Stress has been classified as the health epidemic of the 21st century and is an increasingly common feature of our day-to-day modern lifestyles that can negatively impact our mental health and overall wellbeing.
Our bodies are constantly under stress from our:
-jobs
-lifestyles
-dietary habits and the
-environment we live in.
If stress becomes chronic it can cause an inflammatory cascade, increasing levels of stress hormones, causing anxiety, blood sugar imbalances, digestive issues, and further long-term health issues.
Bone broth is an ancient remedy that has sky-rocketed in popularity due to its nutrient density, and benefits for many aspects of health including gut health, immunity, mood and more.
Read on to discover the benefits of bone broth for overall wellbeing and how to add it to your diet as part of a holistic routine to combat the negative effects of stress and anxiety…
Bone broth is one of the most ancient food sources on the planet and an exceptional source of nutrition. Made from simmered animal bones, it is an elixir that not only tastes great but is stacked with nutrition to support your health. Bone broth is rich in collagen, complementary nutrients and minerals and has many health benefits including gut health, bone health and joint health.
Bone broth is rich in many nutrients that are beneficial for mental health including rich amounts of glycine, an amino acid which is known to decrease anxiety and promote calm. Glycine acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitter and has a calming effect on the nervous system. It has also been shown to improve sleep quality and improve the symptoms of sleep deprivation (1) and regulate the autonomic nervous system (2).
Glutamine is another amino acid in bone broth that supports mental wellness. Studies suggest it may reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression by promoting proper gut health and function [3]. Glutamine is also a precursor for the neurotransmitter GABA, which can ease anxiety and promote relaxation.
Bone broth also contains trace amounts of magnesium which is known as the anti-stress mineral and calcium which is essential for nervous system function.
Bone broth has wide-ranging health benefits and supports the body in several ways that can help to alleviate stress and anxiety and their negative effects on overall wellbeing:
Research has shown that good gut health goes a long way to alleviating the symptoms of depression and anxiety.
The gut-brain axis is a complex two-way communication network involving your nervous system, your immune system, and chemical messengers known as neurotransmitters. The gut is seen as the key to overall health, and the gut-brain axis means that a healthy gut can have a positive impact on mood and overall stress levels.
Research indicates that your gut bacteria could affect symptoms of anxiety and depression, and mental health conditions like anxiety are often linked with digestive conditions like IBS (4).
Bone broth is highly regarded for its gut health benefits. Discover more about the benefits of collagen rich foods for gut health in this blog post (7 benefits of collagen for gut health).
Bone broth can help to soothe and repair the digestive lining thanks to its rich source of amino acids like glycine and glutamine which work to restore the integrity of the gut wall. A healthy gut and microbiome means less inflammation throughout the body and brain, reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression, and improved mood and wellbeing.
A good night’s sleep is important for mental wellbeing. Poor quality sleep can lead to irritability, anxiety and shortened attention spans. Anxiety can also lead to sleeplessness, and this can create a vicious cycle, causing more anxiety.
Bone broth is rich in glycine, which has a calming effect and helps to regulate sleep cycles. A study reported that glycine is a safe therapeutic option to improve sleep (5) and it has been shown to reduce insomnia, improve sleep quality and improve the symptoms of sleep deprivation (1).
Better sleep quality and alertness during the day are closely linked to improved mood and mental wellbeing.
Drinking bone broth with a simple dinner may help provide a good source of glycine which can support healthy sleep, and mental wellbeing.
Bone broth is rich in amino acids like glycine and minerals that support the function of our neurotransmitters. Glycine is an inhibitory neurotransmitter which slows down the production of norepinephrine, which induces feelings of anxiety (6).
Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers in the body. Their function is to transmit signals from nerve cells to target cells. These signals help regulate bodily functions ranging from heart rate to appetite.
Inhibitory neurotransmitters have a relaxation-like effect- GABA is the central nervous system’s main inhibitor and experts have linked low levels of it with anxiety and depression. Serotonin is another inhibitory neurotransmitter that helps to regulate mood, behaviour, sleep, and more. Dopamine is known as the feel-good neurotransmitter, and it plays a role in controlling your mood.
Bone broth also contains trace amounts of calcium which is important for neurotransmission and conduction, deficiency can result in depression and insomnia.
Stress is strongly linked to chronic inflammation, and again it can become a vicious cycle with stress causing inflammation and inflammation causing increased stress and anxiety.
The effects of long-term stress cause dysfunction in the nervous and endocrine systems, leading to chronic inflammation, which can have long-term effects on the body and brain.
Accumulating evidence suggests that excessive inflammation plays critical roles in the pathophysiology of stress-related diseases, large bodies of evidence also indicate that stress can activate inflammatory response in the brain as well as peripherally (7).
Bone broth is rich in anti-inflammatory amino acids, like glycine and arginine. Studies have highlighted its anti-inflammatory properties, and that it can modulate the immune response by decreasing the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and stimulating the expression of anti-inflammatory cytokines (8).
Long term chronic stress has been shown to suppress the immune system putting you at risk of infection. Acute stressors seem to enhance immune function, whereas chronic stressors are suppressive.
The majority of first-line immune defence exists in the gut, so anything that is gut protective will have additional benefits for the immune system too. If the gut becomes damaged or leaky, this can interfere with immune cells doing their job.
Bone broth is rich in amino acids like glycine and glutamine which have been shown to be important for gut health and immune support (9). A strong and healthy gut lining is crucial in preventing substances from triggering an immune response, which can lead to inflammation.
By supporting the gut lining bone broth can have positive effects on other aspects of health, including immunity.
Bone broth is a super elixir that you can join at any time of day, and we have both sweet and savoury options to suit your tastes. Whether as a shake, a nourishing addition to your morning smoothie, or added to soups and stews, bone broth is a beneficial supplement that seamlessly integrates into a balanced lifestyle.
Read our blog post to discover more ways to incorporate this superfood into your diet: 5 Ways To Use Organic Bone Broth Powder.
When looking for high quality bone broth, it’s important to look for accreditation and traceability that ensures high animal welfare, sustainable sourcing, and that there are no antibiotics, pesticides, growth hormones or industrial feed used.
We are proud producers of Europe’s first Organic Bone Broth Collagen Protein powder. Our bone broth is crafted from high quality, grass-fed cattle raised on organic farmland in Scandinavia and farmed to KRAV standards, which are the gold standard for farming anywhere in the world.
Our bone broth is accredited with the Soil Association which ensures no chemical fertilisers, pesticides, growth hormones and/or antibiotics are used throughout the production process, the product is GMO free, and animals are raised with space to move outside and stress free. Animals living as nature intended have healthy bones needed to produce the best tasting and health promoting bone broth possible.
Our bone broth only contains the highest quality ingredients and is also free from fillers, anti-caking agents and other additives.
Bone broth is a nutrient rich food that can help to support many systems and pathways in the body, and is a valuable ally in our modern day, stressful world. From supporting gut health to mood, it is an essential addition for overall wellbeing.
Remember the goal isn’t to avoid all stress, but rather to manage the harmful kind of chronic stress that can impact our wellbeing. Ways to support mental health include meditation, yoga, getting outside and doing things you enjoy which can help to balance sources of stress.
Adding in nourishing foods like bone broth can improve our resilience to the damaging effects of chronic stress and restore balance to our bodies, leaving us better able to cope in the busy modern world that we live in.
References
1: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22529837/
2: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10587285/
3: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213453021000112
4: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4632879/
5: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4397399/
6: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16095452/
7: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5476783/
8: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8618064/
9: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5454963/
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