Bone broth has seen a major resurgence (we hazard to use the word ‘trend’ here) over the past few years. And, its got the nutritional science to back it…
Firstly, best to look at exactly what it is:
It is NOT, ‘stock’ - real bone broth (in its most simplified form) is made by simmering bones (with some meat) for an extended period of time. The cooking process can be anything from eight to 24 hours! The longer the better, as they say - which allows for a greater amount of collagen and gelatine goodness to be released.
The benefits
We could write essays on this (and there is a lot of scholarly material available online) but topline, here’s why it is good for you, as an athlete:
Collagen - the most common type of protein found in the connective tissues. It makes up bones, ligaments, and cartilage.
Gelatine - a breakdown product of collagen. Gelatine (or gelatin) forms when collagen fibres are broken into their various peptides. The science will tell you this makes it easier to digest (and so bioavailable).
Glycine and Glutamine - amino acids needed in various processes in the human body. Gelatine is the most glycine-rich food source.
Minerals and Electrolytes - can be a very good source of sodium and other electrolytes.
In addition, the bones contribute minerals such as magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus, along with a whole host of other benefits.
Cook some up tonight. And into tomorrow...Here's how:
Ingredients:
1kg bones (knuckles or femur bones are best)
4 cloves of garlic
1 onion
100gm celery
250gm (or so) carrots
Olive oil
salt
pepper
1 tbl spoon Apple cider vinegar
Method:
Roast the bones in a pre-heated oven (180 degrees) with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper for 20 minutes. (This is to impart flavour). While this is happening, finely chop the onion, celery and carrots.
Simmer the vegetables in a little bit of olive oil (seasoning with salt and pepper) for about 5 minutes.
After the bones have roasted for 20 minutes, add them to the veggies in the pot. Stir through and cook for another 5 minutes.
Now, add enough water to cover everything in the pot. (For extra flavour here you can add organic beef or lamb stock). Simmer for a further 10 - 15 minutes. After the first 5 minutes, add a tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar (this is crucial to extract all the nutrients from the bones).
After the 15-minute simmer, transfer everything to a slow cooker and cook on low for 12 to 23 hours.
Patience! The longer the better (as we mentioned). Once it’s done cooking strain the mixture until you are left with a clear fluid. The perfect broth, once cooled, looks like jelly.
