Beef Bone Broth: are the claimed health benefits real?
- By Bea Recuerdo (BSc)
- 17 Jul 2022
There's a popular saying about bone broth that says, “A good broth will resurrect the dead”, and for thousands of years various cultures around the world somewhat believe this saying which is why many people continuously include bone broth in their diet.
Evidently, bone broth is one of the rising health movements in the industry. In fact, beef bone broth is being used by celebrities, and influencers. But the question is, is the hype about beef bone broth really worth it? Does it really live up to its popularity and “said” health benefits?
What is bone broth?
Bone broth is characterized by many as something thicker and less translucent as compared to a regular and simple broth. It is made by simmering meaty bones and joints in water for a long period of time. It’s also referred to as “stock” from time-to-time and is usually used for soup and sauce bases.
Recipes from thousands of years ago practice cooking bone broths for up until 24 hours and even more than that at times!
What’s the difference between bone broth, stock, bouillon and consommé?
Broth, stock, bouillon, consommé and even soup are often used interchangeably because they are basically similar to each other.
All of them usually use meat as the base where it includes bones, vegetables, herbs and spices and simmered in water. This mixture when cooked for a period of time produces the “broth” or “stock”. In Italy, it is referred to as “brodo”, while in France it’s “bouillon”.
On the other hand, soup is different from broth or stock as the soup only starts as a broth or stock but is mostly improved in terms of taste, and texture where in other ingredients such as vegetables, sliced meat, grains, beans and other herbs and spiced are added.
Bone broth specifically is what’s being preferred by many because of its health benefits. Unlike other stocks and broths, bone broth is cooked naturally and it’s because of the nutrients that we get from it. Usually if it’s for cooking purposes, people now prefer using instant stock mixes for convenience.
Does beef bone broth contain any nutrients?
In a nutrient assessment conducted on newly produced beef and horse bone broth, results showed that beef bone broth does in fact contain nutrients, and specifically it has higher calcium, magnesium and iron levels as compared to horse broth.
While in terms of protein, horse broth contained higher protein content but beef bone broth contained higher essential amino acids. Specifically, it has higher daily percentage values of phenylalanine, and methionine per 100 g serving (Source: Mongolia Journals Online).
What are the benefits of beef bone broth?
Bone broth has been part many Asian recipes, but mostly it’s made because many believe that it has a rich nutritional value and contribute ample of health benefits.
But in all honesty, there has been very little scientific research about bone broth that supports the said health benefits about it. But there are a few researches that point out these health benefits:
Bone broth contains amino acids with anti-inflammatory properties
Bone broth contains the amino acid Glutamine, one of the most versatile and abundant amino acids in the body (Source: NCBI), and glycine, where both amino acids have anti-inflammatory properties with multiple protective effects on several organs (Source: Pubmed).
Does bone broth improve joint & bone health?
Several studies suggest that supplementing collagen in your diet can help improve joint & bone health, especially for those who are aging (Source: Research Gate, DRS). Collagen production decreases every year after we reach our early adulthood. Bone broth can help you supplement collagen to your body.
Does bone broth have benefits for the gut?
Based on animal studies, gelatin, a denatured form of collagen produced when making bone broth, can help protect the intestine from mucosal damage (Source: Pubmed). Furthermore, in clinical studies, amino acid glutamine has been used to help patients with gut problems as it helps increase intestinal barrier function to its consumers (Source: NCBI, Pubmed)
Does bone broth improve sleep quality?
Bone broth contains glycine. An amino acid was studied to help improve the quality of sleep. According to a study, it was stated that glycine helped relieve the feeling of fatigue and had effects in helping patients feel "lively" and a subjective emotion of "feeling good" after waking up (Source: Wiley, II)
Why choose Big Food Bone broth over other brands?
Big Food Bone Broth is an excellent mix of protein, collagen, and other vital minerals. It’s a natural beef bone broth POWDER and it’s FREE from hormones, common allergies, steroids, additives and preservatives.
Not only that but Big Food Bone broth contains all essential amino acids. Amino Acids are the building blocks of the body. Amino acids are produced when proteins are digested or broken down; amino acids are left. Amino acids play a critical role in the body, including building tissues, muscles and maintaining immune defenses.
Does beef bone broth live up to the hype?
Beef bone broth has been part of different cultures and cuisines worldwide. The practice of preparing it has been done for thousands of years and continues to become even more popular because of its health benefits.
If you want to know if beef bone broth has lived up to its hype, we would say that it’s partly there as it continuously being studied for its contribution to joint and bone health, sleep quality and gut health. But we still need to keep in mind that these health benefits still lack sufficient research and it would be best to follow a healthy and balanced diet, and consult your physician for health concerns.
Nevertheless, beef bone broth can still be part of your diet, and any family meal as it’s not only popular for its health benefits but also for the warm, soothing taste it brings to the table!
