added to soups, gravies, added to rice, couscous or pasta while they cook. The gut health benefits from bone broth alone should be enough of a reason for everyone to include it their diet daily.

Chicken Bone Broth

Chicken bone broth has so many health benefits when it comes to supporting your immune system in fighting colds and flu…including respiratory health (something we are all wanting to keep in top shape at the moment). I will go into a lot more detail in my next blog post of the benefits, but for now I would like to share my favourite chicken bone broth recipe, that you can start making today.

Ingredients

1 x chicken carcass (yes you can use the one leftover from your roast)

1 x stem of celery

2 x carrots

1 x onion

3 x tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 x cloves of garlic

enough water to cover the carcass once in stockpot

salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Add all ingredients to a stock pot
2. Bring to a boil
3. Reduce heat to the lowest setting
4. Partially cover and leave to simmer away for around 8hours.
5. Once ready, strain the liquid and store in the fridge or freezer.

Bone broth can be enjoyed many ways, I love starting my day off with a small mug of bone broth. It can be added to soups, rice, gravies - anything savoury that you would add liquid to.