20.04.2022
The saying "Let food be the medicine and medicine be the food" is one you've likely heard before. It was uttered by Hippocrates, often considered the founder of modern medicine, around 2,500 years ago. Hippocrates, who was born on the nearby island of Kos, right across from Bodrum, in a region steeped in history, highlights the ancient nature of our geography, which dates back around 12,000 years to the first settled life at Göbeklitepe. It also underscores the significance of our ancient dietary culture. You can explore fascinating information about food and history in our YouTube video titled "The Flavorful Tale of Natural Collagen."
For generations, we have known that the most important input to our bodies is food – essentially, we are what we eat. Looking closer, on a micro-scale, we find that the smallest building blocks of our bodies, our cells, require essential nutrients to function regularly. In our daily lives, we obtain nutrients like proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water through the foods we consume. Ensuring that these nutrients are taken into the body in sufficient and regular quantities is vital for sustaining life, maintaining health, supporting growth, and development. This is where the concept of adequate and balanced nutrition comes into play. When any of these essential nutrients is not obtained or is consumed inadequately or excessively, it can have adverse effects on growth, development, and overall health, regardless of age or gender. This is especially crucial for groups known as at-risk populations, including pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, infants, children, adolescents, the elderly, and patients (1). For general principles of nutrition, you can take a look at our blog post titled "Nutrition and Children."
Where Does Bone Broth Fit into this Nutrition?
Bone broth holds a significant place among the flavors that have been passed down through generations, both in our country and around the world. While there is no globally accepted production standard for bone broth, it is traditionally produced by simmering animal by-products, particularly marrow bones, in open or closed kettles for an extended period. Simmering the bones in water allows valuable components such as proteins, amino acids, glucosamine, collagen, vitamins, and minerals found in bone and bone marrow to be extracted from the bone structure into the water. As a result, a highly nutritious food is produced. In recent years, bone broth has gained attention due to its rich collagen content, which is believed to help rejuvenate tissues and contribute to a more youthful appearance, increasing its consumption (2). For more information about bone broth, you can watch our related YouTube video where our food engineers provide insights into its production.
Bone broth strengthens the immune system of children, helping to protect them from illnesses. Additionally, it aids in a faster recovery for children who are already ill.
Bone broth is a valuable source of nutrition due to its rich content. Its proteins, amino acids, fibers, and collagens have a positive impact on the growth and development of children. Furthermore, the fibers and amino acids present in bone broth also have beneficial effects on the muscle and skeletal systems of children. For infants, as their digestive function may not be adequate, adding bone broth to their diet eases digestion. This enables babies to sleep more comfortably and facilitates their digestive functions. Thanks to an amino acid called glycine found in bone broth, babies can sleep better. Due to these positive effects, we recommend including bone broth in baby nutrition (3).
How Should Bone Broth Be Consumed?
Bone broth can be consumed by adding it to soups, simmering it with immune-boosting ingredients like lemon, black pepper, and ginger, or incorporating it into rice and other dishes.
It's essential to cook the bone along with the broth to maximize the benefits of the bone and the marrow. This cooking method brings a holistic approach to the kitchen. For busy parents with limited time for cooking, there are lifesaving solutions available in the market. Marrow bone broths found in stores save time and energy while restoring the missing flavors, proteins, vitamins, and collagen to your dishes.
All that's left for you is to enjoy it.
