Don’t take our word for it; take it from one of our generation’s most celebrated and successful athletes. During the 2013 season, Kobe’s Lakers were playing the Atlanta Hawks. It was one of those epic, film-worthy moments in sports. With six seconds on the clock in the 4th quarter, the Lakers were down by two points. They had the ball and it was passed to Kobe who, knowing a three pointer would clinch the game, ran to the outside and took a reckless shot. He missed, and as he came down from the jump, he landed poorly, severely twisting his ankle.
Bryant said it was the worst sprain he’d had in almost 15 years and the Lakers announced that he would be on the bench indefinitely. He only missed two games. Why?
We have to credit the Lakers’ in-house nutritionist, Dr. Cate Shanahan. She recommended that Bryant start drinking bone broth, something she and Bryant credit to his quick recovery. Since then, Bryant has been drinking it consistently for the past three years. He said, “I’ve been doing the bone broth for a while now. It’s great—energy, inflammation. It’s great.”
So what is this miracle elixir? And what makes it so powerful?
It’s rather simple, really. Bone broth is what you get when you cook bones for a reaaaaalllly long time. You can use cow bones, lamb bones, chicken bones (grass-fed, free-range, organic is highly recommended). You can do it in a stock pot, or a crock pot. You can add vegetables if you want. In any case, the cooking process draws nutrients out of the bones, which you then drink so you can take advantage of the many benefits.
The health benefits become clear when you start to realize what is in the bones. We’re talking collagen, healthy fats and two somewhat rare, but highly beneficial amino acids: proline and glycine. Glycine in particular is incredibly important as it is a required material for DNA and RNA synthesis—meaning you need it for any sort of cell repair or reproduction process (and this is the key ingredient to Kobe Bryant’s—and anyone who uses bone broth for healing—recovery). Glycine also helps you sleep. Proline helps your arteries break up deposits of atherosclerosis, and it is a key nutrient for building muscle.
But bone broth has so many health benefits. Let’s just go through a few.
First of all, and the main reason we recommend it to patients, is that it helps heal a leaky gut. The gelatin you draw out from the bones (found in knuckles, feet and other joints), seals the holes in your intestinal wall, which is the main feature of leaky gut syndrome. As a result, your body is better equipped to fight inflammation and prevent a whole host of diseases, as well as better digest and integrate the nutrients from food.
The glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate in bone broth go a long way in protecting and healing joints, and even preventing osteoarthritis. One of the most attractive (pun intended) aspects of bone broth is what the collagen does to your skin. Bones contain quite a bit of collagen, which is also a major contributor to the youthful and elastic look of your skin. Drink bone broth; look younger.
Bone broth is great for your immune system as well. First of all, by sealing up a leaky gut and preventing foreign materials from entering your blood stream via your intestines, your immune system is given a huge break. But beyond that, it’s been shown, even in a Harvard study, to relieve symptoms of auto-immune disorders (like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, MS, diabetes, etc.) and in some cases, even reverse these diseases.
And of course, it’s good for your bones.
The best part? It’s really simple and inexpensive to make. Simply simmer a put full of bones for five to twenty-four hours, let it cool, then stick it in the fridge until a fat disc forms on the top.
You can eat the fat—which is also very good for you—or skim it off and use it to cook with, or mix with butter and herbs, or several other great uses. Just drink the broth like you would a cup of coffee in the morning. And if you like soups with a strong stock, you’ll even love the taste.
Heal yourself! Drink the broth of champions!