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Want to maintain the elasticity and youthfulness of your skin? Want thicker hair, stronger fingernails while improving your sleep? Want to promote a healthy gut while reducing inflammation in your joints? Want to secrete more growth hormone with a nutrient-dense source of protein into your diet? Hello bone broth!
Bone broth has been used for thousands of years as a traditional remedy to combat colds and the flu. It’s made from simmering the bones of animals and can be comprised of beef, pork, chicken and fish. Bone broth was traditionally used to prevent disease and promote wellness; however, it’s now recognized as a natural beauty elixir and a phenomenal healing remedy among high-performing athletes. Due to its simmering process of up to 24 hours, collagen is released from the bones which helps to provide beauty benefits and promote youthful-looking skin. In addition, the amino acid profile from the collagen provides benefits to promote sleep, reduces joint pain, heals the gut and improves athletic performance.
Bone Broth Components
- Collagen
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- Reduces appearance of aging skin: wrinkles, fine lines
- Reduces appearance of cellulite
- Improves joint pain
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- Gelatin
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- Glycine
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- Improves sleep
- Promotes human growth hormone
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- Glutamine
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- Heals inflammation and leaky gut
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- Alanine
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- Promotes muscular endurance
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- Minerals
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- Calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus and other trace minerals
Collagen
When it comes to the appearance of our skin, two things that women in particular tend to be concerned with are signs of aging skin and cellulite, both of which are caused by a loss or lack of collagen. Collagen is a protein which strengthens our skin and keeps it elastic. The reason our skin ages is because around the age of twenty-five we start losing collagen, and one of the reasons we have cellulite is because of a weak collagen structure. When we lose collagen, we lose strength in our muscles, bones become more brittle and the elasticity in our skin diminishes which results in an increase of wrinkles. In order to combat aging skin, women buy expensive creams and invest in procedures to increase collagen. Some common ways in which women combat loss of collagen and signs of aging include Botox or fillers. These treatments however only focus on a singular area of the skin. If you value nourishing yourself from an inside-out approach, consider adopting bone broth as a key staple of your diet because a cup of bone broth is full of collagen. According to Kellyann Petrucci, author of Bone Broth Diet, in contrast to fillers or Botox which only targets specific areas, bone broth promotes the production of collagen to all areas of the skin, “bone broth and the collagen enhancement that bone broth can give you is that you’re focusing on the whole face, all of it.” The addition of collagen into our diet has been shown to both improve skin elasticity, thus reducing wrinkles and fine lines, in addition to getting rid of cellulite. One study showed an improvement in skin elasticity after only eight weeks of consistent collagen consumption, and another study showed a reduction in cellulite after only three to six months.
Consuming collagen has immense benefits for our body and joints as well, one study showed the supplementation of collagen resulted in a reduction of joint pain. Additionally, another study specifically looked at individuals experiencing osteoarthritis of the knee, and after supplementation of collagen similarly felt a reduction of joint pain.
Gelatin
When heated, the structure of collagen converts into gelatin, and the benefits we derive from gelatin are due to the amino acids released. These amino acids include glycine, glutamine and alanine in addition to arginine and proline. The benefits from these amino acids include healthy skin, in addition to strong fingernails and hair. Additionally, gelatin is known for its gut health and digestion benefits and even in certain animal studies, gelatin can help to heal mucosal damage of the gastrointestinal tract (GI). The potential of healing the GI tract allows our gut to absorb nutrients better.
Glycine
As one of the amino acids in gelatin, glycine is recognized for the sleep benefits it provides. Glycine supplementation increases sleep latency (the ability to fall asleep faster), sleep quality and even reduced drowsiness during the day. How it increases sleep latency is because it is referred to as an inhibitory neurotransmitter, it helps you ‘chill out’ by promoting calming hormones including GABA and reduces stress hormones including norepinephrine. Glycine even aids in breaking down fat in your body so it can be used as energy.
Glutamine
As another amino acids in gelatin, glutamine proves gut health benefits. Studies show glutamine to be quite healing for intestinal permeability, which improves leaky gut, bowel discomfort and disease in addition to other inflammatory diseases.
Alanine
Another amino acid in gelatin, alanine provides benefits for active individuals who seek muscle maintenance and growth. Alanine is a popular supplement among athletes as it promotes muscular endurance and the ability to gain muscle mass.
Improves Athletic Performance
Bone Broth is commonly regarded as a healing component in terms of skin, gut health, joints and now athletes are using it as a tool to heal injuries. Kobe Bryant added bone broth into his diet to help him recover from his injuries of his ruptured Achilles and fractured knee.
In addition to its recovery potential, bone broth benefits athletes as a source of protein since one serving contains six to twelve grams and it promotes growth hormone. One study showed glycine’s ability to stimulate the pituitary gland to release growth hormone (hGH), which is commonly referred to as the youth hormone and increases muscle mass.
Minerals
Bone Broth additionally is full of essential minerals including calcium, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus which help bone density, while promoting heart and digestive health.
Whether you’re looking to improve the appearance of your skin and cellulite, grow luscious hair and strong nails; or if you’re less vain and just want better sleep bone broth is your new sidekick. You’ll even promote a healthier gut and improve joint pain.
Recommended Product
Get it: Kettle & Fire Bone Broth