The Health Benefits of Bone Broth

By Diana Parra

Creating bone broth is one of the workshops that will be offered this spring as part of Wild Abundance’s weeklong Ancestral Foods Cooking Class. Participants will learn many aspects, including how to pick the best ingredients, tips for the cooking process, creative ways to make use of the broth (in case you don’t feel like just drinking it out of a cup), and even a few of Wild Abundance founder Natalie Bogwalker’s secret ingredients for boosting the health properties of your bone broth.

I always knew there was a reason why my grandma’s bone broth was the first line of defense at the onset of a cold. In fact, there are several reasons. This nutrient dense, anti-inflammatory dish has been rising in popularity due to its immune boosting properties, as well as its support in digestion.

You may have heard about the health benefits of gelatin, such as bone and joint support. But the collagen that’s available to us in bone broth has also been associated with drastic improvements in the symptoms of arthritis, even leading to remission, according to at least two separate scientific studies.

Bone broth is a great supplement when dealing with arthritis and joint pain, and consuming the elixir can help prevent future joint problems as well. In fact, bone broth is an important part of the Los Angeles Lakers’ diet. The team’s strength and conditioning coach, Tim DiFrancesco, has even referred to bone broth as “liquid gold.”

The gelatin in bone broth can also aid in the healing of the mucosal lining of the digestive tract, which supports digestion and can address leaky guts. The term leaky gut refers to an increased permeability of the intestinal lining that allows food particles to penetrate into the bloodstream, which can cause a variety of problems. Food allergies, autoimmune diseases, digestive disorders, skin problems, and chronic fatigue are just a few of the symptoms of leaky gut.

Bone broth has traditionally been used to boost the immune system, which is probably why grandma insisted on some bone broth whenever I was sick. This particular benefit of bone broth might be related to its ability to deliver an abundance of minerals and amino acids that are necessary for the growth of healthy and resilient cells.

It’s difficult to determine exactly what minerals and amino acids are present in bone broth because, perhaps unsurprisingly, not all broth is made the same. Feeling like you want to give bone broth a shot, but need more guidance to craft the perfect cup of broth?

The Ancestral Foods Cooking class will take place May 22–27 at Wild Abundance, just 20 minutes north of Asheville. Other topics will include foraging and the use of medicinal plants in your diet (taught by Juliet Blankespoor, founder and director of the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine), home butchery and charcuterie (taught by Meredith Leigh, butcher, chef, teacher and author of The Ethical Meat Handbook), and fermented drinks and cheesemaking (taught by Ashley English, holistic nutritionist and author of the Homemade Living book series).

Registration for the Ancestral Foods Cooking Class is $900, payable in advance at wildabundance.net. To inquire about work trade opportunities, email info.wildabundance@gmail.com.