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Would you drink a mug of chicken bone broth? I never drank it before last week.
In that week, my toddler got pneumonia, my second grader threw up, my preschooler coughed for days on end, my husband coughed…and I would get a tickle of a sore throat now and then. It always went away.
Let me also explain that I do not have the perfect diet – I eat too much late at night while blogging and get into the Halloween candy and random Costco chocolates far too often.
I do not get enough sleep. Some nights I only get three hours of sleep, and even that is interrupted at least once by my nursling. The day before Thanksgiving I was up until 3:30 a.m. baking pies and writing a post for Attune, and then I saw my little guy once or twice (maybe three times), my daughter had a nightmare and cuddled in my bed for a few minutes, and by 6 or 6:30, my oldest son was throwing up.
My husband, who slept through me getting out of bed at least six times plus Leah getting into our bed, received the “state of the family’ address at 7:30 a.m., otherwise known as, “Honey, let me catch you up on what has happened while you were sleeping.”
That part has nothing to do with my story except that it’s amazing the man slept through all that, and woefully ironic that he pops out of bed the second his alarm goes off while I have no idea anything happened. He’ll wake me up for a third time and I think it’s only the first.
I digress.
I never promised to be right in mind, just able to fend off illness with a mighty hand…I mean, cup of bone broth.
I wrote the intro to this post in December, hence the Thanksgiving reference, but ironically, in the last two weeks we’ve had two kids with ear infections, three kids with fever, one toddler with pneumonia (again!), lots of coughing, (all of which we fended off without antibiotics) and no bone broth in the house for the last month. Coincidence? Maybe. But I bought a chicken not-on-sale yesterday and have been drinking mugs of it this morning. It’s broth week at Kitchen Stewardship, after all!
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10 Reasons to Drink Bone Broth
1. Immunity Boosting Fat
The yellow fat from pastured chickens holds immune boosting powers that are only the tip of the iceberg in the power of a properly prepared chicken stock to keep you from getting the next cold or other bug that flies through your house.
2. Warm Liquid is Soothing
It’s okay to mention the obvious. There are plenty of other immune-boosting strategies, like apple cider vinegar water, using lots of raw garlic, and taking fermented cod liver oil, but the soothing feel of a warm liquid on a cold day can’t be beat. (You’ll still want FCLO from Green Pasture for the Vitamins A and D and omega 3s, but you might not want to sip it as you sit at the computer!)
3. Super Mineral Boost
Bone broth contains minerals from the bones that are not only abundant but easy to assimilate into our bodies (unlike the whole mess with whole grains and phytic acid and such – see the soaking grains series for more info on that). Minerals that will help you stay in optimal health include:
- calcium
- magnesium
- phosphorus
- other trace minerals
- (source)
4. Better Carrier for Garlic and Cayenne than Tea
Fresh garlic, ginger, and cayenne pepper are great immunity boosting foods to eat as well, and while ginger makes a decent tea, it’s just weird to sip tea with garlic and cayenne. They taste awesome in broth though…
5. Gelatin for Joint Health
One of the incredible benefits of real bone broth made with the vinegar soak, all the cartilage from the animal and the actual bones is that your finished stock should have a good amount of gelatin. Gelatin is the cooked form of collagen, which makes up about half the protein in our bodies, so you’re truly “body building” when you consume it.
Gelatin provide glycine, an amino acid that promotes healthy cartilage and ultimately aids in avoiding joint pain. Could a cup a day keep the acetaminophen away?
6. Improves Bone Density
The calcium that leaches out of the bones into the stock is ready to be absorbed into your body, the perfect weapon against osteoporosis or weak bones in any way. (source)
7. Aids Digestion
Yet another benefit of gelatin, bone broth helps your system digest more efficiently, especially milk, meat, beans, and grains. That’s likely why it’s used in GAPS and other gut healing diets. Who doesn’t need a little help digesting everything in our day and age?
It’s also why I included broth as the “B” in my redone real food BRATY diet for feeding victims of tummy bugs.
8. Battles Stress? Improves Sleep?
Our bodies can create glycine on their own, which is why it’s not an “essential” fatty acid that we must get from eating. However, we don’t always produce in the right balance, especially if we don’t eat in the right balance.
When we eat only animal meat, the amino acids delivered mimic those that our bodies create under stress, “when cortisol excess causes our muscles to be broken down to provide energy and material for repair.” (source) Consuming gelatin counteracts all that, can promote sleep, and improves memory and learning behavior. The same function may even resist cancer and tumor growth.
This fun fact is a new one for me, but I can’t wait to try it the next time someone I know has insomnia. Warm milk, chamomile tea – move over, broth is coming through!
9. Frugal in More Ways than One
Bone broth is an incredibly frugal food, and every time I make a pot, I know I’m saving in the double digits compared to purchasing commercial stock or broth, plus the nutrition of the homemade is leaps and bounds ahead of anything in the store (with perhaps the exception of Wise Choice Market’s organic real bone broth which is actually made the same way I would at home).
Besides that, yet another benefit of gelatin is that it acts as a “protein sparer,” meaning that any protein you eat in a meal with bone broth is used more efficiently in the body. You can include less meat in your soup and thus less in your budget – I don’t know about you, but meat and other protein products are by far the most expensive line item on a real food budget. It’s nice to get a break sometimes.
10. Delivery System for Nourishing Salt
Other than the salted caramel latte I’ve seen advertised recently, which I’m sure is fraught with its own sugary issues, salting your coffee or tea would just be a little weird. When you drink bone broth, you can use Real Salt and replace electrolytes and over 60 trace minerals that your body needs.
Add all that to fact that you can still look cool like all the coffee drinkers with your mug, and you must ask yourself: Why not start the habit today?
Find even more health benefits of chicken stock and an almost unbelievable list of diseases and health issues that gelatin and stock can battle at this post. Here’s another post that breaks down the benefits of bone broth by geography and era in history in an interesting way.
You may be agreeing with my husband, by the way, who thinks this is totally nuts. He doesn’t think he’d enjoy it at all – but he hasn’t yet tried it. I admit, I wasn’t so sure on my first cup. But it wasn’t long before I could honestly say I craved it.
It grows on you.
Give it a shot.
(That’s what you call positive peer pressure. See, everybody’s doing it. That link goes to an easy way to keep chicken stock always on hand and always hot, by the way, although I don’t think I want my slow cooker on that long – I am pretty much assuming it has lead in the lining. I’m looking into some safer options; more info in the months to come!)
Need More Information?
Here are the how-to posts here at KS:
- The big one: tutorial on how to make homemade chicken stock (aka bone broth)
- New tips on improving your method and results
- New ideas (feet, anyone?)
- The best frugal tip: Reuse the bones!! – How many times can you use chicken bones for broth/stock?
- How to make bone broth with serious gel
I have a post on my list called “Chicken Stock Encyclopedia” where I’ll take the best of all those posts plus any new tips and FAQs and get it all in one cohesive place…but after drinking 3 mugs of broth in 12 hours, I just felt like writing this one. 
How about you – have you ever tried drinking broth straight up, no soup involved?
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Kitchen Stewardship is dedicated to balancing God’s gifts of time, health, earth and money. If you feel called to such a mission, read more at Mission, Method, and Mary and Martha Moments.
Disclosure: There is an affiliate link in this post to Amazon from which I will earn some commission if you make a purchase. See my full disclosure statement here. Green Pasture is a KS sponsor receiving their complementary mention in a post.
I haven’t but I’m intrigued. I love broth, the slight saltiness and the warmth are very appealing to me. I have made both beef and chicken stocks in the last week so I might have to give this a go. I could even see adding some orzo to it and having that for lunch one day.
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This has to be the most succinct article on why to use bone broth that I’ve read so far. Thanks for sharing your wisdom (I’ll be sharing it with others).
I love bone broth and I think it would be a great way to start the day…especially these cold grey ones.
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i have thought about doing this, but haven’t tried it. we use bone broth in so many of our meals, but drinking it during sick season is a great idea.
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Every time my husband is sick he drinks it. (I don’t really get sick, but have been taking plague tonic lately.) I gave my father in law some bone broth when he was down to visit and sick, and he loved it! I am a believer, but I need to make it more often!
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I do throughout the winter. I really like the nourishment.
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That was a great article! Very helpful. Although I feel a bit sad for you that your husband doesn’t help with the kids during the night more….
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Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship Reply:
February 22nd, 2013 at 12:02 pm
Nikki,
Katie
Don’t feel sad – there are nights that the roles are totally reversed. 4yo had an ear infection last week and woke up 20-30 times in the night, and I only did the midnight – 1 a.m. shift; he took the rest and was powered by coffee all day.
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I made the most bestest broth ever this week. OK, started with cooking chicken legs, onions, garlic and carrots in crock pot. Then took off the skins and fried them with the onions and alone until brown and crispy. What we,really I, didn’t eat of the broken crispyness went back in for broth. It is dark golden brown and super flavorful. Even a hit with my daughter who doesn’t like broth too much.
Question: what about if I don’t totally trust the source of the chickens? Local but definitely raised in greenhouses. Mostly I worry about the fat.
And lastly, Katie, you deserve more sleep! Take care of yourself. Do a one month challenge to get 8 or even 9 hours. You will be amazed. As important as the food piece!
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Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship Reply:
February 22nd, 2013 at 12:05 pm
Christina,
Good positive peer pressure.
I know, I know…a one-month challenge is probably not a bad idea. Hopefully enough people will “mother” me into it like you are!
MMmmmm on your broth!
If I think the chicken is less than idea, I would skim the fat – some say not to bother making broth, but seriously – bones are better than no bones at all! So I always grab turkey bones from family get togethers even though they’re just CAFO turkeys. I just can’t avoid everything…
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christina Reply:
February 24th, 2013 at 12:29 pm
You should do a challenge on the blog! Wouldn’t that fit in terms of stewardship of your body? OK. Going to try to start a petition on FB!
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Katie Kimball @ Kitchen Stewardship Reply:
February 24th, 2013 at 9:06 pm
Uh oh…
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Lauren Reply:
February 24th, 2013 at 4:33 pm
I second the skimming suggestion. The budget just can’t handle “best choice” chickens right now so I’m using really cheap and nasty bits and skimming the fat. Not so great for immunity or bone building (we need calcium, magnesium, vitamin D and K2 for that, the latter two being fat-soluble), but the upside is that the soup doesn’t burn the living daylights out of you when you sip it hot!
(ps: the salt isn’t just for medicinal purposes – it makes the broth 10x better too!)
Drinking “plain soup” seemed bizarre to me 2 years ago. I do it all the time now
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I am loving the bone broth! It’s weird because before it all tasted the same, but now that I make my own when I have to rely on the ‘boxed’ stuff (Meijer Organic…) it tastes TOTALLY different. My kids can taste the difference between chicken and turkey too – I am loving this series; and am trying to get bone broth into mashed potatoes, rice, and every other place I can sneak it in!
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Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship Reply:
February 22nd, 2013 at 12:06 pm
Jen,
Katie
I always thought I couldn’t tell the difference either, but I used a carton from Costco- made with bones – last month and oof. Totally different soup. I”m not a fan. Definitely only in broth emergencies!
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I’ve never drank bone broth by itself, but your post is making me want to! It seems like everyone I know (slight exaggeration) is doing GAPS and I maybe hopping on that bandwagon soon. Here’s to a cup of yummy broth!
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Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship Reply:
February 22nd, 2013 at 12:06 pm
Cheers!
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I’ve been a little negligent when it comes to broth, thanks for the reminder!
I find it really does make a difference in health, productivity and how I deal with others.
And please try to figure out how to get yourself to bed earlier
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Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship Reply:
February 22nd, 2013 at 12:06 pm
Jacqueline,
“How I deal with others…” — I’m sure my children would appreciate a more well-rested mommy, too. Hmmmm….
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Just finished my first batch of broth, put it in the fridge to cool before jarring it, sat down to relax in front of the computer while the baby naps, pulled up your website and voila! Reasons to drink bone broth. soooo…. i got up took my big bowl out and ladled myself a cup on broth while reading this article! Perfection!
This is so cool!! lol
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Katie Kimball @ Kitchen Stewardship Reply:
February 22nd, 2013 at 9:47 pm
Now THAT is cool timing!
Katie
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Katie! You are undoing all of your healthy eating by neglecting sleep! I agree, you need a one month challenge. Great blog material. Minimum of 6 hours per night. 8+ and you would feel like a new woman. We love bone broth, chicken and venison, yum!
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Karen Reply:
February 23rd, 2013 at 8:35 am
We love broth too, chicken turkey, antelope, elk – do you make bone broth from deer? We haven’t been able to make that palatable – not sure if it is what the deer eats (ours are forest fed, no farmland around here). We have the most bones from the deer though, and I’d love to be able to figure out how to love it! I’ve tried it with wild ducks too, but that wasn’t so awesome either. The ducks had been smoked first, and the broth smelled a little bit like an ashtray. I couldn’t get past the smell.
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Leah G Reply:
February 23rd, 2013 at 1:00 pm
we do venison broth. roast the bones first. it tastes better with a little bit of meat on the bone. I use acv while cooking and only cook for about 12-24 hrs. same with rabbit back. its like chicken.
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Becky Reply:
February 25th, 2013 at 8:42 am
Yes! We do it like Leah described. I make sure to throw in a foot with the lower knee joint for a good gel. Our deer generally come out of the cornfield, so I’m sure that helps with the taste a bit.
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Do you recommend pressure canning bone broth? Our freezer space is limited but we have a large area to store canned foods.
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Rebecca Reply:
February 22nd, 2013 at 8:16 pm
I don’t think Katie pressure cans, but I swear by it. It takes time, so I tend to hoard bones and then a few times a year make several huge batches, say 18 qts a batch and can the broth. I spend most of the day in the kitchen canning, but then I have broth whenever I need it for months on end.
I actually use my canner as my biggest stock pot, it is 23 qts and can fit 2 turkey carcases at once!
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Stacy Reply:
February 23rd, 2013 at 12:11 am
We have pressure-canned broth/stock. It works just like you’d expect. MUCH easier than freezing and waiting for bags or containers of it to defrost.
Our main issue is getting enough meat/bones to MAKE stock. We don’t generally buy meat just for stock unless it is really cheap.
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Broth is amazing stuff! I need to make it more often that I do!
My FIL recently shared a story about his grandfather, who lived into his 90s with absolutely no arthritis. He attributed it to his weekly batch of oxtail soup and the large amount of broth he regularly ate/drank.
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I got started on bone broth a year ago via The Nourished Kitchen. We drink it all the time…at first I had a continuous pot, but really didn’t care for the taste as much as a 48 cook in the slow cooker. And I don’t like the vinegar flavor either so I do it without…guess I need some statistics on that to change. I believe the broth helps us stay healthy…and I know that when I don’t indulge my elbows hurt. Crazy, but true. I’m not sure that I’m buying the best chicken…I get the one that’s natural at the market…veg feed…but really can’t afford to pay $30 or more for a chicken at the farm and I don’t even know what grains the chicks eat though they are pastured for sure. Anyway…the broth tastes better and better each time you drink it. I just add a bit of Celtic Sea Salt and yummy in my tummy. We also drink it for fasts….which doesn’t hardly seem like a fast because it’s so delicious and satisfying. I could go on and on how much I love it. And soup…my husband has had homemade soup elsewhere and he says it doesn’t hold a candle to mine. I think homemade bone broth is the secret ingredient. Tonight we’re going to have french onion soup from beef broth I cooked up. Smells yummy. Can’t wait for supper tonight.
Love your blog BTW!
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Katie Kimball @ Kitchen Stewardship Reply:
February 22nd, 2013 at 10:00 pm
Diane,
Katie
Your elbows are proof enough – whatever you’re doing is working! It is VERY cool to hear a real-life testimony of the joint pain issue. Thank you!
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I was feeling under the weather yesterday and asked my husband to pick up a chicken on his way home. He lovingly made a joke about how most people would request cough drops or cold medicine, but not his hippie wife. She wants a chicken. Ha!!
Had the bones simmering overnight and I’m making a batch of your garlic soup as we speak! Lord willing, I’ll be all fixed up by tomorrow. 
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i also love bone broth. i use mostly beef bones from grass fed cows. my daughter(6) tells people “the only reason i like to be sick is brooooooth” even though she gets it when she’s not sick too.
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I love bone broth! I can hardly resist a hot cup of broth, especially in the wintertime. I have even used broth frequently for fasting. My problem with broth, however, is how it completely upsets my elimination (bathroom) process. It’s uncomfortable and inconvenient, to say the least. Still, I really love bone broth!
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That’s totally how I like to have my broth–out of a coffee mug! I hadn’t made broth in a couple of weeks, but I finally made some just yesterday. I made my kids chicken noodle soup with it at lunch and drank a big mug myself. My kids and I very rarely get sick (and not for long when we do), and I think the homemade bone broth is a big reason for it!
Oh, and your sleep habits sound like mine. I always say that is the one area in which my healthy living mission really falls apart : )
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Katie Kimball @ Kitchen Stewardship Reply:
February 22nd, 2013 at 10:11 pm
Gayle,
I know…it’s ironic that I write about healthy living but have an on-again-off-again relationship with my bed…
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Cecilia Capehart Reply:
February 26th, 2013 at 10:52 pm
You know, Katie, Lent is probably a good time to work on getting into the habit of getting more sleep…
(and thanks for the broth info- a good reminder to buy whole chickens again)
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Hi Katie:
Are you doing anything in addition to the bone broth, such as fermented foods/beverages at every meal and FCLO?
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Katie Kimball @ Kitchen Stewardship Reply:
February 22nd, 2013 at 10:17 pm
Blair,
Katie
I do some fermented foods and the whole family pretty much has a yogurt every day. The kids and I drink water kefir, but not with every meal. And yes, when we remember, FCLO. If I had to draw a correlation to overall health, though, it would be the broth – it’s the ONLY thing we did on your list the first year I was blogging, and I bragged b/c we were so healthy…
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Blair Massey Reply:
February 22nd, 2013 at 10:45 pm
Broth is something we are trying to add to our diet on a consistent basis. I have been hit and miss as well. My biggest challenge is getting pastured chickens. Though we live near the country, there are not much available to us. For now I am getting “range free” chicken from the grocery store. Not the best, but better than conventional.
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I add ginger with the veggies, maybe two inches worth, peeled and sliced, for a whole pot of broth. A friend of mine also like to add juice of one lemon at the end (when the stove is off). I haven’t noticed much change in the taste of the broth with these additions.
Sometimes I pressure cook the chicken by themselves for 30 minutes then debone the chicken. This makes sure the meat is nice and tender, not mushy. But roasting the chickens might be a lot less work.
Also, would soaking the chickens in saltwater and vinegar the night before help “clean” them beforehand?
And why not use the slow cooker? I might have missed that somewhere in the posts.
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Katie Kimball @ Kitchen Stewardship Reply:
February 22nd, 2013 at 10:23 pm
Anna,
A lot of people use a salt water/vinegar “brine” before roasting or grilling a chicken, but other than adding flavor, I’m not sure what it does.
And many use the slow cooker, sometimes I do too – Tiffany’s post on Monday lauded the crockpot! http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2013/02/18/back-to-basics-baby-step-monday-mission-no-7-make-bone-broth-regularly/
Katie
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This inspires me to make some bone broth soon!
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I took one quick look at this post, walked downstairs to heat up a little broth in a pan on the stove (not the microwave) and bring it up in a cup to fully enjoy and appreciate what I was going to read.
Caution: this post causes cravings!
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I knew it!! Whenever my butcher asked me if I wanted our beef package with bones or no bones, I just had a feeling that there was something good about cooking the meat with the bones in it. I’d asked myself why would a dog go to so much trouble of chewing on a bone all day if it wasn’t good for it. I just knew it “in my bones”
that it was good for me…thanks for verifing that! Now I’ll just step it up a notch to make the broth with them.
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Katie Kimball @ Kitchen Stewardship Reply:
February 24th, 2013 at 9:07 pm
Awesome!
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Thanks for sharing Katie! I never thought about bone broth being a carrier for garlic. I will definitely start using it for that! (Raw garlic on an empty tummy makes me sick) I definitely need to get going on making more broth. I’ve been out for a while and keep getting sick! Vicious cycle…too tired to make it, then get sick, then too sick to make it. I wish there was a bone broth fairy to get me going again!
Nevermind, I will just make some today.
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I was put on a liquid diet for a week while in the hospital. The liquid, for the main part, was broth – either beef or chicken. I think it would have been so much easier to handle after a few days of broth for every meal if it had been REAL broth…
I don’t make broth very often, but when I cook chicken breasts in the crock pot, I save the broth from them. It’s not necessarily a full-fledged broth, but I do believe it still has some benefits! And, yes – if it were seasoned well, I’d definitely drink a nice, warm mug of broth!
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I discovered bone broth while researching holistic dental health. My favorite to make at home is with lamb bones in a slow cooker, but I use the Real Bone Broth brand from Wise Choice Market on a regular basis. It’s made exactly as I make mine at home, except they don’t offer lamb…
The health benefits are truly amazing. I hadn’t thought of adding garlic so thanks for that tip!
I put my mom on bone broth this week in the hope that it will help with her knee pain. Does anyone have any good testimonials with joint pain?
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