Chicken soup is no longer the go-to-dish for comfort and healing.  Bone broth is the way to go if you want to feel better, look better and lose weight, too. 

Recognized as a superfood, bone broth has a high concentration of minerals including calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, sulfates and fluoride.  Key nutrients such as collagen, glucosamine, and gelatin are essential in maintaining a healthy gut and are particularly helpful for those suffering from a variety of digestive problems. 

Naturopathic physician and weight-loss specialist Dr. Kellyann Petrucci, MS, ND, reinforced Paleo proponents of home-cooked bone broth as a beneficial healing tool with the recent publication of “Dr. Kellyann’s Bone Broth Diet.”  The bestseller guide and cookbook advises that the broth diet will help you :lose up to 15 pounds, 4 inches – and your wrinkles! – in just 21 days.”  She emphasizes that bone broth is rich in fat-burning nutrients, gut-healing and anti-inflammatory minerals and skin-tightening collagen.

Benefits of Bone Broth:

• helping to heal leaky gut syndrome and protect healthy intestinal lining

• soothing the gastrointestinal tract for those with gastric ulcers

• sealing intestinal holes to address chronic diarrhea, constipation, and food sensitivities

• strengthening joints and bones

• rebuilding tendons and ligaments for faster injury recovery

• preventing and treating osteoarthritis

• nourishing joints, tendons, ligaments, mucus membranes, skin, hair and nails

• improving sleep and memory

• maintaining healthy blood cholesterol

• minimizing healing time for hospitalized patients

• relieving auto-immune disorders 

There are several disadvantages to keep in mind if you are considering adding bone broth to your diet, including a possibility of high lead levels from the lead stored in animals.  Additionally, bones derived form non-organic, grass-fed animals may contain toxins.

Bone broth can be made with beef, chicken, turkey or fish bones.  Add seasonings, throw in a few pieces of celery and carrots, and simmer pre-roasted bones on the stove for 24 hours or longer.