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I doubt I have to tell you that bone broth has become a huge food trend over the past 5 or so years. You wouldn’t believe how many questions I get in my practice about it.
And for good reason… Bone broth can be very nutritious and loaded with minerals, amino acids, and collagen. Many people consider it healing for the digestive system. And folks with joint pain swear by bone broth’s collagen-rich composition for improving their aches and pains, cricks and strains.
Maybe that’s why grocery stores now line their shelves with products labeled bone broth right next to the traditional chicken stock and other broths.
But before you pick up a carton hoping it will cure your arthritis pain, fill in your fine lines, or heal our gut, there are a few things you need to know about bone broth products.
Buyer Beware
There are several important reasons you need to know what you’re buying and what you’re consuming when it comes to store-bought bone broth.
- First and foremost, bone broth is of course, animal-based, and that means it’s acidic. Now, if you choose to eat it occasionally as part of your 20% acidic foods (using my 80/20 rule, where no more than 20% of your foods in a day should be acid-forming, and minimum 80% alkaline-forming), that’s fine, but keep reading to make sure you know these other issues.
- Like so many packaged products that supposedly save you time and effort today, you have to carefully read the label to know what you’re getting with store-bought bone broth. Many products sold as bone broth are not bone broths at all, but chemical substitutes. They simulate the taste using meat flavoring-agents, bouillon, soup mixes, and even MSG.
- Many companies use vinegar in the process of extracting as many minerals as possible from the bones, and anything that has vinegar is a big no-no because of the yeast and sugar.
- My biggest concern for using any form of bone broth is lead contamination. Lead levels from chicken bone broth and from the skin and cartilage of chicken had the highest amounts of lead, ranging from 7-9.5 ug/L, which is a dangerous level for regular, repeated exposure.
- Last but not least, check the type of bone broth you’re buying. If it comes from chicken, which most does, the broth is not only going to be rich in vitamins and collagen, it will also be filled with growth hormones, antibiotics, pro-inflammatory omega-6 fats if they are conventionally-fed chickens, which are fed with corn, soy, and grains. The poultry source must be organically raised, pastured, and grass-fed in order to be a more balanced mix of the 2 types.
So with all of those negatives, you can see why I urge you to avoid store-bought bone broths altogether. The problem with MOST of these bone broths, is most companies feed on the neglect of the public (it’s not your job to know these things I just mentioned, and if you do, kudos), all to make an extra buck by buying less expensive ingredients.
But what do you do if you want the benefits of bone broth without all of the toxicity and acidity, chemicals, hormones, antibiotics, inflammatory fats, and possible lead contamination?
Alternatives to Consider
You know I am all about progress, not perfection. This bone broth issue is a perfect example. Let’s walk through the good, better, and best options.
First, if you’re set on a poultry and/or meat-based bone broth, I encourage you to make your own. That way, you can buy free-range, grass-fed, organic animal and use apple cider vinegar because it is unfiltered and unpasteurized and much better than common vinegar that most people use that is loaded with sugar. Also, add a ton of veggies to up the mineral factor and it will give you more flavor as well.
Even better would be to make your own bone broth using wild-caught Alaskan or Spanish salmon. If you’re going this route, the same goes for the vinegar and veggies as the meat-based advice above.
The best broth you can make is plant-based and alkaline. If you are looking to get some of the collagen and mineral effects from bone broth, make my high-alkaline vegetable broth instead, which I call Boneless Broth.
I shared my Boneless Broth recipe on Tuesday. Check it out HERE!
All of that said, it’s important to take a step back and ask why are you interested in bone broth? Is it for the benefits of collagen?
More Collagen, Nature’s Way
Did you know that our bodies produce collagen on their own – whether or not we consume animal-based products?
By age 40, we’ve already lost 15% of our body’s natural collagen production. So rather than eating lots of collagen, I prefer to boost the body’s natural collagen-making ability, by getting to the SOURCE and addressing the TRUE CAUSE.
How? 3 key amino acids are necessary to produce collagen: glycine, proline, and lysine. The best plant sources of glycine are:
- Beans and lentils
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Cucumber
- Kale, spinach, and other dark, leafy greens
- Pistachios
- Pumpkin
- Quinoa
The best plant sources of proline are:
- White beans
- Alfalfa sprouts
- Asparagus
- Beans
- Buckwheat
- Cabbage
- Cucumber
- Chives
- Watercress
Lysine is available in:
- Lentils
- Chickpeas and hummus
- Lima beans
- Pistachios
- Pumpkin seeds
- Quinoa
- Mangos
- Apples and pears
You’ll also want to consume plenty of antioxidant rich foods to protect the collagen you have as you age:
- Beets
- Red bell peppers
- Sweet potatoes
- Dark, leafy greens
- Carrots
- Berries
Finally, sulfur is necessary for collagen synthesis and you’ll find it in these sulfur-rich foods:
- Garlic, onions, leeks, etc.
- Many nuts
- Cruciferous vegetables: broccoli, cabbage, bok choy, etc.
- Dark, leafy greens, especially arugula and mustard greens
- Seaweed
Garlic is also important. It contains lipoic acid and taurine, both of which repair damaged collagen. It is also a good source of sulfur, which is a MAJOR player in collagen synthesis.
Also, minimize stress or add in a healthy exercise routine that will make stress more adaptable. Stress generates free radicals, which cause inflammation and oxidative stress to your body, all of which can destroy your collagen.
Think about an apple browning when you cut it open – well, the same happens to your body and its connective tissue from emotional stress and a hyper-acidic diet. You may literally be RUSTING and ROTTING from the inside out, and this needs to be addressed.
Make improvements in your diet and get more good sleep (lets aim for 7 solid hours minimum). It's during sleep that our body rebuilds collagen and connective tissue.
Finally, I recommend taking a few supplements to improve the collagen PRODUCING potential in your body, the true underlying cause of your collagen issues.
- Organic Sulfur supplement or pure MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) if you’re concerned about collagen. This route is really a much better one than eating or supplementing with collagen itself.
- In addition to sulfur, the MOST important thing you can do is load up on the minerals that you’re aiming to boost when you eat bone broth. So add in Alkamind Daily Minerals every night to ensure you’re getting enough magnesium, calcium, potassium, and sodium bicarbonate. Unlike other mineral supplements, which are mostly expensive rocks, our Daily Minerals is derived from the highest quality medical-grade minerals in the perfect ratio (1:1 Calcium to Magnesium), in their most bi-available form.
- Make the Boneless Broth recipe I posted on Tuesday – it’s delicious and loaded with minerals.
- Additionally, greens high in chlorophyll content are loaded with minerals, especially magnesium which is so important for healthy skin, hair, and connective tissue.
All green plant foods (such as bok choy, green algae, arugula, kale, spinach, lettuce, green beans, and broccoli) contain chlorophyll, which is the pigment that gives plants their vibrant green color. Studies have shown that consuming chlorophyll increases the precursor to collagen (procollagen) in the skin.
Chlorophyll and dehydrated chlorophyll supplements (which are an easy way to get a highly concentrated dose of chlorophyll, such as Alkamind Daily Greens) have also been shown to provide strong antioxidant activity against UV damage and the free radicals from toxins that promote premature aging.
- Omega-3 Fish Oil can also help preserve collagen and elastin in your skin due to its high antioxidant properties. The vitamin A in fish oil functions as an antioxidant by stopping cellular damage due to free radicals. Left alone, free radicals damage your DNA, cellular membranes and proteins -- including collagen and elastin.
As a result, free radical damage can gradually reduce the amount of functional collagen and elastin within your tissues, increasing your risk of tissue damage. The vitamin A in fish oil can help prevent extensive free radical damage to your tissues, helping to maintain healthy levels of collagen and elastin.
Omega-3 Fish Oil can also protect your skin from sun damage. EPA helps block the release of substances that eat away at the collagen in your skin after sun exposure.
If you’re NOT currently taking fish oil, you REALLY should start, for so many reasons in addition to what I just mentioned.
Second, if you ARE taking a fish oil, I would love for you to give Alkamind Daily Omega-3 a try today – I PROMISE you will be so glad you did. Because today is Valentine’s Day, to show you HOW much we really do care for your health and well-being, I am going to give you an INCREDIBLE offer from now throughout this weekend:
You will get a FREE bottle of Alkamind Daily Omega-3 ($59.99 value) with your purchase today through Sunday of over $149.
Now, what I am even MORE proud about is who YOU are going to help me help, when you do something good for your health, and your own heart health.
Our good friends Danielle and Patrik McKain founded Jameson’s Army in 2012, an incredible no-profit foundation, in honor of their son, who was born with Congenital Heart Disease.
Jameson, now a thriving 8-year-old, went through 6 open-heart surgeries and received a heart transplant at 11 months old.
After that experience, they were so PULLED to help others, they founded the non-profit organization to raise awareness of Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) and help families at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh as well as other medical facilities for families touched by CHD.
Jameson’s Army will use the money we raise this holiday weekend for care packages and meals for families at the Children’s Hospital heart center, special purchases for children with CHD, and therapeutic heart pillows to comfort Children’s ICU patients.
Every dollar counts. No purchase is too small to make a difference.
The best thing you can do to support children and families who are affected by Congenital Heart Disease is to take the vital steps necessary to protect YOUR own heart health, and I’m here to tell you, taking our Daily Omega-3 Fish Oil is a HUGE step in the right direction to bulletproof yourself to the #1 cause of death.
A recent study by Harvard School of Public Health revealed that Omega-3 fatty acid deficiency is the sixth biggest killer of Americans - even more deadly than excess trans-fat intake. The study utilized 2005 data from the US National Health Center for Health Statistics and revealed there are between 72,000 and 96,000 preventable deaths each year due to omega-3 deficiency.
MANY studies reveal that EVERY heart health indicator BENEFITS from taking an omega-3 supplement such as triglycerides, cholesterol, regular heart beat, plaque build-up, blood clotting, and blood pressure.
Again, that’s why we’re giving away a FREE Daily Omega-3 for every order over $149 (a $59.99 value)!
We’re so confident that you’ll try our triple-organically purified fish oil and get better RESULTS than your current fish oil, you’ll make the switch!
I mentioned this earlier in the article, I want to say it again…
If you’re NOT currently taking fish oil, get on it - you need to take this seriously!
I NEVER anticipated on launching a fish oil for Alkamind, until I did my research for my new book GET OFF YOUR ACID. In this research, I really got a handle on the heart health epidemic, and its TRUE CAUSE, which is inflammation from too may pro-inflammatory Omega-6 fats, and Omega-3 deficiency.
In fact, I am SO proud to say that Alkamind Daily Omega-3 is the only fish oil in the WORLD that has the following qualifications and benefits:
- Ideal 2:1 ratio of EPA to DHA (look at your fish oil label, and this is what you NEED to see, but you most likely won’t find it)
- Molecular Distilled and Triple-Organically Purified. Most companies purify their oil only ONCE. We did these THREE times, for a couple reason. First and foremost, this ensures you get the cleanest fish oil, free of EVERY heavy metal, and over 400 contaminants. This also means you TAKE LESS to GET MORE. Most companies, you need to take 8-12 softgels to get the 3,000 mg you need every day. With Alkamind Daily Omega-3, you only take 3
-
3rd Party tested in a FDA-registered facility. Don’t take our word for our purity, potency, and freshness. We had a 3rd party do all this testing to confirm everything I said above.
I truly hope Jameson’s story has inspired you as much it has us at Alkamind, and I thank you for honoring your OWN health, and all these children who desperately need our help.
Wishing you love and heart health today and everyday!
GET OFF YOUR ACID,
Dr. Daryl
